This paper explores the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies and the use of reading strategies among Thai EFL learners. Fifteen female university students who are in their fourth-year undergraduate study of English at a Thai university participated in this study. The study used a mixed-method approach. The Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) was used to investigate the participants’ metacognitive awareness involved in reading. Also, to insightfully assess and analyze the participants’ reading strategies while they were reading the academic texts, a think-aloud protocol was used. The findings reveal that the participants’ overall use of metacognitive awareness of reading strategies (Global, Problem-solving, and Support reading strategies) was at a high level (Mean = 2.85, S.D. = 0.31). Among 30 individual reading strategies, the most frequently used was underlining and circling (Mean = 3.60, S.D. = 0.74), which fall under Support Reading Strategy (SUP). On the other hand, it can be seen that the least frequently used reading strategy was asking self-questions (Mean = 1.93, S.D. = 0.70), under the category of SUP strategies. When considering the appropriate and effective use of metacognitive reading strategies in the think aloud protocol by the participants in successful reading comprehension, it is discovered that using background knowledge, previewing text, reading slowly and carefully, pausing to reflect on reading, taking notes while reading, and summarizing were frequently used the students.Keywords: EFL learners, metacognitive, reading strategies, think aloud, Thailand. Cite as: Chutichaiwirath, K. & Sitthitikul, P. (2017). The metacognitive awareness of reading strategies in Thai EFL learners. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 2(2), 1-14.
This study aims to investigate the effects of blended learning on Thai university students' speaking ability, students' learning motivation, as well as to explore students' and teachers' perceptions towards blended learning. Utilizing a mixed-methods embedded experimental research design, 56 students in the treatment group received blended learning instruction. Meanwhile, the other 46 students in the control group received traditional teaching instruction. In this study, the pre-and post-speaking tests and students' learning motivation questionnaires were used to collect the quantitative data. The qualitative data were retrieved from students' online reflection blogs and students' and teachers' semistructured group interviews. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were then used to analyze the data. The research results revealed that blended learning instruction helped improve students' speaking ability. Furthermore, the results indicated that students' learning motivation was at a high level. Additionally, a great majority of both student and teacher participants had positive perceptions towards blended learning. The research results, therefore, conclusively proves that blended learning implementation is effective in improving students' speaking ability and in attaining a high level of students' learning motivation.
Foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) is prevalent among Thai learners, affecting language learning achievement. This problem has been rooted in ineffective pedagogical practice informed by native speaker (NS) ideology of English language teaching (ELT) policy in Thailand. This has made learners struggle to reach an unrealistic goal of NS norms as the only way to be proficient users of English, leading to low self-esteem and fear of speaking English. This study aims to investigate a paradigm shift in ELT as a means to reduce students' FLCA. By incorporating World Englishes (WE) into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom practice, it is believed that students will develop a more realistic goal of being efficient English users rather than struggling, and failing, to become like native English speakers. As a result, they will develop self-esteem and more confidence in using their own English, considered a crucial anxiety-buffering factor. Quasiexperimental research with 92 first-year students at one government university in Bangkok was employed over 17 weeks in one of their required English courses. FLCA questionnaires and English achievement tests were used as a pretest and posttest to find out anxiety and achievement levels, while a focus group interview yielded supplementary data. Means, SD, T-test results and content analysis were used for data analysis, showing a significant reduction in anxiety resulting from the WE-based instruction and an increase in achievement from the FLCA reduction. Therefore, this study concludes that global ELT curriculum should incorporate more WE in classroom practice as an alternative means to reduce FLCA and indirectly increase language achievement.
Under the light of educational equality, visually impaired students (VIS) have the right to improve their quality of life through educational achievement. Fortunately, policies and regulations encourage inclusive education to support all types of students including students with visual impairment. This means that the VIS are required to complete a compulsory educational system including studying English language in school and university levels. However, the mismatch between the objectives of the support policies and the practicality towards English Language Learning (ELL) among these students still exists in Thailand, and the difficulties in the ELL of the VIS remain uninvestigated. Hence, this study aims to explore the essence and meaning of ELL in an inclusive classroom derived from the perceptions of the VIS. To elicit the experiences from the participants, the phenomenological methodology was employed as the research design. The findings were drawn from nine students with visual impairment studying in an inclusive classroom setting. The data was collected from in-depth interviews and grouped into units of meaning or themes. The results showed that the essence of this study was shaped from both negative and positive aspects of ELL in an inclusive classroom, which can contribute to the VIS, practitioners, and administrative levels as guidance for future practices.
The present exploration aimed to assess a reading level of a young Thai student by using the Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI), and to plan reading intervention instruction targeted on the identified needs based on the assessment results. In this study, a single case study approach was employed. A seven-year old Thai learner was the focal participant. The research questions are threefold as follows: (1) What was the student’s diagnostic assessment result measured by the Qualitative Reading Inventory?, (2) Did the designed QRI-based reading intervention instruction lead to student’s literacy growth?, and (3) What was the student’ attitude towards the self as a reader, reading, and school before the diagnostic assessment took place, and after the reading intervention? The research instruments used in this study included the QRI tests, semi-structured interviews and observations. The diagnostic assessment results revealed that the student’s instructional reading level was at the pre-primer, and the QRI-based intervention instruction proved to assist the student in literacy growth. Moreover, the results from the interviews and observations showed that the student had a better attitude towards reading.
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