A Bundled Gamified TOEFL Reading Training in an Islamic Boarding School: A Pre-Experimental Study on Critical Reading Skills and Implications for Quality Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24903/sj.v11i2.2432Keywords:
Gamification, TOEFL reading, Critical reading, SDG 4, Islamic boarding schoolAbstract
Abstract
English as a foreign language (EFL) learners from Indonesian Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) still face problems in developing their skills to read critically in TOEFL Reading comprehension. This paper reports on the application and efficiency of Gamified TOEFL Reading Training, which is the use of gamification principles into the teaching process by awarding scores, badges, leaderboards, and challenges related to reading. The aim was to improve the critical reading ability of santri (students who attend the pesantren). A one-group pretest-posttest research design with a sample size of 35 santri from a pesantren in East Java, Indonesia, was used to collect data with TOEFL Reading test, critical reading test, motivation questionnaire, and classroom observation. Analysis showed that there were significant increases in TOEFL Reading scores (mean difference = 12.4 points; p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.87) and critical reading skills, along with highly motivated students during learning. In addition, qualitative data showed that gamification techniques had successfully helped students reduce their anxiety when reading and work collaboratively to analyze the text. This study shows that gamification could be used as a valuable pedagogical tool to develop reading abilities in EFL students in pesantren settings and demonstrates its consistency with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).
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