Exploring the Effect of Digital Texts on EFL Students Reading Comprehension Ability
Abstract
Reading comprehension remains a major challenge for EFL students, particularly at the senior high school level. Although previous studies have highlighted the potential benefits of digital reading, findings regarding its effectiveness in EFL contexts remain inconsistent, creating a need for further investigation. This study aimed to examine the effect of digital texts on the reading comprehension ability of Grade X students at SMA Negeri 6 Pematangsiantar. A quasi experimental design was employed involving an experimental group and a control group
selected through purposive sampling from six Grade X classes. The experimental group received instruction through digital texts, while the control group was taught using conventional printed materials. Data were collected using pre-test and post-test reading comprehension tests and analyzed through descriptive statistics, normality and homogeneity tests, and paired-sample t tests using IBM SPSS Statistics 21. The findings revealed that students exposed to digital texts
achieved significantly higher reading comprehension scores than those in the control group. The experimental group’s mean score increased from 57.22 to 87.50, while the control group improved from 51.83 to 65.05. The significance value of 0.000 (<0.05) confirmed that digital texts had a statistically significant effect on students’ reading comprehension. This study contributes empirical evidence supporting the integration of digital texts as an effective medium
for enhancing EFL students’ reading comprehension and classroom engagement.
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