2014 Volume 25 Pages 33-48
This study reviewed three representative aspects (themes, methods, and outcomes) of the published articles in ARELE, volumes 1 to 24. The review of 450 ARELE articles revealed the following results: (a) the 24 ARELE volumes could be divided into two periods (the first 12 and the second 12); (b) articles in each period have characteristic words to represent the themes peculiar to the period; (c) research themes have shifted from teaching to learning, with reading, vocabulary, assessment/testing, and motivation coming to the forefront; (d) articles are predominantly empirical studies, targeting learners at secondary and tertiary levels, and hypothesis generating, with a quantitative approach, while intervention studies are not common; (e) medium strength of effect size was obtained with a meta-analytical approach; (f) the effect size decreases toward more recent volumes, which may be a sign of theoretical refinement; (g) the statistical power of most studies is lower than it should be. A number of suggestions are offered for improving the quality of future research practice.