The Effect of WhatsApp in Blended Learning on English as Foreign Language (EFL) Undergraduate Students' Reading Comprehension

摘要

This research aimed to investigate the effect of WhatsApp in blended learning on EFL undergraduate students' reading comprehension ability. This was an experimental research with participants of students at second semester at one private college in Pekanbaru-Riau, Indonesia. The 20 students were randomly and equally assigned to the experimental group and another 20 students as the control group. The instrument of this research was reading comprehension test in form of multiple choices, used as pre-test and post-test to asses the participants' reading comprehension ability in both experimental and control group. The result of this research found that there was a significant effect in blended learning through WhatsApp on EFL undergraduate students' reading comprehension. The students who used WhatsApp in blended learning environment showed higher scores than those who did not. The experimental group read more texts and interacted with their peers via WhatsApp, therefore it enhanced their reading comprehension. In conclusion, blended learning through WhatsApp had contributed to the achievement of EFL undergraduate students' reading comprehension.