A Study on the Impact of Technology-assisted Instruction on English Learners' Attitude, Engagement and Achievement

Abstract

In spite of the predominance of technology in all aspects of our lives, including education, the vast majority of schoolchildren in Armenia, particularly those from rural areas, are not provided with technology-integrated courses as part of their school curricula or extracurricular activities. Consequently, many of them lack fundamental digital skills and literacies which are necessary to perform various tasks upon entering higher educational institutions. The present mixed method experimental study reports on the effects of a technology-integrated blended EFL course on English learners’ engagement, attitudes and achievement. The instruments included pre- and post-tests of English, student questionnaires and researcher diary. The sample of the study consists of 30 EFL learners with ages from 12 to 14 that participated in an English club as part of Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) activities in the village of Arteni. The findings show that both groups had a more positive attitude towards English at the end of the course. The post-test scores of English in both groups were significantly higher compared with the pre-test results, yet there was no statistical difference between the technology-assisted and traditional group students after the treatment in terms of their achievement in English. Nevertheless, the technology-assisted group outperformed the traditional one in respect of their engagement in English. The findings also highlight some of the most preferred technologies among the learners. The results of implementing blended instruction provide insights on how certain technologies promote community building and English language use out of the classroom.

Keywords: blended instruction, digital natives, digital skills and literacies, technology integration, EFL