The Implementation of Bruner’s Constructivist Theory in Middle School EFL Classes: An Experimental Study on Vocabulary Acquisition
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Date
2022
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Université Mouloud Mammeri
Abstract
The present study investigates the effectiveness of Bruner’s constructivist theory to enhance learners’ vocabulary acquisition. It is concerned with the First-Year pupils and teachers in Middle School. Finding out how crucial the Discovery learning approach is to the teaching process is the goal of our research. It also aims to determine the opinions that EFL teachers have concerning the application of the above method to the growth of English language. The investigation also seeks to explain how the Discovery Learning approach affects the growth of learners’ English vocabulary; communication abilities and active engagement. For the collection of the quantitative data, an experimental method has been carried. In addition, (38) First-Year pupils participated in an experimental study, and unstructured interview was done with seven Middle School teachers at “Brothers Kerkache” middle school in Tizi -Ouzou. In regards to data analysis, qualitative content analysis (QCA) is used to analyze the findings from the study of classroom observations. Additionally, the pre- and post-tests findings are interpreted in terms of numerical data manually entered in the form of percentages in a Microsoft Excel document, and then presented as diagrams ( pie charts , bare graphs) , using the rule of three, the percentages are calculated. The interview’ findings revealed that almost all of the teachers have favorable opinions about the Discovery Learning strategy because it is thought to be an effective way to help students develop their skills, particularly their critical thinking, and generally to give them the opportunity to express their own ideas in a creative way while constructing their own knowledge. However, some of the teachers hold opposing opinions about the idea behind this technique due of its time and resource requirements. Additionally, the outcomes of the experimental research show that the Discovery Learning method benefits students by encouraging them to actively participate in vocabulary learning, as the participants in the experimental group outperformed the ones in the control group in the post-test. Embracing the discovery learning method, which creates an engaging and student-centered classroom environment was also found to promote confidence, fluency, and deep understanding, leading to more effective and enjoyable vocabulary learning experiences and creates positive attitudes toward learning English
Description
51 p. ; 30 cm. (+ CD-Rom)
Keywords
Discovery Learning, Bruner’s constructivist theory, Teachers’ attitudes, Active engagement, Deep understanding, Vocabulary acquisition, Communication abilities
Citation
Language and communication