Effects of a Two-Stage Concept Mapping-Based Collaborative Gaming Approach on the English Learning Achievement and Behavioral Patterns of Students with Different Learning Anxiety Levels

Abstract

EFL (English as foreign language) students usually learn by rote when they study English grammar. Students usually memorize all the grammar rules mechanically instead of learning grammar in a structured way. Researchers have also indicated that English anxiety has important effects on students' learning performance and their willingness to learn English grammar. Therefore, in this study, a two-stage grammar concept mapping-based collaborative English gaming approach has been developed. A quasi-experiment on an English course was carried out in an elementary school to evaluate students' learning achievement and English anxiety. Moreover, the students' learning behavioral patterns were explored by analyzing their interactive logs in the mobile discussion forum. The results indicated that the students using the proposed approach revealed significantly higher English grammar achievements than those who learned with the conventional gaming approach; moreover, the grammar concept mapping strategy can help the students with higher levels of English anxiety to have better learning achievements, and to realize the concept structure of English grammar to internalize their knowledge.