Fostering Low English Proficiency Learners’ Reading in a Freshman EFL Reading Class: Effect of Using Electronic and Print Textbooks on Taiwanese University Students’ Reading Comprehension

Abstract

This study investigated differences in university students’ academic reading comprehension performance, reading strategy use, and perception of the effects of two textbook mediums. Eighty-one students participated in this study. Two textbook formats, hard copies and soft copies of the same textbook were used. A mixed-method research design was used for data collection with paired sample t tests adopted to compare the reading comprehension of two textbooks versions in immediate learning and summative learning on the same group of students, and a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were employed to probe students’ perceptions. The results indicated that the participants performed no differently on the summative reading comprehension tests, but performed significantly better on immediate tests using the e-textbook. The questionnaire and the interviews showed that half of the respondents still preferred to use print compared to e-textbooks. This study concluded that e-textbooks were not yet positioned to replace print textbooks for university students in Taiwan. Nonetheless, pedagogically, since e-textbooks provide more interactive features than print, they should be considered an integral part of reading instruction.