STORY BOOKS ENHANCE EFL STUDENTS' NARRATIVE READING COMPREHENSION REGARDLESS OF READING INTEREST: EVIDENCE FROM A 2 × 2 FACTORIAL EXPERIMENT

Abstract

Reading comprehension continues to pose a considerable challenge for learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), particularly when they are required to interpret and comprehend narrative texts. While story books have long been incorporated into reading instruction as pedagogical resources, empirical evidence regarding their effectiveness among learners with varying levels of reading interest remains limited. Accordingly, this study examined the effect of story book–based instruction on students’ narrative reading comprehension while also investigating the role of reading interest and its potential interaction with the instructional approach. Employing a true experimental method with a 2 × 2 factorial design, the study involved 60 junior high school students who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Based on their responses to a reading interest questionnaire, the participants were further categorized into high- and low-reading-interest groups. Data were obtained through a narrative reading comprehension test constructed with reference to Barrett’s Taxonomy and were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings demonstrated that students receiving story book–based instruction significantly outperformed those receiving conventional instruction across both high- and low-reading-interest categories (p < .001). In contrast, reading interest did not produce a statistically significant main effect on reading comprehension (p = .292), nor was there a significant interaction between instructional approach and reading interest (p = .435). These findings suggest that the instructional benefits of story books are relatively consistent across different levels of reading interest. The study therefore provides empirical support for incorporating story books into EFL reading instruction as an effective pedagogical resource for strengthening junior high school students’ comprehension of narrative texts.