Student response system: its impact on EFL students’ vocabulary achievement

ABSTRACT

The educational potentials of using student response systems (SRSs) as emerging mobile technologies in higher education classrooms are increasing. The need to understand and integrate these technologies into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts has become evident. This mixed-methods study aimed at investigating the effects of an SRS-supported think-pair-share strategy on EFL students’ vocabulary achievement at a higher education institution. The participants were 154 university students and seven instructors. Data sources included vocabulary achievement tests, an SRS perception survey, and student and instructor focus groups. T-test analysis of the vocabulary achievement tests revealed the strategy resulted in higher vocabulary achievement. The analysis of the focus group data revealed the pedagogical approach resulted in positive outcomes such as increased student engagement, enhanced concentration on in-class activities, and enhanced feedback in classrooms. Results present recommendations for future research on SRS-supported vocabulary achievement and vocabulary retention in English Language Teaching contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Student response systems
• technology integration
• think-pair-share
• EFL
• mobile-assisted language learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sercan Çelik

Sercan Çelik is a PhD candidate in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey and an English instructor at English Language School at TED University, Ankara, Turkey. His research focuses on mobile-assisted language learning and technology integration into teacher education curriculum and learning analytics.

Evrim Baran

Evrim Baran is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Iowa State University. She conducts research at the intersection of technology in teacher education, human–computer interaction and learning sciences.