Authentic Contexts Research Articles

Utilizing Social Media as a Supporting Medium for Enhancing English Literacy Among Adolescents

This study aims to examine the use of social media as a supporting medium in improving English literacy among adolescents. Using a qualitative approach and library research method, this study collects and analyzes various relevant scientific sources, such as journals, books, and previous research reports. The results of the study show that social media such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter have great potential in supporting informal English learning. The interactive features and high accessibility of social media allow adolescents to be exposed to the vocabulary, language structure, and authentic communication context in English. In addition, regular interaction with English-language content can increase users' motivation, interest in learning, and confidence in using English. However, this study also highlights the need for mentoring and digital literacy so that the use of social media is not only entertainment, but really supports the learning process. This research contributes to the development of English learning strategies that are relevant to the development of technology and the habits of today's adolescents. It is hoped that these findings can be a foundation for teachers, parents, and policymakers in integrating social media wisely and effectively in the language education process.

Service learning: Applying knowledge through community service

My academic identity revolves around applying research-informed learning strategies from Cognitive Psychology to authentic educational contexts and disseminating this knowledge to a broader audience through science communication and outreach activities. A continuation of this work is to enable students to apply what they have learned at university to address problems in the community. The following case study outlines Service Learning as a teaching concept. Service Learning is a teaching approach by which knowledge obtained in the classroom is made available to a cooperation partner in the community to solve a prevailing need. In my case, university students acquire knowledge of effective learning strategies and then design and deliver research-informed ‘How-To-Study’ tutorials to pupils in local schools. Since I started teaching Service Learning in 2008, I have collaborated with 15 schools (9 schools in and around Glasgow, 4 schools in and around Dundee, and 2 schools in Mannheim, Germany) from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. My commitment to support students to meaningfully apply knowledge through community service has been commended by the BPS accreditation review committee (2019, University of Dundee) as ‘extraordinary practice that stands out on a national and international level’. I was awarded the Teaching Excellence Award by the School of Social Sciences for it, and it was recognised as a case study for my successful SFHEA AdvanceHE application in the same year.

Teachers’ Situated Learning Practices on College Students’ Critical Thinking

This study explored the relationship between situated learning practices employed by mathematics teachers and critical thinking skills among college students from one of the campuses of a state university in Southeastern Philippines using a descriptive correlational design. Data were gathered from 275 students through a survey. The findings revealed mathematics teachers frequently use situated learning practices 2 to 4 times a week in terms of authentic context, authentic activities and authentic assessment. Students generally demonstrate an average to high level on their critical thinking, though there are few who achieved low level. Correlation analysis indicated positive relationships between teachers’ situated learning practices and students’ critical thinking. Regression analysis further identified teachers’ situated learning practices as significant predictor of college students’ critical thinking, explaining 30.50% of the variance. These results highlight the importance of promoting situated learning practices to improve their critical thinking.

The Usage of Social Networking Sites in Language Learning, Hasan Huseynzade

This study investigates the role of social networking sites (SNSs) in enhancing language learning, with a focus on how platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube contribute to learners' linguistic competence and engagement. Drawing on a combination of literature review and survey data from language learners, the study reveals that SNSs facilitate informal language practice, promote communicative competence, and foster intercultural exchange. The findings suggest that SNSs support both receptive and productive language skills by providing authentic contexts for interaction, peer feedback, and content exposure. However, challenges such as distraction, information overload, and unequal access to technology persist. The study concludes with recommendations for integrating SNSs into formal language instruction to maximize their pedagogical potential.

Improving Students' Vocabulary Mastery Through Structured Listening Exercises

This study explores the impact of structured listening practice on enhancing vocabulary acquisition among Arabic language students at Pondok Pesantren Dalwa. Despite the critical role of listening skills in language acquisition, they are often underemphasized in traditional curricula. This research utilizes a qualitative case study design, involving first-year students enrolled in an intensive Arabic language program at Dalwa. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with students and teachers, along with classroom observations. The findings indicate that structured listening exercises significantly contribute to vocabulary development by providing students with exposure to authentic language contexts and opportunities for active engagement. The results suggest that listening activities, when designed to match students’ proficiency levels and encourage participation, can substantially enhance both comprehension and vocabulary retention. The study highlights the need for incorporating structured listening into Arabic language teaching programs, especially in Islamic boarding schools, and offers practical recommendations for educators in similar settings.

The Development of Pragmatic Competence Through Listening Comprehension in Students of German as a Foreign Language

This research aims to examine the role of listening comprehension in the development of pragmatic competence in students of German as a Foreign Language (DaF). Pragmatic competence, which involves understanding and using language appropriately according to social and cultural contexts, is a crucial aspect of effective communication. This literature review analyzes various theories and concepts related to pragmatics, listening comprehension, and foreign language learning to identify how listening comprehension activities can significantly contribute to the improvement of students' pragmatic competence. The results of the analysis indicate that exposure to authentic contexts through listening materials, coupled with teaching strategies that focus on the interpretation of implicit meaning and social nuances, can enrich learners' pragmatic understanding. The implications of this research highlight the importance of integrating specifically designed listening comprehension materials and activities into the DaF curriculum to facilitate the development of holistic communicative competence.

Navigating Vocabulary Learning in Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: Mapping Benefits and Addressing Challenges

The proliferation of mobile technologies has fueled the growth of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), providing learners with opportunities to customize their language learning experiences. Numerous studies have investigated the impact of MALL on enhancing language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with a particular focus on vocabulary development. However, in addition to the benefits, the use of MALL is accompanied by specific challenges. This study systematically synthesizes existing literature to map the benefits and challenges associated with vocabulary learning within MALL contexts. An analysis of 76 scholarly articles retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection reveals that MALL substantially facilitates vocabulary acquisition (43%), promotes learner motivation (24%), improves retention of vocabulary items (15%), and offers authentic contexts for vocabulary application (6%). Identified challenges encompass technological constraints of mobile devices and platforms, potential negative impacts associated with smartphone usage, user skepticism regarding the effectiveness of MALL, and external environmental pressures. To fully realize the potential of MALL, further empirical research is necessary to deepen understanding of its advantages and to develop effective strategies for mitigating identified challenges.

Focus on form e motivazione nella classe di livello avanzato Esplicitazione del focus on form e contatto con la realtà fuori dalla classe. Un modello di attività didattica

Research on motivation in recent years has focused more and more on teaching practice and techniques used during the language class. The work presents a didactic activity model that allows to positively affect on the motivation of advanced level learners, both as a factor of the underlying psychological motivation that can guide this type of learner, and as a motivational strategy, i.e. as a didactic technique that allows to stimulate and support motivation during various moments of the language class. In the model of didactic activity two aspects are combined: a) attention to the formal aspects of the language, in particular the set of didactic strategies indicated as a whole as focus on form; b) development of a learning path which ends with an experience of contact with native speakers in an authentic context.

The Review on Acting Techniques as an Approach to Improve English Oral Skills

This study explores the effectiveness of acting techniques as an innovative pedagogical approach to enhance English speaking skills among language learners. Speaking is often considered the most challenging skill to develop due to issues such as anxiety, limited vocabulary, and reliance on translation. Through qualitative research involving four English teachers from Unidad Educativa “Academia Naval Cap. Leonardo Abad Astudillo, Ecuador, this study identified key challenges that hinder oral communication development and examined how specific acting techniques address these barriers. Thematic analysis of in-depth interviews revealed that role-playing, improvisation, storytelling, and mock interviews significantly improved students' speaking confidence, vocabulary acquisition, and fluency while reducing anxiety levels. The research demonstrates that drama-based activities create authentic contexts for language use, allowing learners to experiment with English in a low-risk environment. The study also addressed implementation challenges, including time constraints, large class sizes, varying proficiency levels, and student resistance. A conceptual model was developed to illustrate the interrelationships between speaking challenges, acting techniques, their benefits, and implementation considerations. This research contributes to the field of language teaching by providing empirical evidence supporting the integration of acting techniques into English curriculum to foster more effective oral communication skills among learners.

EXPLORING STUDENTS’ STRATEGIES IN LEARNING ENGLISH AT SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

This study explores the strategies used by senior secondary school students in learning English at SMAN 1 Tinambung, West Sulawesi, Indonesia. This study aims to: (1) Identify what strategies are used by XII grade students at SMAN 1 Tinambung (2) What strategies are preferred by XII grade students in learning English and (3) The impact of learning strategies on learning independence, self-confidence, and social interaction of students in learning English. This research is categorized into descriptive qualitative research. This research uses the data triangulation method to obtain the validity of the research results. Data collection was done through three stages: (1) observing in the classroom to observe students' actions in the learning process, (2) conducting in-depth interviews or indept intervieuw to get the topic of information under study, (3) documentation as a supporting tool in compiling this research. The results show that (1) students use Memory strategy, Cognitive strategy, Compensation strategy, Metacognitive strategy, Affective strategy, and Social strategy, (2) students prefer technology-based strategy (social media, internet, AI), entertainment media-based strategy (film, animation, music), vocabulary-focused strategy, and collaborative learning strategy, (3) learning strategies have an impact on students' independence through variations in time management and technology use, increase confidence through psychological techniques and structured exercises, and strengthen social interaction by placing language as a communication tool in authentic contexts.

Integrating coding education into early STEM programme: the changing roles of children and integrative learning context

ABSTRACT Coding is a crucial foundation for young children's cognitive development that enhances their logical and computational thinking skills for long-term learning. This study examines how young children in Hong Kong acquire coding skills through integrated STEM activities. In an innovative educational program enacted in a technology-rich 'Creative Lab' with augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and a 3D printer, the study focuses on three children aged 6–8. An explanatory case study approach was employed to collect data from classroom observations and teacher interviews. Observations targeted children's learning progress in coding activities, while the interview unpacked the applied teaching repository. The findings reveal that young children developed early coding skills using various technologies to create and apply symbols. Three strategies scaffold children’s skills enhancement stemmed from situated learning theory: 1) integrating learning content in an authentic context, 2) leveraging learners' intuitive knowledge through inquisitive practice, and 3) providing immersive learning resources.

CARLDA: An Approach for Stack Overflow API Mention Recognition Driven by Context and LLM‐Based Data Augmentation

ABSTRACTThe recognition of Application Programming Interface (API) mentions in software‐related texts is vital for extracting API‐related knowledge, providing deep insights into API usage and enhancing productivity efficiency. Previous research identifies two primary technical challenges in this task: (1) differentiating APIs from common words and (2) identifying morphological variants of standard APIs. While deep learning‐based methods have demonstrated advancements in addressing these challenges, they rely heavily on high‐quality labeled data, leading to another significant data‐related challenge: (3) the lack of such high‐quality data due to the substantial effort required for labeling. To overcome these challenges, this paper proposes a context‐aware API recognition method named CARLDA. This approach utilizes two key components, namely, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and Bidirectional Long Short‐Term Memory (BiLSTM), to extract context at both the word and sequence levels, capturing syntactic and semantic information to address the first challenge. For the second challenge, it incorporates a character‐level BiLSTM with an attention mechanism to grasp global character‐level context, enhancing the recognition of morphological features of APIs. To address the third challenge, we developed specialized data augmentation techniques using large language models (LLMs) to tackle both in‐library and cross‐library data shortages. These techniques generate a variety of labeled samples through targeted transformations (e.g., replacing tokens and restructuring sentences) and hybrid augmentation strategies (e.g., combining real‐world and generated data while applying style rules to replicate authentic programming contexts). Given the uncertainty about the quality of LLM‐generated samples, we also developed sample selection algorithms to filter out low‐quality samples (i.e., incomplete or incorrectly labeled samples). Moreover, specific datasets have been constructed to evaluate CARLDA's ability to address the aforementioned challenges. Experimental results demonstrate that (1) CARLDA significantly enhances F1 by 11.0% and the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) by 10.0% compared to state‐of‐the‐art methods, showing superior overall performance and effectively tackling the first two challenges, and (2) LLM‐based data augmentation techniques successfully yield high‐quality labeled data and effectively alleviate the third challenge.

한국어 학습자로 구성된 학습 커뮤니티의 지속 이용 의도 분석 연구 - 레딧의 r/korean 커뮤니티 사례 연구

The rapid advancement of technology and the changes in learning environments following the pandemic have accelerated the shift from traditional, classroom-based offline instruction toward informal language learning (ILL) via online learning platforms and learning communities. In particular, online Korean learning communities provide various resources necessary for language acquisition and offer opportunities for interaction using the target language in authentic contexts. Despite the growing popularity of these communities and platforms, strategies for increasing user revisit rates and retention are crucial to ensure their sustainable operation. Recognizing this issue, the present study aimed to identify the factors influencing the intention of Korean language learners to continue using an online learning community. Taking Reddit’s r/korean community as a case study, this research employed a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, satisfaction, enjoyment, expectation-confirmation, content quality, and user attitudes collectively influence learners’ continuous usage intention. Additionally, a survey and statistical analyses were conducted to examine how the spontaneous and autonomous nature of informal language learning environments affects continuous usage intention. The SEM analysis revealed that while content quality significantly influenced learners’ attitudes and perceived usefulness, it had no effect on satisfaction. Similarly, perceived ease of use played a crucial role in shaping positive attitudes but did not significantly affect satisfaction. Meanwhile, expectation-confirmation enhanced satisfaction and enjoyment but did not influence perceived usefulness. Finally, attitude and satisfaction were found to be significant determinants of continuous usage intention, whereas perceived usefulness and enjoyment did not exert a direct impact. These findings suggest that in order to enhance learners’ continuous usage intention within online Korean learning communities, it is essential to provide high-quality content (content quality), establish a user-friendly interface (perceived ease of use), and offer experiences that align with initial expectations (expectation-confirmation). In particular, strategies that boost learners’ satisfaction and foster a positive attitude toward the community were identified as key factors for encouraging repeated visits and long-term participation.

Examination of the Effects of STEM Activities in Physics Subjects on Students’ Attitudes and Problem-Solving Skills

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of STEM activities on students’ attitudes towards STEM and problem-solving skills by taking their components into account. An experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was applied in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data collection tools were used. The participants of the study consisted of students studying in two different branches in the 7th grade of a public school. The implementation of the research was carried out for five weeks within the scope of force, work and energy concepts. In the experimental group, STEM activities developed by taking the science curriculum into account were included in the lessons. In the control group, lessons were taught according to the curriculum. The conclusions drawn based on the results of this study can be listed as follows: First, STEM education, which is carried out within the scope of physics subjects in the science course and which also includes mathematics, engineering and technology related acquisitions, ensures that students’ attitudes towards STEM develop positively. STEM attitudes progress especially in the direction of establishing a relationship between mathematics, science and engineering learning and STEM. Second, STEM education improves students’ problem-solving skills. The increase occurs in all areas of problem-solving skills, including the individual’s confidence in problem-solving skills, willingness to cope with difficult problems encountered, and the feeling that they have mastered the situation. Last, when there is no STEM-oriented activity in the science curriculum, students’ problem-solving skills, especially in the area of confidence, decrease. Considering that STEM is an interdisciplinary subject combining two or more disciplines and is based on authentic contexts; STEM activities provide students for establishing relationships between STEM disciplines and developing problem-solving strategies.

Role of data literacy training for decision-making in teaching practice: a systematic review

This systematic review examines the impact of data literacy training on teachers’ and pre-service teachers’ decision-making skills. Data literacy, essential for effective teaching, involves formulating questions, collecting relevant data, and making informed decisions. The review analyzed 16 studies published between 2014 and 2023, selected from Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. Findings indicate that structured decision-making models, authentic contexts, collaborative learning, and long-term follow-up are the most effective strategies, leading to significant improvements in self-efficacy and knowledge. Programs emphasizing real-world data applications and structured instructional support had the greatest impact on teachers’ confidence and ability to use data for pedagogical decision-making. However, a gap remains in explicitly fostering decision-making skills, as many studies prioritized data analysis over instructional application. These results highlight the need for training programs that integrate structured decision-making into data literacy frameworks, ensuring teachers not only analyze data but also apply it effectively. Future research should focus on developing standardized assessment tools and conducting long-term studies to evaluate the lasting impact of data literacy training on teaching practices.

Interactive Strategies for English Oral Communication in a Network Environment

English oral interaction in a network environment is playing an increasingly important role in the field of language learning. This new type of learning method not only provides learners with abundant language resources but also creates authentic contexts, effectively improving their oral expression skills. This paper will delve into the strategies for English oral interaction in a network environment, analyzing its characteristics, advantages, and existing problems in detail. First, we will elaborate on the characteristics of English oral interaction in a network environment, including real-time, interactive, and personalized features. Second, we will explore the advantages of this learning method, such as improving oral fluency, cultivating cross-cultural communication skills, and reducing learning costs. However, English oral interaction in a network envi-ronment also faces some challenges, such as the lack of immersive real-life con-texts and network latency. Finally, we will propose corresponding solutions to overcome these problems and further optimize the learning outcomes of English oral interaction in a network environment. Through in-depth research on in-teractive strategies for English oral communication in a network environment, we can provide strong theoretical support and practical guidance for the devel-opment of language learning.

Using Technologies to Spatialize STEM Learning by Co-Creating Symbols with Young Children

There has been an increasing number of calls to apply new technologies to learning contexts for STEM education. However, limited studies have explored the role of technology in bridging teachers and children to create STEM knowledge collaboratively. Therefore, early childhood teachers encounter challenges integrating digital technologies to support children’s STEM learning. The challenges include developing effective and innovative scaffolding strategies to incorporate digital technology and visualize the processes of using technologies in children’s STEM knowledge building. This study reports on an in-depth exploratory case study from a kindergarten classroom in Hong Kong, exemplifying a new approach to integrating digital technologies within spatialized STEM learning. The case selected continuity learning episodes from a spatially directed STEM learning unit on making a safe traffic city. Under digital technology-integrated scaffolding, the teacher and children co-created a traffic symbolic system by designing symbols of landmarks, developing and applying spatial language, making maps and traffic games with rules. The thematic analysis was adopted to analyze the teachers’ STEM activity plans and reflective reports. The finding indicated that the process through which the teacher and children collaboratively created STEM knowledge via technology-integrated scaffolding involved recalling spontaneous understanding about everyday concepts, exploring ideas in authentic contexts, sorting and organizing their collected information, and identifying and correlating abstract concepts with corresponding everyday practices. The children required two levels of technology-integrated scaffolding strategies to engage in STEM knowledge collaborative creation: scaffolding for technology using and scaffolding through use of technology. Three novel roles of technology emerged that transform learning from knowledge delivery to collaborative creation in inquiries STEM tasks for young children: application, mediator, and catalyst. The study also highlights teachers and children transforming into new roles in knowledge collaborative creation processes in spatialized STEM learning under the technology-integrated scaffolding strategies. Moreover, it spotlights the reconceptualization of the STEM learning culture in the technology-integrated knowledge co-create classroom from teacher-centered to more open child-centered learning.

A Study of Context Incorporation and Application from an English Linguistic Perspective

English language teaching has an urgent need for contextualization to develop students' comprehension of the language and practical language use. This paper examines the implementation strategies of context integration and application in English language teaching, including how educators can create authentic contexts, integrate cultural backgrounds, utilize multimedia technology to innovate teaching methods, and design interactive learning tasks. These strategies help to improve the traditional English language teaching mode and stimulate students' interest and motivation in learning. Their goal is focused on effectively improving students' practical and intercultural communication skills so that they can use English more freely in real communication scenarios in the future.

How to Implement Communicative Language Teaching in Chinese Senior High Schools

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), which emerged in the 1960s as a response to the limitations of traditional grammar-translation approaches, emphasizes the functional use of language and practical language use in real life. It has been recognized as an effective approach in English teaching. However, integrating CLT into the English curriculum in Chinese senior high schools faces numerous obstacles, including cultural barriers, large class sizes, limited resources, and students’ reluctance. Aiming to harness the full potential of CLT in senior high school English teaching, this article critically examines the adoption problems in Chinese senior high schools and proposes some practical strategies to solve the problems. The significance of learner-centered teaching, collaborative activities, authentic context and comprehensive assessment is emphasized. By addressing these challenges and implementing appropriate strategies, we can significantly improve the effectiveness of CLT in Chinese senior high schools, empowering students to use English for meaningful communication and prepare them for the next phase of their academic and professional lives.

The role of design thinking skills in artificial-intelligence language learning (DEAILL) in shaping language learners’ L2 grit: the mediator and moderator role of artificial intelligence L2 motivational self-system

Among the most effective ways to develop individuals’ skills and competences in the twenty first century is to use Design Thinking (DT) as a problem-solving approach. Several fields of study have employed this approach to facilitate students’ problem-solving skills through Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). Nevertheless, this skill has been glaringly overlooked in Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL). For this sake, the researchers developed the Design Thinking Skills in Artificial Intelligence Language Learning (DEAILL) scale to address this gap in Artificial Intelligence Language Learning (AILL) and examined its role in shaping Artificial Intelligence L2 motivational self-system (AIL2MSS) and L2 grit among 92 Spanish English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. Having validated the factorial structures of DEAILL, AIL2MSS and L2 grit in the study context, the Partial Least Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) showed that the more often language learners collected AI feedback based on their areas of needs and applied it to their target learning context, the more positive their future image and current L2 identity in AILL became. Additionally, the sign of authenticity gap was observed in this context, demonstrating participants’ perception of AILL and DEAILL as more authentic contexts and skills compared with their previous learning experiences and skills. This mediated the relationship between learners’ DEAILL skills and their L2 grit to devote more interest and persistence to AILL problem-solving. Consequently, the study proposes a new theoretical framework for CALL and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and recommends that language teachers prioritize the development of learners’ problem-solving skills rather than learning outcomes. Furthermore, it is advisable for pedagogical experts to offer targeted teacher training programmes that equip language instructors with the skills and knowledge to foster DEAILL skills through CALL tools. Such professional development would ensure that teachers are prepared to integrate technology effectively into their language teaching. Additionally, including DEAILL competence as a mandatory criterion for language instructors could further enhance the quality of technology-enhanced language education.