Effects of the POSSE Strategy on Reading Comprehension of Physics Texts and Physics Anxiety among High School Students

The current study investigated the effect of the Predict, Organize, Search, Summarize, and Evaluate (POSSE) strategy on developing reading comprehension levels for physics texts and reducing physics anxiety among high school students in Saudi Arabia. The researcher used a quasi-experimental design, which allowed two groups to be compared in this study: an experimental group and a control group. Additionally, inferential statistics were used to estimate differences between the two groups. A convenience sample of 70 male high school students from the city of Dammam was chosen to participate in this study. The instruments used to collect data were developed by the researcher; they included a reading comprehension test on physics texts and a physics anxiety questionnaire. The results indicated that the POSSE strategy had a significant positive impact on the participants' relation to physics. Evidence from this study suggests that the POSSE strategy provided students with multiple opportunities to understand how expository texts are structured and develop deeper comprehension skills. The strategy also helped students feel more in control and less anxious about the physics material.