Integrating Multimodal Learning Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension among Iraqi EFL Preparatory School Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of blending multi-modal learning strategies on reading comprehension among Iraqi EFL preparatory-school learners. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test control-group design was employed. A total sample of 60 female students were taken from Al-Mutafawiqat Preparatory School for Girls, Baghdad/ Iraq Preparatory School for Girls, Baghdad/ Iraq, which included control and experimental groups (30 each). The experimental group learned by using multimodal learning strategies over an eight week period, while the control group was taught using traditional reading instruction. This multimodal programme incorporated written texts, pictures, audio materials, diagrams, graphic organisers, highlighting in different colours for different purposes (e.g., key ideas), classroom discussion of the texts and graphic records generated by students themselves to illustrate material from their readings.Before and after receiving the treatment, a reading-comprehension test with 30 multiple-choice items was designed by a researcher. The test assessed overall reading ability and three subskills: main idea identification, comprehension of supporting details, and inference-making. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, paired-samples t-tests and Cohen’s effect-size measures were used to analyse the data.Results indicated no between-group differences at baseline in a statistically significant manner. Nevertheless, in the post-test it was evident that the mean score of the experimental group was much higher than the control group. The experimental group also made significant improvement from the pre-test to the post-test. In addition, it did better than the "control group" on all three reading-compre­hen­sion subskills. Effect sizes were medium to large to very large.The conclusion of the study was that intentional combination of text, visual, auditory and interaction can make reading comprehension better for students. Incorporating relevant multimodal resources into EFL reading lessons and keeping the written text in the middle of instruction was proposed as a result.