A Word Attack Skills-Based Program to Enhance EFL Secondary School Students’ Vocabulary Learning, Reading Comprehension and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The current study aimed at examining the effect of training EFL secondary school students in word-attack skills on enhancing their vocabulary learning, reading comprehension and self-efficacy. Three instruments were developed to achieve the purpose of the study: a vocabulary learning test to measure the participants’ vocabulary development; a reading comprehension test to measure their reading comprehension skills; and a self-efficacy scale to measure their self-efficacy beliefs in vocabulary learning and reading comprehension. The validity and reliability for these instruments were checked before conducting the experiment. The study employed a quasi-experimental design in which the participants were divided into two groups: the control and experimental groups. Each group consisted of 30 female students purposely chosen from second-year secondary school students at Hamza Alsunbati Secondary School, Damietta Governorate. The experimental group received training in word attack skills for 3 months while the control group followed the traditional method of teaching. Results of the study affirmed the effectiveness of training EFL students in these skills revealing significant improvements in the three dependent variables, vocabulary learning, reading comprehension and self-efficacy. Some conclusions and recommendations were reached.