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THE IMPACT OF EDUCATIONAL LEXEMES ON READING COMPREHENSION AND
EXPLICIT,IMPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS
Zokirova Elinura Jasurovna
Qarshi State University
Abstract;
Educational texts are densely populated with lexemes that range from high-frequency
general words to specialized academic and instructional vocabulary. This study investigates how
educational lexemes—particularly those used in instructions—affect students’ reading
comprehension under conditions of explicit and implicit instruction. Using a mixed-method
design, the study reveals that students’ comprehension improves significantly when key lexemes
are explicitly introduced and explained prior to reading. The findings highlight the importance of
vocabulary instruction in content learning and suggest pedagogical strategies for scaffolding both
general and discipline-specific lexemes to enhance reading comprehension.
Keywords
: educational lexicon, reading comprehension, explicit instruction, implicit learning,
academic vocabulary, pedagogy
Reading comprehension in academic contexts involves more than decoding words—it requires
interpreting complex lexemes, often loaded with disciplinary meaning or instructional functions.
Educational lexemes, such as analyze, compare, infer, and evaluate, are often assumed to be
understood by learners, yet they represent significant cognitive demands, especially for second-
language learners and novices.
Previous research has emphasized the importance of vocabulary knowledge in supporting
comprehension. However, less attention has been given to how the
type and treatment of
educational lexemes
—particularly those used in instructions—impact student understanding. The
distinction between
explicit instruction
(where words are directly taught or clarified) and
implicit exposure
(where understanding is inferred from context) is particularly critical.
This study aims to explore:
How educational lexemes influence reading comprehension;
The comparative effects of explicit vs. implicit instruction on processing these lexemes.
Participants
The study involved 90 upper-secondary students (ages 16–18) from three schools, divided into
three groups (n=30 per group).
Materials
Three academic texts (science, social studies, and literature) were selected, each
containing 10–15 high-frequency educational lexemes.
Pre-tests and post-tests were designed to measure reading comprehension and lexical
recognition.
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Procedure
Group A
received
explicit instruction
, where educational lexemes were pre-taught and
discussed.
Group B
received
implicit instruction
, where no prior explanation was given; students
inferred meaning during reading.
Group C
(control group) read the texts with no instructional intervention.
Data Collection
Data were collected through comprehension quizzes, vocabulary recognition tasks, and short-
answer written responses.
Analysis
Quantitative data were analyzed using ANOVA to compare group performance. Qualitative
insights were drawn from students’ written explanations and self-reflections.
The results of the study clearly indicate that explicit instruction of educational lexemes has a
significant positive impact on students' reading comprehension.
Students in
Group A
, who received
explicit instruction
on key educational lexemes before
reading, demonstrated the
highest comprehension scores
, with an average of
82% accuracy
on
post-tests. They were able to understand task instructions better, identify the purpose of questions
more precisely, and use academic vocabulary accurately in written responses.
In contrast,
Group B
, which experienced
implicit instruction
(no prior explanation of terms),
scored an average of
68%
. Although some students were able to infer the meaning of the lexemes
from context, their understanding was often inconsistent, particularly when encountering abstract
verbs like justify, evaluate, or contrast. Errors in interpreting question prompts were frequent.
Group C
, the
control group
, which received
no vocabulary support
, scored the lowest,
averaging
55%
. These students often misunderstood instructions entirely or provided irrelevant
answers, suggesting a clear gap in understanding academic terms essential for task completion.
Qualitative data from student reflections and short-answer responses further confirmed that
explicit exposure to educational lexemes increased student confidence and task clarity
.
Students in Group A frequently expressed that pre-learning the vocabulary helped them focus on
content rather than struggle with instructions.
Overall, the results demonstrate that:
Educational lexemes play a
crucial role in shaping comprehension
.
Explicit instruction
leads to more accurate understanding and use of academic terms.
Implicit learning
alone is insufficient for consistent comprehension, particularly for less
proficient readers or second-language learners.
These findings suggest that
educational lexemes function as both cognitive and instructional
anchors
within academic texts. Without understanding key terms—particularly those used in
question stems or reading prompts—students may misinterpret entire tasks.
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The data supports
explicit instruction
as an effective strategy for enhancing reading
comprehension, especially in subjects that rely heavily on academic command words (infer,
critique, evaluate, interpret). Such instruction appears to reduce cognitive load, clarify
expectations, and improve learner confidence.
Conversely, reliance on
implicit instruction
—though potentially useful for more advanced
learners—risks alienating students who lack metalinguistic awareness or prior exposure to
academic discourse.
Therefore, instructors should:
Identify high-utility educational lexemes in learning materials;
Pre-teach and reinforce them across contexts;
Use scaffolding strategies such as glossaries, sentence frames, and modeling.
These steps foster deeper comprehension and enable students to engage more critically with
academic content.
The findings of the study support the growing div of research that highlights the essential role of
academic vocabulary—particularly
instructional lexemes
—in successful reading comprehension.
The significantly higher performance of students who received explicit instruction suggests that
vocabulary teaching cannot be treated as incidental or secondary in content learning.
Educational lexemes such as analyze, evaluate, justify, and compare are not only linguistic tools
but also
cognitive triggers
. They guide learners in how to approach, process, and respond to a
reading task. When students are unfamiliar with these terms, their ability to carry out reading or
assessment tasks is compromised—not due to lack of content knowledge, but because of
misunderstanding the task’s requirements.
In this context,
explicit vocabulary instruction
acts as a scaffold, helping students recognize:
The
function of the lexeme
within a task (e.g., analyze signals a deeper breakdown than
describe);
The
expected response type
, such as explanation, evaluation, or comparison;
The
disciplinary conventions
associated with those lexemes (e.g., what it means to
evaluate in science may differ from in literature).
In contrast,
implicit instruction
, where students are left to deduce meanings from context, relies
heavily on prior knowledge and inferencing skills. This method may work for high-performing or
experienced learners, but it disadvantages those who are still developing academic literacy—
especially
second language learners
,
students with limited academic exposure
, or those from
linguistically diverse backgrounds
.
Moreover, the findings stress the
importance of teacher awareness
. Educators often assume that
students understand basic instructional vocabulary, yet as shown in the control group, many
learners misinterpret common terms, which negatively impacts their academic performance even
when they know the content.
To improve outcomes, instructional strategies should:
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Include
pre-teaching of educational lexemes
before text reading or assessment;
Reinforce the
functions
of these lexemes through modeling and guided practice;
Provide
multimodal exposure
, such as visual aids, sentence frames, and real examples in
context.
Ultimately, academic success depends not just on learning content but on understanding how that
content is presented, structured, and assessed through language. Educational lexemes are the
bridge between knowledge and its demonstration
.
Conclusion.
Educational lexemes are not merely linguistic elements; they shape how learners
understand and respond to academic texts. The research demonstrates that explicit instruction of
key academic vocabulary significantly enhances reading comprehension
,
especially for learners at
transitional academic levels.
Educators should integrate vocabulary instruction into content teaching, with a focus on
instructional verbs and academic discourse markers. By doing so, they can build stronger
foundations for comprehension, critical thinking, and academic success.
References:
1.
Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing Words to Life: Robust
Vocabulary Instruction. Guilford Press.
2.
Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge University
Press.
3.
Nagy, W., & Townsend, D. (2012). Words as tools: Learning academic vocabulary as
language acquisition. Reading Research Quarterly, 47(1), 91–108.
4.
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (2005). Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher’s
Manual. ASCD.
5.
Stahl, S. A., & Fairbanks, M. M. (1986). The effects of vocabulary instruction: A model-
based meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 56(1), 72–110.
