Narrative point of view as an instructional variable in English reading classrooms: Differential patterns of multidimensional reading performance

Abstract

Narrative point of view is a feature of narrative texts, yet its role as a text characteristic in English language teaching remains insufficiently understood. This study examined whether first-person and third-person omniscient narration were associated with differential patterns of multidimensional reading performance among upper-primary English language learners. Drawing on a framework distinguishing processing-oriented dimensions from comprehension-oriented outcomes, the study investigated performance across Inferential Processing, Structural Coherence Processing, Micro-Level Comprehension, and Macro-Level Comprehension. A classroom-based quasi-experimental design was employed with 115 Grade 4 and Grade 5 learners. Using a counterbalanced design, participants completed reading tasks under first-person and third-person omniscient narration conditions. Reading performance was assessed through a multidimensional framework and analyzed using mixed-design analyses of variance. The findings revealed a significant overall effect of narration condition, with third-person omniscient narration associated with a modest advantage in composite reading performance. Significant interactions also emerged across assessment dimensions. First-person narration was associated with stronger Inferential Processing and Micro-Level Comprehension, whereas third-person omniscient narration was associated with stronger Structural Coherence Processing and Macro-Level Comprehension. A significant interaction between narration condition and grade level indicated that developmental differences were expressed differently across narrative contexts. The findings suggest that narrative point of view may represent a meaningful component of text design associated with differential patterns of multidimensional reading performance. By distinguishing processing-oriented dimensions from comprehension-oriented outcomes, the study contributes to a nuanced understanding of how narrative perspective relates to reading performance among English language learners and highlights the relevance of narrative design in reading contexts.