A TELL-Based TBLT in ESP Courses: Focus on Undergraduates’ Metacognitive Reading Comprehension Strategies

Achievements of either CALL or TBLT methods especially in ESP courses in a globalized world demand TELL-based TBLT and online tasks to be appropriately designed and applied to ESP programs. Thus, 87 ESP learners were assigned as the control (ESP+TBLT) and experimental (ESP+TELL+TBLT) groups in this investigation. A metacognitive reading strategies questionnaire was modified and translated by the researchers. Moreover, a Computer Attitude questionnaire was employed to check the experimental participants’ interest in learning via technology. Data analysis was conducted via SPSS 24. Their metacognitive reading comprehension strategies were analyzed via a set of mixed between-within subjects’ analysis of variance (SPANOVA). Results revealed that there was a significant interaction between treatment method and time, i.e., both groups revealed a change in metacognitive reading strategies score across time, though the control group performed negatively, showing a slight decrease. The findings also indicated that while a mean difference was mathematically observed between the control and experimental groups in terms of metacognitive reading strategies, such a difference was not considered statistically significant. That is, there was no significant difference in the strategies for both groups, yet the experimental group revealed an increase in the mean scores. The experimental participants did not reach any significantly different level for metacognitive reading strategies compared to their control-group counterparts. Nonetheless, since SAMT material was instructed to learners during one academic semester, this study implied a single academic semester was not adequate time to work on and improve the learners’ metacognitive reading comprehension strategies.