Effects of Flipped Explicit Reading Instruction on College EFL Trainees’ Reading Comprehension Proficiency

Abstract

The flipped classroom, a contemporary model, and explicit reading instruction, a widely recognized conventional approach, both offer unique benefits and have their own place in education. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Flipped Explicit Reading Comprehension Instruction (FERCI) on college EFL trainees’ Reading Comprehension Proficiency (RCP) and its impact on course achievement test scores. Conducted at Injibara College of Teachers Education in Ethiopia, the study involved 53 participants from October 7 to February 6, 2023, utilizing a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test non-equivalent group design. The participants were assigned into experimental (N=28) and control (N=25) groups. The experimental group received the course using FERCI, which involved providing educational content outside of the classroom through videos and readings before class, while the control group received explicit reading comprehension instruction (ERCI). Data were collected through RCP pre-tests, post-tests, and course achievement test scores. The results revealed that both FERCI and ERCI were significantly effective in enhancing RCP, with large effect sizes (eta squared = 0.93 for EG and 0.87 for CG) further supporting substantial improvements in both groups. However, both FERCI and ERCI had distinctive effects, with FERCI showing a significantly better (moderate effect size eta squared =. 464) impact on RCP test scores compared to ERCI.