Descriptive mixed-methods were employed to investigate the experiences and perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Thai students in higher education in integrating Augmented Reality technology (AR) in their reading classroom. Participants were queried on their habitual use of computers and the Internet, their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of AR, their experiences in using AR, and their reflective reports of self-efficacy in using AR in creating English vocabulary flashcards as supplemental learning resources. A questionnaire on their use of computers and the Internet was employed with 48 EFL, English-major undergraduates. Subsequently, the participants underwent the Classroom Activity Treatment which comprised 1) the Teacher Showcase, 2) the AR Computer Tutorial, and 3) the Student Showcase, respectively. Classroom observation notes were taken during the three phases. Besides, at the end of each of these three phases, a questionnaire on the acceptance and self-efficacy of AR was administered. Subsequently, 24 students participated in semi-structured interviews to elicit further insights into their perceptions of the effectiveness of AR in EFL instruction and learning. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (Vankatesh & Bala, 2008) was employed for theoretical perspective on the data. Findings revealed most participants had no prior knowledge or understanding about AR before the study. Participants reported AR as advantageous for stimulating student engagement and motivation, and for enhancing memory and memorization. AR was reported to promote learning and practicing digital literacy skills. Participants reported relatively high levels of self-efficacy in using AR, which were primarily driven by their self-satisfaction, creativity and enthusiasm, peer and teacher assistance, as well as technological training and infrastructure. Participants also reported that they would continue using AR in the future when necessary resources, time, and access were secured, for the purposes of professional productivity and development. Analysis suggested that English education curricula be improved and re-designed to integrate the implementation of AR technology to tailor the learning experiences to the students’ needs and learning styles. Professional development and training should also be provided for teachers and students to educate them in using AR in language education teaching and learning.

In order to provide equal education to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Swedish upper secondary English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, support must be provided that adapts to their strengths and needs regarding reading comprehension. Multiple studies show that many upper secondary students with ASD in Sweden do not meet the knowledge requirements for passing grades in English, and require support in reading comprehension. Through a systematic research review based on ten studies regarding reading comprehension for L2 students as well as students with ASD, this paper aims to investigate what current research says regarding how L2 students with ASD process text and also explores scaffolding tools and teaching methods used for developing reading comprehension. Further the findings are discussed in regard to the Swedish educational context. The results from the reviewed studies found four factors that can affect the reading comprehension of L2 students with ASD; namely: 1) individualistic problem-solving strategies, 2) working memory and main idea comprehension, 3) forms of scaffolding and teaching methods as well as 4) language proficiency. The discussion sheds light on how the way in which these four factors interplay when teaching reading comprehension to L2 students with ASD is relevant for teachers as it identifies the strengths of students with ASD through a resource perspective. Adaptations that could be implemented based on the results, align with Swedish policy documents. Thus, future interventional studies that combine the four factors found in the results could be significant for teachers working with EFL students with ASD.

In today’s society, neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have been researched in different areas of life. However, what has yet to be explored broadly is the correlation between the characteristics of various neurodevelopmental disorders and their possible impact on a primary school student’s language learning, speaking development, and inclusivity in the English as a Foreign language (EFL) classroom. Additionally, the term neurodiversity is introduced as a shift in viewing disorders as solely deficits, but rather from a practical aspect that should be attended to positively.  This secondary data analysis aims to focus on what particular beneficial and problematic characteristics students with NDDs might experience. As well as, how these characteristics might affect language learning and speaking development in an EFL classroom. Since neurodevelopmental disorders is an abstract term with different disorders and characteristics, this analysis chose to further research Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD). This thesis attempts to answer and observe the impact Autism Spectrum disorder characteristics have in an EFL classroom. The results will provide three key findings. The first finding presents the strengths and challenges of ASD in English language learning. The second finding analyzes useful tools to help students with communication. The third and last finding will discuss the perception regarding the disorder and its effects in the inclusive classroom. Furthermore, the correlation between the research and the Swedish school institution, its laws, its curriculum, teachers’ impact, and a useful theoretical approach can be seen. Lastly, a thorough discussion regarding bilingualism, multilingualism, and its benefits will be delved into.

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The primary purpose of this study is to investigate external and internal factors that act as learning demotivators that can discourage students from learning in Japanese high school English classrooms. More than 1,200 students responded to two questionnaires designed to measure five external demotivators, Teachers, Characteristics of Classes, Experiences of Failure, Class Environment, Class Materials, and one internal demotivator, Learners‘ Lack of Interest. Using the Rasch rating scale model and confirmatory factor analysis, the questionnaire results were analyzed to test the inter-relationships among the six hypothesized demotivators. Qualitative data were also obtained from an open-ended questionnaire asking the participants what demotivated them from learning. Two models, a six-factor and a four-factor demotivation model, were tested. As the four-factor model displayed slightly better fit than the six-factor model, it was selected as the final model. In this model, the first-order latent variable that best explained Demotivation was Experiences of Difficulty (b = .74), which was followed by Class Environment (b = .72), and Loss of Interest (b = .71). In contrast to the findings of previous studies, teachers‘ direct behaviors (b = .51) were the least influential of all the demotivators studied. In a follow up study, relationships between the teacher ratings of students‘ motivation, the students‘ perception of their current motivational level and their motivation in high school were investigated. Although it was anticipated that students‘ self-reported motivational states and teacher ratings of students‘ motivation would have a reasonably strong relationship, a series of regression analyses indicated that the teacher rating of students‘ motivation was not significantly related to either motivational level. While students might appear to be motivated in the classroom from the teachers‘ point of view, the students might feel otherwise. The first important finding concerned the two hypothesized demotivation models that were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. In the final four-factor model, the first-order latent variable that best explained Demotivation was Experiences of Difficulty followed by Loss of Interest, and Class Environment. In contrast to the findings of previous studies, teachers‘ direct behaviors were the least influential of all the demotivators studied. The results revealed that Japanese high school English learners can become demotivated due to difficult experiences they encounter or loss of interest in studying in the classroom. While influences from teacher behaviors can also cause demotivation, it appears that the approach or materials that focus on difficult reading passages and/or vocabulary cause the strongest sense of demotivation. The second important findings concerned group differences. The high and low motivation groups and the male and female groups differed in their perceptions of Class Environment. However, no statistically significant differences were found among the first- and second-year groups, and the students attending academic and non-academic schools. The third finding was from the follow-up study. It was found that the teacher rating of students‘ motivation is not related to the students‘ perception of their current motivational level and their motivation in high school time. While students might appear to be motivated in the classroom from the teachers‘ point of view, the students‘ perception of their current motivational level and their motivation in high school can differ greatly. Overall, the results revealed that Japanese high school English learners can become demotivated due to the difficulties they experience in the English language classroom, or a loss of interest in classroom study. While influences from teacher behaviors can also cause demotivation, this study shows that an approach or materials that focus on difficult reading passages and/or vocabulary cause the strongest sense of demotivation. / CITE/Language Arts

This study was an examination of peer review use in English composition courses at a Japanese university. Approximately 100 students in four writing classes engaged in four modes of peer review modes: face-to-face, handwritten (both on-draft and using an evaluation sheet), and computer-assisted. The learners in the study represented a range of proficiencies, from lower-intermediate to advanced, so the assigned writing passages were limited to single paragraphs rather than full-length essays, which has typically been the case in prior research in this area. Each peer review session was preceded by training in peer review, including modeling and whole-class editing, as well as suggestions for each particular mode the learners participated in. After each session, students completed questionnaires in order to assess their evaluations of the activities, both as reviewers and comment receivers. The questionnaire data were then analyzed using a variety of statistical methods--including Rasch analysis descriptive statistics, and parametric and non-parametric measures--first to validate the questionnaire instrument, and second to ascertain the degree to which each peer review modes was viewed favorably or unfavorably received by the participants. Additionally, the participants' written drafts and peer comments were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed in order to answer several research questions that focused on: the number and type of peer suggestions the learners made in each mode, the number and type of suggestions that were incorporated into later drafts by the authors, the degree to which suggestions and revisions were affected by learner proficiency, and the accuracy of the peer suggestions. For the research questions concerned with learner evaluations of the peer review modes, findings were mixed. The participants responded favorably to reading others' drafts and receiving comments, but they were less comfortable reviewing and making suggestions for their peers. Computer-assisted peer review was the most positively received overall, particularly from those in the High Proficiency Group. Person measures for Low Proficiency learners, on the other hand, were generally higher for on-draft peer review, while those for Intermediate Proficiency participants tended not to indicate strong endorsement for any particular mode. In order to answer the next set of research questions, the participants' drafts and peer suggestions were analyzed. Most of the learners' suggestions, particularly for those in the Low Proficiency Group, tended to be local in nature, concerning such areas as word choice, grammar, and mechanics; fewer suggestions were made at the sentence- or whole-text-level. In terms of incorporation of suggestion by authors into later drafts, oral peer review led to the highest rate of suggested revisions while review using an evaluation sheet of guided questions resulted in the lowest rate. Learner proficiency did not have a significant bearing on suggestions or revisions, except in the case of the High Proficiency Group, whose members made significantly more suggestions during computer-assisted peer review than during the other modes. Finally, over 73% of peer suggestions were determined to be accurate across all four modes. These findings indicate that peer review can work on even the most limited of scales with learners of even modest language proficiency. No single mode of peer review succeeded in all areas, and instructors are encouraged to blend different modes if possible. However, if a single mode is preferred or required, computer-assisted review is strong choice. / CITE/Language Arts

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / In an English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL) class, special emphasis is often put on interaction and negotiation as a means of learning and understanding the language being taught (Long, 1981; Pica, 1994). However, student-student interaction as well as student-teacher interaction could be difficult to achieve in students who, for various reasons, avoid opportunities to practice their oral communication knowledge and skills with their peers and teachers. Student response systems (SRSs) are known to increase student achievement and/or interaction in a variety of grade levels in content domains such as math and physics. Students utilize individual hand-held devices, similar to television remote controls, to respond to multiple-choice questions. The public display of aggregate student responses allows for instantaneous feedback to the teacher and students through bar graphs or pie charts. This quasi-experimental mixed-method study investigates the effects of SRS use on student engagement, interaction, and achievement for three intermediate ESL grammar units in two adult higher education settings. Data were collected from five treatment groups using SRSs and five control groups not using SRS. Students' achievements and the robustness of their learning were quantitatively assessed through the analysis of their pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test grades. Qualitative data were also gathered in this study by using classroom video-taping and analyzing students' behavior in SRS and non-SRS classes. An independent samples T-test was conducted on the difference of post-test and pre-test scores in order to identify achievement, and on the difference of delayed post-test and post-test scores in order to determine whether students' learning is robust. Neither of these comparisons resulted in statistically significant differences between combined SRS and combined non-SRS classes. Results of the qualitative portion of the study revealed that students in the SRS classes paid more attention to the lecture and engaged in more discussion, and as a result student-student and student-teacher interaction was achieved. In conclusion, the results of this study reveal that SRSs have a positive impact when used to facilitate active learning strategies and promote interaction in the ESL classroom. These results provide evidence to support the claim that interaction and active learning are possible through the use of SRS-implemented instruction. From the results of the study, it is concluded that while the tool itself has had no statistically significant effect on students' immediate achievement, rather the study demonstrates that Student Response Systems provide the conditions necessary for form-focused student-to-student and student-to-teacher interaction . This active learning encourages the production of language, which can lead to achievement over time. / 2999-01-01