The Effectiveness of Probing Questions in Teaching Literary Texts for Developing Textual-Evidence-Based Reasoning and Interpretive Construction

Abstract

This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of probing questions in teaching literary texts and to examine their role in developing university students’ ability to reason from textual evidence and construct interpretations in Arabic language departments. It addresses the problem that some literary teaching practices may emphasize general comprehension and information recall without providing sufficient opportunities for students to support their judgments with textual evidence and formulate coherent interpretations. To achieve its objectives, the study proposes an experimental design involving two groups: an experimental group taught through probing questions and a control group taught through the conventional method. It also proposes administering pre- and post-tests to assess the students’ levels in both skills, alongside a questionnaire designed to explore the experimental group’s perceptions. The theoretical framework examines the concept, characteristics, and mechanisms of probing questions in literary instruction. It also discusses textual-evidence-based reasoning, interpretation, and the criteria adopted for evaluating both skills. Furthermore, the study provides a model for presenting the results and explaining the methods used to analyze them. The significance of the study lies in proposing an instructional and assessment framework that may contribute to developing literary reading based on evidence-supported reasoning and interpretive construction.