Interaction of problem-based gaming and learning anxiety in language students' English listening performance and progressive behavioral patterns

Highlights

• A problem-based English listening computer game was developed.

• An experiment was conducted in an elementary school English course.

• The students' learning behavioral patterns were analyzed.

• The approach improved the students' learning achievement and motivation.

• The higher English anxiety students were benefited more in the gaming context.

Abstract

Scholars have indicated the importance of considering anxiety in language learning. They have also pointed out the potential of integrating learning content into gaming contexts. However, few have explored in-depth the learning processes in game-based learning environments while also taking students' learning anxiety into account. To address this issue, a problem-based English listening game was developed, and 77 ninth graders took part in the study by playing the game. A quasi-experiment was conducted to evaluate students' learning achievement, learning motivation and English anxiety. In addition, progressive sequential analysis was employed to explore the learning behavioral patterns of students with different levels of English anxiety. According to the three learning phases, it was found that the gaming approach benefited the students' learning achievement and motivation. Moreover, the students with higher levels of English anxiety progressively performed more complex learning and gaming behaviors in the gaming context, and had better learning achievement than those with lower levels of anxiety.

Introduction

In recent years, the relationship between students' affect and their learning performance has been considered as an important issue in education (Cheng et al., 2014, Verkijika and De Wet, 2015). Several studies have reported that students' affect is associated with their cognitive learning (Konak et al., 2014, Valentín et al., 2013). Moreover, positive affect, such as learning motivation and satisfaction, can encourage students’ engagement in learning (Cheng et al., 2014, Wong et al., 2015), while negative affect, such as learning anxiety and distraction, could lead to poor learning outcomes, in particular in language learning which requires frequent practice in relevant contexts (Kim and Glassman, 2013, Teo et al., 2014).

It is recognized that learning a foreign language is strongly associated with students' learning motivation and their foreign language anxiety (Ping et al., 2015, Tum, 2015). MacIntyre and Gardner (1994) defined foreign language anxiety as a feeling of worry, nervousness, and apprehension when learning a foreign language. Previous researchers have indicated that foreign language anxiety can be a determinant of students' foreign language learning achievement (Papi, 2010, Yan and Horwitz, 2008). For instance, Khajavy, Ghonsooly, Fatemi, and Choi (2016) examined Iranian students' willingness to communicate in English, and found that the students' perceived competence of English and their English anxiety directly affected their willingness to communicate in English. On the other hand, Denies, Janssen, and Yashima (2015) also proved that their level of foreign language anxiety plays an important role in students' communication in foreign languages.

Consequently, an increasing number of researchers have attempted to reduce students' anxiety while learning English by integrating several learning strategies and technologies, especially employing game-based learning approaches (Reinders and Wattana, 2014, Verkijika and De Wet, 2015). Some researchers have found the game-based learning strategy to be a favorable learning approach for reducing students' learning anxiety because of the enjoyment, interactivity, and dynamic nature of the games (Huang, Huang, & Wu, 2014). For instance, Young and Wang developed the Game Embedded CALL (GeCALL) system for students' English pronunciation practice. The results revealed that this learning approach can reduce students' English speaking anxiety and provide them with more opportunities to do speaking practice.

Although many studies have discussed the treatment of game-based learning for students' English anxiety, few have explored the relationship between students' actual learning behaviors and their English learning anxiety. Since the analysis of learning behaviors has been considered as an approach to understanding more precisely how students behave (Cheng & Tsai, 2016), it would be better that researchers explore students' learning behaviors and clarify the different learning behaviors of students with varying levels of learning performance (Hou, 2012, Lai and Hwang, 2015). In order to explore the role of English anxiety and game-based learning strategies in students' English learning, in this study we developed a problem-based English listening game to help students with their English learning. Moreover, analysis of the students' progressive behavioral learning patterns was employed to probe their learning behaviors in each gaming phase. Finally, an exploration of the students’ progressive behavioral learning patterns according to the level of their English anxiety was conducted.