Effectiveness of the QARR Strategy to Enhance Thai EFL Students' Performance in Reading Comprehension Test
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Question-Answer-Relationship (QAR) strategy has been suggested to improve EFL students' reading comprehension. Nonetheless, disappointing outcomes when using the QAR instruction were noted. The current study seeks to 1) add the Review (R) component to the instruction and 2) assess the effectiveness of the developed Question-Answer-Response-Review (QARR) instruction to improve reading comprehension among Thai EFL university students. Instructional concepts such as common question types (Yathip & Chanyoo, 2022), the Question-Answer-Relationship strategy (Raphael & Au, 2005), the experiential learning approach (Kolb, 2014), and the reading instruction principle (Raphael, Highfield, & Au, 2006) were synthesized to create the instruction. The developed curriculum was implemented with 58 Thai EFL students. Data were examined using frequency, mean, standard deviation, and F-test. As for the findings, the experts' high degree of agreement (M = 0.96) demonstrated the efficiency of the developed instruction. One-way repeated measures revealed that the posttest (M = 21.74, SD = 4.12, d = 0.89) and delayed posttest (M = 22.19, SD = 4.23, d = 0.95) were substantially higher than the pretest mean scores (M = 16.86, SD = 5.59, p <.001) with a large effect size (η2= 0.209). Participants' satisfaction surveys strongly agreed with the created instruction (M = 4.36, SD = 0.63), consistent with interview data.
Article Details
References
Aziz, A., & Yasin, C. C. (2017). The experimental research of using Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) Strategy in teaching reading comprehension for Indonesian students in junior high school. Proceedings of the Fifth International Seminar on English Language and Teaching (ISELT 2017), 110, 44-47.
Chawwang, N. (2008). An investigation of English reading problems of Thai 12th- grade students in Nakhonratchasima educational regions 1, 2, 3, and 7 [Unpublished Master's thesis]. Srinakharinwirot University.
Chhouk, C. (2017). Development of an instructional model integrating the WebQuest learning approach and reflective practice to enhance the English critical reading ability of undergraduate students in Cambodia [Unpublished Doctoral thesis]. Chulalongkorn University.
Cummins, S., Streiff, M., & Ceprano, M. (2012). Understanding and applying the QAR strategy to improve test scores. Journal of Inquiry & Action in Education, 4(3), 18-24.
Dogan, E., Ogut, B., & Kim, Y. Y. (2015). Early childhood reading skills and proficiency in NAEP eighth-grade reading assessment. Applied Measurement in Education, 28(3), 187-201.
Education Testing Service (ETS). (2018, December 12). 2017 report on test takers worldwide. https://www.ets.org/s/toeic/pdf/2017-report-on- testtakers-worldwide.pdf
Education Testing Service (ETS). (2018b, December 12). Test and score data summary for the TOEFL ITP Test January 2017–December 2017 test data. https://www.ets.org/s/toefl_itp/pdf/toefl-itp-test-score- data-2017.pdf
Garner, R. (1988). Metacognition and reading comprehension. Prentice-Hall.
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2011). Teaching and researching reading. Routledge.
Hayikaleng, N., Nair, S. M., & Krishnasamy, H. N. (2016). Thai students' L2 reading comprehension level for lower-order thinking skills and higher-order thinking skills questions. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 3(5), 83-91.
Insook, P. (2017). Development of an English reading instructional model integrating guided reading approach and question-answer relationship strategy to enhance analytical reading ability of upper secondary school students [Unpublished Doctoral Thesis]. Chulalongkorn University.
Kaemkate, W. (2012). Research methodology in behavioral science. Chulalongkorn University Press.
Kaneko, K., Ban, Y., & Okamura, K. (2019). A study on effective instructional design for IoT security education focusing on experiential learning. International Journal of Learning Technologies and Learning Environments, 2(1), 1-18.
Kinniburgh, L. H., & Prew, S. S. (2010). Question answer relationships (QAR) in the primary grades: Laying the foundation for reading comprehension. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECSE), 2(1), 31-44.
Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2009). The learning way: Meta-cognitive aspects of experiential learning. Simulation & Gaming, 40(3), 297-327.
Krejcie, R.V., & Morgan, D.W., (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607-610.
Kucera, J. J. (2009). QAR and its effect on the reading comprehension performance of fourth-grade students [Unpublished Master's Thesis] Goucher College.
Lornark, T., & Muangsamai, P. (2010). Needs for and problems about academic English reading of veterinary undergraduate students at Kasetsart University. Humanities Journal, 17(2), 165-178.
Nyarko, K., Kugbey, N., Kofi, C. C., Cole, Y. A., & Adentwi, K. I. (2018). English reading proficiency and academic performance among lower primary school children in Ghana. SAGE Open, 8(3), 1-10.
Peng, R., Hoon, T., Khoo, S., & Joseph, M. I. (2007). Impact of question- answer-relationship on reading comprehension. Pei Chun Public School and Marymount Convent Ministry of Education.
Puangmaliwan, P. (2005). Enhancing reading comprehension, vocabulary recognition and attitude towards extensive reading: A case study of the first-year English majors in the academic year 2004 at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University [Unpublished Master's Thesis]. Suranaree University of Technology.
Raphael, T. E., & Au, K. H. (2005). QAR: Enhancing comprehension and test-taking across grades and content areas. The Reading Teacher, 59(3), 206-221.
Raphael, T. E., Highfield, K., & Au, K. (2006). QAR now: Question Answer Relationships. United States Scholastic Inc.
Rothong, A. (2013). Effects of reading instruction using Question-Answer Relationships (QAR) and reading strategies on reading comprehension ability of eleventh-grade students [Unpublished Doctoral Thesis]. Chulalongkorn University.
Stafford, T. (2012). The Effect of question-answer relationships on ninth-grade students' ability to accurately answer comprehension questions [Unpublished
Doctoral Thesis]. the University of Central Florida.
Sunsom, P. (2001). The development of supplementary listening materials for fundamental English 019 by self-access learning for Mathayomsuksa 5 students, Sarasit Phithayalai School, Ban Pong, Ratchaburi [Unpublished Master's Thesis]. Silpakorn University.
Thongyon, P., & Chiramanee, T. (2011). The effects of pre-reading activities on reading comprehension ability. Proceedings of The Third International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences, 1-15.
Thuy, N. T. B., & Huan, N. B. (2018). The effects of question-answer relationship strategy on EFL high school students' reading comprehension. European Journal of English Language Teaching, 3(4), 35.
Wattanasuk, S. (2016). The development of the English reading instructional model by integrating higher-order thinking strategies to enhance English reading comprehension abilities and analytical thinking skills of second-year English major students [Unpublished Doctoral Thesis]. Silpakorn University.
Wutthisingchai, S. (2011). A survey study of English reading comprehension problems in academic texts as perceived by Mathayom 5 students in the English program at Thai Christian School [Unpublished Doctoral Thesis]. Thammasat University.
Yathip, C., & Chanyoo, N. (2022). Characteristics of the IELTS reading comprehension: Implications for development of EFL reading comprehension instruction. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 13(4), 798-808.