Interaction of problem-based gaming and learning anxiety in language students' English listening performance and progressive behavioral patterns
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.
Section snippets
Issues related to English anxiety
The issue of performance associated with anxiety in English learning has been documented, and researchers have found that most students who are weak in English have difficulty speaking and discriminating the sounds and structures of a target language message (Yan & Horwitz, 2008). English anxiety has been conceived as “the feeling of tension and apprehension specifically associated with second language contexts, including speaking, listening, and learning” (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994).
The structure and development of the problem-based English listening game
In order to explore the role of English anxiety in students' game-based English learning, we first chose the learning content in the current educational game, that is, practicing students' English listening skills. Previous researchers have proposed that English anxiety is usually raised because of facing the challenge of English listening (Yan & Horwitz, 2008); however, English listening skills are regarded as a basic competence that Taiwanese students need to be proficient in (Chou, 2015,
Experimental design
The aim of this study was to explore the learning behaviors of students with different levels of English anxiety while learning by playing games. This study first developed a problem-based English listening game and conducted a quasi-experiment to ensure the educational game was beneficial for the students. Therefore, a comparison of the students who learned with the problem-based English listening game and those who learned with conventional instruction was conducted. After that, an
Analysis of English listening achievement
In order to explore the students' learning behaviors in the problem-based English listening computer game, we first examined the effectiveness of the proposed approach to ensure that this learning approach could benefit the students' learning performance of English listening. Therefore, the one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to evaluate the students' learning achievement in the experimental group and the control group. The assumption of homogeneity of regression was not
Discussion and conclusion
Enhancing students' competence of applying foreign languages in reading and communicating has been emphasized (Khajavy et al., 2016). In Asia, English is regarded as an important competence, and some top-down promotion policies related to enhancing students' English abilities have been implemented (Huang and Chuang, 2016, Hwang et al., 2016). However, due to the limited learning time and environment, students have few opportunities to practice their English skills, and their English anxiety is
Acknowledgements
This study is supported in part by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China under contract numbers NSC 102-2511-S-011 -007 -MY3 and MOST 104-2511-S-011-001-MY2.
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