Reading Attitudes and Cross-Disciplinary Success: Investigating the Relationship between English Literacy Disposition and Academic Progress in Science Courses

Abstract

This research aims to determine if there is a correlation between Saudi Arabian students’ attitudes about reading in English and their reading success and their performance in science classes. Students’ perspectives on reading in English had a substantial impact on their academic performance in STEM fields and universities, where English is the main language of teaching. The researcher applied a quantitative research methodology to conduct this research study. The data were gathered from a sample of undergraduate university students enrolled in King Saud University taking scientific courses in their current semester. The research investigates the relationships between students’ views on reading in English, their reading proficiency, and their performance in scientific classes by using structured questionnaires and results from standardized reading assessments. “Standardized Reading Assessments” refer to formalized English reading proficiency tests that were used to objectively measure participants’ reading ability in English. These assessments are standardized because they follow fixed testing procedures, scoring rubrics, and benchmarks for interpreting results, ensuring that every participant’s reading performance can be compared on the same scale. The researcher used an existing, validated instrument already applied by the university to assess students’ reading proficiency levels. At King Saud University, such standardized reading evaluations are typically part of English foundation or placement programs and assess comprehension, vocabulary, and inferencing skills in academic English. The scores from these standardized reading assessments were actively incorporated into the statistical analysis. Furthermore, to improve students’ understanding and performance in scientific classes, the results stress the need to encourage good reading habits. To help students become more invested in reading English and, by extension, achieve higher academic results, the research proposes instructional interventions.