Scaffolding Improving Vocabulary Skill and Enhancing Reading Confidence: The Scaffolding Reading Approach

Abstract

This study aimed at developing vocabulary skill for undergraduate students and enhancing their confidence in reading in English by employing the scaffolding reading approach. The participants of this study were 60 first-year students majoring in Bachelor of Arts in English Program, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, and they were selected by using the purposing sampling method. The students were enrolling in Reading Comprehension course in the first semester, academic year of 2020, and they were assigned to participate in Reading Skills Enhancing Project via the use of scaffolding reading approach which included the step-by-step reading technique to enhance the students’ vocabulary remembering skills and to stimulate their confidence in reading through the use of English picture storybooks with 3 scenarios. The research instruments were: 1) 6 sets of vocabulary pre-tests and vocabulary post-tests; 2) a checklist of noticeable students’ confidence in reading in English with the use of scaffolding reading technique; and 3) a satisfactory questionnaire. The data collection was conducted in 4 weeks which included the stages of lesson planning and teaching reading strategies, and then the reading scaffolding activities and strategy activities were implemented. Finally, the students were administered to complete a questionnaire regarding their perception and satisfaction in attending the project. The collected data were analyzed manually by comparing the scores of pre-tests and post-tests in order to evaluate the improvement of the students’ vocabulary knowledge via the use of scaffolding reading technique, and then the students’ reading confidence during the project participation was summarized and coded with the references of students’ confidence checklist. The results showed that the students found text as a helpful learning aid for them to comprehend the stories and increase their English vocabulary knowledge. Moreover, their reading fluency was improved with the use of scaffolding reading approach, and they enjoyed having the story class every week. As the results, applying English picture storybooks to teach in classrooms to enhance students’ reading skills and vocabulary knowledge should be recommended to promote as one of the techniques for teaching English reading comprehension.