https://doi.org/10.37955/cs.v6i3.277
Received June22, 2021 / Approved October, 04 2022 Pages: 37-55
eISSN: 2600-5743
Playfulness as a strategy to
strengthen reading comprehension,
motivation and social interaction
La lúdica como estrategia de fortalecimiento de la
comprensión lectora, motivación e interacción social
Miguel Bonilla Alegria
Master's Degree, Corporación Universitaria Iberoamericana,
mbonil12@ibero.edu.co, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7664-3174
Sandra Lorena Gamboa Arroyo
Master's Degree, Corporación Universitaria Iberoamericana,
sgamboaa@ibero.edu.co, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2199-5580
Mary Luz Cortez Angulo
Master's Degree, Corporación Universitaria Iberoamericana,
mcortes32@ibero.edu.co, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2608- 7207
ABSTRACT
The José Acevedo y Gómez Educational Institution, located in the Cajambre
River, rural area, south of the district of Buenaventura, covers from (0º) to
11th grade. The population served, is characterized by learning problems,
evidenced both in internal and external tests (Saber), mainly in reading
comprehension, which shows that the teaching-learning process does not
respond to the proposed educational quality, therefore the general objective
was raised in "Strengthening reading comprehension in ninth grade students",
instruments were used to collect information such as: structured interview for
parents and teachers, diagnostic test to students, non-participant observation
to teachers, participant observation to students and the final test. This study
was established from the constructivist paradigm, in search of achieving the
objectives through the qualitative approach, the methodology was action
research. The first results found were: absence of reading habits, little or no
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parental support, inadequate pedagogical practices, poorly conditioned
physical spaces and a low level of inferential reading in most of the students.
The use of the pedagogical proposal produced attitudinal changes in the
students, such as integration, satisfaction, communication, and slight
individual and group improvement in inferential reading. It is concluded that
the use of games modified the attitude of the students, which explains the
slight difference between the diagnostic test and the final test. It is worth
mentioning that the categories Motivation and social interaction of the
general objective were fully met, while reading comprehension only partially
improved in the subjects investigated.
RESUMEN
La Institución Educativa José Acevedo y Gómez ubicada en el rio Cajambre
zona rural, al sur del distrito de Buenaventura, esta cubre desde (0º) hasta
grado 11º. La población atendida, se caracteriza por presentar problemáticas
de aprendizaje, evidenciadas tanto en pruebas internas como externa (Saber),
principalmente en comprensión lectora, lo cual da cuenta que el proceso de
enseñanza –aprendizaje, no responde a la calidad educativa propuesta, Por
ello se Planteó el objetivo general en “Fortalecer la comprensión lectora en
los estudiantes del grado noveno”, se utilizaron instrumentos de recolección
de información como: entrevista estructurada para padres de familia y
docentes, prueba diagnóstica a educandos, observación no participante a
docentes, observación participante a educandos y el test final. Este estudio se
estableció desde el paradigma constructivista, en búsqueda de alcanzar los
objetivos a través del enfoque cualitativo, la metodología fue investigación
acción. Los primeros resultados encontrados fueron: ausencia de hábito
lector, poco o ningún apoyo de los padres, practicas pedagógicas inadecuadas,
espacios físicos mal acondicionados y un nivel de lectura inferencial bajo en
la mayoría de educandos. El uso de la propuesta pedagógica, produjo cambios
actitudinales en los estudiantes como la integración, satisfacción,
comunicación, leve mejora individual y grupal en lectura inferencial. Se
concluye que emplear la lúdica modifico la actitud de los estudiantes, por lo
cual se comprende la leve diferencia entre prueba diagnóstica y prueba final,
cabe mencionar que las categorías Motivación e interacción social del
objetivo general, se cumplieron a cabalidad, en cambio la comprensión
lectora solo mejoró parcialmente en los sujetos investigados.
Keywords / Palabras claves
Reading comprehension, playfulness, motivation, social interaction.
Comprensión lectora, lúdica, motivación, interacción social.
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Introduction
This article intends to reflect the view of some authors regarding
concepts such as reading comprehension, playfulness, motivation and
social interaction in order to have a basis for understanding these
aspects within the development of this research, in search of better
interpreting the results of the same and at the same time to enable a
proper questioning with the authors in which the results are
supported, so it begins by defining each of the fundamental elements
of this study.
Reading comprehension, as it is currently conceived, is a process
through which the reader elaborates meaning in his interaction with
the text (Anderson & Pearson, 1984). When a reader understands what
he reads, he is learning, to the extent that his reading informs him,
allows him to approach the author's world of meanings and offers him
new perspectives or opinions on certain aspects. Riascos, 2014) states
that reading comprehension involves understanding, first of all, the
meaning of words, considered as the minimum units of the text, and
then moving on to the larger units, i.e., sentences, phrases and
paragraphs.
According to Adam and Starr (1982). To understand the concept of
reading comprehension, it is necessary to know what are the necessary
components and the steps to follow to reach it, therefore, we must first
know: what is reading? Reading is understood as the ability to
understand a written text" Reading is a process of interaction between
the reader and the text, a process through which the former tries to
satisfy the objectives that guide his reading.
We continue with the second relevant factor in this article, "ludic",
from which ludic is known as the adjective that designates everything
related to play, leisure, entertainment or amusement. The term ludic
is of Latin origin; "ludus" which means "game". A ludic activity is
performed in the free time of individuals, with the objective of
releasing tensions, escaping from the daily routine and worries, to
obtain a little pleasure, fun and entertainment, as well as other
benefits, among which are the following: it develops concentration and
mental agility, expands body expression, improves balance and
flexibility, increases blood circulation and provides social inclusion.
(Posada, 2014).
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Playfulness, according to Dinello (1989), is an option of
understanding, which conceives new representations that creatively
transform the phenomenological perception of the community, thus
giving rise to new processes of knowledge, creations and positive
emotional relationships.
Bruner (1984), expresses that playfulness favors in the child the
establishment of the symbolic function and with it, the internal
emergence of the symbol, increasing the capacity of his thinking.
(Huertas Vargas, M. et al. 2019), mentions that through play as a
strategy, the interest and desire to learn is promoted. The experience
begins by observing the reality of the educational community, until it
becomes aware of the importance of innovating the pedagogical task.
In this sense, García et al. (2001) state that motivation is not
something momentary, it goes beyond the preparation and concern for
the beginning of a lesson, it is constituted by a set of elements that
make up the physical, social and emotional environment of the class.
In relation to the above, Nérici, I (1991), in a very precise way expresses
that to motivate is to predispose the student towards what is to be
taught; it is to lead him to participate actively in school work. Thus, to
motivate is to lead the student to strive to learn, whether by trial and
error, imitation or reflection.
This is complemented by Suárez, R (1980), indicating that to motivate
learning is to move the student to learn and create the necessary
conditions for its achievement, removing the barriers that oppose it.
Finally, we work on the last conceptual aspect of this article
corresponding to social interaction, in reference to it, (Galindo et al.,
2009) define interaction as the implementation of reciprocal acts of
behavior between individuals at the moment of establishing or
experiencing a dialogue or joint activity, in relation to the context
where the event takes place.
Goffman, E (2014) states that we can better understand the social
interactions of everyday life by resorting to a theatrical metaphor,
imagining that when we interact with other people we are doing as the
actors in the theater. He also pointed out that, in every social
interaction, we are all actors and audience at the same time since, on
the one hand, we play a role - consciously or unconsciously - to convey
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a certain impression of ourselves, on the other hand, we evaluate how
others play their role.
Benes, G. (2014), highlights that in social interactions there are a series
of assumptions or understandings that we take for granted and that
allow that interaction to go ahead in a way that we could foresee. For
example, when we ask someone, "How are you doing?", we imply, and
so does the interlocutor, that we are asking the question as a greeting
and not to find out how he or she is doing in terms of health or mood.
It is observed that students at the José Acevedo y Gómez Educational
Institution have different rhythms and learning styles, which are
related to the students of the XXI century. That is to say that they learn
in different ways, many will understand in a faster way, others more
slowly, some visually and others audibly, etc. In which, the
methodology of the game is going to favor them to a great extent
knowing that this has benefits such as: motivation, good coexistence,
respect, guidelines. The game affects all these practices so that the
person relates and assimilates in a better way.
In the same way, it is conceived that the methodology used by the
teacher, supported by the constructivist method, is the one that will
allow focusing on the subject, where the teacher becomes a mediator
and guide of the academic activities, while the student is the center and
builder of his teaching-learning process; unlike what happened in the
past, where only the teacher's directive was imposed, where it was
thought that the subjects were recipients who had to fill them with
curricular contents.
Therefore, this study is proposed in order to analyze "the problems in
reading comprehension and low motivation" in the teaching-learning
process that has been occurring in the students of our educational
institution from 2016 to the present. For this purpose, priority is given
to the 9th grade population group (male and female adolescents
between 13 and 19 years of age) of the José Joaquín y Caicedo y Cuero
headquarters, in the verada Silva, Rio Cajambre of the city of
Buenaventura.
It is important to express that different strategies such as the reading
corner, workshops and icfes type evaluations, reflective videos among
others have been established throughout these years to address the
problems mentioned, but even with all these alternatives, it has not
been possible to achieve an optimal level in the students in the reading
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comprehension process, nor to improve their motivation, free and
autonomous participation.
Materials and Methods
This research was carried out using the following material for the
collection of information: Structured interview to parents, Structured
interview directed to teachers, Diagnostic test to students (reading
comprehension test), Non-participant observation directed to
teachers, Didactic units (reading comprehension tests in the area of
ethics and values), (ludic activities), Participant observation directed
to students and Final test (with the initial diagnostic test).
The present research is established from the constructivist paradigm,
which aims to achieve the objectives through a qualitative approach,
the research methodology proposed corresponds to action research.
According to Rodriguez G, (1996), the qualitative method experiments
from real contexts, the importance of this method is that it analyzes
the phenomena as they happen. According to the author, this type of
research implies the collection of diverse data for interpretation. To
this end, the authors of this study proposed the use of instruments
such as the test before and after the play activities, observation and the
structured interview, in order to point out the description of the
problem.
According to Hernández, Fernández and Baptista (2010), the
qualitative approach is understood as a process that requires data
collection without numerical measurement, while for Blasco and Pérez
(2007) it studies reality in its natural context as it happens, extracting
and interpreting phenomena according to the objects involved.
From this perspective of Pérez Serrano (1998), qualitative research is
considered "as an active, systematic and rigorous process of directed
inquiry, in which decisions are made about what can be investigated
while in the field of study" (Page 46).
Among the types of qualitative research, the design selected for this
study was action research. In this regard, Yuni and Urbano (2005)
state that action research is part of a research model of greater
commitment to social change, since it is based on a position regarding
the intrinsic value of knowledge of one's own practice and personal
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ways of interpreting reality so that the actors themselves can engage in
processes of personal and organizational change. (Pages 138-139).
From an educational point of view, Suarez Pazos (2002) states that
action research is "a way of studying and exploring a social situation,
in our case an educational situation, with the aim of improving it, in
which those involved in the reality under investigation are involved as
"inquirers".
In this sense, action research is presented not only as a method, but
also as an epistemic tool directed towards the educational
transformation of the reality that is in permanent construction and
reconstruction by the social actors, where the researching teacher is an
active agent of his own inquiry practice.
Results
The implementation of all the research dynamics and the application
of the ludic-pedagogical processes resulted in the following elements
or factors related to the problems of reading comprehension,
motivation and social interaction.
Representation of factors affecting reading comprehension and
motivation.
The predominant response in 14 households was that 12 expressed that
they had no reading habits, while only 2 households stated that they
had a reading habit, although not regularly practiced. In addition,
parents are fully aware that their children dedicate little time to
reading and prefer to do other things, for example: watch television,
work in the fields, go fishing or mining, among other factors that limit
the teaching-learning exercise.
Regarding this factor, it is evident that most of them, both parents and
students, downplay the importance of the educational process, which
undoubtedly directly affects the student's reading competence,
because it is an intermittent process and lacks responsibility, in
addition to this, it was found that most parents do not use didactic
material to work on reading comprehension with their children, and
also expressed not having read even one book on their own initiative
or at the suggestion of others, which shows that they have little taste
for reading.
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In this order of idea is linked to the problem of low reading
comprehension, the lack and availability of suitable physical spaces,
equipped with what is necessary to promote an efficient reading at
home and mainly in the educational institution, in the same way it was
observed that the institution lacks in its totality of spaces with these
characteristics, since the school libraries that are available, are only
designed to store books and not in the comfort or satisfaction of those
who use them. Likewise, there are acoustic affectations that impede
the reader's concentration, due to the fact that the classrooms are
mostly built of wood and very close to each other, therefore, the noise
generated in the classroom interferes with the activities of the
neighboring classroom.
Another problem encountered is the use of chainsaws to cut wood, or
river transportation by boats with outboard motors that generate loud
noise and lack of concentration among students, in addition to the use
of sound equipment in areas near the school during school hours.
With respect to the present category, a coincidence or relationship was
found between the results already mentioned and the diagnostic test,
in this sense it could be observed that 10 of 14 students obtained a low
grade, which corresponds to 71.4% of students positioned in this level,
in contrast, 4 students reached a basic level, that is, 28.6% of the total
sample that are located in the second level of reading comprehension
and none achieved a position in high or higher levels. In order to
interpret the previous result more precisely, the Institutional
evaluation scale is added, comprised as follows: low 1 - 2.9, basic 3.0 -
3.9, high 4.0 - 4.5 and superior 4 - 6 - 5.0.
It was found that the relationship that the students have with the
physical space near the institution makes possible the realization of
certain traditional games, such as "la lleva el ponchado", "la
carbonerita", "la yuquita", "mirón mirón", "tingo tango" and others
such as "baile por la silla". Accordingly, we proceeded to ask the
students about two possible games that could be implemented in the
middle of a class, of which the last two games were chosen to be applied
in the didactic units.
It was found that the majority of parents, 12 out of 14, consider that
the use of games in pedagogical activities is of utmost importance,
since they can help motivate the student and favor reading
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comprehension, while only two households stated that they do not see
the importance of games in the classroom.
In keeping with the discursive line, it became evident through the non-
participant observation of teachers that none of the six teachers
analyzed made use of playfulness in any period of their class.
In relation to the two previous sections, it is clear that, although the
student complies partially or completely with his academic activities,
there is no greater motivation to comply with them, since he enjoys
very little of the process under these conditions.
3.7 Motivation type (a): Regarding this aspect, it was found that all the
teachers participating in this research try to promote motivation in
some way in the students, some do it through the use of different styles
of reading, others through dynamism and personal gesticulation, in
spite of this, this type of motivation does not radiate equally to all the
students, nor does it last for a long time.
With the information collected up to this point, we proceeded to the
construction of the pedagogical proposal, based on the context, the
preferences of the students, the implementation of games, short texts,
image reading, group activities, among other things, the material was
contained in two didactic units to be carried out in two different
sessions, in addition to the final test as the third and last session.
Motivation type (b): It was observed and registered attitudes in the
students in the middle of the recreational-pedagogical activity,
projecting "greater motivation and interest to participate and carry out
the programmed activities", even students who do not show this
expression on a daily basis were more motivated, it is important to
note that all the participants of the final sample, 14 students, were
found to be more motivated in the middle of the recreational activity,
than in previous stages before the implementation of this activity.
There was a high degree of commitment on the part of the students in
the application of the proposal, the commitment to the activities was
total on the part of the students, and they were not willing to go home
at the end of the section, but on the contrary, they chose to have a kind
of reflective discussion about everything they had experienced in the
process.
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It was observed in the team work that the students were totally willing
to plan and execute the necessary activities, and thus achieve the
objective of the class, in addition to this, the interruptions by those
who have the habit of doing them, were greatly reduced, and the few
that occurred, were taken from a positive point of view or animation
for the space.
In relation to the behavior of the students, it was evident that the
implementation of the didactic units, with the different activities that
composed them, produced a widely sustained dynamizing effect, both
in the first and in the second unit, as well as in the range of time that
each one lasted (2 hours), The dynamism could be appreciated because
the students used their range of skills to work hard in each of the
phases through interaction and interlocution, and it is worth
mentioning that a high level was maintained in this factor in all phases
of the process, the high dynamic impact produced an excellent
atmosphere in the classroom.
In relation to this aspect, although the change that the playful activity
brought to the class was evident, it was decided to ask the students
directly how satisfied they were with the implementation of these new
components within the structure of the class, to which they responded
almost snatching the word from each other "very happy with all this"
"totally satisfied" "this is how all the classes should be" "very happy
with all this" "totally satisfied" "this is how all the classes should be".
The participatory aspect of the students was greatly influenced by the
recreational activity, since their joy was evident at first sight, during
and after the game. For this reason, it can be said that the involvement
of the students in the activities was 100%, since none of the 14 students
refused to participate in any of the activities.
In this aspect an important improvement was found, in relation to this
it was observed that some students, who normally do not integrate
easily, for this occasion they did it from the moment of the playful
activity, and from then on they remained integrated to each one of the
activities, contributing in the realization of the same ones. In this
sense, it was important the integration in the moments of the group
activities, where it was possible to observe a total concentration and
participation of the members of each one of the established groups.
This is another element that, in addition to being emergent, also makes
a difference with respect to some others, since it was observed in 3
students who are normally not very communicative, making use of this
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ability as they had never been seen before, managing to integrate and
express their points of view with total naturalness, just as it happened
with the rest of the students.
Evaluation of the impact of the pedagogical proposal
3.16 Final inferential reading: The following results were obtained in
this section: 6 of the 14 students were able to reach the basic level of
reading comprehension, although in this case only two more students
were able to move up to this level of qualification, this small change in
the number of students is interpreted as positive, since in the initial
test there were 4 students at the basic level.
It is understood in this research that the results, besides being group
results, are also personal, which is why individual changes were
presented in the final stage in some students of the low reading
comprehension level, in this sense, they went from answering correctly
between 4 and 5, 6 and 7 questions out of 17 in total in the diagnostic
test, to answering 8 and even 9 questions correctly, being close to
reaching the basic level in the final test, which shows small differences
in both individual and group aspects, obtained from the process
carried out in relation to inferential reading.
Representation of factors affecting reading comprehension and
motivation.
It was evidenced that most of the students practice reading by
imposition, rather than for pleasure, so it is established that they do
not do it with pleasure and therefore read for the sake of reading, in
other words, to comply with the teacher's order, in relation to what has
been observed and to the authors' fundamentals, the low level of
reading comprehension present in the students who are the objects of
this study can be explained, understanding according to Adam and
Starr (1982), understanding that, there must be a certain attraction for
reading in the individual who carries out this process, which is
supported by Salazar, S. (2006), who expresses that the reading
comprehension of the students is not a pleasure, but a pleasure for the
sake of reading. (2006), who states that the reading habit is a
structured and intentional behavior, which allows the individual to
stay motivated in reading practices, providing satisfaction, sense of
achievement and entertainment.