DEVELOPMENT OF READING SKILLS BY USING DIGITAL READING PLATFORMS FOR 1ST YEAR BACHELOR’S STUDENTS IN FACULTY OF EDUCATION MAHACHULALONGKORNRAJAVIDYALAYA UNIVERSITY IN THAILAND
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Abstract
Despite the importance of English reading skills for university students, current instructional approaches often do not sufficiently develop reading comprehension, critical reading strategies, and learner autonomy among 1st Year EFL students. This study therefore aimed to: 1) investigate the problems and needs related to English reading skills of 1st Year Bachelor’s students in the Faculty of Education at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University; 2) develop a digital reading platform–based instructional model to improve students’ reading skills; and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of the model on students’ reading skills and their satisfaction with the instruction.
The study employed a quantitative research design using a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest approach. The population and sample consisted of 52 first-year bachelor’s students in the Faculty of Education at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University during the second semester of the 2025 academic year (20 October 2025–20 February 2026). The instruments for collecting data were lesson plans based on digital reading platforms, an English reading skills test used as both pre-test and post-test, a questionnaire investigating students’ problems and needs regarding English reading skills, and a satisfaction questionnaire toward the digital reading platform instruction. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, percentage, and dependent sample t-test, while qualitative data from open-ended responses were analyzed through content analysis.
The research results were found as follows:
- The instructional model based on digital reading platforms showed high efficiency. The average worksheet score (E₁) was 16.55 (X̄ = 16.55, S.D. = 1.91), and the overall efficiency of the five instructional units was 82.75 percent, exceeding the established criterion.
- Students’ learning achievement significantly improved after the instruction. The post-test mean score (X̄ = 77.60, S.D. = 7.63) was higher than the pre-test mean score (X̄ = 68.44, S.D. = 8.11), with a statistically significant difference (t(51) = 22.80, p < .001).
- Students’ use of the platform and their opinions toward digital reading platforms were
at a moderate level. The mean score for platform usage was 3.36 (S.D. = 1.11), and the mean score for opinions toward the digital reading platform was 3.37 (S.D. = 1.06). In contrast, students’ satisfaction with the lesson plan was at a high level, with a mean score of 3.47 (S.D. = 1.09) out of 5.00. These findings indicate that students were satisfied with the digital reading platform instruction and perceived it as beneficial for developing their reading skills.
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