Keywords
Text Structures
, Text Types
Cognitive Reader Profiles
Eye Movements
How to Cite
Abstract
This study examines how the Basic Readers of the Common European Framework of References (CEFR) allocate attention to different text structures by analysing their eye movements while reading narrative, expository, and infographic texts. The data collection involved eighty 12-year-old learners, identified using a Cambridge Assessment English diagnostic tool. Eye-tracking data were gathered with Tobii Pro Glasses 2 (100Hz), and participants were split into two groups (n=40 for each group). Each group read three types of texts (narrative, expository, infographic) and completed one of two post-reading tasks: a three-option multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) or a verbal report. The main data for analysis came from total fixation durations, extracted using Tobii Pro Lab software, and were further contextualized with gaze-plot recordings analysis, validated by two expert reviewers. The study found that participants had difficulty understanding the functional roles of textual features, where the process is often interrupted by desegmentation in eye movements. This finding emphasizes the importance of guiding eye navigation during reading using interventions like graphic organizers or audio-assisted reading techniques. By profiling these readers, this research offers novel insights into how CEFR-Basic readers at Malaysian primary schools fixate on various text types and structures.
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