Students' and instructors’ perceptions of reading strategy effectiveness: Insights from Communicative English Skills courses at an Ethiopian higher education institution

Communicative competence encompassing speaking, listening, reading, and writing is essential for academic success and professional engagement. This descriptive survey study examined freshman students' and instructors' perceptions of reading strategies embedded in the Communicative English Skills I and II modules and their role in developing communicative competence at Mizan Tepi University. The study involved 425 first-year students selected through simple random sampling from a population of 968 students across 17 sections during the 2023/2024 academic year. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach: a structured questionnaire measured students' perceptions and self-reported progress across language skills; four focus group discussions with 24 high-achieving students (GPA ≥3.5/4.0) explored learner experiences; and semi-structured interviews with five experienced EFL instructors captured pedagogical perspectives. The findings revealed that a large proportion of students (80–90%) perceived improvements in fluency (85%), grammatical accuracy (82%), and confidence (82%), particularly through strategies such as skimming and scanning (92%) and note-taking (88%). Students also reported that these strategies supported skill transfer to listening comprehension, speaking (84%), and writing (79%). However, difficulties were noted in summarizing tasks and in the consistent application of strategies. Instructors confirmed the pedagogical value of integrated reading strategies but highlighted the need for increased practice and reinforcement. Overall, the findings suggest that sustained integration of reading strategies contributes positively to students’ perceived development of communicative competence. The study offers practical implications for curriculum developers, EFL instructors, and policymakers seeking to strengthen English language instruction in Ethiopian higher education.