Wen Zhao. The enhancements of self-directed learning on tertiary level students English reading skill. Master's Degree(Bilingual Education). Rangsit University Library. : Rangsit University, 2022.
The enhancements of self-directed learning on tertiary level students English reading skill
Abstract:
The purpose of this study aimed to investigate the enhancements of
Self-Directed Learning (SDL) on tertiary level students English reading skills in a
private university context, as well as their perceptions toward it. The study employed a
mixed method of quantitative and qualitative approaches with four instruments for
data collection: 1) Pre-test and Post-test, 2) Students reading exercise, 3) Students
journal, and 4) Opinion questionnaire. The study period was six weeks, a sample of 38
students was randomly chosen from College of Liberal Arts of the first-year
undergraduates enrolling in the first semester of 2021 academic year. The results
revealed that the mean of Post-test was (X"=32.16, SD=5.17) higher than the Pre-test
score (X"=22.11, SD=5.34), which means that the students English reading skills have
been significantly enhanced with SDL. While their reading exercises were 7.37, 9.84,
11.05, 11.16, and 13.05 on the first to fifth week respectively, this means that the
students English reading skills were improving every week. The students journal
showed that the difficulties students encountered in readings were unknown
vocabularies and the corresponding reading strategies were look up dictionary and the
Internet. The results of the opinion questionnaire showed that students had high
perceptions toward SDL. They expressed that SDL gave them learning freedoms that
could increase their learning enthusiasms, personal growth and thinking abilities. It
can be concluded that SDL was not only an effective learning method that could
enhance students English reading skills, but also could increase their SDL capacities.