Integrating the SQ6R Strategy into a Personalized Adaptive System for Selected Reading Subskills in Blended EFL Learning
Keywords:
adaptive learning; SQ6R; EFL reading; blended learning; reading subskillsAbstract
This study examined the effectiveness of ELINA, a rule-based personalized adaptive learning system that integrates the SQ6R reading strategy, for improving selected reading subskills among Iranian intermediate EFL learners in a blended learning environment. A concurrent mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was used. After screening with the Cambridge Preliminary English Test, 258 B1-level learners were assigned to an experimental group (n = 135) receiving ELINA-supported blended instruction and a control group (n = 123) receiving traditional teacher-fronted instruction. Quantitative outcomes focused on post-intervention scores for vocabulary-in-context, inferential comprehension, and overall comprehension, while qualitative evidence was collected through learner perception data and semi-structured interviews. Post-intervention comparisons showed large advantages for the experimental group in vocabulary-in-context (mean difference = 8.30, t = 11.71, p < .001, d = 1.47) and inferential comprehension (mean difference = 7.30, t = 10.87, p < .001, d = 1.37). The group difference in overall reading comprehension was small and not statistically significant (mean difference = 1.40, p = .110, d = 0.20). Qualitative findings indicated that ELINA supported motivation, perceived autonomy, feedback uptake, and reduced reading-related anxiety, while learners still valued teacher mediation for higher-order interpretation. The findings suggest that adaptive systems are most useful when they operate as pedagogically transparent scaffolds within blended instruction rather than as replacements for teachers. ELINA appears particularly effective for strengthening subskills that depend on repeated exposure, immediate feedback, and individualized remediation, whereas broader comprehension gains may require longer interventions and more explicit discourse-level instruction. Accordingly, the conclusions are limited to targeted subskill improvement rather than confirmed improvement in overall reading comprehension.
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