Volume 14, Issue 1, 2026

Effect of Context Cues Strategy on Students’ Vocabulary Development in Reading Comprehension among Secondary School Students in Kontagora Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria

Zubairu, Zainab Omoshola, Ashom Musa Maisamari & Jeno Mary Enighe

Abstract

This study examined the effect of context cues strategy on vocabulary
development in reading comprehension among Senior Secondary School Two
(SS2) students in Kontagora Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria. Employing a
quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test control group design, 160 students from
two public schools were purposively sampled (80 males in the experimental
group receiving explicit context cues instruction and 80 females in the control
group exposed to conventional methods) over six weeks. Data were collected
using a validated 20-item Reading Comprehension Achievement Test (RCAT)
and analyzed via descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)
at a 0.05 significance level. Results revealed a statistically significant
improvement in vocabulary development for the experimental group (pre-test
mean = 1.88, post-test mean = 4.32, mean gain = 2.44, F(1,157) = 343.157, p
< .001, ?² = .686), indicating a large effect size and superior performance over
the control group (pre-test mean = 2.19, post-test mean = 2.65, mean gain =
0.46). Grounded in Rumelhart's (1977) Interactive Reading Model, the
findings underscore the strategy's efficacy in enhancing word acquisition and
retention through semantic, syntactic, graphophonic, and pragmatic cues.
Recommendations include integrating context cues into the national English
curriculum and mandating teacher training to address vocabulary deficits in
under-resourced northern Nigerian contexts.

Keywords

Context vocabulary cues strategy; development; quasi-experimental design; reading intervention; secondary education; Nigerian ESL; instructional efficacy

Full Text

Download

References

Agbo, E. B., Kadiri, S. A., & Ekwueme, N. C. (2023).
Challenges in ESL reading instruction in
Nigerian secondary schools. Journal of
Language Education, 15(2), 45–62.
Akubo, D., Oyetunde, T. O., & Anyebe, E. (2024). The
effects of metacognitive and contextual reading
strategies on senior secondary students’ reading
comprehension in Jos South, Plateau State,
Nigeria
[Unpublished
master’s
University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria.
thesis].
Che Ani, A. R., Mohd Zaaid, N. S., Abdul Rani, N. A.,
& Razali, M. Z. (2023). Contextual cues and
vocabulary mastery in rural ESL classrooms.
Malaysian Journal of ELT Research, 20(1),
112–130.
Day, H., Hwang, Y., Arner, J., McNamara, D., &
Connor, C. (2024). Interactive e-books and
context clue support for upper elementary
readers. Journal of Educational Technology,
15(4), 200–215.
Emadesti, L. (2021). Blended learning and context clues
for vocabulary in senior secondary EFL.
Journal of Educational Technology, 12(3), 78
95.
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2011). Teaching and
researching reading (2nd ed.). London,
England: Longman.
Hjetland, H. N., Lervåg, A., & Hulme, C. (2019). Word
to-text integration in vocabulary development.
Scientific Studies of Reading, 23(3), 150–165.
Hussain, M. (2024). Strategic context cue instruction
and comprehension among secondary students
in Karu, Nasarawa State [Unpublished master’s
thesis]. Nasarawa State University, Keffi,
Nigeria.
Le Van Tuyen, & Huyen, N. T. (2019). Context clues
and EFL comprehension in Vietnam. Asian
EFL Journal, 25(4), 200–220.
Leonard, J. (2023). Vocabulary deficits and literal
comprehension in secondary ESL. International
Journal of Literacy Education, 10(2), 89–105.
Musa, I. A. (2020). Secondary school teachers’
preparedness and classroom practices in using
context
cue
strategies
for
reading
comprehension in Kano State, Nigeria
[Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Bayero
University, Kano, Nigeria.
Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another
language. Cambridge, England: Cambridge
University Press.
National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to
read:
An
evidence-based
assessment.
Washington, DC: National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development.
Nigerian Educational Research and Development
Council (NERDC). (2013). Senior secondary
school curriculum: English language. Abuja,
Nigeria: Nigerian Educational Research and
Development Council.
Nnaji, E. O. (2021). Differential effects of context cue
instruction on male and female students’
reading comprehension performance in Enugu
State, Nigeria [Unpublished master’s thesis].
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
Obiegbu, F. N. (2018). Diagnostic and intervention
study of reading comprehension difficulties of
ESL learners in Lokoja Metropolis, Kogi State
[Unpublished master’s thesis]. Kogi State
University, Anyigba, Nigeria.
Olanrewaju, A. (2024). Reading problems and
instructional gaps in Nigerian secondary
schools. African Journal of Literacy, 7(1), 34
50.
Oyetunde, T. O. (2002). Second-language reading
comprehension among primary school pupils in
Nigeria. Jos, Nigeria: University of Jos Press.
Perfetti, C., & Stafura, J. (2014). Word knowledge in a
theory of reading comprehension. Scientific
Studies of Reading, 18(1), 22–37.
Rumelhart, D. E. (1977). Toward an interactive model
of reading. In S. Dornic (Ed.), Attention and
performance VI (pp. 573–603). New York, NY:
Academic Press.
Stevani, M. (2023). Contextual cues and proficiency in
EFL learners’ comprehension in a university
setting
[Unpublished
master’s
thesis].
Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya,
Indonesia.
West African Examinations Council (WAEC). (2024).
Chief examiners’ report: English language.
Accra, Ghana: West African Examinations
Council.
Wertheimer, M. (1923). Investigations on the principles
of Gestalt. Psychologische Forschung, 4, 301
350.
Zorfass, J., & Gray, T. (2024). Context cues for
struggling readers. Reading Rockets. Retrieved
from https://www.readingrockets.org