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A New Vocabulary-Based Readability Index for Thai

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A New Vocabulary-Based Readability Index for Thai A NEW VOCABULARY-BASED READABILITY INDEX FOR THAI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Patteera Thienpermpool A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Language Studies Suranaree University of Technology Academic Year 2009 ดัชนีวัดความยากงายของบทอานแบบอิงคําศัพทใหมสําหรับนักศึกษา ไทยในมหาวิทยาลัย นางสาวภัทรธีรา เทียนเพิ่มพูล วิทยานิพนธนี้เปนสวนหนึ่งของการศึกษาตามหลักสูตรปริญญาศิลปศาสตรดุษฎีบัณฑิต สาขาภาษาอังกฤษศึกษา มหาวิทยาลัยเทคโนโลยีสุรนารี ปการศึกษา 2552 A NEW VOCABULARY-BASED READABILITY INDEX FOR THAI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Suranaree University of Technology has approved this thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Thesis Examining Committee _____________________________ (Dr. Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn) Chairperson _____________________________ (Dr. Sarit Srikhao) Member (Thesis Advisor) _____________________________ (Prof. Dr. Chaiyong Brahmawong) Member _____________________________ (Dr. Jitpanat Suwanthep) Member ______________________________ (Dr. Suksan Suppasetseree) Member ______________________________ _____________________________ (Prof. Dr. Sukit Limpijumnong) (Dr. Peerasak Siriyothin) Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Dean of Institute of Social Technology ภัทรธีรา เทียนเพิ่มพูล : ดัชนีวัดความยากงายของบทอานแบบอิงคําศพทั ใหมสําหรบั นักศึกษาไทยในระดับมหาวทยาลิ ัย (A NEW VOCABULARY-BASED READABILITY INDEX FOR THAI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS) อาจารยที่ปรึกษา : รองศาสตราจารย ดร. เจเรมี วิลเลียม วอรด, 351หนา การศึกษานี้มีจุดมุงหมายเพื่อสรางดัชนีวัดความยากงายของบทอานแบบอิงคําศัพทและ ตรวจสอบความเที่ยงตรงของดัชนี ผูเขารวมการวิจัยครั้งนี้มีทั้งหมด 6 กลุม แตละกลุมมีจํานวนดังนี้ 102, 45, 80, 5, 30 และ 6 ตามลําดับ ขอมูลที่ไดมาจากกลุมแรกใชในการสรางดัชนี สวนขอมูลใน กลุมที่เหลือใชเพื่อตรวจสอบความเที่ยงตรงของดัชนี งานวิจัยชิ้นนี้ศึกษาตัวแปรทั้งหมด 4 ตัวแปร: 1) สัดสวนของคําศัพทที่เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรือถี่นอย 2) คะแนนจากขอสอบคลังคําศัพท 3) เปอรเซ็นต ของความรูคําศัพทในแตละบทอาน 4) ความเขาใจในการอาน เครื่องมือที่ใชในการเก็บขอมูล คือ 1) คอมพิวเตอรซอฟตแวรที่เรียกวาเรนจ 2) ขอสอบแบบรู/ไมรู 3) แบบรายงานคําที่ไมรูจัก 4) ขอสอบ การแปล 5) ขอสอบวัดความเขาใจในการอ าน และ 6) แบบสอบถาม งานวิจัยชิ้นนี้ตอบคําถามการวิจัยที่วา “ดัชนีวัดความยากงายแบบอิงคําศัพทมีความ เที่ยงตรงในระดับใด” ดวยขั้นตอนในการวิจัยจํานวน 3 ขั้นตอน 1) การตรวจสอบผลกระทบของ สัดสวนของคําศัพทที่เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรือถี่นอย คลังคําศัพท และเปอรเซ็นตของความรูคําศัพทในแต ละบทอานที่มีแตบทอาน 2) การสรางดัชนี และ 3) การหาความเที่ยงตรงของดัชนี ขั้นตอนที่ 1: การวิเคราะหความแปรปรวนแบบสามทางถูกนํามาใชเพื่อตรวจสอบ ผลกระทบของสัดสวนของคําศัพทที่เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรือถี่นอย คลังค ําศัพท และเปอรเซ็นตของความรู คําศัพทในแตละบทอานที่มีแตบทอาน ผลของการวิเคราะหแสดงใหเห็นวาสัดสวนของคําศัพทที่ เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรือถี่นอย ขนาดของคลังคําศัพท และเปอรเซ็นตของความรูคําศัพทในแตละบทอานที่ มีแตบทอานมีผลตอความเขาใจในการอาน นอกจากนี้ปฏิสัมพันธระหวางสัดสวนของคําศัพทที่ เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรอถื ี่นอยและคลังคําศัพทก็มีผลกับความเขาใจในการอาน อยางไรก็ตามผลจากการ วิเคราะหความแปรปรวนแบบสามทางไมไดแสดงใหเห็นวาปฏิสัมพันธระหวางตัวแปรตัวอื่นๆ มี ผลตอความเขาใจในการอาน ผลจากการวิเคราะหนี้แสดงใหเห็นวาตัวแปรที่ควรจะถูกใชในการ สรางดัชนีในขั้นตอนที่สอง คอื สัดสวนของคําศัพทที่เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรือถี่นอย ขนาดของคลังคําศัพท และเปอรเซ็นตของความรูคําศัพทในแตละบทอาน และปฏิสัมพันธระหวางสัดสวนของคําศัพทที่ เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรือถี่นอยและคลังคําศัพท II ขั้นตอนที่ 2: เนื่องจากคําวาความยากงายในงานชิ้นนหมายถี้ ึงระดับของความยากงายของ บทอานสําหรับนักศึกษาในการทําความเขาใจบทอ านเหลานั้น ดัชนีจงถึ ูกแบงออกเปน 2 สวน 1) การบงชี้ความยากงายของบทอาน และ 2) การทํานายความเขาใจในการอาน ความยากงายของบท อานดวยถูกบงชี้โดยสัดสวนของคําศัพทที่เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรือถี่นอย โดยพิจารณาจากเปอรเซ็นตของ คําในแตละบทอานที่มาจากกลุมคําศัพท 3 กลุมแรกที่เกิดขนบึ้ อย สวนความเขาในการอานถกู ทํานายโดยคะแนนจากขอสอบคลังคําศัพทและเปอรเซนต็ ของความรคู ําศัพทในแตละบทอ านโดย ใชสมการถดถอย ผลที่ไดจากสมการจะอยูในรูปของคะแนนความเขาใจในการอาน เมื่อคะแนนที่ ไดถูกแปลงเปนระด ับความยากงายของบทอานได 5 ระดับ ไดแก ยากเกินไป ยาก เหมาะสม งาย และงายเกินไป ขั้นตอนที่ 3: ความเที่ยงตรงของดัชนีถูกตรวจสอบในรูปของความเที่ยงตรงเฉพาะหนา ความเที่ยงตรงตามสภาพ และความเทยงตรงเชี่ ิงพยากรณ เพื่อที่จะตอบคําถามการวิจัยทวี่ าดัชนีวดั ความยากงายบทอานแบบองคิ ําศัพทมีความเที่ยงตรงแคไหน แบบสอบถามแบบมาตราประมาณคา แบบ 5 ระดับถูกใชเพื่อวดความเทั ี่ยงตรงเฉพาะหนา สหสัมพันธแบบสเปยรแมนและสหสัมพันธ ของเพียรสันถูกนํามาใชเพื่อหาความสัมพนธั ระหวางการบงชี้ความยากงายโดยสัดสวนของคําศัพท ที่เกิดขึ้นถี่มากหรือถี่นอย ผูสอน นักศึกษาและสูตรวัดความยากงายจํานวน 2 สูตรเพื่อศึกษาความ เที่งตรงตามสภาพของดัชน ี ความเที่ยงตรงเชิงพยากรณของการทํานายความเขาใจในการอานโดย คลังคําศัพทและเปอรเซ็นตของความร ูคําศพทั ในแตละบทอานที่มีแตบทอ านถูกตรวจสอบดวยการ ใชสหสัมพันธของเพ ียรสันเพื่อหาความสมพั ันธและหวางคะแนนและระด ับความยากงายของบท อานที่ถูกทํานายกับคะแนนของนักศึกษาและการประเมินระดับความยากงายของบทอานของ นักศึกษา ผลจากการตรวจสองความเที่ยงตรงของดชนั ีแสดงใหเหนว็ าดัชนีเปนไปในทางที่ดี อยางไร ก็ตามดัชนนี ี้มปี ญหาในเชิงปฏิบัติคอนขางมาก วิทยานิพนธนี้ไดนาเสนอขํ อจํากดของดั ัชนีและ ขอเสนอแนะในการวจิ ัยในอนาคต PATTEERA THIENPERMPOOL : A NEW VOCABULARY-BASED READABILITY INDEX FOR THAI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. THESIS ADVISOR : ASSOC. PROF. JEREMY WILLIAM WARD, Ph.D., 351 PP. READABILITY/LEXICAL FREQUENCY PROFILE/VOCABULARY SIZE/TEXT- SPECIFIC VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE This study aimed to devise a vocabulary-based readability index and to investigate the validity of the index. There were six groups of participants taking part in the study. Each of these groups consisted of 102, 45, 80, 5, 30 and 6 respectively. The data from the first group were used to devise the vocabulary-based readability index and the data from the latter groups were used to validate the index. There were four investigated variables: Lexical Frequency Profile (LFP), vocabulary size, text- specific vocabulary knowledge (TSVK) and reading comprehension. The instruments were 1) RANGE; 2) a yes/no test; 3) self-reports on unknown words; 4) translation tests; 5) reading comprehension tests and 6) questionnaires. In order to answer the research question “To what extent would a purely vocabulary-based readability index be valid?”, the present study was divided into three main stages: 1) an investigation of the effects of LFP, vocabulary size and TSVK on reading comprehension; 2) the development of the index and 3) validation of the index. Stage 1: A three-way ANOVA was used to investigate the effects of LFP, vocabulary size and TSVK on reading comprehension. The results showed that there were some differences between the mean reading scores when LFP, vocabulary size IV and TSVK were varied. Also, the interaction between LFP and vocabulary size had some effects on reading comprehension. However, the three-way ANOVA results revealed no effects of the interaction between LFP and TSVK, vocabulary size and TSVK, and LFP, vocabulary size and TSVK on reading comprehension. This showed that the variables should be used in Phase 2 should be LFP, vocabulary size, TSVK and the interaction between LFP and vocabulary size. Stage 2: Based on the definition of readability, the level or degree of the ease or difficulty of texts for Thai university students to comprehend the texts, the vocabulary-based readability index was comprised of two main parts: 1) indication of text difficulty and 2) prediction of reading comprehension. Text difficulty was indicated by LFP. Percentage of tokens from the first three frequency bands was used to indicate text difficulty. The reading comprehension was predicted by vocabulary size and TSVK by regression equations. The results from the equations were in terms of reading scores. These reading scores were converted into five bands of text difficulty: too difficult, difficult, optimal, easy and too easy. Stage 3: The index was validated in terms of face validity, concurrent validity and predictive validity in order to answer the research question “to what extent would a purely vocabulary-based readability index be valid? A questionnaire with 5-point rating scales was used to investigate face validity. In order to investigate concurrent validity of LFP as an indicator of text difficulty, correlation coefficients between the indication of text difficulty by LFP, teachers, students and two traditional readability formulas were calculated by Spearman rho and Pearson r. The predictive validity of the prediction of reading comprehension at different vocabulary size and TSVK was investigated by V exploring the relationship between the predicted scores and bands of text difficulty and the students’ actual scores and ratings of text difficulty by Pearson r. The results from the validation of the index seem promising. However, the index tends to have a massive practicality problem. The constraints of the index and suggestions for further studies are presented in the dissertation. School of English Student’s signature _________________ Academic Year 2009 Advisor’s signature_________________ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to a number of people who have helped me in completing this thesis and would like to take this opportunity to thank them all. Firstly, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Commission on Higher Education who has sponsored me with an MA and PhD scholarship and my colleagues in the Faculty of Education at Silpakorn University who gave me permission for study leave and moral support. Secondly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Phil Scholfield who gave me a chance to be an occasional student at University of Essex, United Kingdom. Without his help, I would not have had invaluable academic
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