ENHANCING EFL TERTIARY LEARNERS’ READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH VISUAL SUPPORT: INSIGHTS FROM DUAL CODING AND MULTIMEDIA LEARNING

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of visual support on reading comprehension and student perceptions among EFL tertiary learners. Using a quasi-experimental, post-test-only design, two intact classes (N = 80) were assigned to a text-only control group and a visual-support experimental group, which received the same texts accompanied by images, diagrams, and simple infographic-style elements. Results showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on a 20-item reading comprehension test, with a large effect size, indicating a substantial benefit of visual support for comprehension. A perception questionnaire and open-ended responses revealed that students viewed visuals as helpful for understanding main ideas, organizing information, and dealing with difficult vocabulary and abstract concepts, as well as increasing interest and confidence. However, students also reported that overloaded, poorly aligned, or weakly signposted visuals could be confusing or distracting. The findings highlight the need for careful visual design and explicit multimodal strategy instruction in EFL reading classes.