This chapter presents the results and discussions of the study. The major findings were
collected to answer the research questions as below:
1. Will the intervention of literature circles reading program facilitate college students’
English reading proficiency?
2. Based on the low motivation of university students’ English reading, will the literature
circles reading program help to improve the situation?
3. What are the benefits these students will gain in such a program?
4. What are these students’ responses toward the program?
The Effects of Intervention of Literature Circles Reading Program on English-Majors’
English Reading Proficiency
This section aimed to examine the results of literature circles on college students’
English reading proficiency. The Paired-Samples t-test was used to analyze the differences of
the means and standard deviations between the pre-experiment and post-experiment tests. In
addition, one open-ended question from the post-test of the questionnaire for English reading
motivation and practice was used to reveal students’ personal responses about whether their
reading ability was improved through the program.
Table 4
Summary of Paired-Samples T-test of the Scores of English Reading Proficiency Tests Test
Group
Pre-test Post-test Difference T-test Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD t-value p English Majors
(n＝21)
64.86 11.85 68.95 11.98 4.09 9.06 -2.071 .051
Notes. ＊p＜.05
Table 4 shows the statistical results of general English reading proficiency tests. The
mean scores of the pre-test and post-test increased from 64.86 to 68.95, i.e. extra 4.09 added
after the program . The standard deviations were 11.85 and 11.98, not much different. Based
on the results, we could see that students’ English reading proficiency was improved slightly
after the experiment. However, the outcome of t-test showed that the rise-up on students’
mean scores was not significantly improved (t＝-2.071, p＝.051＞.05). In other words, the
p-values of t-test indicate that there was not any significant difference in favor of the
students’ reading proficiency. In conclusion, although those students’ mean scores increased
after the experiment, the changes were not supported by their t-value. That is, the application
of literature circles was not affect students’ English reading proficiency obvious. The reason
for this lack of statistical difference may because of time limitation. It is possible that if the
duration of the study time can be longer, the students’ improvement in the post-test would be
greater enough to attribute significant difference in their English reading proficiency.
Due to the p-value very close to the significant level, it would be necessary to
investigate more detailed data. In the post-test of the questionnaire for English reading
motivation and practice, Item 24 asked the students’ perceptions of their progress in English
reading. The data and students’ descriptions were collected and listed.
Table 5
Summary of Participants’ Responses for Item 24 English Majors (N＝21)
Students’ Responses Improved Not Improved Others
N 18 1 2
percentage 85.72 % 4.76 % 9.52 %
As shown in Table 5, over 85 % (85.72 %) of the students gave positive responses toward
Item 24, while 4.76 % of the students held the opposite opinion. Most of the students
personally felt that their reading ability was enhanced through the reading program. Yet, there
was 9.52 % of the students had no idea about whether their reading ability improved or not.
The following was a summary of the results showing students’ descriptions about their
reading ability improvement.
Table 6
Student 9 (S9) “I can read fluently even though there are some words that I don’t know.”
Student 13 (S13) “I can read articles faster.”
Student 11 (S11) “I build up my vocabulary capacity, which makes my reading ability
Not Improved Student 16 (S16) “When I encounter too many new words, I lost the motivation to look it up.”
1
Others Student 18 (S18) “Maybe it did improve, I did not notice yet.”
Student 1 (S1) “I do not like doing English reading.”
1
1
Table 6 displays students’ responses for the progress in English reading through the
program. First, Student 3 (S3) said that “I am much able to seize the point of the article while
reading.” There are 9 students claimed that reading novels helped them to advance their
reading ability. In addition, Student 9 (S9) expressed that “I can read fluently even though
there are some words that I don’t know.” There are 4 students mentioned that they could read
through the novels even when they encountered unknown words. Another opinion from
Student 13 (S13) indicated that “I can read articles faster now.” The statement about their
reading speed showed 3 times. Moreover, Student 11 (S11) mentioned that “I build up my
vocabulary capacity, which makes my reading ability improved.” Only 2 students stated that
reading novels expanded the size of their vocabulary. However, one student said that she lost
the motivation to understand unknown words while reading novels. Moreover, one student
even pointed out that she did not like doing English reading.
In addition to short responses, three students tried to provide more information. Thus,
the interviews are presented in the following: Example 1: “Reading articles has become
relatively smooth, though there were a lot of unknown vocabularies in the novel. Sometimes I
would guess the meanings of the word; I can understand what it means even though I do not
recognize the word. After that, my reading comprehension is improved and reading speed has
become faster.” Example 2: “My reading comprehension has improved, and so did my
vocabulary.” Example 3: “I had to check to see what the English words mean before, after
reading three novels, I think my reading speed has improved. I also increase the ability to
think about the development of the plot at that time and enhance my thinking ability. ”
According to the above data, the table of Paired-Samples t-test revealed that the mean
scores showed students’ improvement, but no statistically significant difference in students’
English reading proficiency after the program. However, qualitative data obtained from the
students’ responses to the post-test of the questionnaire for English reading motivation and
practice and in the semi-structured interviews, most students mentioned what literature circles
helped them get from the reading, such as improving reading skills, increasing reading rate,
and expanding vocabulary size. By joining in literature circles, the students had opportunities
to read the novels they were interested in, and further improved their reading skills and
reading speed. Such results corresponded with a researcher’s previous study (Su, 2007),
showing that her participants improved their reading skills through literature circles as well.
Reading novels not only helped the students improve their reading ability, but also helped
them become fluent readers. Furthermore, the students understood what they had read at a
deeper level and related their readings with personal experiences and lives by using
text-to-life connections. Moreover, the students did not have to look up every word to
understand the novels. They could read the novels quickly and knew what the novels meant.
On the other hand, the students’ reading speed in English became faster and the size of their
vocabulary storage became larger than they were used to.
The Effects of Literature Circles Reading Program on English Majors’ English
Reading Motivation and Practice
In this section, the results of students’ English reading motivation were displayed and
discussed. The mean scores, standard deviations, and t-values were used to compare before
and after the program. Table 7 is the summary of the results of paired-samples t-test on the
students’ English reading motivation.
Table 7
Summary of Paired-Samples T-test of the Results of English Reading Motivation Questionnaires
Test Group
Pre-test Post-test Difference T-test Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD t-value p English Majors
(n＝21)
76.71 7.25 82.57 6.85 -5.86 6.51 -4.12 .00＊
Notes. ＊p＜.05
Based on the statistic figure, the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test were 76.71
and 82.57 respectively; the standard deviations were 7.25 and 6.85. According to the mean
scores and standard deviations, it could be found that the students’ English reading
motivation were enhanced by 5.86 points, whereas the standard deviation was decreased to
6.85 in the post-test. Therefore, it could be inferred that the students’ English reading
motivation was positively reinforced after the experiment. Most importantly, the t-value was
significant (t=-4.12, p=.00＜.05) to attribute the result to the program. Thus, the results of the
students’ motivation in English reading were statistically supported. In conclusion, the results
indicated that the students’ English reading motivation was enhanced significantly through
the application of literature circles reading program.
Besides, one open-ended question from the post-test of the questionnaire for English
reading motivation and practice was explored to see if participants regarded English reading
as an interest after the program. Table 8 provides the data collected from Item 21 of the
post-test of the questionnaire which aimed to investigate students’ perceptions about their
motivation of English reading deeply.
Table 8
Summary of Participants’ Responses for Item 21 English Majors (N＝21)
Students’ Responses Improved Not Improved Others
N 19 0 2
percentage 90.48 % 0 % 9.52 %
Item 21 was regarding whether the novels selected by the teacher enhanced the
students’ interest in English reading or not. From the statement, we studied whether the
students were motivated or not. Over 90 % (90.48 %) of the students gave positive responses
toward Item 21. This showed that almost all students could feel that their interests in English
reading were enhanced after the program, while two students had other ideas about their
motivation in English reading.
Table 9
Students’ Responses to Item 21
Descriptions Frequency
Improved Student 19 (S19) “The novels which the teacher selected are not so difficult and the contents of the novels are quite interesting. So, I am willing to read more novels after class.”
Student 15 (S15) “I rarely have the opportunity to read novels in the past. Through this class, I have the chance to read and realize that I quite enjoyed myself.
And the vocabularies in the novels were not too difficult.”
Student 11 (S11) “Those are really great novels I have never heard of. The novels teacher selected were not too controversial.
Also, there were inspiring. So I am very glad to read them.”
14
3
2
Not Improved 0
Others Student 13 (S13) “Some of novels did enhance, but some did not. It depends on the main topic of the novels.”
2
Table 9 shows students’ responses to Item 21 and how many times the statements
showed up. Students’ descriptions were used to elicit whether students felt interested in
English reading after the program. To start with, Student 19 (S19) mentioned that “The novels
which the teacher selected are not so difficult and the contents of the novels are quite
interesting. So, I am willing to read more novels after class.” There were 14 students agreed
that the contents of the novels were interesting so as to arouse their curiosity to read more.
Besides, Student 15 (S15) pointed out that “I rarely have the opportunity to read novels in the
past. Through this class, I have the chance to read and realize that I quite enjoyed myself.
And the words in the novels were not too difficult.” Three of the students said that the
vocabulary and usages were not difficult to understand, and the contents of the novels could
made them willing to find relevant novels to read. In addition, Student 11 (S11) stated that
“Those are really great novels I have never heard of. The novels our teacher selected were not
too controversial. Also, they were inspiring. So I am very glad to read them.” Still other two
students expressed that they were inspired by the stories on dealing with problems in their
life. On the contrary, the other descriptions were given by the students who did not think that
their interest increased through the program. For example, Student 13 (S13) considered
that “Some of novels did enhance my motivation to read in English, but some did not. It
depends on the main topic of the novels.” Two of them said that not all of the novels selected
by the teacher are interesting to them, and the plot of the novels played an important role to
arouse students’ reading motivation in English. Generally speaking, this program enabled
students to increase their motivation in English reading.
To sum up, through the application of literature circles reading program, students’
interest in English reading had increased significantly. After joining the reading program,
students’ mean scores of English reading motivation had increased. The statistical figures
indicated that the students’ English reading motivation was enhanced significantly with the
program. Furthermore, selecting appropriate or interesting novels could gradually enhance
students’ motivation in English reading. Therefore, the selection of novels should be based on
the students’ English ability and interest. Only if students regarded English reading as a
hobby, could they truly enjoy it. In other words, not only students’ English reading motivation
had been enhanced, but also the plot or content of novels played an important role to attract
students’ attention.
Students’ Attitudes toward the Implementation of Literature Circles in an EFL Reading
and Writing Course
This section discussed the students’ responses in the post-literature circles
questionnaire. The results focused on the students’ opinions on English teaching guidelines,
literature circles, group discussions, reading materials, role sheet, and English
literacy improvement after the students participated in the literature circles. The question
types were 5-point Likert scale questions and open-ended questions in which the students’
opinions and responses were analyzed in accordance with the ranking order of frequency and
percentage.
The results of Items 1-8 are presented in Table 10 to investigate the students’ responses
to English teaching guideline in this program. The students were asked to show their
agreement or disagreement by using a 5-point Likert scale.
Table 10
Students’ Responses to English Teaching Guideline (N＝21) Item Frequency and Percentage
5 4 3 2 1 Mean SD
1. Literature circles is more interesting than traditional reading instructions.
8 12 1 0 0 4.33 .58 (38%) (57%) (5%) (0%) (0%)
2. I prefer literatures circle to traditional reading instructions.
3 15 2 1 0 3.95 .67 (14%) (71%) (10%) (5%) (0%)
3. Literature circles benefits my thinking and analyzing skills.
8 12 1 0 0 4.33 .58 (38%) (57%) (5%) (0%) (0%)
4. Literature circles improves motivation in English learning.
6 10 5 0 0 4.05 .74 (29%) (47%) (24%) (0%) (0%)
5. All in all, I like most of the activities in this literature circles course.
7 12 2 0 0 4.24 .63 (33%) (57%) (10%) (0%) (0%)
6. All in all, I like the classroom atmosphere in this literature circles course.
8 12 1 0 0 4.29 .72 (38%) (57%) (5%) (0%) (0%)
7. All in all, the teacher has good interactions with the students.
6 12 3 0 0 4.14 .66 (29%) (57%) (14%) (0%) (0%)
8. All in all, I think the learning effects of this course are good.
6 10 5 0 0 4.05 .74 (29%) (47%) (24%) (0%) (0%)
Note: 5＝strongly agree; 4＝agree; 3＝neutral; 2＝disagree; 1＝strongly disagree.
According to Table 10, more than 85% of the students preferred the literature circles to
the traditional reading instruction as a teaching approach in their reading courses, and all of
them considered that the new approach was much more interesting than traditional ones (i.e.,
Items 1 and 2). Obviously, the literature circles resulted in learning more efficiently than that
of traditional teacher-centered reading instructions. In addition, as shown in Items 3 and 4, at
least 76% of the students admitted that literature circles not only benefited their thinking and
analyzing skills, but their motivation as well. Particularly, almost all students enjoyed joining
the activities with a relaxing, student-centered, and interactive atmosphere in this literature
circles course (i.e., Items 5-8). Most importantly, 16 (76%) of them had gained positive
effects on English learning in this course.
To sum up, the findings from Table 10 indicated the application of literature circles
had positive influences on students’ reading in English, and most of them were glad in
joining the varied activities. Furthermore, the majority confirmed the benefits of reading in
literature circles, and it was applicable for EFL college students in Taiwan.
Table 11
Students’ Opinions to Literature Circles (N＝21)
Item Frequency and Percentage
5 4 3 2 1 Mean SD
In literature circle,….
10. I like to play different roles in group discussions every time.
4 13 4 0 0 4.00 .63 (19%) ( 62%) (19%) (0%) (0%)
11. I like to interpret the texts by playing different discussion roles.
6 11 4 0 0 4.10 .70 (29%) (52%) (19%) (0%) (0%)
12. I like the discussion director most.
2 8 5 4 2 3.19 1.17 (10%) (38%) (23%) (19%) (10%)
13. I like the literary luminary most.
2 10 7 1 1 3.52 .93 (10%) (47%) (33%) (5%) (5%)
14. I like the illustrator most.
2 7 8 3 1 3.29 1.01 (10%) (33%) (38%) (14%) (5%)
15. I like the connector most.
3 11 5 0 2 3.62 1.07 (14%) (52%) (24%) (0%) (10%)
16. I like the vocabulary enricher most.
5 9 6 0 1 3.81 .98 (23%) (43%) (29%) (0%) (5%)
17. I like the summarizer most.
4 11 5 0 1 3.81 .93 (19%) (52%) (24%) (0%) (5%)
Note: 5＝strongly agree; 4＝agree; 3＝neutral; 2＝disagree; 1＝strongly disagree.
Table 11 is based on the students’ responses to literature circles in this program. In
terms of discussion roles in literature circles, over 80% of the students liked to interpret texts
from various aspects by playing different roles when discussing with group members. The
results indicated that role sheets could prompt every student in the discussion groups to read
the texts from different perspectives with multiple interpretations from partners (i.e., Items 10
and 11). As discussed about the discussion roles played by the students, most students
preferred the vocabulary enricher and summarizer (mean=3.81). Followed by the connector
(mean=3.62), the literary luminary (mean=3.52), and the illustrator (mean=3.29). The
discussion director (mean=3.19) was regarded as least favorite one. Among the six discussion
roles, the students liked the vocabulary enricher and summarizer the most. The possible
explanations were that looking up unknown words helped them expand vocabulary size;
summarizing the reading helped them organize main ideas or key points in literature circles.
Table 12
Students’ Opinions to Group Discussions (N＝21)
Item Frequency and Percentage
5 4 3 2 1 Mean SD
Group discussions….
19. help me understand the texts better.
13 7 1 0 0 4.57 .60 (62%) (33%) (5%) (0%) (0%)
20. are efficient for reading.
6 13 2 0 0 4.19 .60 (29%) (61%) (10%) (0%) (0%)
21. are more efficient than self-reading.
9 9 3 0 0 4.29 .72 (43%) (43%) (14%) (0%) (0%)
22. stimulate group members to think.
8 12 1 0 0 4.29 .72 (38%) (57%) (5%) (0%) (0%)
23. encourage group members to ask questions.
6 12 2 1 0 4.10 .77 (29%) (56%) (10%) (5%) (0%)
24. encourage me to share experiences and opinions with partners.
9 11 1 0 0 4.38 .60
29. answer my questions or what I don’t understand.
9 11 1 0 0 4.38 .60
30. I share opinions actively with my classmates when discussing with them.
6 12 3 0 0 4.14 .66 (29%) (57%) (14%) (0%) (0%)
31. I like to read other literary works by discussing in groups.
9 9 2 1 0 4.24 .83 (43%) (42%) (10%) (5%) (0%)
32. It helps me to understand other group’s readings during whole class sharing.
7 11 1 2 0 4.10 .89 (33%) (52%) (5%) (10%) (0%)
33. It encourages me to conduct independent reading during whole class sharing.
6 13 2 0 0 4.19 .60 (29%) (61%) (10%) (0%) (0%)
34. It stimulates me to read other group’s books during whole class sharing.
8 9 4 0 0 4.19 .75 (38%) (43%) (19%) (0%) (0%)
35. It strengthens my desire to read English during whole class sharing.
6 11 4 0 0 4.10 .70 (29%) (52%) (19%) (0%) (0%)
Note: 5＝strongly agree; 4＝agree; 3＝neutral; 2＝disagree; 1＝strongly disagree.
In Table 12, Items 19-35 dealt with the influences and benefits the students gained
from group discussions. The results from Items 19-24 indicated that up to 85% of the students
expressed that group discussions not only helped them understand the texts better, but also
encouraged them to think deeply by asking questions and sharing experiences and opinions
with group members. Furthermore, the effects of group discussions were better than those of
self-reading. As a result, a great majority of the students approved of and supported group
discussions in literature circles reading program. Regarding the benefits of group discussions
(i.e., Items 25-28), the students improved expression skills (mean=4.29) mostly, reading
skills (mean=4.10) secondly, and the least effective two were improving their English
proficiency (mean=3.95) and increasing their vocabulary size (mean=3.95). For Items 29-31,
85% of the students believed that discussing with others helped them solve problems of the
unknown elements. The students were very glad to share and exchange their own experiences
and ideas with classmates as discussing in groups. Similarly, they liked to read other literary
works introduced or recommended by their classmates as well.
In terms of the effectiveness of whole class sharing (i.e., Items 32-35), 81% of the
students agreed that it helped them realize other group’s readings, encouraged them to
conduct more independent readings, and aroused their desire to read English. They were very
willing to read other group’s books after whole class sharing because they gained deeper
insights by sharing with each other and the sharing enriched their own knowledge and
thoughts. In short, most of the students thought group discussions and whole class sharing
had a lot of positive influence on them.
Table 13
Students’ Attitudes toward Reading Materials (N＝21) Item Frequency and Percentage
5 4 3 2 1 Mean SD
While reading assigned/ self-selected short stories,…
37. I connect the topic with my previous experiences.
37. I connect the topic with my previous experiences.