- Multimedia Versus Traditional Text: Semester-Level Impacts on Literary Interpretation and Engagement in EFL Classroom

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Abstrak

This study examined how multimedia-supported and traditional text-focused instruction differentially impacted EFL students' literary interpretation and engagement across three semester levels at Universitas Negeri Manado. A quasi-experimental, explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, comparing two instructional conditions across Introduction to Literature (Semester 2), Drama Analysis (Semester 4), and Introduction to World Literature (Semester 6). Data were collected through structured classroom observations using adapted COPUS protocols and semi-structured interviews with students and lecturers. Quantitative analysis utilized linear mixed-effects models, while qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis. Results revealed that multimedia instruction increased initial participation and multimodal noticing by 161% in Semester 2, though text-based approaches established citation discipline more rapidly. In Semester 4, multimedia pedagogy enhanced focalization understanding through embodied drama activities, while text-focused sessions excelled in linguistic subtext analysis. By Semester 6, text-anchored instruction demonstrated substantial advantages in comprehensive symbol tracing (26-27 vs. 20-22 instances), while multimedia materials functioned as sophisticated analytical objects rather than novice scaffolds. Findings indicated that neither approach held categorical superiority; optimal pedagogy required developmental sequencing that leveraged multimedia for concept formation and text-based work for evidence discipline, with explicit conversion mechanisms bridging multimodal observation and textual specification.