Dr Omosola Christiana Olatubosun
Abstract
This study examines the efficacy of an Offline Mobile App Reading Strategy (OMARS) in improving English reading comprehension among senior secondary school students in Ibadan, Nigeria. Technology is increasingly shaping education, and offline mobile apps provide an effective way to address poor internet access and the limits of traditional teaching. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design, involving 102 students from six public schools who participated in an eight-week intervention using the Talo-Reader app. This app was preloaded with reading passages and distributed via Xender, allowing students to engage independently after initial teacher instruction. The English Reading Comprehension Achievement Test (ERCAT) assessed their achievement, with ANCOVA results revealing significantly higher post-test scores for OMARS participants (12.772) compared to the control group (5.817). A Bonferroni post-hoc test confirmed a statistically significant mean difference of 6.955 (p < 0.001); a partial eta squared value (η² = 0.305) indicated that OMARS accounted for 30.5% of the variance in reading achievement. These findings highlight offline mobile learning apps’ potential in low-connectivity environments. The study recommends integrating OMARS into curricula, providing mobile learning devices, and adopting mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) strategies to enhance literacy and bridge digital divide.