Chapter 1

THE PROBLEMS AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The nature of literacy is rapidly changing as new technologies enter

people’s lives and their learning environments (Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear, &

Leu, 2008; diSessa, 2000; Dresang & McClelland, 1999; Spiro, DeSchryver,

Hagerman, Morsink, & Thompson, 2015; Tyner, 2014). In the last 10 years, a

variety of novel text forms (e.g., multimedia books and tweets) and mediums for

presenting such texts (e.g., iPad and Kindle) have emerged, which may present

new possibilities and new challenges for readers (Alexander & Fox, 2004); that

is, features of digital literacy, such as the ability to read and acquire

information from graphic representations (i.e., photovisual literacy; Eshet-

Alkalai, 2004) and the ability to navigate in the nonlinear medium of digital

space successfully (i.e., branching literacy; Eshet-Alkalai & Chajut, 2010) may

afford new opportunities for text-based learning. Concomitantly, such digital

texts may place unique demands on readers’ skillful and strategic processing

not typically associated with the processing of printed text (Afflerbach & Cho,

2009; Hartman, Morsink, & Zheng, 2010; Kingsley, 2011; Kuiper, 2007; Spires

& Estes, 2002).

In today’s networked world, students have grown up surrounded by

computers, smartphones, and the internet as part and parcel of daily living,

and even more so in Singapore, which is the most connected nation in the
world (“Singapore the Most Connected,” 2016). An oft-heard rhetoric is that

students as digital natives (Prensky, 2001) are experts immersed in digital

worlds and at ease with various media and technology, including reading

digitally. Yet, others have argued that this myth of the digital native has been

overstated and exaggerated (Selwyn, 2009), and more nuanced understandings

of how young people relate to technology depending on age, culture, and

socioeconomic status are required.

As technology continues to expand our definitions of what constitutes

reading and literacy, interest in reading digital texts has skyrocketed,

evidenced by retailers selling more e-books than printed books (Miller &

Bosman, 2011). Few investigations, though, have measured the effectiveness of

integrating technology on reading comprehension. Theoretical frameworks of

reading comprehension have not progressed as rapidly as technological

advances in digital media and texts (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, & Cammack, 2004) and

as a result, the usefulness of digital reading environments to advance student

reading comprehension remains in question.

Schools adopt computer-based reading programs to supplement their

reading curriculums. These multimodal digital environments are programmed

to allow students opportunities to refine their reading skills; yet limited

research efforts have been aimed at investigating their viability to improve

student reading comprehension proficiencies and fulfill federal efforts to reduce

the achievement gap between majority and minority factions (U.S. Department
of Education, 2001). Students use the Internet and other technologies to seek,

learn, and transmit information as part of their everyday lives; therefore,

educators must bridge the gap between childhood literacy practices in and out

of school (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010). Best practices of reading

instruction must extend beyond print and into digital reading environments if

students are to flourish in second decade of the 21st century.

Digital reading environments provide multimodal learning experiences

not available in printed mediums (Dalton & Proctor, 2007, 2008; Dalton,

Proctor, Uccelli, Mo, & Snow, 2011; Proctor, Uccelli, Dalton, & Snow, 2009).

Their application was explored in this study within a university-affiliated

reading clinic, where substantial breakthroughs in reading research and

instruction have occurred for the last century (Morris, 2003). Investigators

tested the effectiveness of using a digital reading environment to develop

struggling elementary students’ reading comprehension skills. The primary

purpose of this study was to examine what effect, if any, a digital reading

environment had on struggling fourth-grade students’ reading comprehension.

Although this may come as a surprise to Proulx (1994), it would appear

that the world is digitally at one’s fingertips. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a

year, the digital world has become a one-stop text source, be it for news,

recreational reading, or information sharing via Facebook, blogs, or tweets

(DiMaggio & Hargittai, 2001). Humans live in a society that is constantly

plugged into the Internet whether by computer or by handheld device.

Although it goes without saying that the digital age has come with many

benefits, including rapid and expanded access to information and untold

networking capabilities (Castells, 2011; Labrecque, vor dem Esche, Mathwick,

Novak, & Hofacker, 2013; Usluel, 2016), questions remain about the

implications of such digital access and the many digital devices (e.g.,

computers, tablets, and smartphones) that allow for that access for reading

and learning from text (Underwood, Underwood, & Farrington-Flint, 2015).

More specifically, the use of digital devices as reading tools has garnered

increased importance as schools move to paperless classrooms across the globe

(Giebelhausen, 2015; Shishkovskaya, Sokolova, & Chernaya, 2015). These

paperless classrooms allow the reader to alter the size of the text, highlight

important passages, and search related terms outside of the text with the click

of a button. Not surprisingly in light of these developments, 97% of students by

2009 had access to a computer in their classroom (National Center for

Education Statistics, 2013). Moreover, even outside the classroom context,

more and more individuals are engaged in online reading. For instance, and

contrary to Proulx’s (1994) prognostication, Zickuhr, Rainie, Purcell, Madden,

and Brenner (2012) found that 43% of Americans and 48% of those between

the ages of 18 and 29 read lengthy texts, such as newspapers or books,

digitally—a number expected to increase exponentially (Stephens, 2014). These

figures raise the fundamental question of how the use of such digital reading

materials might potentially alter perceptions of what it means to read and the

comprehension that results, for better or for worse.

 In fact, such a fundamental question has been posed in years past. For

example, in 1992, Dillon conducted a review of the literature intended to

examine differences that might exist when reading from a printed source

versus an electronic source. To our knowledge, this was one of the only reviews

that examined print reading vis-à-vis digital reading. However, although that

review can serve as a starting point in the conversation about print and digital

reading, a more contemporary analysis of the extant literature is clearly

warranted. We see this review as warranted not solely because of any

shortcomings that might be ascribed to Dillon’s review but also because much

has changed technologically since the early 1990s.

In this age of gigabytes and technological innovation, many individuals

have almost unlimited access to information and books through the internet.

However, despite earlier doomsday predictions about the demise of books with

the growth of online reading and technology, the death of the book is nowhere

in sight, with book sales increasing (Cocozza, 2017) and print books still more

popular than books in digital formats (Perrin, 2016). Readers enjoy the tactile

feel of books and feel a sense of progression as they thumb their way through a

book (Evans, 2017). Readers also remember a story better when reading a book

compared with reading the same story in an ebook (Mangen, Walgermo, &

Bronnick, 2013). Readers who want to focus on the reading may feel that the

multiple screens on a computer distract them from undisturbed reading (Rose,

2011).
 In a Pew Research Center report, Perrin (2016) highlighted that reading

habits are influenced by educational levels rather than age or gender: College

graduates in the United States are 4 times more likely to read e-books and

twice as likely to read print and audio books as compared with non-college

graduates. College graduates are also more likely to read books in general. This

suggests that individuals who read print books are also likely to read digital

books, seeing both as sources of reading material.

However, high- and low-proficiency students may be differently motivated

and thus need different forms of encouragement to read (Klauda & Guthrie,

2015). In a study of 10th-grade students’ preferred devices, Tveit and Mangen

(2014) found that boys and low-proficiency readers preferred e-books and that

avid readers preferred print. The authors suggested that the e-book platform

might be a way to motivate otherwise reluctant readers to read.

The view of reading comprehension that frames this study conveys the

nature of comprehension as an active, constructive, meaning-making process

(Goldman, 2015; Graesser, 2007; Kintsch & Kintsch, 2005; McNamara, 2012)

in which the reader, the text, and the activity play a central role (Alexander &

Jetton, 2002; Pearson, 2001). Moreover, consistent with Kintsch’s (1988)

construction-integration model of comprehension, readers are expected to form

connections between their own prior knowledge and the ideas expressed in or

inferred by the text per se. Within this theoretical framework, there is also an
acknowledgment that the medium and type of text could well translate into

differences in text processing and comprehension performance.

For the purpose of this study, reading is framed as the meaningful

decoding and comprehension of text, in print and digital formats. Reading in

print refers to reading on paper, whereas reading in digital formats refers to

online reading, whether on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. We limit our

focus to the reading of continuously linear texts, whether in the form of fiction

or nonfiction, as the reading of these text correlates to academic achievement

(Moje, Overby, Tysvaer, & Morris, 2008). More importantly, we are interested in

engaged reading because it correlates with improved reading proficiency,

academic achievement, and learning, this is because engaged readers are

motivated to read independently, spend more time reading for pleasure, and

are diversified in their reading, whether in print or online (Kirsch et al., 2002).

Statement of the Problem

This study will be conducted to determine the preference of the students

when it comes to digital and printed format in reading literature. Particularly, it

aimed to:

1. What is the profile of the participants in terms of:

a. sex;

b. age;

c. ethnicity;

d. language spoken at home;

 2. What is the mean score in the pre-test of the experimental and control

group?

3. What are the significant differences of scores in the pre-test and post-

test from both experimental and control group?

Objectives of the Study

The overall purpose of this study is to determine the preference of the

students when it comes to digital and printed format in reading literature.

Particularly, it aimed to:

1. determine the preference of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 Digital Genre

1.2 Printed Literary Genre

2. determine the score in the pre-test of the experimental and control

group.

3. determine the significant differences of scores of the post-test and

delayed post-test from both experimental and control group.

Hypotheses of the Study

In the conduct of this study, the following assumptions are instructed in

order to provide direction and additional insights.

1. There is no significant difference in means of reading comprehension scores

among the three groups of experimental group. Group 1 utilized pure digital

soft copies in their reading tasks. While the experimental group 2 used the
combination of pure digital and conventional method (with hardcopies); and

the control group employed purely the conventional method (purely printed) of

reading tasks in the post-test.

2. There is no significant difference in means of reading comprehension scores

among the three groups of experimental group 1 that used purely digital;

experimental group 2 that utilized combination of conventional method (hard

copy) and digital; and the control group that uses only method during the

delayed post-test.

Significance of the study

This study is beneficial not only to the researchers but also to the

following:

Students. This study will serve as the basis for students specifically to those

learners who prefer either printed or digital in reading a particular piece to

improve their way of comprehending it, when it comes to digital and printed

format in reading literature.

Teachers. This study will serve as a guide for teachers to know the preference

of the students when it comes to digital and printed format in reading literature

in school if they will comprehend the story even better. It will give the school an

idea in creating a solution to address whether they will employ purely digital or

will stick to traditional or else integrate both formats to know if it will affect

student’s way of comprehending in various reading materials.

Parents. This study will be a stepping stone for parents to learn preference of

the students when it comes to digital and printed format in reading literature.

Future Researchers. This study will serve as future researchers' reference in

doing other research that is connected to this research. They may use the same

methods and include "others" to identify specific responses from the

respondents.

Scope and Delimitation of the study

The study dealt only on the preference of the students when it comes to

digital and printed format prior in grasping a certain reading material of BSED

1C students of the College of Teacher Education of Quirino State University

(QSU) - Diffun Campus during the Second Semester, S.Y. 2023-2024 along

their chosen setup for reading and comprehending a particular reading

material. There were 23 respondents from the BSED 1C students. These 23

freshmen students will be divided into two groups, the control and the

experimental group.

Definition of Terms

Terms here are substantially and functionally defined for better

understanding of the readers. It provides and framed the necessary

background of this study. Each statement explains what the study intends to

accomplish.
 Academic Achievement. Refers to the successful completion of

educational goals and the demonstration of knowledge and skills in various

academic subjects. It is often measured through grades, test scores, and other

assessments.

Acquire. To gain or obtain something through effort, action, or

experience.

Book. Typically refers to a physical or digital publication that contains

written or printed material. A book is a collection of pages that may contain a

variety of content, such as fiction or non-fiction narratives, information, poetry,

or illustrations. Books are often organized into chapters and are bound

together, making them a common format for presenting and preserving

information.

Comprehension. The ability to understand and grasp the meaning of

information, ideas, or concepts.

Digital Format. It refers to representing information in a format that can

be processed and stored electronically. In contrast to analog formats, which

represent information as continuous signals, digital formats use discrete

elements, typically in the form of binary code.

Education. A broad and multifaceted topic that encompasses the process

of acquiring knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes.

 Learning Environment. The physical, social, and psychological context in

which learning occurs. It includes both the external surroundings and the

internal factors that can influence a learner's experience and outcomes. The

learning environment plays a crucial role in shaping the learning process and

can have a significant impact on a person's ability to acquire knowledge and

skills effectively.

Literacy. The ability to read, write, and understand information. It goes

beyond basic reading and writing skills and includes the ability to comprehend,

analyze, and apply information in various contexts.

Literature. Encompasses written works, especially those considered to

have artistic or intellectual value. This includes a wide range of written or

spoken material, such as novels, poems, plays, essays, and other forms of

creative and intellectual expression.

Low Proficiency. This indicates a level of skill or competence that is below

a certain standard or expectation. In the context of language or other skills, low

proficiency suggests a limited ability or skill level.

Reading. Reading is the process of interpreting and understanding

written or printed information. It involves decoding symbols (such as letters or

characters) to comprehend the meaning of written words and sentences.

Perceptions. Perceptions refer to the way individuals interpret and make

sense of information or stimuli from their environment. It involves the mental

processes of recognizing, organizing, and interpreting sensory input.

 Preference. A personal choice or liking for one thing over another. It

reflects individual inclinations or tendencies to choose or favor specific options

based on personal taste or desire.

Printed Format. The information that is presented in a physical, tangible

form, such as on paper or other print media. This is in contrast to digital or

electronic formats.

Proficiency. This indicates a high level of competence, skill, or expertise

in a particular area. It reflects the ability to perform tasks or activities

effectively and with a high degree of mastery.

Reading Comprehension. This is the ability to understand, interpret, and

make meaning from written text. It involves various cognitive processes,

including understanding the main idea, identifying supporting details, making

inferences, and drawing conclusions. Effective reading comprehension is

crucial for academic success, professional development, and overall

communication skills.

Technology. The application of scientific knowledge and tools for practical

purposes. It includes a wide range of devices, systems, and techniques used to

solve problems, achieve goals, or facilitate various activities in different fields.

 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature

Reading as a Process

Reading is a complex process in which symbols and signs are decoded

for constructing meaning. As a receptive process, different readers decode

reading differently, and as a consequence, they create different meanings or

understanding from the same text. In this process, information from the text

and the readers’ knowledge act together to produce meaning. Reading, which is

a complex interaction between the text and the reader, is shaped by the

reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community

which is culturally and socially situated. The reading process requires

continuous practice, development, and refinement. Cooper, Edna and Dorothy

(1988) define comprehension as “a process of constructing meaning from clues

in the text and information in the readers’ background of experience” (p.27).

Reading is normally an individual activity, although a person tends to read out

loud for the benefit of other listeners. Reading aloud for one’s own use, for

better comprehension, is a form of intrapersonal communication.

Reading Print and Digital Books

 In this age of gigabytes and technological innovation, many individuals

have almost unlimited access to information and books through the internet.

However, despite earlier doomsday predictions about the demise of books with

the growth of online reading and technology, the death of the book is nowhere

in sight, with book sales increasing (Cocozza, 2017) and print books still more

popular than books in digital formats (Perrin, 2016). Readers enjoy the tactile

feel of books and feel a sense of progression as they thumb their way through a

book (Evans, 2017). Readers also remember a story better when reading a book

compared with reading the same story in an e-book (Mangen, Walgermo, &

Bronnick, 2013). Readers who want to focus on the reading may feel that the

multiple screens on a computer distract them from undisturbed reading (Rose,

2011).

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the process of making meaning from text. The

goal, therefore, is to gain an overall understanding of what is described in the

text rather than to obtain meaning from isolated words or sentences. In

understanding read text information children develop mental models, or

representations of meaning of the text ideas during the reading process. There

are two classes of mental models: a text-based model, which is a mental

representation of the propositions of the text and a situation model consisting

of what the text is perceived to be about (Kintsch 1998; van Dijk and Kintsch

1983).
 Reading comprehension (understanding, gaining meaning and

interpreting the text) depends on a variety of reader-related, text-related, and

situational factors (De Corte et al. 2001). Meaning is formed in the reader’s

head, that is, a person’s prior knowledge affects the kinds of meanings

constructed from the text information (Fukkink and de Glopper 1998; Lipson

1983). From this perspective an individual’s existing knowledge is a major

determinant in acquiring new information (Ausubel 1968; Cain and Oakhill

1999; Griffin et al. 1995). Furthermore, the reader’s comprehension of the text

is considered to be linked to the reader’s ability to construct hypotheses, rules,

schemas, and mental models (Vipond 1980).

Comprehension Difficulties

There may be a multiplicity of factors that contribute to reading

difficulties for many students with special needs and the underlying causes of

their reading problems may be largely unknown (Lewis and Doorlag 1999). It

has been found that the prevalence of children with reading difficulties is often

linked with the economic and social circumstances of the home. For example,

many children identified as having reading difficulties experience significant

language and cultural differences between home and school (Elkins 2002a, b;

McNaughton et al. 2004; Rohl and Rivalland 2002). This finding is supported

by studies conducted in the mid-1970s where variables, such as social class,

educational background of the parents, family income and the number of

books in the home were consistently related to school reading achievement

(Romeo 2002). The claim is that the respect for education, community

standards and the value placed on education also influenced whether or not

students have mastered basic literacy skills (Samuels 1978).

Cognition: Digital vs Print

Although researchers studying the effectiveness of different reading

platforms are primarily concerned with objective measures of optical challenge

and reading comprehension, both Benedetto (2013) and Kretzschmar (2013) do

also consider participants’ subjective preferences, and here the results are

consistent. Both studies show an overwhelming preference for print books over

both digital media platforms. Even older adults, who in Kretzschmar’s

experiment read from LCDs with the greatest ease and comprehension,

identified print books as the most “pleasant” to read, by a factor of nearly three

to one (Kretzschmar et al., fig. 2). Likewise, the current generation of young

people, the digital natives who should have no cultural bias for the printed

word, report in survey after survey that they prefer learning from books to

learning from screens; many reports that if they do discover an important text

on the internet they are likely to print it out before attempting in-depth reading

(Jabr, 2013, “Navigating,” para. 10). It must be concluded that the general

preference for print- over screen-reading goes beyond optical issues and force

of habit to cognition, or the way texts are processed and stored in our minds.

Essential to understanding how uniquely well-suited printed texts are for

the reading brain is the fact that there are no genetic or biological structures
dedicated solely to reading. Instead, we read by connecting neural structures

originally developed for vision, object recognition, and spoken language to the

processes of letter and word recognition and the short-term memory storage

necessary for sustained thought. The same cognitive structures that evolved for

navigation and communication in the physical world have been adapted to

accomplish the learned behavior of reading (Wolf, 2007). To the reading brain,

therefore, letters and words exist as physical objects, and the text they

compose forms a kind of thought-landscape where meaning associated with

words occupies a specific location. This is why, when people are trying to locate

a particular piece of information they have read, they often can remember

where in a printed book they came across it—high or low on a page, verso or

recto, and at a certain depth in the page stack. Paging back through a text to

find a particular passage remembered by its location is the cognitive equivalent

of retracing one’s steps through a forest, searching for familiar landmarks

along the way (Jabr, 2013, “Navigating,” para. 3; Mangen, 2012, p. 65).

Obviously, when trying to study from a virtual text, the reader is deprived of

this ability to associate thoughts with real-world locations.

Digital Reading Materials

Digital media are encoded in machine readable formats. Digital media

can be created, viewed, distributed, modified and preserved on digital

electronics devices. The media can be pictures, sound, motion video,

animation, and/or text items combined in a product whose purpose is to

deliver information. Digital media include software, digital images, digital video,

video game, web pages and websites, including social media, data and

databases, digital audio, such as MP3 and electronic books. Digital media often

contrasts with print media, such as print books, newspapers and magazines,

and other traditional media, such as images, movies or audio tapes. In short,

digital reading materials can be explained as reading materials that are

presented in digital / electronic form using devices. Kindle, mobile phone,

tablet, lap top and desk top are common media of the academic reading texts.

Printed Reading Materials

Print medium includes all types of magazines, newspapers, books,

newsletters, banners, graphics, posters and other print artifacts. The

flourishing of the new media with all its adjunct services seems to mark the

beginning of the end of conventional reading. The term conventional means

traditional and ordinary. In this study, conventional reading materials mean

reading materials that are in the conventional form using the print media. Print

media is one of the oldest and basic forms of communication. The contribution

of print media in providing information and transfer of knowledge is

remarkable. Even after the advent of electronic media, the print media has not

lost its charm or relevance. In this study, print reading texts refer to the

conventional reading materials that are provided for the readers using print

paper such as print text books, newspapers, books, etc.

Effect of Digital Reading to Comprehension

 Studies comparing the effect of reading digital texts versus printed texts

to reading speed, accuracy, and comprehension have been carried out since

the emergence of computers. These studies showed inconsistent results. The

majority of early studies showed that printed text reading tasks were superior

to digital text reading tasks in terms of speed, accuracy, and comprehension,

while the other studies reported insignificant differences. Dillon (1994), for

instance, found that reading performance on the computer screen was about

20% to 30% slower than a paper. Other studies (Creed et al., 1987; Ziefle,

1998) showed printed texts reading tasks accuracy is higher than computer-

based texts reading. Keenan (1984) found paper-based reading outperformed

computer-based reading, although the gaps were not highly significant.

However, some other studies (Askwall, 1985; Gould et al., 1987; Oborne &

Holton, 1988) showed no significant accuracy difference between the two

formats.

Related Studies

Reading is the most vital skill every English as a foreign language (EFL)

learner must master due to several reasons. First, EFL learners study English

in an environment where English is not the primary language of the society.

Their lack of inputs from their daily interaction could be overcome best

through reading. Secondly, several studies (Anderson & Pearson, 1984; Decant,

1991; Mullis et.al., 2009) have shown reading significant contribution to one's

personal and intellectual development, further studies, job success, and career
development, and the capability to meet changes. Next, reading skills boost a

learner's mastery of other areas of language learning (Anderson, 2003). It

provides the learners with various good sentence structures so many times

that they become accustomed to them. It also develops the learners' vocabulary

by letting them get the most frequently used and useful words and learn them

in context. Also, reading improves writing skills for it enables the learners to

figure out how to express ideas through words, how to use punctuation

correctly, and so on. According to Elley (1991), there was a "spread of effect

from reading competence to other language skills - writing, speaking and

control over syntax" (p. 404). Mikulecky (2008) accentuated that reading is the

instruction basis in all language learning aspects, including textbooks use for

language courses, writing, revising, editing vocabulary development, acquiring

grammar acquisition.

Meanwhile, Spencer (2006) carried out a study on the preferences of

university students for their reading on-line course-related materials. The

results showed that many learners prefer the paper version of course materials

and even those who prefer reading from screen indicated their desire to have

the option for print version due to its portability, reliability, annotation,

highlighting and ergonomic features.

Additionally, a research was conducted to investigate college students’

perception, preferences and use of print or electronic resources. It was found

out that digital libraries and traditional libraries have their unique advantages
and limitations (Liu, 2006). Meanwhile, Buzzetto-More, Sweat-Guy and Elobaid

(2006) studied the awareness of university students about e-books. They found

that, although university students were very comfortable about reading from

the screen, they hardly had any interaction with e-books. In another study with

university students in the UAE by Alghazo (2006), it was concluded that web-

enhanced instruction is positively viewed by students and it seems to enrich

the conventional faceto-face classroom environment.

Moreover, Kazanci (2015) carried out the research by involving 792

randomly selected students from eight different departments of Faculty of

Education at Çukurova University in Turkey. Her study showed that the

majority of the students preferred traditional print paper instead of digital

screen for their reading activities. Davy (2007) found that e-textbooks had

several good qualities over their traditional print copy counterparts. He found

they were ubiquitous items, interactive, provided multi6 media, enabled

printing on demand, thus saving paper, and could cater to individual learning

styles. E-textbooks offer greater flexibility and accessibility than print copies,

and e-textbooks proved increased visual appeal. Neither of these researchers

cited any disadvantages of e-textbooks.

In an examination of college student’s preferences, Rowlands, Nicholas,

Jamali and Huntington (2007) discovered etextbooks to be up-to-date, space

savers, accessible around the clock, convenient, and they perceived e-textbooks

to make it easier to create copies of the text. However, contrary to these

advantages, the students also believed that etextbooks were difficult to read,

annotate, and bookmark a page/place in the book. Portability and flexibility in

searching/browsing were advantages of e-textbooks, in addition to full-text

searching and reference linking. The disadvantages were that the technology

may still be somewhat in its infancy and there may also be a lack of awareness

of the software/hardware that is available for e-textbooks.

Rao (2001) found electronic reading texts to be convenient, less

expensive than print copies, portable, and instantly available. Shrimplin,

Revelle, Hurst and Messner (2011) find four distinct groups of readers, all of

whom approached print and electronic texts in different ways: Book Lovers,

who preferred print; Technophiles, who preferred electronic 208 Journal of

NELTA, Vol 24 No. 1-2, November 2019 NELTA formats; Pragmatists, who use

whatever format best suits their needs at the time; and Printers, who print out

electronic texts to read them. Chelin, Briddon, Williams, Redman, Sleat and

Ince (2009) point out that students used e-books if they were easier to access

or if the print edition was not available, rather than because of any preference

for them. Caporn, Bryant, Foster and Ransley (2011) affirm that the younger

students in their study, who were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one,

were more attracted to e-books than older students were.

Broadhurst and Watson (2012) speculate that students will demand

additional printing credits if many materials are made available electronically.

Shelburne (2009) mentions that faculty and students appreciated

computerbased e-books for the speed and convenience with which they can be

accessed, but many readers prefer to print out sections rather than rely on a

computer and an Internet connection for access. Berg, Hoffmann and Dawson

(2010) remark students doing a simple lookup task used more effective

strategies to navigate the print encyclopedias than the electronic ones.

Trakhman and Alexander (2017) verify their results demonstrated a clear

preference for digital texts, and students typically predicted better

comprehension when reading digitally.

Jeong (2012) clarifies that higher quiz scores indicating better

comprehension in print-based texts, while eye fatigue and strain reported by

students was greater when reading e-texts. Singer and Alexander (2016) assert

that although students could recall the main ideas regardless of the text type,

they were better able to recall key points linked to the main idea and other

relevant concepts when reading print.Dobler (2015), Falc (2013), Mizrachi

(2015), and Singer and Alexander (2016) affirm that students may declare their

preference for print-based texts over etexts, but they can also appreciate using

a combination of the two. Jeong (2012) remarks students overall appear to

prefer print books, but they are also satisfied with e-texts.

Dobler (2015) points out that the reason for a preference for print-based

texts is that students may feel more easily distracted when reading e-texts.

Muir and Hawes (2013) consider that students perceive e-texts’ page-topage

navigation tools as poor and the speed of page loading as slow. Falc (2013)
points out that students encounter various technical difficulties when learning

with e-texts, leading to frustration.

Baek and Monaghan (2013) highlight the importance of print text by

stating that print-based texts are considered superior for studying large

sections of text. On the contrary, for Muir and Hawes (2013), student

preferences for e-texts are centred on searchability; and for Mizrachi (2015),

cost and accessibility. Hsiao, Tang, and Lin (2015) enunciate that attitudes

towards e-texts are affected by their (perceived) usefulness, ease of use,

whether they were enjoyable and pleasant to use. Stone and Baker-Eveleth

(2013) view that the continuation of using a certain medium of text depends on

a student’s resultant intention.

Stoop, Kreutzer and Kircz (2015) state that “enhancing the electronic text

instead of just turning it into a copy of the printed version seems to have

helped the Journal of NELTA, Vol 24 No. 1-2, November 2019 209 NELTA

students to score higher on the test”. Myrberg and Wiberg (2015) articulate the

apps for e-reading lack the ability to present essential spatial landmarks, they

give poor feedback on your progress as you read, and make it difficult for you

to plan your reading since they do not show how much is left of the chapter/

book in a direct and transparent way.

Yoram Eden and Eshet-Alkalai (2013) and Young (2014) pinpoint that

speed and recall differences between media are insignificant. Rockinson-

Szapkiw, Courduff, Carter, and Bennett (2013), Stoop, Kreutzer and Kircz
(2013b); and Sun, Chich-Jen and Kai-Ping (2013) affirm that electronic

documents that optimize hypertext and multimedia to engage students can

lead to improved learning outcomes. Stoop, Kreutzer and Kircz (2013a) remark

that many students prefer to print out academic documents. Qayyum and

Williamson (2014) consider information from the printed page to be more

trustworthy. According to Herman (2014), Lam, Lamand and McNaught (2009),

electronic resources have grown as a cost-effective alternative to print

resources, with a range of multi-borrower licensing and purchase packages

available.

Daniel and Woody (2013), Durant and Horava (2015), Yoram Eden and

EshetAlkalai, (2013), Herman (2014) and Young (2014) describe that many

researchers who have explored the effect of format on reading and

comprehension, ask whether electronic documents are an improvement on

their print predecessors within education. Rockinson-Szapkiw et al. (2013) and

Stoop et al. (2013b) write that electronic documents have the potential to

provide an engaging, interactive learning environment via hyperlinks and

multimedia. Rose (2011) and Stoop et al. (2013a) mention that the ability to

easily markup paper documents may be one reason why students express a

preference for print versions of lengthy academic texts. Stoop et al (2013b) and

Rockinson Szapkiw et al. (2013) assert that students liked the idea of utilizing

electronic documents for interactive learning.

 Tuncer and Bahadir (2014), and Martin and Platt (2001) explain that

many studies found that participants preferred to print out documents that

contained complex information for reading. Jabr (2013) explicates that reading

from the screen can be difficult to ascertain how far one is through a multi-

page article, and difficult to contextualize the passages within the document.

Noyes and Garland (2003) and Stoop et al. (2013a) conclude that participants

gain a better understanding of the content when reading from paper.

Daniel and Woody (2013) and Qayyum and Williamson (2014) note the

distractive nature of advertisements and pop-ups within electronic material.

Stoop et al. (2013b) and Rockinson-Szapkiw et al. (2013) find that the

interactive capabilities of electronic documents had the potential to actively

engage students in learning. These results suggest that each medium may have

a role to play in education, particularly as students become more accustomed

to reading and editing electronic documents.

Several factors play great roles in shaping the learners’ preference for the

medium of reading texts: familiarity with and comfort levels of the medium or

platform (Baek and Monaghan 2013; Chen et al. 2014; Weisberg 2011), the

cultural attitudes of learners (Kretzschmar et al. 2013), the subject matter

(John 2014), the length of text (Abdullah and Gibb 2008; Baek and Monaghan

2013; Gibson and Gibb 2011; Muir and Hawes 2013) and whether the text

needs to be understood thoroughly or merely skimmed and scanned (Buzzetto-

More, Sweat-Guy and Elobaid 2007; Dilevko and Gottlieb 2002; Dundar and
Akcayir 2012; Jamali, Nicholas, Rowlands 2009; and Spencer 2006). These

previous research studies reveal the students’ mixed

PROCESS
preferences for electronic and print media of reading

texts. It is obvious that both electronic and print

- Administering
media of academic reading pre-test and post- media retain some merits
test
and some demerits. - Assessing the
profile of the
participants

FEEDBACK OUTPUT
Conceptual Framework

- Implement the
INPUT Students’ Level of
intervention to the
Reading two groups
- Students profile Comprehension
 Sex
 Age
 Ethnicity
 Language
Spoken at
Home

- Results or the mean

score of the pre-test
and post-test
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This research will be conducted in order to determine what certain

format that the students will be excellent with in literature across formats;

digital, printed and the combination of the two. To garner the data necessary

for this study, the researchers will opt to obtain the view of the students in line

with this topic. Specifically, a total of 23 respondents from the first-year BSED

English major students of the College of Teacher Education will be

systematically selected. Selected participants will answer a pre-test and post-

test. Data gathered from this research instrument will then be computed for

interpretation.

Research Design

The descriptive method of research will be used for this study. To define

the descriptive type of research, Creswell (1994) stated that the descriptive

method of research is to gather information about the present existing

condition. It is mainly concerned with describing the nature or condition and

the degree in detail of the present situation. The aim of this type of research is

to obtain an accurate profile of the people, events or situations. According to

Daquiz, with this research type, it is essential that the researchers already

have a clear view or picture of the phenomena being investigated before the

data collection procedure is carried out. The researchers will utilize this type of

research to collect first hand data from the respondents so as to formulate

rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study.

In this study, the descriptive research method was selected so as to

identify the significance and the role of using pre-test and post-test in knowing

the respondents’ insight or preference in literature across digital and printed

formats. The researchers opted to use this research method considering the

objective to determine the profile of the respondents. Aside from that, the

descriptive method is also advantageous to the researchers due to its flexibility;

this method can be used either qualitative or quantitative data or both, giving

the researchers greater options in selecting the instrument for data-gathering.

The researchers will also use the quasi-experimental design. The prefix

quasi means “resembling.” Thus, quasi-experimental research is research that

resembles experimental research but is not true experimental research.

Although the independent variable is manipulated, participants are not

randomly assigned to conditions or orders of conditions (Cook & Campbell,

1979). Quasi-experimental methods are research designs that that aim to

identify the impact of a particular intervention, program, or event (a

"treatment") by comparing treated units (households, groups, villages, schools,

firms, etc.) to control units. While quasi-experimental methods use a control

group, they differ from experimental methods in that they do not use

randomization to select the control group. Quasi-experimental methods are

useful for estimating the impact of a program or event for which it is not

ethically or logistically feasible to randomize.

By comparing the scores between the pre-test and post-test of

experimental group and control group, quasi-experiments aim to demonstrate

causality between an intervention and an outcome. Quasi-experimental studies

can use both preintervention and postintervention measurements as well as

nonrandomly selected control groups.

With that options, the researchers will opt to integrate the quantitative

approach in this study due to its significant advantages. Quantitative approach

is useful as it helps the researcher to prevent bias in gathering and presenting

research data. Daquiz stated that quantitative data collection procedures

create epistemological postulations that reality is objective and unitary, which

can only be realized by means of transcending individual perspective. Thus, the

researchers will use an objective type of pre-test and post test to gather the

perspective of every individual or respondents in line with the study. By using

this approach, the study will be discussed or explained by means of data

analysis gathered through objective forms of measurement.

Locale of the Respondents

In order to determine the perspective of the students regarding their

preference in literature across formats; digital, printed and the combination of

the two, a total of 23 respondents will be encouraged to participate. The

respondents were systematically selected from the Department of College of

Teacher Education. Specifically, the first-year students taking up Bachelor of

Secondary Education Major in English at Quirino State University - Main

Campus located in Andres Bonifacio, Diffun, Quirino.

Research Instrument

The researchers will gather the information of the respondents by the use

of an objective type of test that is divided into three parts; the first part is

about the demographic profile of the respondents which includes the name,

age, course and year. The second part of the test contains the options of their

preferred format (pure digital format, pure printed format or the combination of

the two). The last part contains the objective form of measurement that

measures the proficiency and/or the level of comprehension of the respondents

regarding the literary piece that they will be reading and/or watching, this part

includes multiple choice, matching type, and true or false.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers will submit a letter to the Dean, requesting permission

and approval to conduct the study. Upon approval, the researchers will retrieve

the letter. In administering the objective type of test, the researchers will use

the time allotted for vacant to avoid distraction of class discussion. The

respondents will be given enough time to answer the questions. The

researchers will then collect the answered research instrument from the
respondents. After the researchers collected all the data, with the statistician’s

help, the researchers will tabulate and tally the results to analyze and interpret

the data.

The result will be the basis for researchers to answer the following

questions in the Statement of the Problem. Base on the collected data analysis,

the researchers will come up with conclusions and recommendations for this

study.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The following tools and treatments will be employed in this study. Part 1

was about the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of age, course,

and year, and they were statistically treated using descriptive statistics such as

frequency count and percentage using the form below.

P= f x 100

Where: P = Porcentage

F = Frequency

N = No. of sample population

Frequency
 The frequency (f) of a particular value is the number of times the value

occurs in the data. The distribution of a variable is the pattern of frequencies,

meaning the set of all possible values and the frequencies associated with these

values. Frequency distributions are portrayed as frequency tables or charts. In

this study, frequency of the variables in the demographic profile was counted.

Percentage

A percentage is a number or a ratio stated as a fraction of 100 in

mathematics. A percentage is calculated by dividing a number by the whole

and multiplying it by 100. As a result, % can be defined as a part per hundred.

The formula is:

P= f x 100

Where: P = Percentage

F = Frequency

N = No. of sample population

Weighted Mean

The weighted mean is a computational average, a measure of central

tendency obtained by dividing the Frequency of the given answers by the

number of respondents.

Pearson r
 The Pearson r was used in this study to determine the relationship

between and among the variables. The results of the analyses were presented

using textual, tabular, and graphical methods.

The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software will be used

to facilitate the statistical treatment of data.