Abstract:

In the article we will describe the methodology of the pilot study focused on detecting the level of reading literacy of pupils at Czech primary schools. At the same time we will present the first results of our research. The pilot study is a combination of the qualitative and quantitative approach of research. It foregoes the main research of the dissertation named The detection of reading literacy level of elementary reading and writing in which we deal with the level of reading literacy of pupils and we examine the influence of teaching methods of elementary reading and writing on reading literacy. The research was carried out using the didactic test of reading literacy. After the construction of the didactic test the pupils in the third grade of primary schools were tested. In this stage of life pupils should manage the technique of reading and they should start to use it for the next stage of learning (PIRLS, 2012). The reading literacy test is composed of the text which is inspired by the text used in the international survey Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the set of questions connected to the text follows. The aim is to verify the designed didactic test on a small sample and to make changes in its overall conception. Moreover, we will describe the results we gained from the didactic test analysis. We also want to provide feedback to the teachers about the progress of their pupils. For the collection of the data we chose these methods to keep the rule of triangulation: an interview with the teachers, a didactic test and a pedagogical observation. From the research emerge the requirements for the reworking of the didactic test in order for it to become the most suitable for the target group and correspond with the demands which are nowadays placed on the pupils. After revising the didactic test we will implement it again into the teaching and again we will be interested in the feedback of the teachers, pupils and others who take part in the research.

Keywords:

Didactic test, mixed methods research, pilot test, reading literacy.