Transforming Reading into Digital Performance: Instagram-Based Oral Retelling for EFL Reading Comprehension

Nuraeningsih; Rusiana; Muh. Syafei; Sibhekinkosi Anna Nkomo; Kurt Havva Taspinar

doi:10.29408/veles.v10i1.32967

Authors

Nuraeningsih Universitas Muria Kudus, Indonesia
Rusiana Universitas Muria Kudus, Indonesia
Muh. Syafei Universitas Muria Kudus, Indonesia
Sibhekinkosi Anna Nkomo University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Kurt Havva Taspinar Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v10i1.32967

Keywords:

Instagram-based oral retelling, reading comprehension, EFL students, digital performance, narrative texts, Multimodal Learning, social media in language learning

Abstract

Reading comprehension in EFL contexts requires students to move beyond locating explicit information toward actively reconstructing and communicating textual meaning. This study investigated the effectiveness of Instagram-based oral retelling in improving EFL students’ reading comprehension and explored students’ perceptions of the learning experience. Using a mixed-methods design, the study employed a pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design supported by open-ended reflective questionnaire responses. The participants were 32 second-semester EFL undergraduate students from a private university in Kudus, Central Java, Indonesia. During a five-week intervention, students read narrative texts, prepared oral retellings, recorded videos, posted them on Instagram, and received feedback from the lecturer. Quantitative data from the reading comprehension pre-test and post-test were analyzed using a paired-sample t-test, while qualitative responses were analyzed thematically. The results showed a significant improvement in students’ reading comprehension, with the mean score increasing from 71.25 in the pre-test to 82.66 in the post-test. The paired-sample t-test confirmed a statistically significant difference, t(31) = -9.397, p < .001. Students’ reflective responses indicated that Instagram-based oral retelling made reading more engaging, purposeful, and interactive. The activity encouraged repeated reading, vocabulary awareness, pronunciation practice, confidence building, creativity, and peer interaction. However, students also reported challenges, including unstable internet connections, long video-uploading times, unfamiliar vocabulary, pronunciation difficulties, and initial embarrassment when posting videos publicly. These findings suggest that Instagram-based oral retelling can transform reading comprehension practice into a more active, multimodal, and audience-oriented learning experience when supported by clear guidance, technical flexibility, and appropriate linguistic scaffolding.

References

Adesope, O. O., Trevisan, D. A., & Sundararajan, N. (2017). Rethinking the use of tests: A meta-analysis of practice testing. Review of Educational Research, 87(3), 659–701. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316689306

Afflerbach, P., Cho, B.-Y., & Kim, J.-Y. (2015). Conceptualizing and assessing higher-order thinking in reading. Theory Into Practice, 54(3), 203–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2015.1044367

Aiken, L. R. (1985). Three coefficients for analyzing the reliability and validity of ratings. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 45(1), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164485451012

Aloraini, N. (2018). Investigating Instagram as an EFL learning tool. Arab World English Journal, Special Issue on CALL(4), 174–184. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/call4.13

Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Irvine, C. K. S., & Walker, D. A. (2019). Introduction to research in education (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Azlan, N. A. B., Zakaria, S. B., & Yunus, M. M. (2019). Integrative task-based learning: Developing speaking skill and increase motivation via Instagram. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(1), 620–636. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v9-i1/5463

Barrot, J. S. (2022). Social media as a language learning environment: A systematic review of the literature (2008–2019). Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(9), 2534–2562. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1883673

BERA. (2018). Ethical guidelines for educational research (4th ed.). British Educational Research Association.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2019). Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices (3rd ed.). Pearson.

Cao, Y., & Kim, Y.-S. G. (2021). Is retell a valid measure of reading comprehension? Educational Research Review, 32, Article 100375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100375

Cohen, J. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20(1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316446002000104

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE.

Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE.

Dizon, G. (2016). A comparative study of Facebook vs. paper-and-pencil writing to improve L2 writing skills. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 29(8), 1249–1258. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2016.1266369

Dong, Y., Tang, Y., Chow, B. W.-Y., Wang, W., & Dong, W.-Y. (2020). Contribution of vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension among Chinese students: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 525369. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.525369

Duke, N. K., Ward, A. E., & Pearson, P. D. (2021). The science of reading comprehension instruction. The Reading Teacher, 74(6), 663–672. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1993

Ekaningrum, V. C. (2017). The effectiveness of oral retelling strategy and written retelling strategy on students’ reading comprehension: A comparison. LET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.18592/let.v7i1.1513

Elleman, A. M., & Oslund, E. L. (2019). Reading comprehension research: Implications for practice and policy. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 6(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732218816339

Encalada, M. A. R., & Sarmiento, S. M. A. (2019). Perceptions about self-recording videos to develop EFL speaking skills in two Ecuadorian universities. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 10(1), 60–67. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1001.07

Erarslan, A. (2019). Instagram as an education platform for EFL learners. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 18(3), 54–69.

Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11

Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). SAGE.

Fiorella, L., & Mayer, R. E. (2015). Learning as a generative activity: Eight learning strategies that promote understanding. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107707085

Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2017). Visible learning for literacy, grades K–12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning. Corwin.

Flick, U. (2018). An introduction to qualitative research (6th ed.). SAGE.

Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2019). How to design and evaluate education research (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Gonulal, T. (2019). The use of Instagram as a mobile-assisted language learning tool. Contemporary Educational Technology, 10(3), 309–323. https://doi.org/10.30935/cet.590108

Hafner, C. A. (2015). Remix culture and English language teaching: The expression of learner voice in digital multimodal compositions. TESOL Quarterly, 49(3), 486–509. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.238

Hockly, N. (2015). Developments in online language learning. ELT Journal, 69(3), 308–313. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccv020

Hung, S.-T. A., & Huang, H.-T. D. (2015). Video blogging and English presentation performance: A pilot study. Psychological Reports, 117(2), 614–630. https://doi.org/10.2466/11.PR0.117c20z6

Jeon, E. H., & Yamashita, J. (2014). L2 reading comprehension and its correlates: A meta-analysis. Language Learning, 64(1), 160–212. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12034

Kendeou, P., McMaster, K. L., & Christ, T. J. (2016). Reading comprehension: Core components and processes. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215624707

Kim, Y.-S. G. (2020). Interactive dynamic literacy model: An integrative theoretical framework for reading–writing relations. In R. Alves, T. Limpo, & M. Joshi (Eds.), Reading–writing connections: Towards integrative literacy science (pp. 11–34). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38811-9_2

Kukulska-Hulme, A., & Viberg, O. (2018). Mobile collaborative language learning: State of the art. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(2), 207–218. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12580

Lai, C. (2017). Autonomous language learning with technology: Beyond the classroom. Bloomsbury Academic.

Lestari, N. (2019). Improving speaking skills through vlogging (video blogging) as a learning medium: EFL students’ perspective. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(1), 915–925. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v9-i1/5490

Li, H., & Gan, Z. (2022). Reading motivation, self-regulated reading strategies and English vocabulary knowledge: Which most predicted students’ English reading comprehension? Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1041870. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1041870

Luo, Y., Song, H., Wan, L., & Zhang, X. (2021). The effect of vocabulary depth and breadth on English listening comprehension can depend on how comprehension is measured. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 657573. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.657573

Mahmudah, R., & Ardi, H. (2020). The use of Instagram platform toward junior high school students’ speaking ability. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 411, 364–369. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200306.061

Miyatsu, T., Nguyen, K., & McDaniel, M. A. (2018). Five popular study strategies: Their pitfalls and optimal implementations. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(3), 390–407. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617710510

Moorhouse, B. L., & Kohnke, L. (2021). Responses of the English-language-teaching community to the COVID-19 pandemic. RELC Journal, 52(3), 359–378. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882211053052

Morshidi, A., Embi, M. A., & Hashim, H. (2019). Instagram application: An active tool in cultivating reading behaviour. Journal of Information System and Technology Management, 4(11), 95–106.

Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847

Okkinga, M., van Steensel, R., van Gelderen, A. J. S., van Schooten, E., Sleegers, P. J. C., & Arends, L. R. (2018). Effectiveness of reading-strategy interventions in whole classrooms: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(4), 1215–1239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-018-9445-7

Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS (7th ed.). Routledge.

Peeters, W. (2018). Applying the networking power of Web 2.0 to the foreign language classroom: A taxonomy of the online peer interaction process. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 31(8), 905–931. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2018.1465982

Prasetyawati, O. A., & Ardi, P. (2020). Integrating Instagram into EFL writing to foster student engagement. Teaching English with Technology, 20(3), 40–62.

Reinhardt, J. (2019). Social media in second- and foreign-language teaching and learning: Blogs, wikis, and social networking. Language Teaching, 52(1), 1–39. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444818000356

Sepulveda-Escobar, P., & Morrison, A. (2020). Online teaching placement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile: Challenges and opportunities. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4), 587–607. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1820981

Shadiev, R., & Yang, M. (2020). Review of studies on technology-enhanced language learning and teaching. Sustainability, 12(2), Article 524. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020524

Smith, B. E., Pacheco, M. B., & Khorosheva, M. (2021). Emergent bilingual students and digital multimodal composition: A systematic review of research in secondary classrooms. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(1), 33–52. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.298

Spencer, T. D., & Petersen, D. B. (2020). Narrative intervention: Principles to practice. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 51(4), 1081–1096. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_LSHSS-20-00015

Stevens, E. A., Walker, M. A., & Vaughn, S. (2017). The effects of reading fluency interventions on the reading fluency and reading comprehension performance of elementary students with learning disabilities: A synthesis of the research from 2001 to 2014. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 50(5), 576–590. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219416638028

Stockwell, G. (2022). Mobile assisted language learning: Concepts, contexts and challenges. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108652087

Sun, Y.-C., & Yang, F.-Y. (2015). I help, therefore, I learn: Service learning on Web 2.0 in an EFL speaking class. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 28(3), 202–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2013.818555

Taherdoost, H. (2016). Validity and reliability of the research instrument: How to test the validation of a questionnaire/survey in a research. International Journal of Academic Research in Management, 5(3), 28–36.

Tarigan, K. E., Sawalmeh, M. H., & Stevani, M. (2021). Storytelling in Instagram: Exploring a creative learning in digital era. International Journal of English Language Studies, 3(12), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijels.2021.3.12.1

Tashakkori, A., Johnson, R. B., & Teddlie, C. (2021). Foundations of mixed methods research: Integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social and behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Vu, N. N., Lan, P. T. N., & Lien, N. T. H. (2021). Using story retelling to improve young learners’ L2 reading comprehension. Language Related Research, 12(3), 25–49. https://doi.org/10.29252/LRR.12.3.2

Wexler, J., Vaughn, S., Roberts, G., & Denton, C. A. (2010). The efficacy of repeated reading and wide reading practice for high school students with severe reading disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 25(1), 2–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5826.2009.00296.x

Wulandari, M. (2019). Improving EFL learners’ speaking proficiency through Instagram vlog. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 22(1), 111–125. https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.2019.220111

Yapp, D. J., de Graaff, R., & van den Bergh, H. (2021). Improving second language reading comprehension through reading strategies: A meta-analysis of L2 reading strategy interventions. Journal of Second Language Studies, 4(1), 154–192. https://doi.org/10.1075/jsls.19013.yap

Yi, Y., Shin, D. S., & Cimasko, T. (2020). Multimodal composing in multilingual learning and teaching contexts. Journal of Second Language Writing, 47, Article 100717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2020.100717

Zainuddin, Z., Shujahat, M., Haruna, H., & Chu, S. K. W. (2020). The role of gamified e-quizzes on student learning and engagement: An interactive gamification solution for a formative assessment system. Computers & Education, 145, Article 103729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103729

Zhang, M., Akoto, M., & Li, M. (2021). Digital multimodal composing in post-secondary L2 settings: A review of the empirical landscape. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(4), 694–721. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1942068

Zhang, S., & Zhang, X. (2022). The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and L2 reading/listening comprehension: A meta-analysis. Language Teaching Research, 26(4), 696–725. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820913998