Volume 12 - Issue 62
/ February 2023
75
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.62.02.6
How to Cite:
Kara, S. (2023). The effects of epistemic curiosity-based instruction in enhancing EFL students` reading and listening skills at a
tertiary level. Amazonia Investiga, 12(62), 75-91. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.62.02.6
The effects of epistemic curiosity-based instruction in enhancing EFL
students` reading and listening skills at a tertiary level
Yükseköğretimde İngilizceyi Yabancı Dil Olarak Öğrenen Öğrencilerin Okuma ve
Dinleme Becerilerinin Geliştirilmesinde Epistemik Meraka Dayalı Öğretimin Etkileri
Received: January 18, 2023 Accepted: March 2, 2023
Written by:
Saban Kara1
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7501-7961
Abstract
Epistemic curiosity is seeking novel information in
numerous fields incessantly. An increasing number
of studies have been carried out to evaluate the role
of epistemic curiosity-based instruction in
enhancing students’ linguistic abilities at different
stages of education. However, it was monitored that
measuring the effects of epistemic curiosity-based
instruction on reading and listening enhancement in
Iraq context at a tertiary level was a gap in the
literature which encouraged the researcher to
initiate and finalize the study to fill this gap. In this
regard, the present study was carried out to
investigate the effects of epistemic curiosity-based
instruction on students’ reading and listening
competence within a span of 14 weeks. 60 freshman
Foundation English course students who joined
lessons actively at TISHK International University
in Erbil, Iraq were chosen by simple random
sampling method in 2022-2023 Academic Year.
Control group students followed an orthodox
training cycle, while the students in experimental
group followed an epistemic curiosity driven
instruction. Collected data by integrating
quantitative and qualitative instruments revealed
that epistemic curiosity-based instruction enhanced
students’ reading and listening marks significantly.
This study's implications can provide a basis for
education stakeholders who are considering
introducing an epistemic curiosity-based
curriculum in educational institutions.
Keywords: Epistemic curiosity, reading, listening
enhancement.
1
Ma, Instructor, English Language Teaching Department, Faculty of Education, Tishk International University, Erbil/Iraq.
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Introduction
Curiosity and fulfilling curiosity have been seen as
essential for the continual betterment of people’s
lives. Thus, it has been asserted that the capacity to
be inquisitive, investigate, and get more knowledge
is innate in all humans, meaning that they are born
with this trait (MacKinnon & Kuhn, 2022). In this
regard, curiosity plays a crucial part in people's
lives because it is expected to increase the degree of
dignity once people expand their valued knowledge
and share them in society, so people can take
advantage of it and refine their knowledge. To name
a few, pilots can earn more respect if they devise
some life-saving tips out of curiosity to ensure
passengers’ safety in a troublesome situation and
share their thoughts in a seminar with other pilots.
Hence, farmers can be role models in their villages
if they conduct ongoing research to produce fruits
and vegetables in a pesticide-free way. Thus, they
can support the potential customers and
environment with their endeavors. Likewise, a civil
engineer can do thorough research to employ new
techniques while constructing which can pave way
for building stronger structures. Hence, they can be
more robust during the earthquakes. Similarly, an
instructor can look for novel strategies incessantly
to teach in a more engaging way, so learners’
enthusiasm may increase accordingly. It can be
stated that curiosity can have numerous good
effects on the lives of individuals, regardless of
their professions.
Certain classifications have been made about types
of curiosity which are epistemic, diversive, specific
and sensory with their distinguishing qualities.
Epistemic curiosity (EC hereinafter) has been
characterized as the desire to acquire new
knowledge during one's lifespan, while diversive
curiosity refers to channeling the energy to fulfill
curiosity in many sources. On the other hand,
specific curiosity is the pursuit of in-depth
knowledge, whereas sensory curiosity has been
identified as the pursuit of fresh experiences and
stimuli. Tieben et al., (2011) emphasized five
principles of evoking curiosity which were novelty,
partial exposure, uncertainty, complexity and
conflict. Novelty can be defined as being alert on
novel experiences; partial exposure can be
explained as having incomplete information;
uncertainty means raising some doubts; complexity
can be defined as being perplexed by ambiguity and
conflict means having some contradictory
experiences. It can be argued that the desire to reach
valid and trustable information is the common goal
while taking some initiatives out of curiosity.
Education based on the constructivist model has
risen as the most popular method in the twenty-first
century. Accordingly, constructivist learning theory
has inspired educational institutions to implement
EC-based instruction because constructivism puts
forward the idea that students actively develop their
knowledge by creating links to earlier information
and discovering novel information with numerous
endeavors (Pande & Bharathi, 2020). In other
words, early experiences are vital for enhancing
learning so that students can gradually make
connections with prior and present knowledge.
Constructivism's fundamental concepts include
actively constructing information, learning from
others in a social context, creating connections to
real-world experiences, stimulating the mind, and
increasing motivation. Jerome Bruner, John Dewey,
Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori, and Lev Vygotsky
have made significant contributions to
constructivism (Jia, 2010). Bruner’s theory of
development posits that learning occurs best when
learners join hands on activities, see some images
to recall hands on activities and verbalizing the
overall process to share ideas (Yildiz, 2017;
Ozdem-Yilmaz & Bilican, 2020). He asserts that
they can internalize their learning and transfer the
knowledge into long-term memory by applying the
theory of development into educational contexts
successfully. Dewey's pedagogy, for instance,
believes that students improve their skills in an
environment where they may interact with others
and share ideas so that learners can increase their
knowledge through inquiry-based education as
opposed to passively listening to lectures
(Williams, 2017; Kara, 2023). Similarly,
Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD)
suggests that systematic learning happens when
learners are guided in a social setting with
appropriate tasks (Silalahi, 2019). In other words,
the level of difficulty should be proportional while
teaching unfamiliar subjects. Furthermore, Piaget's
theory suggests that hands-on activities,
questioning, and investigation are essential factors
to realize educational goals. Similarly, the theory of
Maria Montessori emphasizes that learners are
inherently inquisitive, allowing them to study and
advance independently (Batubara et al., 2020). Her
theory is predicated on the idea that self-paced and
personalized training can facilitate learning once
students' curiosity has been piqued by well-
organized activities in a welcoming environment.
These ideas reveal that constructivism and EC have
many common points in terms of theoretical and
practical perspectives.
Due to its significance and multiple advantages, the
improvement of reading skills is gaining growing
attention. Reading is a lifelong ability that is
utilized in both the classroom and throughout life
(Kuçukoglu, 2013; Abdulrahman & Kara, 2023).
The individuals who have been reading regularly
are expected to be more creative, open-minded, and
respectable (Ulker et al., 2021; Yildiz, 2020). In the
same vein, their chance to expand their word power,
improve their comprehension and become more
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successful at school or in their professional lives
increases as they read in a systematic way.
Likewise, predicting, making connections,
visualizing, inferring, questioning, and
summarizing are strategies to improve reading
comprehension (Kuperman et al., 2022). Another
essential point to be considered while integrating
more reading activities into the curriculum is that
there is chain reaction between reading regularly
and improving other skills in English. For example,
learners can increase their writing skills if they read
some tips on writing academically. Likewise, they
can be a good public speaker if they read some
books on addressing some speech in communities.
Similarly, they can sharpen their listening skills if
they read some suggestions on note-taking skills.
On the other hand, some barriers against reading are
prevalent. It can be stated that reading is considered
the building block for all essential skills in English.
Listening is vital to foreign language learning and
fostering communication in different contexts.
Hence, the development of L2 listening abilities
strongly influences the development of other talents
(Hagen et al., 2022; Wallace, 2022). For instance,
good listeners can grasp key points in conversations
and convert them into a writing and speaking
format. In addition, good listeners are expected to
be good readers because their lexical, semantic and
syntactic knowledge are adequate enough to
comprehend the texts (Wolf et al., 2019). It can be
attested that improved listening skill can pave the
way for the enhancement of other fundamental
skills. Once learners can master listening skills,
they have ample opportunity to prove their
credentials in listening via internationally
recognized standardized exams such as TOEFL,
IELTS and PTE. Thus, they can be ahead of their
rivals in a competitive job market upon graduation.
It can be postulated that enhanced listening skills
can offer several benefits in individuals’ lives.
The research questions of the study were:
This study sought the effects of EC based
instruction in improving learners’ reading and
listening skills. Moreover, their overall attitudes
towards learning English out of curiosity were
examined thoroughly. Based on this framework, the
following research questions were formulated as
follows:
• Does EC enhance learners’ performance in
terms of reading and listening?
• Does EC-based instruction affect learners’
overall attitude towards learning English?
Literature Review
Curiosity is the driving force to make an attempt for
novel information, so knowledge gaps can be
reduced, and individuals can gain novel experiences
gradually. EC was initially defined and illustrated
by Berlyne (1954) who asserted that sensory and
cognitive curiosity urge people to access to new
information. He also hinted those individuals can
multiply their skills when they try all possible
means to reach novel information and use them
effectively in their educational, social and
professional lives. Several contributions have been
made on the concept of EC since the introduction of
it by in the 1950s. To name a few, Loewenstein
(1994) proposed the theory called information gap
which underlines that the motivation to close the
information gap increases as individuals research
more about the topic. He asserts that prior
information triggers the individuals to become more
curious and expand their learning on the same topic.
Intensity of curiosity increases the likelihood of
closing the knowledge gap earlier than expected
time. Subsequently, Rauterberg (1995) put forward
incongruency theory which posits that knowledge
gaps should not be neither too challenging nor too
easy. He argues that manageable information gaps
increase the motivation to learn and close the gaps
accordingly. In other words, limitless knowledge
gaps demotivate individuals to make further
attempts. In addition, Litman (2010) coined the
terms which were I- type and D-type curiosity. The
former one refers to being exposed to novel
information, while the latter is related to feeling
deprived of existing knowledge and making efforts
to fill the knowledge gap. Tieben et al. (2011)
established a cycle which includes encountering,
exploring, discovering, and adjusting to expand the
knowledge in EC endeavors.
EC has received much attention recently by the
stakeholders who have taken up certain positions
professionally at various stages of education and
global initiatives which have been set up to raise
standards in education. To name a few, Jirout and
Klahr (2012) assert that EC based instruction
fosters students’ learning in primary schools
dramatically. Similarly, Pellegrino (2017)
postulates that primary education should not only
teach how to acquire knowledge but also guide
students on how to be eager to learn in an engaging
way which can be possible with an EC based
instruction. They also postulate that students can get
the inspiration to learn further while they seek
information from different sources as videos,
presentations, articles, stories etc. Additionally,
Fouad et al. (2015) state that curiosity encourages
high school students to combine theoretical
knowledge with practical one, so they can have a
chance to apply their learning into their social lives
in an interaction with various activities inserted into
curriculum in a successful way. Passion for learning
and teaching has an undeniable impact on student
achievement; therefore, passionate teachers are
continually striving to improve student
performance (Celik & Yildiz, 2017). Likewise,
Eren (2009) attests that EC based instruction can
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develop students’ critical thinking, problem solving
skills which can enhance students’ achievement
marks substantially at a tertiary level, so expressing
ideas independently, learning in an interactive
environment and researching thoroughly can be
defined as the distinguishing factors of EC based
instruction. According to OECD (2018) acquiring
knowledge, checking the accuracy of the
information by researching from multiple sources,
having effective learning experiences are key
considerations to progress and succeed at all levels
of educational institutions. Additionally, this
OECD report also underlines that fostering
children’s social, emotional and cognitive skills out
of curiosity support them to be curious as long as
they are alive. Considering the aforementioned
perspectives, it can be stated that EC can appeal to
students at all levels regardless of their ages.
During the last two decades, a growing interest has
been noticed on the effects of EC based instruction
in improving English proficiency of learners
(Yildiz, 2021; 2022). Some scholars (Metcalfe et al.
2020; Tang & Aro, 2021; Wale & Bogale, 2021)
argue that EC yields better results to raise the
standards in education, whereas a limited number of
scholars (Wilson, 2021; Johnson & Tawfik, 2022)
assert that EC sets some barriers against learning
efficiently. Although most of the studies conducted
on EC offer promising gains, whereas few ones
raised some doubts about the efficiency of it. To
name a few, Lowry and Johnson (1981) examined
the effects of EC on reading ability which revealed
that primary school students’ reading ability was
enhanced and their overall attitude towards learning
English changed positively in the US context.
Similarly, Tobin and Guadagno (2022) carried out
a study with 306 adults from a range of countries
through a questionnaire which unearthed that
podcast EC developed students’ listening skills via
podcasts considerably. In addition, Nakamura et al.
(2022) conducted a study on 25 Thai students in an
English oral communication course enriched by EC
which revealed that curiosity-based instruction
inspired the students to increase their self-
confidence ensuring their creativity. Furthermore,
Hong et al. (2022) stated that EC based instruction
enhanced students’ writing skills substantially in an
Academic Writing course in China context. They
asserted that encouraging students to do prior
research before writing increased their willingness
and motivation dramatically. Likewise, Wale and
Bishaw (2020) found that EC based instruction
stimulated students’ critical thinking skills
substantially. However, some studies culminated in
some doubts about implementation of EC based
instruction. For example, Tan & Tan, (2020)
conducted a study in Malaysia which revealed that
curiosity-based activities via games did not yield
better results for all students in terms of acquiring
new words and composing sentences related to new
words. Similarly, Jiang (2021) proposed that
implementation of curiosity-based instruction
cannot ensure progress academically unless prior
orientation period has been completed.
Methodology
Research Design
A mixed methods design was adopted in this study
which required using qualitative and quantitative
instruments harmoniously based on the pre-defined
research plan. O’Cathain et al. (2010) assert that a
mixed methods design offers several advantages to
researchers such as receiving numerical and verbal
data and cross-checking them whether there are
some conflicts between different instruments.
Additionally, they postulate that weaknesses of
several instruments can be reduced to a large extent
once the researchers are free to choose any
qualitative and quantitative instrument according to
the necessities.
Participants, Setting and Sampling Procedure
A renowned private university which is TISHK
International University (TIU henceforth) in Erbil,
Iraq was chosen as the setting. The underlying
reasons to choose this university are that the
medium of instruction has been completely English;
nationals of various countries have received
education peacefully and students have been eager
to join such studies. The population of the study was
all students who took Foundation English course
during the year. Foundation English course students
took this course to master English and be able to
express their ideas in a written and spoken format
required by their departments to earn a degree with
a high GPA. This course was run by experienced
and dynamic academics of TIU Language
Preparatory School. The lessons were enriched with
the latest technology and modern methodologies.
To name a few, they read some e-books, addressed
some presentations, wrote an essay ad received
precious feedback weekly, played educational
online games, watch some movies and
documentaries on Netflix or Youtube and took
online revision tests, available on Lecture Notes
website. Additionally, they took their exams in a
Zip Grade enriched format, so each student’s
mistakes, frequently missed questions and means of
each class were archived and analyzed in each
common meeting for the betterment of the
education. Their progress and mistakes were noted
and students were informed about their common
mistakes periodically.
The participants to represent the population were
chosen by employing simple random sampling
method. Simple random sampling offers some
flexibility for researchers to choose the sample in an
unbiased way fairly (Rahman et al., 2022). The
researcher saved all Foundation English students
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and chose the sample via a software application
called online random picker. The researcher chose
30 students for each group as control and
experimental out of 150 students who took
Foundation English course in 2022-2023 Academic
Year. They joined some workshops to be familiar
with both instruction modes which were traditional
and EC based one. Additionally, students’ consent
forms were collected. Once they were familiar with
each method of instruction, the study was initiated.
Participants’ demographic and departmental
distribution can be seen below in Table 1 and 2
respectively.
Table 1.
Participants` frequency in terms of gender and age
Variable(s)
Option
F
%
Gender
Female
34
56.7
Male
26
43.3
Age
17-18
19
31.7
19-20
21
35
21-22
14
23.3
23-24
6
10
Total
60
100
As shown in Table 1, 34 (56.7 %) female students
participated in the study, whereas 26 (43.3 %)
male students joined the study. Additionally,
19 (31.7 %) were between 17 and 18 years old;
21 (35 %) students were between 19 and 20 years
old; 14 (23.3 %) students were 21 and 22 years
old and 6 (10 %) students were between 23 and
24 years old. It was observed that female students
were higher than male ones, and students aged 19
and 20 were dominant in this study
.
Table 2.
Distribution of participants’ departments
Departments
Frequency
%
Accountant
3
5
Architectural Engineering
4
6.67
Aviation Engineering
2
3.33
Banking and Finance
2
3.33
Business and
Management
3
5
Computer
Engineering
6
10
Dentistry
7
11.67
IT
4
6.67
Interior
Design
4
6.67
Mechatronics
Engineering
2
3.33
Medical
Analysis
6
10
Nursing
5
8.33
chemical Engineering-Petro
3
5
Pharmacy
8
13.33
Physiotherapy
1
1.67
Total
60
100
Table 2 illustrates that students were chosen from
15 different departments, with the highest
number of participants from pharmacy and the
lowest from physiotherapy.
Instruments
Quantitative data were collected through pre-test
and post-test exams including reading and
listening questions equally. However, qualitative
data were collected through the questionnaire,
the interview and the survey. Exam results were
inserted into SPSS 23. to analyze via independent
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samples t test. Subsequently, numerical data in
the survey and questionnaire were fetched and
analyzed by SPSS 23. as well. However, the
transcripts of the interview were categorized in
common themes through MAXQDA software
program. Gaili (2022) asserts that SPSS has been
used extensively in Social Sciences to analyze
data in line with scientific methods, so it allows
the researchers to make more precise
interpretations rather than relying on personal
remarks. In addition, Guetterman and James
(2023) state that MAXQDA application helps the
researchers to classify data according to common
points and focus on each interviewee within
seconds, so its popularity has risen tremendously
in the last 10 years.
Data Collection Procedure
The study lasted 14 weeks to initialize and
finalize the data. All participants received both
types of instruction regardless of being in control
or experimental group within two weeks. In other
words, all students joined the lessons
traditionally in the initial period. The underlying
reason to introduce both types of instructions was
that they could compare one instruction with
another after joining the study in one group. Once
common lessons were completed, the
participants were placed in two groups to receive
different treatments.
14 weeks were required to collect and analyze the
data in the present study. In the first week, all
participants, regardless of whether they were in
the control or experimental group, received both
forms of instruction. In other words, all pupils
were introduced with the basics of traditional
teaching method and EC based teaching method.
The fundamental rationale for introducing two
sorts of instructions was that participants could
compare one instruction to the other once the
study was completed. After being familiar with
two types of teaching methods, participants were
divided into two groups to receive different
treatments according to pre-defined schedule.
The Cycle of Instruction in Control Group
The participants in control group completed 6
units in Scope 1 published by Oxford. They read
the passages about London as a cosmopolitan
city, Different Lives to be knowledgeable about
types of families, Go, Go, Go to be familiar with
various expeditions as an adventurous person, A
Fast Way to Bad Health to have further
information on disadvantages of fast food and
Masters of Memory to introduce people with
photographic memories. Apart from reading
passages, they were exposed to some videos and
audio tracks to develop their listening skills. The
videos were related to The United Kingdom,
Teens and Pocket Money, The Australian
Climate, British Food and Roman Britain. The
audio tracks were about children who received
online education in the Australian outback,
Adam’s money collection habit from different
countries, Kevin’s phone calls with his father
while he is travelling to various countries, the
food program to introduce school lunches in
Britain, the USA and Japan. Finally, they listened
to a conversation on Anna’s history homework
which was about introducing a family member
for a history homework.
The instructor covered these topics according to
the syllabus. S/he covered a unit biweekly. S/he
assigned some pages in workbook to increase
their learning rate. On the other hand, students
were not urged to expand their learning by doing
extra research on related topics. They were
satisfied with the activities of the book during
lectures.
The Cycle of Instruction in Experimental
Group
The participants in experimental group
completed 6 units in Scope 1 published by
Oxford. They read the passages about London as
a cosmopolitan city, Different Lives to be
knowledgeable about types of families, Go, Go,
Go to be familiar with various expeditions as an
adventurous person, A Fast Way to Bad Health
to have further information on disadvantages of
fast food and Masters of Memory to introduce
people with photographic memories. Apart from
reading passages, they were exposed to some
videos and audio tracks to develop their listening
skills. The videos were related to The United
Kingdom, Teens and Pocket Money, The
Australian Climate, British Food and Roman
Britain. The audio tracks were about children
who received online education in the Australian
outback, Adam’s money collection habit from
different countries, Kevin’s phone calls with his
father while he is travelling to various countries,
the food program to introduce school lunches in
Britain, the USA and Japan. Finally, they listened
to a conversation on Anna’s history homework
which was about introducing a family member
for a history homework.
The instructor covered these topics according to
the syllabus as well as urging the students to
research thoroughly about given topics. S/he
covered a unit biweekly. S/he assigned some
pages in workbook to increase their learning rate
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as well as assigning some homework to research
and write creatively. In other words, arousing
students’ curiosity was prioritized in
experimental group. For example, they visited
British Council or Woodward English Grammar
website to be more knowledgeable about tenses
and shared their tips in class to activate peer-
learning. In addition, they watched further
documentaries about the UK to share their
thoughts while studying relevant unit.
Subsequently, they read some articles in blogs to
be familiar with different expeditions while
studying the unit on travel experiences. All in all,
further reading and listening activities were at the
core of the instruction in the experimental group.
The instructor facilitated their learning as a guide
rather than forcing them to learn in the lectures
monotonously. Interaction, peer-learning,
brainstorming were common considerations in
experimental group.
A sample homework schedule in experimental
group is depicted in Table 3.
Table 3.
Depiction of homework schedule in experimental group
Sunday
Do thorough research on the internet about different
nationals living in London
Tuesday
Visit TIU LPS Foundation English Lecture Notes
website and take the quiz on unit 1
Wednesday
challenging expedition and Read a story on a
summarize it in the class in a spoken format
Thursday
Watch a video on fast food and express your ideas on
fast food in a written format
Friday
A Thorough Revision
Saturday
A Thorough Revision
The experimental group's homework policy was
based on the concepts of EC-based instruction.
The main goal was to provide opportunities for
each student to improve their English in a written
and spoken format. Students were encouraged to
learn by inquiry; therefore, tasks were designed
to require them to search different websites. To
illustrate, after conducting research on assigned
themes, students presented their findings in class.
Hence, they had the opportunity to confidently
share their thoughts and were encouraged for the
following tasks. The instructor allotted a specific
amount of time for each student's presentation so
as to treat them fairly. In the subsequent phase,
the instructor organized some debates to engage
in collaborative learning activities. After
completing these tasks, participants were given a
brief quiz consisting of five multiple-choice
questions on the topic presented that day. The
purpose of the test was to measure pupils'
retention rates. In addition, this quiz provided
students with opportunities to identify their
errors and focus on eliminating them day by day.
This cycle was repeated weekly with new
responsibilities according to a predetermined
schedule. A sample homework schedule in
experimental group is depicted in Table 4.
Table 4.
Depiction of homework schedule in control group
Sunday
Complete the exercises on pages 38 and 39 in
workbook
Monday
Complete the exercises on pages 40 and 41 in
workbook
Tuesday
Write 5 sentences about feeling adjectives
Wednesday
Write 5 sentences about last week
Thursday
Complete the exercises on pages 42 and 43 in
workbook
Friday
A Thorough Revision
Saturday
A Thorough Revision
The policy for assigning homework in the control
group was based on the principles of traditional
teaching approaches. The purpose of the
activities was to improve their accuracy rather
than their fluency. In addition, the activities in
the book were followed strictly without resorting
to other online resources. As indicated by the
aforementioned homework structure, the
students closely followed the instructor's
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assignments and remained passive in several
occasions.
Results and discussion
Findings of this study were classified under 4
headings which were the questionnaire, the
survey, the interview and precise analysis of
exam results, so each instrument was elaborated
to get detailed analysis and make interpretations
accordingly.
The Analysis of the Questionnaire
Students’ opinions towards EC based instruction
was visualized in Table 5.
Table 5.
Participants’ responses in experimental group
ITEMS
Mean
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
1. I was so motivated
while learning via
traditional teaching
methods.
2.06
10%
3
10%
3
10%
3
17%
5
53%
16
2. My critical thinking
skills developed
considerably in this
study.
2.43
7%
2
10 %
3
40 %
12
7 %
2
37
11
3. I realized that my
reading skills were
enhanced in this study.
2.7
7 %
2
10 %
3
57 %
17
0 %
0
27%
8
4. I am more self-
confident after joining
this study.
2.2
7 %
2
13 %
4
20 %
6
13 %
4
47
14
5. I expanded my
knowledge when my
teacher taught me in a
traditional classroom
atmosphere.
2.8
7 %
2
27 %
8
37 %
11
0 %
0
30
9
6. My instructor ran this
study to increase our
learning collaboratively.
2.43
7 %
2
10 %
3
20 %
6
47 %
14
17%
5
7. I wish I had joined
such a study earlier.
2.03
7 %
2
13 %
4
13 %
4
10 %
3
57 %
17
The findings of item 1, which was about the
degree of motivation after being exposed to
traditional teaching methods, indicated that the
mean score was insignificant. To illustrate the
data, 3 (10 %) students chose strongly agree;
3 (10 %) students chose agree and 3 (10 %)
students chose neutral and 5 (17 %) students
chose disagree. On the other hand, 16 (53 %)
students chose strongly disagree. These figures
show that most students noticed a negative
correlation between the level of motivation and
employing a traditional teaching method.
The findings of item 2, which was about
developing critical thinking skills via traditional
teaching methods, indicated that the mean score
was insignificant. To illustrate the data, 2 (7 %)
students chose strongly agree; 3 (10 %) students
chose agree and 12 (40 %) students chose neutral
and 2 (7 %) students chose disagree. On the other
hand, 11 (37 %) students chose strongly disagree.
These figures show that most students noticed a
negative correlation between developing critical
thinking skills and receiving a traditional
instruction.
The findings of item 3, which was about
enhancing reading skills via traditional teaching
methods, indicated that the mean score was
insignificant. To illustrate the data, 2 (7 %)
students chose strongly agree; 3 (10 %) students
chose agree. On the other hand, 17 (57 %)
students chose neutral and 0 (0 %) students chose
disagree and 8 (27 %) students chose strongly
disagree. These figures show that most students
noticed a negative correlation between
developing reading skills and receiving a
traditional instruction.
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The findings of item 4, which was about the
degree of self-confidence via traditional teaching
methods, indicated that the mean score was
insignificant. To illustrate the data, 2 (7 %)
students chose strongly agree; 4 (13 %) students
chose agree. On the other hand, 6 (20 %) students
chose neutral and 4 (13 %) students chose
disagree and 14 (47 %) students chose strongly
disagree. These figures show that most students
noticed a negative correlation between raising
self-confidence and receiving a traditional
instruction.
The findings of item 5, which was about
Expanding overall English knowledge via
traditional teaching methods, indicated that the
mean score was insignificant. To illustrate the
data, 2 (7 %) students chose strongly agree;
8 (27 %) students chose agree. On the other hand,
11 (37 %) students chose neutral and 0 (0 %)
students chose disagree and 9 (30 %) students
chose strongly disagree. These figures show that
most students noticed a negative correlation
between expanding overall English knowledge
and receiving a traditional instruction.
The findings of item 6, which was about Rating
the performance of the instructor who employed
a traditional instruction method, indicated that
the mean score was insignificant. To illustrate the
data, 2 (7 %) students chose strongly agree;
3 (10 %) students chose agree. On the other hand,
6 (20 %) students chose neutral and 14 (47 %)
students chose disagree and 5 (17 %) students
chose strongly disagree. These figures show that
most students did not enjoy the conduct of
lessons in a traditional atmosphere run by the
instructor.
The findings of item 7, which was about feeling
regretful for not having joined this study earlier,
indicated that the mean score was insignificant.
To illustrate the data, 2 (7 %) students chose
strongly agree; 4 (13 %) students chose agree. On
the other hand, 4 (13 %) students chose neutral
and 3 (10 %) students chose disagree and
17 (57 %) students chose strongly
disagree. These figures show that most students
did not feel regretful for not having joined such a
study earlier.
Considering all the aforementioned data
collected from control group students whose
teaching method was traditional run by the
instructor, it can be argued that the overall
satisfaction rate was far less than experimental
group students whose instruction was enriched
by EC.
Students’ opinions towards traditional teaching
methods was visualized in Table 6.
Table 6.
Participants’ responses in experimental group
ITEMS
Mean
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
1. While I was learning out of
curiosity, my motivation was
boosted.
4.63
70 %
21
23%
7
7%
2
0%
0
0%
0
2. I think my critical thinking
skills were stimulated in this
study.
4.6
60%
18
40%
1
2
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
3. This study was so helpful to
develop my reading skills.
4.86
87 %
26
13 %
4
0%
0
0 %
0
0%
0
4. I can express my ideas in a
more self-confident way after
this study.
4.20
27 %
8
63%
1
9
1%
3
0%
0
0%
0
5. Doing research at home and
sharing my thoughts in class
were so beneficial.
4.73
73 %
22
27%
8
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
6. Being guided by my
instructor helped me to fill
knowledge gaps.
4.93
93 %
28
7%
2
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
7. I wish I could have joined
such a revolutionary study
earlier.
4.76
87 %
26
3 %
1
10 %
3
0 %
0
0 %
0
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The findings of item 1, which was about the
correlation between motivation level and
learning out of curiosity, indicated that the mean
score was quite significant. To illustrate the data,
21 (70 %) students chose strongly agree;
7 (23 %) students chose agree and 2 (7 %)
students chose neutral. On the other hand, no
response was recorded neither in disagree nor
strongly disagree. These figures show that most
students appreciated the period on grounds that
they boosted their motivation.
The findings of item 2, which was about the
correlation between critical thinking skills and
learning out of curiosity, indicated that the mean
score was quite significant. To illustrate the data,
18 (60 %) students chose strongly agree;
12 (40 %) students chose agree. On the other
hand, no student chose other options. These
figures show that most students appreciated the
period on grounds that they developed their
critical thinking skills.
The findings of item 3, which was about the
correlation between reading skills and learning
out of curiosity, indicated that the mean score
was quite significant. To illustrate the data,
26 (87 %) students chose strongly agree; 4 (13
%) students chose agree. On the other hand, no
student chose other options. These figures show
that most students appreciated the period on
grounds that they developed their reading skills
substantially.
The findings of item 4, which was about the
correlation between self-confidence and learning
out of curiosity, indicated that the mean score
was quite significant. To illustrate the data, 8 (27
%) students chose strongly agree; 19 (63 %)
students chose agree and 3 (10 %) students chose
neutral. On the other hand, no student chose other
options. These figures show that most students
appreciated the period on grounds that they
boosted their self-confidence tremendously.
The findings of item 5, which was about the
correlation between doing research and
expressing the information in the class gained by
the research, indicated that the mean score was
quite significant. To illustrate the data, 22 (73 %)
students chose strongly agree; 8 (27 %) students
chose agree. On the other hand, no student chose
other options. These figures show that most
students appreciated the period on grounds that
they expanded their knowledge at home and
uncovered their ideas in class.
The findings of item 6, which was about the
correlation between the instructor’s efforts and
filling the knowledge gaps, indicated that the
mean score was quite significant. To illustrate the
data, 28 (93 %) students chose strongly agree;
2 (7 %) students chose agree. On the other hand,
no student chose other options. These figures
show that most students appreciated the period
on grounds that they appreciated the instructor’s
efforts to learn further information.
The findings of item 7, which was about feeling
regretful for not having joined this study earlier,
indicated that the mean score was quite
significant. To illustrate the data, 26 (93 %)
students chose strongly agree; 1 (7 %) students
chose agree and 3 (10 %) students chose neutral.
On the other hand, no student chose other
options. These figures show that most students
would rather have joined this study earlier.
Considering the gathered data in 7 items, it can
be argued that students, who learned via EC
based instruction, were quite satisfied with the
overall process in experimental group.
Descriptive Data Analysis
Descriptive data were gathered and analyzed via
independent samples and paired samples t test.
The former was run to make a comparison
between control and experimental group
considering pre-test and post-test results,
whereas the latter was run to test whether the
means of two paired measurements within
control or experimental group are statistically
different.
Independent samples t test analysis was given in
Table 7.
Table 7.
Independent samples t test analysis
Variables
Groups
N
Mean
SD
t
df
Sig
Pre-test
Control
30
53.17
11.483
Pre-test
Experimental
30
53.33
12.753
-.053
58
.958
Post-test
Control
30
56.33
18.427
Post-test
Experimental
30
69.50
15.049
-3.031
58
.004
Note. P<0.05
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Independent samples t-test was run to measure
whether there was a statistical difference
between each group considering pre-treatment
and post-treatment results. According to the
gathered data, control group students started the
study with a 53.17 mean score, while it was 53.33
in experimental group. Correspondingly, the p-
value is .958 which was higher than 0.05, so there
was no statistical difference between each group
in the initial period. However, post-test results
revealed that control group students increased
their marks to 56.33, whereas the mean score was
69.50 in experimental group. In other words,
control group students’ progress was
insignificant, while it was quite noticeable in
experimental group. Accordingly, post test
results revealed that p-value was .004 which was
less than 0.05. These figures revealed that
experimental group students who followed an EC
based instruction increased their reading and
listening marks substantially, while the progress
in control group students who followed a
traditional instruction made a minor leap from
their previous position. Considering the detailed
analysis thorough independent samples t test, it
can be argued that EC based instruction yielded
more promising outcomes, while traditional
teaching method did not produce satisfactory
results.
Table 8.
Participants` common words to describe traditional learning
Categories
Frequency
%
1
Teacher as the sole authority
28
96.67
2
Learning Individually
29
86.67
3
Undertaking Less Responsibility
26
100
4
Being passive
30
93.33
5
Getting Bored
28
76.67
6
Theoretical
23
96.67
As is evident in Table 9, participants highlighted
reflections on traditional teaching approaches.
They view the teachings as teacher-centered,
focused on individual endeavors, undertaking a
limited responsibility, being passive, having
boring classes, and being exposed different
amounts of theoretical knowledge.
Table 9.
Participants` common words to describe EC based instruction
Categories
Frequency
%
1
Teacher as a guide
29
96.67
2
cooperationLearning in
26
86.67
3
Feeling More Responsible
28
93.33
4
Being Active
27
90
5
Engaging
25
83.33
6
Practical
27
90
In contrast, Table 9 demonstrated that inquiry-
based learning adopted in the experimental
group, resulting in higher student satisfaction.
They underlined that student-centered
instruction, cooperative learning, increased
responsibility, physical activity, engaging
classes, and practical knowledge acquisition
were essential considerations in EC based
classes.
The Analysis of the Interview
The participants’ genuine opinions were
transcribed and categorized with the help of
MAXQDA software program. Common themes
which were highlighted in each group were
highlighted below:
Selected Interviews in Experimental Group
Being an Active Speaker
I got so much pleasure while doing activities in
this study. My instructor guided us to broaden
our horizon day by day. For example, we did a
thorough research about challenging expeditions
before reading a passage on them. Additionally,
we watched some videos about different types of
collections before listening to the audio track on
money collection. Additionally, we expanded our
knowledge about different cultures, ethnicities
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and landmarks while researching on London.
Whenever we were assigned doing thorough
research, our instructor encouraged us to share
our ideas in the lecture, so we learned from each
other collaboratively. As a concluding remark, I
can tell that I wish I could have received such a
revolutionary instruction before. My mood
changed positively, and my linguistic abilities
developed substantially as long as I took part in
activities in this study. (St 14)
Fulfilling Thirst for Knowledge
I used to receive a traditional instruction in high
school where I could not learn by inquiry. There
were many question marks about the topics I
learned. However, I did not do thorough research
about them because there was no opportunity to
share and discuss them in classes. Once I heard
about this study, I felt so excited. I thought that I
would research and exchange my ideas with my
instructor and classmates. This study changed my
perspectives positively. I filled the knowledge
gaps in my mind, so I asserted my ideas in a more
self-confident way. Additionally, I learned a lot
from my friends. When we exchanged our ideas,
we learned how to develop critical thinking skills
in a peaceful atmosphere. In addition, the topics
in the book were more engaging for us because
we knew that we would fulfill our thirst for
knowledge sooner or later. Breaking the
monotony changed my attitudes towards learning
English positively. I am glad to have participated
in all activities in this study. (St 18)
Improving Listening Skill via Different
Materials
I used to have serious problems about listening
before this study which helped me to regain my
self-confidence. My instructor directed me to
watch some relevant videos before the lesson, so
I increased my background knowledge about the
audio track which we would listen to in the
following day. In addition, I listened to some
conversations and read the transcripts of them to
improve my listening skills. This training period
helped me to develop my listening skill day by
day. Now I can comprehend the listening tracks
in the book without having any difficulty. It was
a very fruitful period for me under the
supervision of my instructor. (St 20)
Developing Reading Skills via Supplementary
Materials
Reading passages were quite difficult for me to
understand previously. However, my instructor
sent me some related e- reading passages which
were graded according to my level. I read them
periodically and took online tests about the given
passages, so I could see my progress easily. In
addition, I could use the online dictionary to learn
the key words in the passages. Thus, my learning
rate increased substantially. Subsequently,
reading supplementary materials on the internet
helped me to complete the activities on time by
employing skimming and scanning techniques.
This habit saved me during the exams. I could not
see a lot of questions in previous exams due to
bad time management skills, but now I know how
to scan and skim through to save time and
complete all reading questions on time. (St 26)
Earning More Respect in Society
During the study, we did research extensively on
various topics related to daily lives, so we could
use them in our daily conversations. For
example, my cousin visited us, and I mentioned
some adventurous expeditions which I learned
during the study. Moreover, I depicted the
disadvantages of eating fast food with clear
examples because we read, watched many
documents related to it. S/he listened to me very
eagerly because the topics and details captured
his/her attention. My motivation to research more
and more increased tremendously after this
occasion. Now I try to learn new things each day
thorough the internet because I know that I will
use them in my conversations. (St 29)
Positive Effects of EC to Develop Speaking
Skills
I had no idea about EC previously. However, I
had some information about learning by
discovery. This study helped me to express my
ideas confidently because we did thorough
research about the topics to be covered in the
following day. When we researched in advance,
we took notes and revised our sentences earlier.
Thus, this preparation period was a fruitful
period for us. In addition, we expanded our
vocabulary knowledge substantially while
examining various sources. In the past, out
instructor asked us questions to tell our ideas
immediately during which we suffered a lot.
However, our instructor guided us professionally
in this study. We took the initiative to speak more
once our levels were satisfactory enough.
Making prior research and increasing the
duration of speaking gradually increased the
quality of education and boosted our
performance tremendously. (Student 16)
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Selected Interviews in Control Group
Unable to Eager to Learn Enthusiastically
We received the instruction in a traditional
format, so we followed the book’s activities
without switching to any extra materials.
Although we progressed well at first, our
motivation reduced day by day due to repeating
the same procedure. When we knew what to do
and how to progress in advance, it did not capture
my attention. I learn better when I feel surprised
with supplementary activities such as inspiring
videos, informative articles or some news. These
activities help me feel engaged. However, these
details were missing in the study which reduced
my enthusiasm dramatically. I wish my instructor
integrated some web-enhanced activities into the
curriculum and pushed us to do research before
each lesson. (St 7)
Having Difficulty Learning New Words in
Reading Passages
Our instructor taught us the new words in the
passages traditionally. S/he only explained the
verbally without encouraging us to make some
efforts about the meanings of them the day before
the lesson. However, my best friend was in the
other group. The instructor told them to do
research about the meaning of key words and
composing a sentence for each key word before
the lesson. when the lesson started, they were
ready to tell the meaning and compose a sentence
accordingly. In addition, they had some video
talks with their friends to summarize the reading
passages before the exams. These endeavors kept
them motivated, but these considerations were
not available in my group. I wish my instructor
had urged us to do research and contribute to
lessons actively rather than keeping us passive.
(St 13)
Unable to Catch Essential Points in Listening
Exercises
We listened to the audio tracks in the lesson and
progressed to other activities. However, I forgot
the details as we continued with other activities.
Additionally, my instructor showed us some tips
about note taking. However, I could not learn
them well due to lack of concentration. On the
other hand, my friends in the other group had
ample opportunity to listen to it again and
summarize it in the following day. Additionally,
they were encouraged to watch different videos
on improving their note taking skills. They told
me that they learned an effective tip from each
speaker in videos, so they had a chance to apply
these tips into their listening activities. Each
student’s learning style is different, so allowing
the students to learn from various materials can
inspire them to develop their listening skills with
proven techniques. (St 20)
Having Less Freedom to Direct Learning
Cycle
Our lessons did not allow us to express our ideas
freely from multiple sources because the
activities of the book required us to answer
shortly. However, I wanted to share my ideas
about different topics as a debate after
researching on the internet. I know that
answering shortly was not beneficial in the long
run. I needed to express my ideas in a few
minutes, so I could uncover my ideas.
Additionally, allowing students to tell their ideas
based on their research could help them to learn
from each other. As a result, I believe that
guiding students to learn from different sources
and valuing their ideas in the class can pay off. I
wish we could have had such an instruction.
(St 24)
Unable to Make Connections between
Theoretical and Practical Knowledge
My learning period was not satisfactory for me. I
learned the topics in the lesson, but I could not
see real-life examples of them in my social life.
For example, I learned basics of superlative
sentences, however, I could not get any
information about the tallest buildings, the
richest man, the most populated country, the
largest continent or the smallest animal. On the
other hand, my friends in the other group visited
some websites about superlatives as a part of
their assignment and shared their ideas about
superlatives. As a result, their knowledge on
superlative sentences expanded considerably. I
would be more glad now if I had received such
an inspiring instruction. My willingness reduced
when I could not see real life reflections of the
topics in the book. I like exploring and sharing
my ideas in the class, so we can get more pleasure
while learning in an interactive atmosphere.
(St 27)
This study examined the impact of EC-based
instruction on the reading and listening abilities
of students by employing a mixed methods
design instruments. On the basis of the findings
in each instrument, the following significant
points were emphasized.
The findings of pre- and post-tests demonstrated
that EC-based education laid the foundation for a
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substantial increase in reading and listening
grades. This outcome was consistent with the
findings of Jiang et al, (2018) who asserted that
EC-based training enables students to improve
their reading and listening abilities gradually. In
addition, the findings of the survey and
questionnaire indicated that student-centered
learning, collaboration, interaction increased
students’ motivation to a large extent which was
in line with Grigorescu’s (2020) study which
revealed that motivation of the participants
increases once students have more authority in
the learning process. Likewise, Abubakr and
Kara (2022) postulate that students’ engagement
level increases when students do research and
share their thoughts in a classroom atmosphere
because they notice that their ideas are valued in
the lesson. Similarly, Eren (2009) stated that the
students are likely to be more motivated if the
classes are created to accommodate their needs
on curiosity. Apart from increased marks and
motivation, the study unearthed some reflections
on self-confidence. Most students stated that the
more they spoke, the more self-confidence they
had which was in line with Gurler’s (2015) study
which indicated that there is a positive
correlation between fostering a communicative
atmosphere in class and students’ self-confidence
in EFL classes. Moreover, most students asserted
that they developed their critical thinking skills
considerably which was consistent with Prayogi
and Asy'ari’ s (2021) study which unearthed that
students can improve their critical thinking skills
substantially once they expand their knowledge
by researching out of curiosity. Furthermore, the
students reaffirmed that interaction during the
sessions assisted them to learn from each other,
so they activated peer-learning subconsciously
which was consisted with the study of Barron and
Darling Hammond (2008). In addition, students
valued the transition from theoretical to practical
knowledge that EC-based training made
possible. This outcome was consistent with
Adhami and Taghizadeh's (2022) study which
suggested that embedding theoretical knowledge
into practice can be accomplished through EC-
based training because students can observe
several practical solutions and reflections while
going through the activities day by day. In light
of the gathered data, it can be stated that EC
based instruction yielded promising results in
terms of enhanced listening, reading
performance, developed critical thinking skills,
improved self-confidence and positive attitudes
towards learning English collaboratively.
Conclusion
The present study unearthed that EC-based
instruction played crucial roles in transforming
the quality of education and enhancing learners'
reading and listening skills significantly. In other
words, training based on EC considerably
improved students' scores in reading and
listening. Moreover, students' motivation,
engagement, and self-confidence were improved
correspondingly. In the same vein, students’
attitudes towards learning English changed
positively. Subsequently, they were confident in
their ability to overcome obstacles after taking
the initiative to expand their learning from
different sources. The revealed data suggested
that EC-based instruction holds great promise for
students, teachers, administrators and
policymakers.
Several recommendations for future research can
be verbalized. This study examined the impact of
EC-based training on reading and listening
abilities. Future studies can be conducted to
extend the scope of the study with additional
skills. In addition, only marks of students in the
control and experimental groups were compared.
It is possible to do additional research to
determine whether or not gender influences the
outcomes. In addition, this study collected data
from only freshman students in one unit of a
university, which can be extended with other
stages to enrich the sample. Finally, this study
lasted 14 weeks which can be extended to
measure the effects of EC in longer periods.
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