Improving EFL Students’ Reading Literacy through Fable-Based Texts in a Flipped Classroom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31849/vb1jfq56Keywords:
EFL, fable-based texts, flipped classroom, reading literacyAbstract
Reading literacy remains a challenge for many elementary EFL learners, particularly in comprehending narrative texts beyond word recognition. In classroom practice, reading instruction is often conducted through teacher-centered approaches that provide limited opportunities for students to engage with texts independently. As a result, students frequently experience difficulties in identifying main ideas, understanding details, and constructing meaning from texts. This study expected to describe the development of sixth-grade EFL students’ reading literacy through the use of fable-based narrative texts implemented in a flipped classroom. This study employed a descriptive quantitative research design with a pre-test and post-test approach. The participants were 20 sixth-grade students from a private elementary school in Semarang, Indonesia. Students’ reading literacy was assessed using a reading comprehension test developed based on Grabe and Yamashita’s reading comprehension framework, which focuses on identifying main ideas, understanding details, and making simple inferences from narrative texts. The instructional treatment involved the integration of fable-based texts in a flipped classroom model, where students engaged with reading materials prior to classroom instruction. The findings revealed a steady improvement in students’ reading literacy. The mean score increased from 58.60 in the pre-test to 70.10 during the instructional process and further improved to 83.50 in the post-test. These results indicate that students demonstrated better comprehension of narrative texts after the implementation of the flipped classroom, particularly in identifying key ideas and understanding story details. Overall, the findings suggest that integrating fable-based narrative texts within a flipped classroom can support the development of reading literacy among elementary EFL learners.
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