Project e-ARAL: Integrating Microsoft Reading Coach to Support Reading Comprehension among Struggling Grade 8 Learners

Abstract

This action research explores the integration of MS Teams Reading Coach as a digital intervention tool to improve the reading comprehension of Grade 8 students under the ARAL program. A Quasi-experimental research design was employed to determine the effectiveness of MS Teams Reading Coach in improving the reading comprehension of struggling learners. Purposive sampling is utilized to select participants currently at the Frustration Level of reading comprehension, although the participants were initially identified through the school’s PHIL-IRI screening as Frustration Level readers, their pre-test mean score during the study fell under the Instructional Level category. Statistical analysis was also conducted to interpret the results, focusing on the growth of reading comprehension over time. The findings showed a significant improvement in the performance of the learners with average scores increasing from 61.33% to 79.33%. However, it also shows that students' performance was inconsistent and had fluctuations. It is recommended that the digital tool should be paired with more localized topics/stories and that teachers provide mini lessons as well. This approach aims to maximise the use of technology and ensures that the learners comprehend the material.

Keywords: MS Teams Reading Coach; Reading Comprehension; Action Research