Qualifying Method-Centered Teaching Approaches through the Reflective Teaching Model for Reading Comprehension

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to qualify method-centered teaching approaches by investigating the effects of the reflective teaching model for reading comprehension (RTMRC) on ninth-grade students’ English reading comprehension achievement in Myanmar. Three kinds of method-centered teaching approaches, namely reciprocal teaching, interactive teaching, and questioning, were qualified, compared, and examined while using the RTMRC. A quasi-experimental research design was used. The participants included 458 ninth-grade students, five English teachers, and 10 peer observers. Pre- and post-tests, a student questionnaire, and an observation scheme were used to assess the effectiveness of the RTMRC over 15 weeks. Structural equation modeling, Rasch analysis, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), effect size (Cohen’s d), and various descriptive statistics revealed that the teachers’ reflections on the instructional context were very effective for student reading comprehension achievement, the students appreciated interactive teaching the most, students’ achievements for the literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension questions were the highest, and the RTMRC was more effective than other traditional teaching methods. In essence, the RTMRC can assist English language teachers in improving their students’ reading comprehension.