The Effects of Visual Aids on Junior High EFL Students' English Reading Performance

• Main Authors: Gwan-ping Liang, 梁冠平
• Other Authors: Pi-chong Su
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/96475321222554505033

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 91 === ABSTRACT This study explored if there were significant effects of visual aids on junior high EFL students’ English reading performance. At the same time, the study further investigated if there were significant effects of visual aids on reading performance for students with different proficiency levels. In addition, the students’ responses toward the visual aids were also discussed. The subjects were one hundred and thirty second-year students from Mito Junior High School in Kaohsiung County. According to the subjects’ scores in the English proficiency test, they were equally divided into the experimental and control groups by the technique of statistical s-shape distribution. Each group was further categorized into high- and low-achiever subgroups. The subjects took three reading comprehension tests in three weeks. Every test contained five reading passages and twenty-five multiple-choice questions. Only the experimental group’s tests had visual aids. The statistical method, independent-sample t-test, was used to analyze the subjects’ scores in the tests. The results of the questionnaire were tabulated in terms of frequency and percentage. The different opinions between high- and low-achievers were analyzed by the test of homogeneity of proportions. The .05 level of significance was used in all analyses as the criterion level for determining a significant difference. The major findings in this study were summarized as follows: 1. There was no significant difference in the reading performance between the experimental and control groups. Though the visual aids were added, the subjects did not have the significant improvement in reading performance. 2. There was no significant difference in the reading performance between the high-achievers in the experimental group and those in the control group. Though the visual aids were added, the high-achievers did not have the significant improvement in reading performance. 3. There was no significant difference in the reading performance between the low-achievers in the experimental group and those in the control group. Though the visual aids were added, the low-achievers did not have the significant improvement in reading performance. 4. There was still a significant difference in the reading performance between the high- and low-achievers in the experimental group. The subjects’ proficiency levels had the significant influence on their performance on the reading tests with visual aids. 5. The results of the questionnaire showed that most subjects’ perception toward the effects of visual aids on the reading performance was mainly positive. 6. Before the tests, there was no significant difference between the high- and low-achievers’ background experience about visual aids. However, during the tests, more high-achievers counted mainly on the language competence in comprehension, understood the context well, and comprehended the texts accurately than low-achievers did. After the tests, more high-achievers learned how to utilize pictures and ignored the need of picture-related instructions than low-achievers did. Finally, based on the findings, pedagogical implications have been proposed and directions of further research have been suggested.