View in EDS

Differences in Question Reading and Responding Behaviour across Reading Achievement Skills: An Eye-Tracking Study

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Differences in Question Reading and Responding Behaviour across Reading Achievement Skills: An Eye-Tracking Study
Language: English
Authors: Alissa N. Garguilo (ORCID 0000-0003-4602-9952), Scott P. Ardoin (ORCID 0000-0003-2176-4221), Katherine S. Binder (ORCID 0000-0003-0711-5751)
Source: Journal of Research in Reading. 2026 49(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 28
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R305A17036
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Reading Achievement, Reading Skills, Reading Comprehension, Eye Movements, Reading Tests, Elementary School Students, Multiple Choice Tests, High Achievement, Low Achievement, Questioning Techniques, Inferences, Test Wiseness, Test Construction
DOI: 10.1111/1467-9817.70018
ISSN: 0141-0423
1467-9817
Abstract: Background: Reading comprehension (RC) tests are meant to assess students' ability to read and process information within passages but also require students to read and understand the questions. Just as students of different reading achievement use varying compensatory skills to develop comprehension of a passage, we suspected skill level might also be related to different behaviours as they read questions and response options. Methods: We analysed data of 174 students, with a mean age of 9.06 years. All students attended schools in the southeastern region of the United States and were assessed in English. Students were asked to read passages and respond to multiple-choice questions as their eye movements were recorded. Results: Compared to lower-achieving students, higher-achieving students (1) needed less time to read the passages and questions, (2) were sensitive to question type in that they took more time to read inferential-question stems compared to literal stems and (3) were less likely to re-read when answering questions, but if they did re-read, they were more likely to answer literal questions correctly. Conclusions: Just as lower-achieving students experience greater challenges reading passages and have fewer skills to overcome those challenges, they likewise expend more effort reading questions and searching passages for answers. Unfortunately, their searches are less likely to result in the correct answer choices. Findings emphasise teaching evidence-based test-taking strategies that prioritise comprehension and highlight eye-tracking technology's potential to inform RC test design and evaluation.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1497589
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1497589
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Differences in Question Reading and Responding Behaviour across Reading Achievement Skills: An Eye-Tracking Study
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alissa+N%2E+Garguilo%22">Alissa N. Garguilo</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4602-9952">0000-0003-4602-9952</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Scott+P%2E+Ardoin%22">Scott P. Ardoin</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2176-4221">0000-0003-2176-4221</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katherine+S%2E+Binder%22">Katherine S. Binder</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0711-5751">0000-0003-0711-5751</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Research+in+Reading%22"><i>Journal of Research in Reading</i></searchLink>. 2026 49(1).
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 28
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: R305A17036
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Achievement%22">Reading Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Skills%22">Reading Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Comprehension%22">Reading Comprehension</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eye+Movements%22">Eye Movements</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Tests%22">Reading Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multiple+Choice+Tests%22">Multiple Choice Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+Achievement%22">High Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Achievement%22">Low Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questioning+Techniques%22">Questioning Techniques</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inferences%22">Inferences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+Wiseness%22">Test Wiseness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+Construction%22">Test Construction</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1111/1467-9817.70018
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0141-0423<br />1467-9817
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Reading comprehension (RC) tests are meant to assess students' ability to read and process information within passages but also require students to read and understand the questions. Just as students of different reading achievement use varying compensatory skills to develop comprehension of a passage, we suspected skill level might also be related to different behaviours as they read questions and response options. Methods: We analysed data of 174 students, with a mean age of 9.06 years. All students attended schools in the southeastern region of the United States and were assessed in English. Students were asked to read passages and respond to multiple-choice questions as their eye movements were recorded. Results: Compared to lower-achieving students, higher-achieving students (1) needed less time to read the passages and questions, (2) were sensitive to question type in that they took more time to read inferential-question stems compared to literal stems and (3) were less likely to re-read when answering questions, but if they did re-read, they were more likely to answer literal questions correctly. Conclusions: Just as lower-achieving students experience greater challenges reading passages and have fewer skills to overcome those challenges, they likewise expend more effort reading questions and searching passages for answers. Unfortunately, their searches are less likely to result in the correct answer choices. Findings emphasise teaching evidence-based test-taking strategies that prioritise comprehension and highlight eye-tracking technology's potential to inform RC test design and evaluation.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: CodeSource
  Label: IES Funded
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Yes
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1497589
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1497589
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/1467-9817.70018
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 28
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Reading Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Comprehension
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Eye Movements
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multiple Choice Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Questioning Techniques
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Inferences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Test Wiseness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Test Construction
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Differences in Question Reading and Responding Behaviour across Reading Achievement Skills: An Eye-Tracking Study
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Alissa N. Garguilo
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Scott P. Ardoin
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Katherine S. Binder
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 02
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0141-0423
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1467-9817
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 49
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Research in Reading
              Type: main
ResultId 1