Integrating reciprocal teaching in an online environment with an annotation feature to enhance low-achieving students’ English reading comprehension

ABSTRACT

Reciprocal teaching (RT) has been used to improve English as Foreign Language (EFL) students’ reading comprehension in face-to-face instruction. However, little was known about how they use the RT to comprehend English texts in an online environment. This study explored how the implementation of RT strategies with the use of an annotation tool to improve low-achieving students’ English reading comprehension in an online environment. A total of 22 low-achieving EFL students participated in this study. The pre- and post- reading comprehension tests showed that the students’ English reading comprehension improved after practicing RT strategies with annotation tools. Questioning and predicating strategies were ranked as the two most useful strategies, as both promoted successful collaborative reading among students. Summarizing and clarifying were less useful than questioning and predicting strategies because the low-achieving EFL students faced language difficulties when summarizing and clarifying. The annotations supported RT strategies by (1) establishing a collaborative environment for students to discuss RT strategies any time, (2) organizing and indexing reading content in multimodal forms, and (3) helping students review and revise their comprehension.

KEYWORDS:

• Reciprocal teaching
• annotations
• reading comprehension
• online environment low-achieving students

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Sheng-Shiang Tseng received his PhD in the program of learning, design, and technology at the University of Georgia. His research focuses on computer-assisted language learning, teacher professional development, concept mapping and critical thinking. He has published articles in Computer Assisted Language Learning and Educational Technology and Society.

Hui-Chin Yeh is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School of Applied Foreign Languages at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. She received her PhD in language education at Indiana University-Bloomington. Her research interests center on EFL teacher education, computer-assisted language learning, and EFL reading and writing. She has published many articles on these topics in Language, Learning & Technology, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Teaching and Teacher Education, British Journal of Educational Technology, Educational Technology Research & Development, Educational Technology and Society, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, ReCALL, Interactive Learning Environment, Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, and Asia Pacific Education Review. She received 2010 & 2017 distinguished young scholar awards from the Ministry of Science and Technology, a 2010 teaching excellence award, a 2011 excellent mentor award, and a 2016 Yunduo award from her university. She received an award for Excellence in Research from her university in 2014. She hopes her efforts in different aspects can make contributions to academia.

ORCID

Sheng-Shiang Tseng http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9635-0130

Hui-Chin Yeh http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9283-6291

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology [grant number MOST 103-2410-H-224-013 and 106-2628-S-224-001-MY3].