<![CDATA[This study aimed to develop and examine the effectiveness of multicultural values-based reading materials in improving university students’ reading comprehension in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Persistent difficulties among Indonesian university students in moving beyond literal translation toward higher-order reading processes, including identifying main ideas, making inferences, and interpreting culturally embedded meanings, motivated the study. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) design grounded in the Plomp (2013) framework, the study involved needs analysis, instructional material design, expert validation, revision, field implementation, and evaluation. Effectiveness was tested using a one-group pretest–posttest design involving 67 third-semester students from three Indonesian universities: Universitas Muhammadiyah Metro (n = 28), Universitas Muhammadiyah Kotabumi (n = 26), and Universitas Aisyah Pringsewu (n = 13). Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests, normalized gain (N-gain) scores, and Cohen’s d effect size. Statistically significant improvements were observed across all three institutions (p < .05), with posttest mean scores consistently surpassing pretest scores. N-gain results indicated moderate improvement, while effect sizes ranged from large to very large (d > 0.80). Culturally relevant reading materials enhance comprehension by activating prior knowledge, strengthening cultural connections, and promoting deeper textual engagement. The study recommends that lecturers, curriculum developers, and higher education institutions integrate multicultural perspectives into EFL reading instruction to advance both academic literacy and intercultural awareness.]]>
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