Designing scaffolding in a digital English textbook for high school low achievers: A case study.

Abstract

English divide is getting more aggravated in Korean English class notwithstanding the longitudinal nation-wide effort for differentiated education. Use of a digital textbook in English class has been considered as a solution which reduces those problems and fosters learner-centered learning. However, there has not been enough investigation of learners’ needs in designing digital textbooks. Therefore, this study intends to investigate English learning needs of low achieving high school students and to provide some implications for a more effective digital textbook design. This study, first, conducted a survey with 89 high school students asking their learning, perception and scaffolding needs in English class. Second, this study qualitatively gathered the data from five low proficient students who were asked to use a digital English textbook in the regular class for four weeks. The participants utilized the digital textbook with no difficulty according to their purposes in varied ways. The data analysis reveals that the students perceived the digital textbook as an assisting tool, not a main textbook, and their perceptions were mostly positive. Some technological challenges and students’ resistance have also emerged, which should be overcome for the continued use.