Language Achievement Research Articles

Task-supported language instruction in an EFL context: impacts on academic buoyancy, self-esteem, creativity, and language achievement

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing focus on innovative approaches to language instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Task-supported language Instruction (TSLI) has emerged as one such approach. While previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of TSLI in improving language proficiency, its broader impact on learners' psychological and academic development remains relatively unexplored. This mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the effects of TSLI on academic buoyancy, self-esteem, creativity, and language achievement among 20 Iranian EFL participants. Semi-structured interviews were employed to measure academic buoyancy, self-esteem, and creativity qualitatively, while language achievement was assessed using the TOEFL iBT test. The study revealed that TSLI positively influenced academic buoyancy, fostering resilience and adaptive coping strategies among participants. Moreover, it significantly enhanced learners' self-esteem, promoting a positive and confident self-perception in their language abilities. Additionally, TSLI was found to facilitate creativity in the language learning process, encouraging imaginative thinking and creative expression in learners’ language use. Furthermore, the participants demonstrated improved language achievement after engaging in TSLI. The study's findings highlight the multifaceted impact of TSLI on various dimensions of language learning and learners’ overall experiences, underscoring the significance of learner-centered language instructional approaches in EFL contexts. The implications of this research contribute to the development of more effective and inclusive language instruction methods that enhance learners' academic buoyancy, self-esteem, creativity, and language achievement.

The influence of household disadvantage on educational achievement inequality in Pakistan: Evidence from Annual Status of Education Report data

Inequity in education is a worldwide concern and there is a growing need to investigate educational achievement inequality in a nuanced and contextual manner. This study aims to elucidate the growing educational achievement inequality within Pakistan by addressing two key questions: What can be revealed about the influence of family socioeconomic condition and household characteristics on children’s disparate educational achievement in Pakistan? And what role do private schools and paid tuition play in exacerbating disparity in learning outcomes? In this study, we applied the concept of Equity in Education, particularly the impartiality approach, to consider disadvantaged conditions among children. We have analyzed the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan household-based survey data ( N = 247,978) conducted in 2021. Our analysis involved both descriptive and logistic regression techniques. Students’ achievement in the local language, arithmetic, and English language served as a dependent variable, while household factors remained a predictable variable. The results revealed that family socioeconomic factors including parents’ education and income, household facilities, and school types have a significant influence on children’s learning achievement and contribute to educational inequality. This study provides further insights for researchers and policymakers to better understand and address educational inequality in its specific context.

Needs Analysis of Metacognitive Strategies Training in English Language Instruction Using Digital Technology and to Improve the Autonomous-Learning Ability and English Language Achievement of Chinese EFL Undergraduate Students

Background and aims: Learner autonomy has become a focal point in language learning over the past 30 years. In China, fostering and improving college students’ autonomous learning ability has become a crucial aspect of higher education English teaching reform in the 21st century. Thus, this paper aims to analyze the needs of Chinese EFL undergraduate students to improve their autonomous learning ability and English language achievement. Materials and methods: A needs analysis questionnaire (N=183) was conducted to investigate students’ necessities, lacks, and wants in English language learning. Results: The findings showed that the students required being trained to use metacognitive strategies and apply digital technology in their English learning to improve their autonomous learning ability and English achievement. Conclusions: Besides using metacognitive strategies to improve their autonomous learning and English language achievement, students also expressed their preferences for digital tools as effective means to augment their learning outcomes and motivation.

Indonesian secular vs. Madrasah schools: assessing the discrepancy in English reading and listening tests

The greater emphasis on the significance and difference in English performance between the school types has mainly been investigated across Asian countries. However, not much is known about what language skills differentiate their overall language achievement. Using a quantitative study with comparative analysis, this study measured the reading and listening skills of 1319 Indonesian students who were selected using a stratified sample design and grouped them into secular (Sekolah, n = 726) and Islamic (Madrasah, n = 593) groups. The samples were selected from 9205 of the total population of secondary school students, in Bone Regency, South Sulawesi Indonesia. The three-way ANOVA results showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in reading and listening subskills between the groups. Highly significant results of Madrasah students in reading and listening subskills indicate they are better at constructing what text means in a variety of contexts, as a literary experience in reading texts and obtaining general and specific information from listening tests compared to those attending secular schools. Poor performance of boys and students who enrolled in public secular schools may become the main explanation for achievement gaps across the groups. The main and interaction effects of the school system, sectors, and gender on the tested subskills were also explained in this study. Additionally, the result of the DIF test confirmed that the equity of the tested items between them was supported.

The Effect of English Education with Digital Stories on Self-Efficacy, Achievement, and Opinions of Foreign National Teacher Candidates

This study aims to determine the effects of English as a foreign language education (EFL) designed using digital stories on the self-efficacy and achievement of foreign national teacher candidates and to reveal the educational experiences of prospective teachers with digital stories. To realize this purpose, a mixed pattern approach has been adopted. The research was conducted with 30 foreign national teacher candidates in the 2021-2022 academic year. Digital stories have been developed for education faculties by the teaching of EFL. Digital story training was applied online for ten weeks as a two-hour lesson. The research data were collected through a Self-Efficacy Scale, an Achievement Test, and Interview Questions for Teaching English with Digital Stories. It was determined that English education with digital stories increased the self-efficacy and achievement of the participants after the training compared to the pre-training. In addition, participants' awareness of digital stories increased; they described education as fun, economical, and instructive and thought positively in general. Accordingly, it is recommended to prefer English education with digital stories when it is desired to develop self-efficacy, achievement, and digital story experiences. Keywords: Foreign language education, Teacher training, Educational technology, Self-efficacy, Achievement, Digital Storytelling.

Person-centred study on higher-order interactions between students' motivational beliefs and metacognitive self-regulation: Links with school language achievement.

Variable-centred studies assume that the links between motivation and metacognition with academic achievement are uniform across all students. However, this assumption may not hold and multiple interactions between motivational beliefs and metacognitive self-regulation may occur. To this end, the present study sought to explore these higher-order interactions and their links with school language achievement in a low-performance context. A large sample (N = 1046, 53.14% girls) of Greek secondary school students (M = 13.97, SD = .80) was drawn. Latent profile analyses were deployed to mimic higher-order interactions. Unexpectedly, the results indicated only three distinct well-defined profiles of students' motivated metacognitive self-regulation, namely exceptional motivation and metacognitive self-regulation (23.3%), adequate motivation and metacognitive self-regulation (48.2%), and minimal motivation and metacognitive self-regulation (28.5%). Incompatible profiles of motivation and metacognitive self-regulation did not emerge, contrary to previous findings suggesting negative higher-order interactions. The BCH method revealed large mean differences in school language achievement between the profiles, adjusting for covariates. Latent multinomial logistic regression indicated that gender and age predicted greater odds of membership to the minimal motivation and metacognitive self-regulation profile. Socio-economic status and spoken language at home predicted less chances of membership to the minimal profile only. Educational interventions are needed to target both motivational beliefs and metacognition to prevent underachievement.

The Effect of Using Artificial Intelligence and Digital Learning Tools based on Project-Based Learning Approach in Foreign Language Teaching on Students' Success and Motivation

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of digital tools and artificial intelligence applications on the achievement, motivation and retention of university students on the basis of project-based teaching approach in foreign language course. Pre-test post-test experimental design with control group was used as the method in the study. A total of 64 (32 experimental, 32 control) second-year students studying at the universities in Almaty, Kazakhstan participated in the study. The participants were divided into two groups as control and experimental groups. Foreign language Achievement Test and Motivation Scale for foreign language were used as data collection tools. In the research, in the experimental group, applications were carried out with digital tools and artificial intelligence on the basis of project-based learning approach. In the control group, the foreign language course was carried out with the traditional teaching approach. The application lasted eight weeks in total. The results of the analysis showed that the applications carried out in the experimental group had positive effects on the students' foreign language course achievement and motivation. On the basis of the project-based learning approach, digital tools and artificial intelligence applications not only contributed positively to students' achievement and motivation, but also ensured the retention of what was learned. Finally, suggestions for future research were developed in the study.

The predictive effect of language achievement on multiple emotions in languages other than English: validating a distal mediation model based on the control-value theory

Abstract Although the predictive effect of emotion on language achievement has been substantially established, little is known about whether language achievement could, in turn, shape a constellation of emotions in second language/L2 learning, especially in the field of languages other than English. Given this, grounded on the control-value theory, this tentative study aims to fill the gap by investigating the predictive effect of language achievement on emotions (enjoyment, boredom, and anxiety) and digging into the mediating relationships between them in the underlying L2 Chinese learning mechanism through structural equation modeling. Three hundred and seven (N = 307) young students from a cram school in New Zealand participated in this study. The results indicated that students’ learning achievement, directly and indirectly, predicted three frequently experienced emotions in the multiple mediation model. In addition, positive and negative emotions interacted with each other in the L2 Chinese learning context. The finding of this study validated and extended the application of control-value theory in L2 Chinese learning.

Multimodal Approaches in the Competency of Listening and Speaking Skills among Grade 1 Learners in Kenya

Implementation of the use of multimodal approaches in teaching listening and speaking skills has remained elusive. Mastering listening and speaking skills in the English language in the early years of learning plays a critical role in the achievement of Second Language (L2) learning and continuous cognitive and meta-cognitive development among learners. Consequently, researchers who examine the best approaches to use in teaching listening and speaking skills agree that proper identification, description and use of multimodal approaches have a bearing on achieving competencies in listening and speaking skills. However, teachers of the English language have shown less engagement in the identification and usage of multimodal approaches while teaching listening and speaking skills. As a result, studies show that over 70% of learners in lower primary schools in Kenya cannot dully express themselves in the English language. It is against this background that this paper attempts to elucidate how the identification, description and use of multimodal approaches by teachers of English can aid in the effective teaching of listening and speaking skills during classroom interaction. The paper further highlights the bottlenecks that teachers of the English language go through while trying to use multimodal approaches in a classroom with learners with multiple learning styles. The study was conducted among selected primary schools in Western Kenya. Stratified sampling was applied to source for respondents who included Grade 1 teachers of English and 7 Curriculum Support Officers from the same zones. Primary data was sourced from 75 primary schools’ teachers of English. Questionnaires, observation schedules and interviews were used to elicit data. Findings revealed that proper identification, description and use of multimodal approaches motivated teachers of English to design and use multimodal approaches during classroom interaction. However, the findings also revealed that some teachers of English were not aware of the importance of identification and use of the right multimodal approaches played in the classroom. The paper advocates for teacher training in proper identification, description and implementation of multimodal approaches for effective teaching of listening and speaking skills among Grade one learners.

Ideal L2 self and foreign language achievement: The mediating roles of L2 grit and foreign language enjoyment

Ideal L2 self and foreign language achievement: The mediating roles of L2 grit and foreign language enjoyment

Influence of Multiple-Choice Item Ordering on Academic Achievement in English Language and Mathematics in Unity Schools in North-East, Nigeria

The study investigated the influence of test item ordering on academic achievement in English language and Mathematics in unity schools in North-East, Nigeria. The study was experimental. The population comprised all the 5403 JSS 3 students in unity schools in North-East, Nigeria. A sample of 600 JSS 3 students was used. Two instruments, each prepared in three different formats were used for the study viz: (1) Mathematics Achievement Test and (2) English Language Achievement each of the test was prepared in three formats following the ways the items were arranged (1) Easy to difficult (ETD), (2) Difficult to easy (DTE), and (3) Mixed difficulty indices (MDI). The instruments were validated by four experts; two in measurement and evaluation, one in mathematics, and one in English language. Test-retest reliability was used to establish reliability indices of the two instruments. The reliability estimates that were obtained for the Mathematics achievement test are as follows: format 0.512, for format ETD, 0.849 for DTE and 0.718 for MDI. The reliability estimates that were obtained for the English Language achievement test are as follows: 0.728 for format ETD, 0.669 for format DTE and 0.877 for format MDI. ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses. The major finding of the study were: (1) the results showed that JSS 3 students that were exposed to Difficult to easy (DTE) format in Mathematics had the highest mean achievement scores. (2) There was a significant difference between the mean achievement scores in English language of JSS 3 students exposed to different orderings of the items in favour of DTE test item format. Based on the findings, it was recommended that English Language tests items should be ordered from the difficult ones to the easy ones since the highest academic achievement of students was recorded using this method and that Mathematics tests items should be ordered from the easy ones to the difficult ones since the highest academic achievement of students was recorded using this method.

Modeling social, dimensional, and temporal comparisons in self-concept development with the random intercept cross-lagged panel model: A methodological-substantive integration.

In recent years, discussion of the limitations of the standard cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) has increased, and the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) has been proposed as an improved approach to modeling. By now, there are some first applications of the model to investigate reciprocal relations in self-concept development. However, a methodological-substantive integration of the model in the context of the three major comparison processes in self-concept development is still missing, and it has not been used to evaluate dimensional and temporal comparison effects. We provide such an integration in self-concept theory and applied the RI-CLPM to investigate social, dimensional, and temporal comparison effects simultaneously. Investigating a sample of 701 German students from the middle of Grade 9 to the middle of Grade 10, we confirmed previous results by finding trait-like stability in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) self-concept as well as in STEM and language achievement. We also found evidence for all three comparison effects, but evidence for dimensional comparison effects was only found at the between-person level of the RI-CLPM. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Contributions of motivational components to L2 achievement through the mediation of learning strategies

This study investigated the relationships among intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, learning strategies, and second/foreign language (L2) achievement. A self-report questionnaire of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was administered to 291 university students learning English in Korea to collect data about motivation and learning strategies, and L2 achievement was determined by the grade of an English reading course. The results of data analysis using the Pearson product moment correlation and structural equation modeling (SEM) were as follows: first, the correlations among intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, learning strategies, and achievement were all significant, with intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy the highest and intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation the lowest correlations. Second, the model (Model 4) explaining the contributions of extrinsic motivation and self-efficacy to achievement mediated by learning strategies fit the current data better than other competing models (Models 1, 2, and 3). Third, significant direct effects of extrinsic motivation and learning strategies on achievement were found, whereas a significant indirect effect of self-efficacy on achievement by way of learning strategies was detected. The implications of these findings were discussed in terms of the contributions of extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and learning strategy use to L2 achievement, followed by future study areas to shed further light on relations among motivational components, learning strategies, and L2 achievement.

Using Achievement Goal Orientation and Self-Regulated Learning Strategy as Predictors of Academic Achievement in English Language Among the Secondary School Students’ in Anambra State, Nigeria

Students’ achievement goal orientation and self-regulated learning strategies are strong indicators and facilitators of proactive learning. The study aimed to examine students’ achievement goal orientation, self-regulated learning strategy in predicting academic achievement in Anambra State. Four research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a predictive correlational design. The population of the study comprised of 21,204 SS II students from which a sample of 630 was drawn. Multi-stage procedure was used to select the sample. Two standardized research instruments namely; Achievement Goal Orientation Questionnaire (AGOQ), and Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), as well as scores from students’ promotional examination were used for data collection. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability of the items in the instruments. Reliability indices of 0.73, for mastery-approach, 0.71, for mastery- avoidance, 0.82, for performance-approach, 0.76, for performance-avoidance, 0.72 for work- avoidance, 0.64 for monitoring, 0.73 for planning, and 0.68 for self-regulating activity respectively were obtained. The overall reliability coefficient was 0.71 which shows that the instrument was reliable and good for the study. The standard multiple regression was used to analyze the collected data. The t-test for r, F-test and test of significance for ?, were used to test hypotheses at .05 level of significance. Findings showed that students’ achievement goal orientation and self-regulated learning scores yielded an adjusted R squared of .025. This implies that predictors accounted for about 2.5% of the variance scores in academic achievement in English language. Findings also revealed that the proportion of variance in academic achievement scores in English language explained by achievement goal orientation and self-regulated learning scores is statistically significant. Finally, it was recommended.

From indoor and outdoor environment to language achievement: The chain mediating role of psychological atmosphere and curriculum implementation

Language acquisition by children depends on the learning environment when they were in kindergarten to some extent. The goals of this study were to find out the impact of the indoor and outdoor environment on children's language development. Structural equation modeling was adopted. Children randomly selected from 270 preschool classes of five provinces in China were recruited in this study (1642 children aged between 36 and 72 months). We concluded that language achievement of children cannot be directly predicted by indoor and outdoor facilities and play materials, and an intermediate transmission pathway was needed. As an intermediary variable, the curriculum implementation partially mediated the influence of the indoor learning center on children's language achievement. The psychological atmosphere and curriculum implementation have a chain mediation effect between indoor and outdoor facilities and play material quality and childhood language achievement, and the influence effect of indoors was different from that of outdoors. In terms of the influence of indoor learning center planning and play materials, the effect on children's language achievement accounted for 61.5%, while when it came to that of outdoor learning center facilities and equipment, it was 60.7%. This indicated that the impact of the indoor and outdoor environment on children's language development could not be ignored. The indoor environment was more dependent than the outdoor environment on the chain role played by class curriculum implementation, psychological atmosphere and curriculum implementation quality. Therefore, teachers should create a positive psychological atmosphere, organically combine the curriculum implementation with environmental planning and material delivery, cultivate a prepared language environment for children and support their active learning and development.

A reciprocal perspective on the differential associations between personality traits and multiple indicators of academic achievement.

This study aims to explore the reciprocal associations between personality traits (conscientiousness and openness to experience) and academic achievement in adolescents, using the Personality Achievement Saturation Hypothesis (PASH). Personality traits, especially conscientiousness, and openness, have been identified as strong predictors of academic achievement. The PASH provides a framework for understanding these relationships but has mainly been studied from a unidirectional perspective. This study extends the PASH to examine reciprocal associations and how they vary with different achievement indicators. Using large-scale panel data (N = 6482) of secondary school students in Germany, we applied cross-lagged panel models and latent change score models to examine the differential reciprocal associations between personality traits (conscientiousness/openness) and academic achievement (school grades/achievement test scores) in language and math over two years from grades 7 to 9. In line with the PASH, initial levels of conscientiousness were more strongly associated with school grades than with achievement test scores over two years. Simultaneously, prior school grades were more strongly associated with conscientiousness over two years. However, initial levels of openness did not show differential associations with either school grades or achievement test scores over two years. Similarly, prior school grades and achievement test scores were also not differentially associated with openness over two years. Our findings introduce an innovative lens through which we observe how the PASH can be leveraged to explain the differential reciprocal associations between conscientiousness and academic achievement. Further research is needed to examine if PASH could be similarly extended to disentangle the associations between openness and academic achievement.

The development of host language achievement gaps by migration background during primary school: A path model of educational inequalities

AbstractEducation is key to the structural integration of immigrants and their children. While research indicates that educational inequalities by migration background are a serious issue, relatively little is known about when, how and why they develop. The current paper adds to the literature by investigating to what extent achievement gaps by migration background develop during the primary school period. Drawing on data from a national longitudinal study of children in Ireland (N = 7577) and using structural equation modelling, it presents a path model of host language achievement. The results indicate that a large part of the disadvantages in English language achievement by migration background during primary school could be attributed to achievement gaps that already existed before school. Moreover, given earlier achievement, the effect of having a migration background was often insignificant or even positive, suggesting that disparities remain relatively stable or even decrease during the period of formal schooling.

Students’ Voices: A Qualitative Study on Contextual, Motivational, and Self-Regulatory Factors Underpinning Language Achievement

A lack of qualitative studies examining adolescent students’ voices regarding the contextual, relational, and self-regulatory factors that drive their language achievement has been observed. Therefore, the present study aimed to address this issue. Sixteen face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with secondary school students in Greece to document and analyse their perceptions of the factors that influence language achievement. The study was guided by social-cognitive theory and models of self-regulated learning. Computer-assisted thematic analysis was performed using abductive open coding followed by refinement of codes. Three overarching global themes were identified in line with theoretical expectations, namely personal factors (motivation and self-regulatory strategies), relational factors (teachers’ practices, parental achievement expectations, peer influences), and structural factors (the educational system). Afterwards, an abductive thematic network analysis was conducted to explore and theorise about potential relationships between the emergent themes in the data. It was found that parental expectations for higher performance and the teachers’ behaviours were associated with students’ language achievement. Task-related characteristics and peers influenced students’ regulation of effort in learning. The students believed that they were not objectively graded and frequent summative assessments created test anxiety. The findings are discussed in light of existing empirical evidence and in terms of educational implications.

Student Engagement as a Mediator Process Between Peer Victimization and Achievement at the Beginning of Middle School.

Very few studies have properly identified how peer victimization is associated with lower achievement in middle or high school. In this context, this study examined how peer victimization at the beginning of middle school is linked with subsequent student achievement. Specifically, it assessed if the behavioral, affective, and cognitive dimensions of engagement in school play a mediation role in the relationship between peer victimization and student achievement. The sample of this study included 683 seventh graders attending 3 schools in Montreal, Canada. Students self-reported peer victimization at the beginning and end of grade 7. They also reported their levels of student engagement on the 3 dimensions (behavioral, affective, and cognitive) across 3 time points in seventh and eighth grades. Student achievement in language arts across these 2 years was also obtained through school records. Peer victimization significantly predicted lower achievement over time (b = -.24, p ≤ .001). Peer victimization predicted lower achievement in grade 8 indirectly through affective student engagement (b = -.11, p < .05). Post hoc analyses showed that peer victimization still predicted lower achievement in grade 8 indirectly through a decrease in affective engagement (b = -.14, p < .05). However, when considered alone, a decrease in cognitive engagement also acted as a mediator (b = -.09, p < .05), suggesting a strong link with affective engagement. Our findings expose the importance to promote student engagement in school and achievement for victimized youth.

On the Relationship among Digital Literacy, Self-Confidence and English Language Achievement of Iranian EFL Learners

On the Relationship among Digital Literacy, Self-Confidence and English Language Achievement of Iranian EFL Learners