Using a Student Response System (Socrative) as a PreReading Method in an EFL Reading Environment

The purpose of this study is to explore whether a student response system (SRS), Socrative, can be effective in supporting students’ reading comprehension when applied at the pre-reading phase. The purpose of utilizing Socrative was to enhance participation and promote collaboration among learners when they interact with one another in order to discuss their background knowledge of the reading passage. The 81 participants were comprised of undergraduate students from Gyeonggi province. They were assigned to two different groups, an experimental group using Socrative, and a control group without Socrative. The participants took the pre-test prior to performing the pre-reading activities. Then, both groups went through identical prereading activities with the exception being that one group used Socrative. After the pre-reading activities, a post-test was conducted in order to examine the learning gains. There was a significant difference found within the group using Socrative from the pre- to the post-tests; however, no significant difference was found between the two groups (Socrative versus non-Socrative). Participants’ perspectives on using Socrative were reported using both questionnaires and interviews. Participants showed a positive attitude toward using Socrative for reading classes. Pedagogical implications and futures studies were suggested based on the findings of this study.