A Qualitative Study on Teaching Visual Texts by Using Reciprocal Teaching Approach in a Virtual General English Course During the Covid-۱۹ Pandemic

Background: During the Covid-۱۹ pandemic, teaching and learning have taken a detour, and the unexpected shift from faceto-face to virtual learning has made instructors and learners think about new methods for more effective virtual instruction. The present study aimed at examining a new method for enriching the medical students’ understanding of visual texts through applying Reciprocal Teaching (RT) strategies during the Covid-۱۹ pandemic. Methods: The study had a qualitative action-research design. The participants of the study were ۵۴ medical students enrolled in an online General English course at Birjand University of Medical Sciences during the Fall semester of ۲۰۲۰. The class was held twice a week for ۲۴ sessions. The strategies of RT were integrated into watching films that were used as teaching materials (visual texts). The researcher used semi-structured interviews and field notes and also recorded the class sessions for data collection. The collected data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: The results showed that the students found using RT strategies advantageous in the understanding of films and in improving their language proficiency. They reconceptualized the importance of their film-watching habit, and revalued the importance of films for language learning, and considered them as textbooks that could be divided into different sections such as introduction, body, and conclusion. In addition, they discussed different sections of the films with peers and wrote summaries about them which improved both their language proficiency and their knowledge about medical terminologies. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that applying RT strategies in virtual classes can be advantageous in helping medical students recognize the importance of films and use them as reliable sources for language learning. Therefore, as today’s students are called ‘digital natives’, it is suggested that the RT strategies and the new modes of instruction be integrated into teaching medical students.

Keywords:

English language learning , Students , Medical , education , Distance , Reciprocal teaching , Teaching , Visual texts