Effectiveness of a multimodal approach In enhancing the English reading ability of EFL students

Abstract

This research investigated the effectiveness of a multimodal approach in enhancing students’ reading ability and their attitudes toward the teaching method. The participants consisted of 30 students majoring in science at a university in Thailand. They were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was taught reading using the multimodal approach while the control group was taught using the traditional method. The research instruments used in this study included lesson plans, a reading test, questionnaires, and an interview. Mean scores, standard deviations, and the t-test analysis were used to analyze the quantitative data, while content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The results demonstrated the value of applying a multimodal approach to improve EFL students’ reading skills. That is, the reading ability of students in the experimental group was found to be significantly higher (p ≤ .05) than that of students in the control group. In addition, students responded favorably toward the multimodal teaching method ( = 4.28, S.D. = .32).