Traditional and Contemporary English Literature Teaching Methods in a Lebanese EFL academic context: A quasi-experimental study

— Many university instructors face challenges in literature classes. Students get bored of long hours of teacher-centred lectures, so they sign-in to the on-line class but neither participate actively nor interact. They rarely read the assigned literary texts; instead, they resort to open access study guides and summaries available online. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of integrating Traditional and Contemporary Methods of teaching English literature on the students’ critical thinking skills, academic literary analysis, EFL communicative skills, digital literacy and their attitude to value English Literature. A quasi-experimental research is conducted on two sophomore literature classes (n=30) at a Lebanese university. The adopted theoretical framework is based on: the constructivist cognitive apprenticeship, critical thinking skills, literature teaching methods, and digital literacy skills. Data collection instruments employed in this study are: (a) the students’ formative assessment scores pr e, mid and post intervention, (b) the perception of the students (post intervention) and (c) the participation level of the students. Research findings reveal that the students’ formative assessment mean scores shifted from M = 61.8 and SD = 9.3 to M=72.4 and SD = 6.89 post intervention; their (post intervention) perceptions were positive, and their participation level markedly improved. Recommendations and implications for further research are discussed.


INTRODUCTION
Many studies have been conducted in the field of instructing literature to examine the impact of conventional approaches on EFL enhancement through literature classes. However, few have tackled integrating traditional literature instruction strategies with contemporary ones. This study integrated cognitive apprenticeship, critical thinking skills, traditional teacher-centered and contemporary student-centered literature teaching methods, and finally digital literacy. Various learning management platforms were employed: Zoom for Meetings, Moodle to post learning material, assignments, and quizzes, and instructor-student WhatsApp groups (See the screenshot of the 3 platforms in Appendix A). Formative assessments were held on-line (See the screenshot of student samples in Appendix B & C). However, the summative assessment was held physically on campus to measure students' development at the end of the course. For the sake of validity, a student sample is attached at the end of this study (See Appendix D).
The aim of this study is to examine the impact of this integration strategy on the improvement of students' higher order thinking, academic literary analysis, EFL communicative skills, digital literacy and their attitude to value English Literature. A quasi-experimental research was designed because of its high internal validity as well as the impracticality of randomness. So all the participants received the same treatment.
The aforementioned strategies were integrated in three phases.
In Phase 1, the researcher shared some important tools that help students recognize, identify, interpret and analyze literary texts before tackling the assigned novel itself. The teacher-centered on-line sessions focused on content-based and language-based approach.
In Phase 2, the researcher coached and scaffolded the students' on-line discussions related to the analysis of the themes, the common literary devices and the language of the assigned texts. Throughout these sessions, the researcher triggered the students' higher-order thinking; she raised intriguing questions to help them become independent thinkers, and filled in their gaps, misinterpretations and omissions.
In Phase 3, when the students had already acquired the needed tools (the background and the language-based knowledge), the researcher adopted the student-centered approach. She made them reflect on their performance and articulate their knowledge. She divided the students into groups to work collaboratively in pairs and assigned each group a chapter to read, and take the instructor's role in analyzing the literary texts in the on-line classes.
The students were given a formative assessment at the beginning, at the end of phase 2, and a third at the end of phase 3 (See student samples in the Appendices). It was revealed that their mean scores shifted from M = 61.8 and SD = 9.3 to M=72.4 and SD = 6.89 post intervention which is significant. The post intervention perception of the students was positive; and their participation level markedly improved.
In a nutshell, the significance of this study lies in integrating cognitive, traditional and contemporary strategies to enhance the development of the students' higher order thinking, academic literary analysis skills, EFL communicative skills, digital literacy, and improve their attitude to value English Literature.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This study tested the effect of integrating the following multidimensional strategies: cognitive apprenticeship model, critical thinking skills, literature teaching models (contentbased approach, language-based approach, reader-response approach), digital literacy, which are thoroughly discussed next.

The Cognitive apprenticeship model
Many scholars have expanded upon Vygotsky's social learning theory, which emphasized the significance of social interaction and cooperative learning to help construct cognitive and emotional knowledge (Brown, 2007). Specifically, the cognitive apprenticeship model that includes: modeling, coaching, scaffolding, reflection, and articulation to develop the cognitive skills for complex professional practice (Dennen, 2004, p. 814). Modeling is a form of demonstration of the temporal process of thinking, followed by imitation to help the learner progress through the zone of proximal development (ZPD). To Dennen (2004), modeling is the most efficient way "to generate desired student performance across classes, specially, in an on-line forum" (pp. 816-817). Moreover, Hernández (2003) considered it important to demonstrate how writers employ literary devices such as: "figures of speech, similes, idiomatic expressions, and metaphors" (p.127). So, the teacher assumes the role of a mentor who facilitates expert knowledge for beginners, and makes the implicit knowledge become more explicit (Dennen, 2004). Coaching is another approach where the teacher monitors classroom activities and assists and supports learners where necessary. Next comes Scaffolding to support students so that they can cope with the task situation. This strategy also entails the gradual withdrawal of the teachers from the process when the students are ready to independently work. Last but not least is the Reflection takes place when the learners assess and analyze their self-performance. Finally, it is the Articulation approach which integrates the results of reflection into verbal form (Dennen, 2004).

Critical thinking skills
Leading students to critical thinking that falls into the higher-order thinking category tops the list of skills students need for success. Critical thinking involves analysis, inference, synthesis, and evaluation (Bloom, 1956). Some examples of problem-solving activities are: intriguing questions, multiple interpretations or answers, supporting ideas by evidence from the text. Evidently, in collaborative discussions, participants share the evidence that can support their ideas. Discussing an interpretive question as a group brings thoughtful and considered answers about more than having students work upon individually. Follow-up questions that clarify, elaborate, and explain difficult concepts trigger students' higher-order thinking (Crowley, 2015). Another example on the effectiveness of questioning is using inventory questions implicitly and explicitly into discussions and student writing prompts as a framework for pre-and post-reading activities, and as prompts for reading responses, formal writing, and journaling (Harris, 2019). Training students to analyze, infer, synthesize and evaluate literary texts can also help them activate their logical reasoning, evaluative comprehension, draw inferences, as . This study engaged the participants in higher-order thinking activities that involve intriguing questions, logical reasoning, multiple interpretations, supporting ideas, synthesizing evidence from the text drawing inferences, explaining cause-andeffect relationships, comparing facts and evaluating the information in the texts.

Theories on literature teaching models
Reading literary texts can develop students' language skills, imagination, cultural awareness, and encourage critical thinking about plots, themes, and characters (Van, 2009). But which approach is the most favorable to Literature Teaching? Is it the traditional teacher-centered or the contemporary student-centered? Below are the most frequently discussed Literature Teaching models. Content-Based Approach is the most traditional approach to teaching literature where learners explore and interpret historical context, literary theories, theory of genres of a specific text, and the biography of the authors. According to this approach, reading literary texts is just to obtain information (Carter & Long, 1991). Hall (2005) considered this approach a lecture-based or a teachercentered where students depend on their teachers and on established sources to interpret texts; consequently, it leads to the participation of few students' in the class activities (p.50). However, it's important that students be conscious of how texts relate to issues of identity, culture, political power, gender, ethnicity, class, and religion. It facilitates students' critical awareness about the role of language in producing, maintaining, and changing social relations and power, and it is considered a means for developing the perception about the relationship between language and society (Fairclough, 1995).
Language-Based Approach comprises of stylistic approach and language approach, The Stylistic approach is the study of literary discourse from a linguistics perspective, where attention is paid to semantics, syntax, and figurative language, specially, what is said and how is said to facilitate the interpretation of the text and highlight the aesthetic value of literature (Carter and Long, 1997). Similarly, Stockwell (2006) considers stylistic knowledge important because it is "the central discipline of literary study, against which all other current approaches are partial or interdisciplinary" (p.742), which is so true. Whereas, the Language approach involves language instruction activities, such as: summarizing plots, predictions, rewriting the ends of fictions, vocabulary and comprehension, and discussions. Meanwhile, teachers clarify technical terms, offer appropriate classroom procedures, intervene to provide stimuli and prompts, support and guide them in the learning process (Carter, Long, 1991).
Reader-Response approach is an act of reading a literary text in foreign language that "aims at something beyond what it actually says" according to Iser (1974) and then drawing on one's background knowledge, personal feelings, and opinions, to interpret it (p. 278). However, instructors should guide students linguistically (Van, 2009) because there are numerous gaps, omissions, and indeterminacies in those texts that students need to be aware of and interpret (Parkinson & Thomas, 2000, p. 7). Educators of new methods prefer: active reading, emotional and intellectual participation in the text, over the traditional mode of reading aloud, learning by heart, and translating. Construction of meaning and elicitation of responses are major aspects of literature discussions. Advocates of readerresponse approach encourage active reading for content comprehension, and being involved in amusing and prediction activities (Mart, 2019) to increase the intrinsic motivation of the students.
At the end, the interplay of the three approaches, the Content-Based, the Language-Based (teacher-centered), and the Reader-Response (student-centered) and the live student discussions and presentations were employed in this study. So, the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach that integrates Reading, Writing and Speaking activities are automatically enhanced (University of Louisiana, 2021).

Digital Literacy
Digital-literacy is "the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills." (Loewus, 2016). The learning process can be more interactive and effective when students are engaged with and use digital tools. They can even refine their literary literacies when they search for unfamiliar expressions and certain patterns in texts using relevant search engines (online.uwa.edu). Digital-literacy related to Zoom, Moodle, and WhatsApp is helpful to both students and instructors. Moreover, video conferencing on Zoom platform is designed to be highly collaborative and interactive environment; it gives the attendees the ability to use audio and video, share their screen, and write in the text box. Students can engage directly with the content being shared and with each other. Those living in remote or rural areas find Zoom conferences a blessing. In addition, Moodle supports a range of media to present or link to learning materials. Furthermore, benefits of WhatsApp in education are establishing instant student-teacher communication as well as sending/getting reminders and push notifications.  IJELS-2023, 8(4), (ISSN: 2456-7620)  Add to this that knowing how to surf the Internet can enrich students with an unlimited source of knowledge, and empower them to learn new things. As such, students develop their fundamental skills of reading, interpreting, and criticizing literary texts.
Moreover, on-line live discussions, electronic communication can provide a more relaxed atmosphere where social conventions are less important, and this encourages positive interaction among students (Manzolillo, 2016). Specially, in this study the researcher made use of 3 Learning Management platforms: Meetings on Zoom, Moodle to post learning material and assignments, and WhatsApp groups for instant messages.
In a nutshell, the researcher employed the cognitive apprenticeship model that includes: modeling, coaching, scaffolding, reflection, and articulation to develop the cognitive skills of the participants in the study. She engaged the participants in higher-order thinking activities that involve intriguing questions, logical reasoning, multiple interpretations, supporting ideas, synthesizing evidence from the text drawing inferences, explaining cause-andeffect relationships, comparing facts and evaluating the information in the texts.
This study adopted the Literature teaching models, the Content-Based, the Language-Based (teacher-centered), and the Reader-Response (student-centered) employing the CLT approach.

III. METHODOLOGY
A quasi-experimental research was conducted on 2 sophomore literature classes (n=30) at a Lebanese university. because the 2 classes should've received the same treatment and shared the same independent variables, randomness was impractical. The theoretical framework was based on: the constructivist cognitive apprenticeship, critical thinking skills, Literature teaching models, the Content-Based, the Language-Based (teacher-centered), and the Reader-Response (studentcentered) employing the CLT approach, and digital literacy. The independent variables were the following: change in student approach/participation, change in student scores post intervention, and change in student perception.

1.The participants
The participants were the students of 2 sophomore English literature classes (n=30) at a Lebanese university. The course "The Age of Modernism" and "The 20 th C. American Novel" were administered over 12 weeks, bi-weekly, each session lasted for 75 minutes. For ethical purposes the names of the participants were unrevealed.

2.Research instruments
The instruments used to collect data for the study are described next.
For Quantitative analysis: The students' pre and post intervention formative/summative assessment scores were collected and analyzed employing Microsoft Excel. The students' evaluation scores posted on the university site.
The aim of selecting these data was to compare how the students developed at the post-intervention stage For Qualitative analysis: Instructor's evaluation of student participation, motivation, on-line live discussions, literary analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

3.Research Procedures
The Quasi-experimental researchcause-and-effect relationship, generally high in internal validity, tested the effect of the following 4 independent variables on the dependent variable, the final assessment scores and students' attitude: The constructivist cognitive apprenticeship (modeling, coaching, scaffolding, reflection, articulation, and exploration), critical thinking skills, traditional and contemporary literature teaching methods (Content-based, Language-based and Reader-Response approach), and digital literacy were adopted in methods of instructing Literature.

Phase 1: modeling
The researcher shared some important tools that help students recognize, identify, interpret and analyze literary texts before tackling the assigned novel itself. The teachercentered on-line session was based on content-based and language-based approach. First, she discussed the historical context of the Age of Modernism employing "the shared screen" feature on Zoom, and highlighted some prominent themes (e.g. war, death, despair, rejection of social/religious norms) and their link to the themes in Farewell to Arms. Then, she lectured on the biography of the author, Ernest Hemingway, to make students better understand how the novel is entwined with the life experience of the author.
Style: way an author uses language to convey his or her ideas and purpose in writing. author's diction (the selection  IJELS-2023, 8(4), (ISSN: 2456-7620)  of words), syntax (sentence structure: simple or complex), phonological patterns, tone, characters, and other narrative techniques, as the genre or mode of writing the author adopts, such as the organizational features (chapters, acts, scenes, stanzas).
Second, she shared some language improving skills, such as: paraphrasing, summarizing and using reporting verbs (in phase 2, students were supposed to summarize the important parts of the plot and analyze the text).
Sharing all these tools at the modeling stage is important; it can establish sources that enable students to interpret the meaning of a text that goes beyond what's on the page and avoid dependency on secondary unreliable sources.

Phase 2: Coaching, scaffolding
At this stage, the students were supposed to read the assigned chapters, and discuss: the themes (global coherence) in relation to the Age, the common literary devices of the text as symbolism (e.g. the use of colorsgrey associated with loss or depression), repetitive motifs (e.g. snow: frozen feelings, falling leaves: inevitability of human death, dust: foreshadowing death) and the language, in the direct supervision of the instructor, who can fill in their gaps, misinterpretations and omissions.
Throughout the lecture, the researcher triggered the students' higher-order thinking. She raised intriguing questions, just to check their overall knowledge of the basic plot, as well as their ability to identify the literary devices and interpret the purpose of using them. Some of the questions were: "Why did the author choose certain words, expressions, images, syntax, or punctuation?" "How does the theme relate to the age?" "Are there any similarities or differences between these 2 characters?" "How would you behave in a similar situation?" To her surprise, the students were not actively interacting at the beginning. They didn't read the assigned chapters, being inexperienced, they encountered new incomprehensible terminology that frustrated them. Instead, they read some open access online summaries available on the web, which were insufficient to support the needed evidence from the text.
Throughout the on-line class, she modelled how to surf the web using reliable sources to scaffold their problem-solving strategies. For example, she performed live searching for the denotation of particular expressions, images, motifs, used by the author that fits best in the context. She modelled using the "inverted comma" feature to search the web for a similar version of the above poem, which turned out to be an adapted version of an existing poem (see below) of an unknown writer from the sixteenth century, as well as how to search repetitive expressions in the text and infer their relevance.
The original lines from this poem are as follows: O Western wind, when wilt thou blow, That the small rain down can rain? Christ, that my love were in my arms And I in my bed again! (Unidentified Author, 16th C.).
Furthermore, she modeled searching for the pattern of the word rain using the "find" feature on Microsoft Word to analyze the significance of the repetitive rain imagery foreshadowing death. Other literary device in this jumbled poem included stream-of-consciousness. The language is described as short sentences, lack of clarity, emphasis on nouns and verbs.
A formative assessment followed teacher-centered modeling sessions after 4 weeks. The assessments were performed via Zoom, but for the sake of validity, their cameras were turned on.

Phase 3: Reflection, Articulation
At this stage, the students had already acquired the needed tools (the background and the stylistic knowledge) for the ease of text interpretation. So, the researcher adopted the student-centered Reader-Response approach. She divided students into groups to work collaboratively in pairs and assigned each group a chapter to read, summarize the plot, identify and interpret literary devices and elements, analyze the linguistic features, infer the theme, and finally articulate and present their work on the on-line/Zoom class platform. Zoom classes were being recorded on the iCloud, and students had access to the link to re-watch the session. This makes them Reflect on, assess and analyze their selfperformance while presenting their assignment.  IJELS-2023, 8(4), (ISSN: 2456-7620)

Digital Literacy
Particularly, in this study the researcher made use of 3 Learning Management platforms: Meetings on Zoom, Moodle to post learning material and assignments, and WhatsApp groups for the different classes to help students find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, using technical and cognitive skills. Lectures, discussions, presentations were all performed on Zoom, which were being recorded on the iCloud, and students had access to the link to re-watch the session and take notes "note-taking of ideas discussed in class promoted students' independent use of the language". She modeled how to search using the "find" feature in Microsoft Word, how to search the web taking into consideration reliable and unreliable sources.

The findings, Interpretation and Discussion
Quantitative Results Pre/post intervention scores The pre/post-intervention class performance scores were analyzed employing Microsoft Excel and displayed in charts. The aim of selecting these instruments was to compare how the students developed in linguistic literary analysis at the post-intervention stage.
-The mean score of pre-intervention formative assessment of the students was 62/100 = P; whereas, the mean score of post-intervention was 72/100= G. the intervention was effective.
-The students were asked to evaluate the course/instructor on Google form, and the scores were posted on the university site.
Research findings revealed that the students' formative assessment mean scores shifted from M = 61.8 and SD = 9.3 to M=72.4 and SD = 6.89 post intervention; their (post intervention) perceptions were positive; and their participation level markedly improved.
Qualitative Results -Instructor's evaluation of student participation, motivation, on-line live discussions and literary "analysis, synthesis, and evaluation" reflected noticeable improvement. Their reading, writing and speaking skills were enhanced. 'collaborative discussion' motivated the students to give their own opinions. Students' intimidation and fear of public speaking was diminished. They were highly motivated and wanted to be the next presenters in class.
As a result of engaging the students in higher-order thinking activities (e.g. intriguing questions, logical reasoning, multiple interpretations, supporting ideas, synthesizing evidence from the text drawing inferences, explaining cause-and-effect relationships, comparing facts and evaluating the information in the texts), the researcher observed a remarkable improvement.

V. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the results validate the hypothesis that integration of the traditional and contemporary methods of teaching English literature that include the constructivist cognitive apprenticeship, critical thinking skills, Literature teaching models: the Content-Based, the Language-Based (teacher-centered), and the Reader-Response (studentcentered) employing the CLT approach, and digital literacy, developed the Lebanese university learners': higher order thinking skills, academic literary analysis, EFL communicative skills, digital literacy and their attitude to value English Literature.