Saudi Undergraduate Efl Students’ Perceptions Towards Learning Together Strategy Implementation in an Efl Reading Comprehension Course

Abstract

The importance of reading comprehension proficiency in enhancing the academic success, development and growth of students' logical, intellectual, critical, emotional, social aspects and linguistic competencies is well documented. However, there is poor performance by Saudi EFL learners in reading comprehension section at both TOEFL and IELTS tests. This might be attributed to the negative perceptions Saudi EFL learners have towards reading comprehension instruction. These negative perceptions held by Saudi EFL learners towards EFL reading comprehension instruction might be due to the fact that the majority of Saudi English as a foreign language of students have been taught by conventional teaching methods. Therefore, these negative perceptions may be modified positively by applying an effective teaching method like learning together strategy of cooperative learning that may be capable of improving students' academic achievement, perceptions and liking of EFL reading comprehension. This study aimed to investigate the effects of learning together strategy of cooperative learning on Saudi EFL undergraduate students' perceptions towards EFL reading comprehension. The pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was employed since Qassim University departmental system does not allow randomization of individual students. Forty EFL third-level students of Unaizah Science and Arts College taking EFL Reading Comprehension course took part in this study. The students took a pre-learning together strategy survey, then they received a learning together strategy instruction and finally they took a post-learning together strategy survey. Results of this study revealed higher positive perceptions for students using learning together strategy in the post-learning together strategy than those in the pre-learning together strategy survey. The study concluded that learning together strategy of cooperative learning has several pedagogical implications for EFL reading comprehension instruction.

The Effect of Peer-Collaborative Dialogue on Saudi EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication

“…The result indicated that the participants found collaborative dialogue fairly helpful in grasping key and supportive ideas of the texts. This finding is, to some extent, compatible with Elsayed and Fariza (2017), who reported that more than 85% of students agreed on the significance of collaboration in drawing their attention to key points in the text.…”

“…Thus, the findings demonstrated that EFL students hold positive attitudes towards the dyadic collaborative dialogue they had in SCMC on their reading comprehension. This result agrees with the findings of the following studies that elicited the attitudes of EFL students toward collaborative approaches on their reading comprehension achievements: Al-Roomy (2013), Nejad and Keshavarzi (2015), Al-Jadoa (2016), Al-Qahtani (2016) and Elsayed and Fariza (2017). Rama et al (2018) and Teng (2015) went further by investigating student attitudes toward collaborative learning in SCMC as a prime means of their collaborative environment.…”

“…Likewise, they expressed their enjoyment of the collaboration in SCMC (Statement 2.1). This immense pleasure and enjoyment were also found in the findings of Elsayed and Fariza's (2017) and Teng's studies (2015). The participants revealed, with the second highest means, that collaborating dialogically with a peer is not only enjoyable, but it also maintains their interest in the reading materials and Moodle as the medium where these activities were accomplished (Statements 1.10 and 2.3).…”

“…Accordingly, over 86% of the experimental group students affirmed that the learning together strategy fostered their reading comprehension and increased their self-confidence. Elsayed and Fariza (2017) and the current study agree on the attitude investigation and the sample, although they differ in terms of gender. However, Elsayed and Fariza (2017) limited their study investigation to a pre-and post-questionnaire; while the present study utilizes a post-attitudinal scale besides pre and post reading comprehension tests.…”

“…A study by Elsayed and Fariza (2017) provided evidence about how collaborative reading had the potential to change the negative perception of EFL students toward EFL reading comprehension in conventional teaching. The study attempted to obtain Saudi EFL university students' perceptions of the effectiveness of 'learning together' as a collaborative strategy on their reading performance.…”