Exploring Problem-Based Learning Within Genre-Based Approach to Teaching Multimodal Reading in an EFL Classroom

Abstract

Reading instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom has increasingly involved multimodal texts that combine verbal and visual elements, posing new challenges for learners’ meaning-making processes. While Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and the Genre-Based Approach (GBA) have been widely discussed as effective pedagogical frameworks, limited research has examined how PBL can be systematically integrated within a genre-based reading pedagogy to support students’ engagement with multimodal texts. This study aimed to explore the integration of PBL within GBA in teaching multimodal reading in an EFL classroom and to examine how such integration facilitated students’ engagement with multimodal texts. Employing a qualitative descriptive research design, the study was conducted in an undergraduate EFL reading class at an Indonesian university. Data were collected through classroom observations, students’ multimodal reading tasks, and written reflections, and were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that PBL was embedded across the stages of the GBA, functioning as a pedagogical logic rather than a separate instructional strategy. Problem-based activities encouraged students to approach multimodal reading as an inquiry-driven process, leading to increased participation, collaboration, and attention to visual–verbal relationships. The integration also supported learner autonomy, although challenges related to time management and language proficiency were identified. Overall, the study suggests that combining PBL with GBA provides a structured yet inquiry-oriented framework that supports EFL students’ engagement with multimodal reading tasks.