사회과에서 강조되는 사회 탐구와 문제해결 혹은 의사결정을 위해 가장 먼저 이루어지는 활동은 읽기를 통한 정보획득이며, 사회과가 텍스트 의존도가 높은 내용교과라는 특성을 감안해 볼 때, 사회과에서 읽기 능력은 학습의 기본 기능이라 할 수 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 사회과 학업성취도와 국어과 읽기 능력의 관계를 분석하였다. 분석결과, 다른 교과에 비해 국어과는 사회과 학업성취도와 상대적으로 높은 상관관계를 가지며, 국어과의 듣기, 쓰기, 국어지식, 문학 능력 보다 읽기 능력이 사회과 학업성취도와 높은 상관관계를 가지고 있었다. 또한 읽기 능력 중 추론적 읽기 능력의 사회과 학업성취도에 미치는 직접적 효과는 크게 나타났다. 추론적 읽기 능력이 사회과에서 강조되는 비판적 읽기 능력과 단선적으로 분류되는 것이 아니라 통합적으로 작용하고, 비판적 읽기를 위한 전제조건으로 기능하기 때문에 추론적 읽기 능력은 사고력 향상의 결과론적 측면보다는 과정적 측면을 중심으로 강화해야 할 필요가 있다.

The purpose of this study is an analysis of the relation between the Social Studies educational achievement and reading capability. To acquire the information by reading is the basis of the social inquiry, problem solving and decision making. Considering the Social Studies is the text-based subject, the reading capability is the fundamental element of the learning. The social studies educational achievement bears relation to reading capability, especially, inferential understanding ability has big impact on it. We cannot be indistinguishable the inferential understanding ability from the critical reading capability which is stressed skill in the Social Studies. Because it is put together with and played the role of the prerequisite element for critical reading capability, we have to emphasized it in the process of class instruction. It is necessary that student should be developed the reading skill to structure the meaning suitably and connect the schema to new information by answering the questions and making the generalizations.

The purpose of this study is an analysis of the relation between the Social Studies educational achievement and reading capability. To acquire the information by reading is the basis of the social inquiry, problem solving and decision making. Considering the Social Studies is the text-based subject, the reading capability is the fundamental element of the learning. The social studies educational achievement bears relation to reading capability, especially, inferential understanding ability has big impact on it. We cannot be indistinguishable the inferential understanding ability from the critical reading capability which is stressed skill in the Social Studies. Because it is put together with and played the role of the prerequisite element for critical reading capability, we have to emphasized it in the process of class instruction. It is necessary that student should be developed the reading skill to structure the meaning suitably and connect the schema to new information by answering the questions and making the generalizations.

National Assessment of Educational Achievement, reading capability, inferential understanding, improvement of social studies instruction