Rengganis Siwi Amumpuni, Rudi Hartono, Dwi Rukmini, Rahayu Puji Haryanti
Despite growing evidence supporting Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) and critical thinking in enhancing reading comprehension, research remains scarce regarding CSR's differential effectiveness based on learners' critical thinking abilities. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of CSR in improving reading comprehension among EFL undergraduates with high and low critical thinking skills and explored students' perceptions of CSR. Participants were 20 s-semester students from [Anonymized]. Data were collected using a TOEFL-based comprehension test, critical thinking questionnaire, perception questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed via independent samples t-tests and thematic analysis. Results revealed significant improvement for high critical-thinking students compared to those with low critical thinking (t (18) = 3.27, p = .004, MD = 10, 95 % CI [3.58, 16.42]). Students strongly endorsed CSR's effectiveness in enhancing comprehension, engagement, and motivation. Qualitatively, CSR facilitated vocabulary development, reduced reading anxiety, and fostered teamwork and confidence. These findings emphasize CSR's potential as an effective instructional approach, particularly beneficial when aligned with learners' critical thinking levels. © 2025
Doctoral Program of Language Education, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia
