Methodological strategy for the development of reading comprehension in Fifth Grade Students in Portoviejo, Ecuador

Abstract

The present research study was developed with the objective of proposing a methodological strategy oriented to improve reading comprehension in fifth-grade students of basic education at the "12 de Octubre" Educational Unit in the city of Manta. The methodology adopted a mixed approach (qualitative-quantitative) of a descriptive-propositive type and a non-experimental cross-sectional design, based on the Cuban pedagogical conception. The population consisted of 62 students and 2 teachers, selecting an intentional sample of 30 learners and both professors. As scientific methods, theoretical levels (analytic-synthetic, inductive-deductive, systemic-structural-functional), empirical (scientific observation, survey, and semi-structured interview), and statistical (descriptive) methods were deployed. The main findings evidenced insufficiencies in the use of active didactic strategies by teachers and a marked lack of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in learners, prioritizing decoding over inference. It is concluded that the implementation of the proposed methodological strategy, structured in stages of diagnosis, planning, execution, and evaluation, constitutes a viable and contextualized pedagogical alternative to holistically transform reading habits and school success within the institution.