Effectiveness of the interactive Perusall platform in developing critical reading skills of middle school students

Abstract

The current study aimed to determine the effectiveness of employing the interactive online platform Perusall in developing the critical reading skills of seventh grade students in the State of Qatar. To achieve the goal of the study, the researchers applied a questionnaire to curriculum and teaching methods experts in order to determine critical reading skills appropriate for seventh graders, and then apply the critical reading test to measure six skills: interpretation skill, cause-effect skill, the skill of detecting the author’s bias and prejudice, and reading evaluation skill. The study sample consisted of (36) students from the seventh grade. They were divided into groups: the experimental group included (18) students and the control group included of (18) students. The subject unit was taught the experimental group students using the Perusall interactive platform. The subject unit was also taught to the control group students using the common traditional school method.The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences in the critical reading skills test between the experimental group and the control group in favor of the experimental group that used the Perusall platform in teaching. Through the findings, the researchers recommended conducting similar studies on a sample larger than the current study. They also recommended using Perusall platform to develop critical writing skills.