Sixteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Reading skills are important for academic achievement and professional development. That said, some Thai English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students have been found to have relatively low reading comprehension ability, even those majoring in English. Major causes include lack of reading strategies, improper instructional method, and large class size. Although providing reading strategies has commonly been used to improve reading comprehension, they are most effective when providing suitable environments for learning and practicing. Therefore, an alternative instructional method needs to be used in order to provide enhancing learning environments for maximum learning outcomes. In this study, a Flipped Cooperative Classroom Model (FCCM) is introduced. With this instructional approach, course content is reviewed online in advance and the classroom time is used for more individual practice and group activities. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the FCCM model. The study was implemented with a group of Thai EFL university English majors at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Thailand through a Reading Comprehension course. The effectiveness of the model was assessed by comparing reading comprehension between the experimental group learning through the FCCM instructions and a control group in conventional classroom. Opinions of students were also investigated. The results show significant improvement in reading comprehension of the experimental as well as positive opinions about FCCM learning experience.