Effectiveness of Mobile-Assisted Instruction in Enhancing the EAP Reading Performance of Faculty of Education EFL Freshers

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of mobile-assisted instruction (MAI) in enhancing the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) reading performance of Faculty of Education (FoE) English as a Foreign Language (EFL) freshers. The participants were 241 FoE EFL freshers enrolled in six majors, studying the EFL course at the FoE in Al’isma’ilayya, Suez Canal University. They were randomly selected and divided into one experimental group (117 students) and one control group (124 students). The study design was quasi-experimental. The experimental group studied the prescribed coursebook activities, using MAI as part of their EFL course, whereas the control group studied the same activities using the regular method. Two instruments were prepared by the researcher: an EAP pre-posttest and an instruction evaluation survey. The results indicated that MAI was effective in enhancing the EAP reading performance of the experimental group. Additionally, it was even more effective than paper reading instruction in enhancing the EAP reading performance (skills) of the FoE EFL freshers. The experimental group participants expressed satisfaction with the MAI of EAP reading and the other instruction aspects in general and mentioned more merits of MAI than the demerits.