The impact of online reading tasks and reading strategies on EFL learners’ reading test scores

Abstract

Integration of technology in foreign language classes has long been a matter of interest for researchers. Yet, studies have often yielded indecisive and conflicting results. Besides, there have been few, if any, studies exploring the relationship between learners’ use of metacognitive reading strategies and their performance in reading tests. The aim of this study is thus to investigate not only the impact of online reading tasks on tertiary level EFL students’ test scores at a Public University in Turkey but also the role of metacognitive reading strategies they used on their test scores. A total of 51 Turkish-speaking adult learners took part in this study - 25 of them were in the experimental group who were assigned online reading tasks during the term, and another 26 students were in the control group who continued reading on paper. A pre-test and a post-test, which were paper-based, were given to the two groups consisting of 20 multiple choice and lasting 30 minutes each. To detect the learners’ metacognitive reading strategies, Turkish version of Mokhtari and Reichard’s (2002) Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies was conducted. The pre- and post-test scores of experiment and control group and their responses to the survey were statistically analyzed through SPSS version 20.0. The results indicated that there was not a significant difference between test scores of experiment and control group after 6-week treatment. Besides, a one-way ANOVA revealed that none of the strategies was favored by the learners. As such, the results showed that online reading tasks and reading strategies did not show any effect on learners’ reading comprehensions. It was implicated in the study that stakeholders should be cautioned about the use of technology in the language classroom and expectances regarding online reading tasks potential to bring about changes in reading scores.

 

Keywords: Online reading tasks, metacognitive reading strategies, reading test scores