EST Secondary School Reading Curriculum: The Preparation for Reading at Tertiary Level

Abstract

Reading skill becomes the pioneer and the most vital skill at the tertiary level, it is the gateway to every academic achievement. This study analyses the Yemeni EST senior secondary reading curriculum to explore how well this curriculum prepares secondary school level students for reading content area subjects at the tertiary level. The data were collected through document review and classroom observation. The framework of this study was based on a revised model of Sidek (2010) of method analysis of the teaching of reading skill. The findings on the emphasis on reading skill and the level of cognitive demands of reading tasks indicated that reading skill is greatly and explicitly emphasized in the selected curriculum; however, the curriculum partially prepares secondary school students for tertiary reading in terms of the level of cognitive demands of reading tasks. Findings were discussed in terms of improving the effectiveness of EST senior secondary reading textbooks and classroom instruction on the students’ level of reading comprehension at higher education. Suggestions for EST curriculum revision were provided in the discussion section.