Educational bibliotherapy for developing undergraduates’ bibliotherapeutic energy in an Advanced English Reading classroom

ABSTRACT This semester-long study attempted to investigate 122 (M: 21; F: 101) Taiwanese undergraduates’ responses to bibliotherapy and two textbooks in an Advanced English Reading classroom. Data collection included an anonymous 6-point Likert scaled questionnaire with a space for free comments and the students’ reflection papers to show their perceptions. The results of the study showed that bibliotherapy effectively helped the students (a) understand the importance of self-knowledge, life growth, emotion management, positive thinking, and behavior awareness, (b) understand the importance of (literature) reading, (literature) reading course, and the benefits of (literature) reading, and (c) enhance self-understanding, positive thinking, mental growth, and (positive) behavioral change. Moreover, the study found that the two textbooks could effectively boost the students’ bibliotherapeutic energy, including their positive thinking ability, mental growth, and mature behavior.