Incorporating Deductive Approach into Grammar Consciousness Raising with Translation Practice: An Educational Design Research for Non-English Major EFL

Abstract

This article presents an educational design research study that explores the effectiveness of incorporating a deductive approach into consciousness raising activities in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms for non-English major students. The research aims to enhance students' grammatical awareness and accuracy through a deductive instructional strategy, using translation practices and focusing on conscious rule-based learning. Adopting an educational design research framework, the study combines theory-driven design principles with empirical research to develop and evaluate a deductive consciousness raising intervention. The research methodology involves the implementation of instructional intervention to a group of students and the collection of qualitative and quantitative data to assess its impact on students' grammatical competence and their perceptions of the learning experience. Using t-test statistical calculation, it was found that the intervention improved the students’ grammar mastery but not the response speed. The questionnaire result showed that students reacted positively to the intervention and their motivation increased. Findings from the study support the previous research which found that conscious raising is effective to improve students’ learning mastery. This also provides insights that integrating deductive approaches into consciousness raising activities work for grammar teaching if the grammar items are selected appropriately. This also shows that the result of conscious knowledge is not converted automatically into subconscious knowledge. It may need time to practice again and again to make it automatic. As this research is an educational design research, the hypothesis about the efficacy of this designed procedure is suggested to be proved in experimental research. More research to uncover the acquirability and learnability of English grammar features are also recommended to be studies further.