Enhancing Thai EFL Students’ English Reading Comprehension Through Self–Directed Learning
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Abstract
This research aimed to investigate the enhancement of Thai EFL students’ English reading comprehension through self-directed learning, and to examine their opinions regarding this approach. The participants were 22 first-year undergraduate students majoring in Accounting. The research instruments included lesson plans, English reading passages, a reading comprehension test, students’ journals, and questionnaires. Quantitative data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests of English reading comprehension, as well as questionnaires. These data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, percentage, and t-test. Qualitative data were collected from students’ journals and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results indicated that the mean score of the post-test was higher than that of the pre-test, suggesting that the students’ English reading comprehension was significantly improved. The questionnaires revealed that most students held positive opinions regarding the enhancement of their English reading comprehension through self-directed learning. The journals also showed that most students believed in the effectiveness of this learning approach. Therefore, the findings suggest that Thai EFL students’ English reading comprehension can be effectively enhanced through self-directed learning.
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