An Investigation of the Compatibility between Fourth-Grade EFL Textbook Content and Teachers’ Practices in Light of Brain-Based Vocabulary Instruction: A Case Study of Selected Primary Schools in Tizi-Ouzou
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Date
2025
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi Ouzou
Abstract
Foreign language learning involves the brain’s natural capacity to receive, process, and form new neural connections, and understanding how this intricate human organ functions helps explain the way learners acquire and retain language effectively. In this regard, the present study investigates the extent to which the fourth-grade Algerian EFL textbook and teachers’ instructional practices align with the BBL approach. It seeks three main objectives: First, to examine how vocabulary components are presented in the textbook through the lens of BBL principles. Second, to explore how teachers approach vocabulary instruction in light of BBL principles. Third, to determine the degree of compatibility between the textbook and teachers’ practices in terms of brain-based vocabulary instruction. The study is grounded in the theoretical framework of BBL elements and principles as outlined by Caine, Caine, Klimek, and McClintic (2009). It adopts a qualitative research design, with data collected through textbook analysis and semi-structured teacher interviews and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings reveal a nuanced alignment between the textbook and classroom practices in relation to Brain-Based Vocabulary Instruction. Both sources reflect aspects of the three core BBL elements: relaxed alertness, immersion in complex experiences, and active processing, either through overlapping techniques or through distinct but complementary strategies. However, gaps have also been identified, with certain BBL aspects being insufficiently addressed by one or both sources. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for educators, textbook designers, and policymakers, highlighting the need to bridge these gaps for more effective BBL implementation. Overall, brain-based learning is present in both sources, but in varying and incomplete ways.
Description
95p. ; (+CD-Rom)
Keywords
Brain-Based Learning, fourth-grade EFL learners, instructional elements of Brain- Based Learning, textbook analysis, teachers’ practices, vocabulary teaching
Citation
Foreign Language Didactics