ABSTRACT
The study was designed to investigate the effect of games on
Junior Secondary School Students’ achievement and motivation in English
language vocabulary. Five research questions and five null hypotheses guided
the study. The study employed a pre-test post test quasi-experimental design.
A sample of 203 JSSII students, drawn by both purposive and simple random
sampling techniques from two co-educational schools in Enugu Education Zone was
used for the study. The two schools were assigned to treatment and control
groups respectively. Two intact classes in each school – (one as experimental
and the other as control group) were randomly selected. The experimental group
was taught the topics- antonyms, synonyms, words associated with banking and
words associated with animals using games which include fly swatter, Go
fishing, Animal Riddle and Hot Seat while the control group was taught the same
topics using the direct/explicit method of vocabulary instruction. Three
instruments- Pre-VAT, Post-VAT and the Motivation for English Vocabulary
learning Questionnaire(MELVQ) were developed, dully validated and the
reliability established as 0.87 and 0.84 for the pre-VAT and the Post-VAT
respectively and 0.87 for the MELVQ. The research questions were answered using
mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested at (P< 0.05)
using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The result of the analysis showed that
the students taught with games performed better than those taught with the
conventional method, the students taught with games were also found to be more
motivated than those taught without games. On gender, no significant difference
was found in the achievement of male and female students taught with games but
the male students taught with games were found to be more motivated than their
female counterparts. Also, no interaction effect was found between method and
gender. Consequently, it was recommended that the use of games as an
instructional technique should be included in the special method curriculum of
English language in teacher training institutions, workshops and seminars
should be organized to train teachers in the use of games in teaching English.
Also, curriculum planners and textbook writers are encouraged to give games a
strategic place in the planning and design of the curriculum and textbooks.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study.
Language is at the heart of human activities. Any activity
carried out by human employs the use of language. One of the most encompassing
definition of language is Sapir’s (cited in Ngonebu,2008) which states that
language is a purely human and nOon-instinctive method of communicating ideas,
emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols. Language in any
society serves diverse functions such as a tool for socialization, a means of
cultural identity a means of preservation of culture and a whole lot of other
functions. But the most important of these functions is the role of language as
a medium of communication (Pelt, 2005), and this role is given such a central
place as a result of the natural inclination of humans to pass information.
This natural desire to share feelings, ideas and thoughts in a highly
multilingual nation like Nigeria creates a dire need for a language of inter
ethnic and cross cultural communication, a language of unification and a
language of national and inter ethnic communication.
As a result of the role of English as a language of
international communication and the multilingual nature of the Nigerian
society, English language was voluntarily adopted for official and inter-ethnic
communication in the country (Akabogu, 2006). English Language since then has
come to serve various vital functions in the life of the nation. For instance,
it is the language of education, commerce and industry, government,
international communication, the media, of law and legal drafting, science and
technology and the language of social interaction. Of all these functions
however, it’s role as the language of education is paramount since education
gives life and essence to all other spheres of human endeavour (Obanya, 2002)
.This function is given greater vigour as a result of the position given to it
by the National Policy on Education (2004) which makes English language
mandatory in secondary and tertiary education in Nigeria. It is also the
language of evaluation in schools as it is used for assessing students after
primary school for the First School Leaving Certificates, Junior Secondary
School Certificate Examinations, Senior Secondary School Certificate
Examinations (SSCE), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and other
professional examinations. The importance of English as a school subject can
further be illustrated by the fact that a candidate must obtain a credit pass
in it for admission into any Nigerian University to study any course (JAMB,
2005).
English language is a school subject and like every other
school subject requires formal instruction. Instruction in English language
involves instruction on the four basic language skills; listening, speaking,
reading and writing. This is because acquiring a new language necessarily
involves developing these four modalities in varying degrees and combinations
(Tankersly, 2003). Tankersly also explains that these four skills include
associated skills, such as knowledge of vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation,
syntax, meaning, and usage. Of all these sub skills however, vocabulary
occupies a central position in any language learning endeavour.
There is no single acceptable
definition of vocabulary but Lehr, Osborn and Hiester (2006) broadly define
vocabulary as knowledge of words and word meanings. Vocabulary consists of
words that a student can attach appropriate meaning to, or define. In learning
a language, vocabulary plays an important role. In the areas of reading and the
language arts, vocabulary instruction is critical to the improvement of
comprehension and written expression. It is an element that links the four
skills of language; that is listening, speaking, reading and writing together.
Without a sizable vocabulary, one cannot communicate effectively. This is well
captured in the words of Hunt and Beglar (2005:2), who opine that, “The heart
of language comprehension and use is the lexicon”. Other authors like Lewis
(2000:8), have gone even further in arguing that, “The single most important
task facing language learners is acquiring a sufficient large vocabulary”.
So, a vital step in learning English is learning its vocabulary. This is
because of the close relationship that exists between vocabulary development
and the other aspects of language. In the content areas, including Mathematics
and the Sciences, vocabulary instruction is central to the development of new
concepts and understanding of increasingly more sophisticated ideas. In short,
vocabulary is directly related to knowledge acquisition.
The symbiotic
relationship between reading comprehension in particular and vocabulary
development has however long been recognized. For instance, Carver (2003)
argues that the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading
comprehension is so strong that they can produce perfect correlations.
Vocabulary is much more associated with reading than any other language
skill. This is mainly because while words are regarded as tools for
comprehending text, it is equally clear that reading with comprehension also
assists in developing one’s vocabulary. And in addition to affecting reading
performance, vocabulary knowledge affects a student’s ability to participate
fully in both social and academic classroom routines and most importantly in
the world outside the classroom. Therefore, all students can benefit from
vocabulary instruction especially if the instruction is tailored to meet
individual strengths and needs. In the context of this study, vocabulary is
defined as the amount of words which a person can understand and use correctly
and meaningfully in communicative situations. Vocabulary instruction is used to
refer to the teaching aimed at the development of students’ understanding of
word meanings.
In the teaching and
learning of vocabulary in the classrooms today, the main method used is the
direct/intentional/ explicit method. Explicit vocabulary instruction is
characterized by the teachers’ identification of the words to be learnt,
copying out its meaning, making few sentences with the words. These are copied
to the board and the students are expected to copy and memorise words.
This method according to Nation (2001) is saddled with many limitations such as
its being teacher-centered, constrained by time and school syllabus and its
inability to provide a variety of activities for vocabulary instruction. The
continuous use of this method over the years has shown no improvement in
performance in English Language or in general proficiency in the language and
its vocabulary in particular. This is evident in the WAEC Chief Examiners’
report on English language, which has persistently reported poor performance in
English language as shown in reports on performance in English language from
2004 to 2010 as summarized in the WAEC Chief Examiners’ report for 2010. The
report further identified candidates’ inability to read and comprehend
questions correctly, poor understanding and usage of English and lack of
understanding of the demands of the question as the cause of students’ low
grades. This inability to comprehend questions correctly may be as a result of
a very limited vocabulary power by the students such that certain terms,
expressions and texts are not well understood and as a result of this lack of
understanding, the questions are not properly answered. Also, other researchers
such as Basturk and Yavuz (2010) and Olunloye (2010) in describing the causes
of poor performance have listed lack of motivation on the part of the student
towards English language and its vocabulary as one of the causes of poor
achievement.
Motivation is defined by Chauhan (1998) as the process that
initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It involves the
biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In
everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to
describe why a person does something. As with every activity in life,
motivation is one of the essential factors in language learning. Ngonebu (2008)
posits that learners who are not sufficiently motivated do not perform well in
language learning tasks because the propelling force is absent. Also
Otagburuagu (2002) explains that motivation which provides the impetus to
create and sustain intentions and goal-seeking acts, is important in the
teaching-learning context; this is because it determines the extent of
learners’ active involvement in and attitude to learning which in turn affect
achievement.
A number of linguists have stressed the importance of motivation
to language learning. For instance, Dornyei (2003:13) posits that, “No matter
what the underlying drive to study a second language, what cannot be disputed
is the fact that motivation is an important variable when examining successful
second language acquisition”. It therefore follows that motivated learners will
have a better chance of learning vocabulary successfully while unmotivated ones
may have a lesser chance of success. This strong relationship established
between achievement and motivation in language learning suggests that the poor
achievement in English language may be as a result of lack of motivation in
learning English Language and its vocabulary. There is need therefore to
investigate into methods which are capable of raising the learners’ motivation
towards learning English language and its vocabulary.
In solving the students’ problem of poor achievement and low
motivation in vocabulary, there is need to investigate into ways of making the
teaching and learning of vocabulary less abstract, as is evident in the
traditional methods which are teacher centered, boring and ineffective
(Amuseghan, 2007). This can be done by creating practical ways in which
students not only learn new words but see and learn words in relaxed and
playful atmosphere. Where students are free to learn their own pace and above
all are given opportunity to encounter words in actual use in real sentences
and also practice using it themselves. In view of this, several approaches such
as encouraging students to read wide and keep personal word logs and even the
introduction of computers for vocabulary instruction have been suggested by
other researchers such as Lehr, Osborn and Hiester (2006) and the National
reading Panel (2000). But little or no improvement has been seen in achievement
and motivation based on the adoption of these and other related suggestions as
reported by Amusegan (2007). Very little work has however been done on how
achievement in English language can be improved by tapping from the social
interests, needs and activities around the learner which engage and interest
the learner, modifying the needs to have educational goals and relating it to
vocabulary instruction. One of such areas of focus which has received
limited research attention in Nigeria is the use of games in teaching English
vocabulary.
Games have been subject to various definitions depending on the
context, from which it is viewed. Schell (2008:37) is of the view that “a game
is a problem-solving activity, approached with a playful attitude”. Games can
simply be defined as structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and
sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is
usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an
expression of aesthetic or ideological elements. However, the distinction is
not clear-cut, and many games are also considered to be work (such as
professional players of spectator sports/games) or art (such as jigsaw puzzles
or games involving an artistic layout such as Mahjong, solitaire, or some video
games. Games can be broadly characterized into two: manual games and electronic
games. Manual games are basically games which can be played with ordinary
objects around, such as boards, papers and cards. Electronic games however, are
games that involve human interaction with a user interface to generate
visual feedback on a video device. Games, whether electronic or manual are
characterized by rules, goals & objectives, outcomes & feedback,
conflict, competition, challenge/opposition, interaction, and representation of
story, (Prenksy, 2001). They are distinguished by two key elements:
an interactive playing environment, and the struggle of the player against some
kind of opposition.
Games in learning can be generally defined as an activity which
has play, relaxation and fun as its technique but learning as its ultimate
goal. Games have a lot of advantages in the classroom some of which are
explained by Freiermuth (2002) as having a high motivational value and can be
played by small groups and thereby encourage co-operation. They impose
discipline through rules, encourage discussion through tactics and introduce
new ideas for exploration. Games can increase concentration, games can
encourage creativity, flexibility and relevance, receptiveness, sharpen
problem-solving skills and provide realistic socio-cultural context for
language learning. Freiermuth also added that games are learner-centred
since they give students the opportunity to resolve problems without the
intervention of a teacher. Schwienhorst (2002) also notes that games create an
environment where education is mostly learner-centred and also provide
realistic socio cultural context for language learning.
Although these advantages have been credited to games, the use
of games in Nigerian classrooms has been described by Ndububa and Ajibade(2008)
as very peripheral. They explain teachers still resort to the traditional
lecture method and when games are used at all, the games are usually the old,
normal and monotonous ones. Also, Munrad (2009) in explaining the strategies of
vocabulary instruction in school laments that the classes are all dominated by
the teacher with little or no opportunity for students’ input and when games
are used at all, it is done very briefly and hapharzardly and without the much
needed variety. In teaching and learning of vocabulary in Nigerian schools, the
explicit method of vocabulary instruction still predominates In teaching and
learning of vocabulary in Nigerian schools, the explicit method of vocabulary
instruction still predominates, this is evident in the finding of studies such
as Basturk and Yusuf (2010) and Adeniyi and Lawal (2012) who have found out
that despite the demands to vary vocabulary instruction to accommodate needs
and interest of learners, teachers still cling to the explicit methods of
vocabulary instruction. This traditional method has been criticized by Schell
(2008: 39) who explains that “today’s “Net Generation,” or “digital natives,”
have become disengaged with traditional instruction. According to him, they
require multiple streams of information, prefer inductive reasoning, want
frequent and quick interactions with content, and have exceptional visual
literacy skills”. These needs of the ‘modern’ learners can be satisfied with
the use games in the classroom. Games, if properly designed and matched to the
syllabus, can be used to present new vocabulary items to be learnt in varied
forms such as through flash cards or board games, games can be use to generate
new words from a root or a given part of a word, games can be used to
consolidate words which have been learnt in previous classes. Games can be used
to create a spirit of inquiry or search for new words in the students, games
can engage the students actively throughout the period for vocabulary
instruction. A variety of games will transform the monotony associated with
word learning into pleasure and in so doing increase motivation, games have the
potential for continuous word knowledge for the students’ even when they go out
of the womb of the classrooms and games can be used as a medium for multiple
exposure to words which otherwise cannot be taught within the limited time
frame for classroom instructions.
Games in the classroom can generally foster the interaction
between the learner and other learners and between the learner and the content
of instruction. The absence of this much needed meaningful interaction in the
classroom therefore creates a gap between what is taught in the classroom and
the experiences and activities the learners meet outside the classroom. It is
critical that language teaching not only seek to bridge this gap in order to
make these two “worlds” closer, but of course also to harness the power of
these games for instructional gain. It is for these reasons that a research on
the effect of games on achievement in vocabulary is not only imperative but
also timely.
Also, the place of gender in English language learning is yet to
be exactly stated. According to Neboh (2009) one related factor that is
confronting the use of learner centered approach is the ability to have some
impact on both male and female students equally. Gender according to Ozofor
(2001) are culturally/socially constructed characteristics or roles which
are associated with males and females in any society . The place of
gender in language teaching and learning is yet to be exactly defined. While
some studies have found out that females perform better than males, a few
others have discovered that males outperform females. Yet another group of
researchers have recorded no significant differences in the performance of
males and females in English language. Also, gender differences have been
reported(Prensky, 2001; Klawe, et al., 2002) in attraction to games in favour
of males, such that males are reported to like games and play more games than
females. It is important therefore that this study includes gender in order to
ascertain if this fondness for games by males will mean higher achievement in
English language vocabulary. The issue of gender therefore needs to be
investigated in the study in order to contribute to the clarification of the
gender debate in English language learning.
Statement of Problem
A persistent feature of the WAEC Chief Examiners reports on
English language over the years and several research findings is the declining
performance of students in English language. The problem can be largely
attributed to the continuous use of traditional, teacher centered methods for
vocabulary instruction in which the learners’ needs, ideas and expectations are
relegated to the background.
This situation calls for a reconsideration of issues in the teaching and
learning of all aspects of English language and especially its
vocabulary. There is need to improve the teaching and English language in
general and its vocabulary in particular by exploring a more innovative learner
centred teaching learning approach which will bridge the gap between social
activities, learners’ desire for involvement and the methods of vocabulary
instruction. Such an approach is games for vocabulary instruction. The
viability of games for instruction in other subjects has been proven. However,
the use of games which have the potential of raising motivation, making
vocabulary instruction less abstract and giving students multiple
exposures to words has not been adequately attended to, particularly in
teaching and learning the English vocabulary. This necessity demands an
investigation into games which attracts the patronage of many people especially
youths to be formulated or modified and used in the classroom in teaching
vocabulary. This study therefore seeks to find out the effect of games on
Junior Secondary School Students’ motivation and achievement in English
vocabulary.
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of the study was to determine the effect of the
use of games on students’ achievement in vocabulary. Specifically, the study
sought to:
1. Determine
the effect of games on students’ achievement in English vocabulary.
2. Determine
the effect of games on students’ motivation in learning English vocabulary.
3. Determine
the effect of gender on the achievement of students’ taught English vocabulary
using games.
4. Determine
the effect of gender on the motivation of male and female students taught
vocabulary with games.
5. Determine
the interaction effect of gender and method on achievement of students in
English language vocabulary.
Significance of the Study
The result of this study will have both theoretical and practical significance.
This study will be used to explore the validity of some major tenets of the
constructivist theory. This is based on the fact that the constructivist theory
posits that active construction of new knowledge takes place based on the
learners’ recall of prior knowledge; knowledge is presented in a social
experience and through multiple perspectives. This means that the learner will
benefit immensely as he is not treated as a passive object of instruction but
has his needs, experiences and ideas adequately catered for in the teaching learning
process. The constructivism learning theory of Piaget and Vygotsky (in Cameron
2002) maintains that the learner should play a central role in mediating and
controlling learning. Activities, opportunities, tools and environments
are provided to encourage meta cognition, self-analysis –regulation,
-reflection and awareness. This has a close relationship with games in teaching
which is student centered. The result of this study will therefore help in
authenticating or debunking the tenets of the constructivists’ theory.
The findings of this study will also have immense benefits to
individuals, professional bodies, the government and the society at large.
Specifically, the researcher hopes that teachers, students, authors, curriculum
planners, government and the society at large would derive some benefits from
the study.
One of the
major problems in the teaching of vocabulary has been the teacher centered
nature of vocabulary instruction and inadequate connection between the
activities of play or leisure activities and school work. If the result of this
study shows that the use of games in teaching vocabulary can enhance
achievement and increase in students’ motivation, curriculum planners will see
the need to include games into the school curriculum for vast improvement in
the teaching and learning of vocabulary.
The findings of this study will also provide a guide to English
language teachers. It will reveal the efficacy of games to vocabulary
instruction on the basis of which they will see games as a more effective aid
to vocabulary instruction. In line with this, the teaching and learning of
vocabulary will become more interesting, less tedious, effective and meaningful
to students and teachers.
Based on the findings, workshops and seminars on how to use
games in teaching different aspects of English Language will then be organized
and sponsored.
The findings of the study will also equip English Language
learners with better and adequate knowledge of other uses their games can be
put to. From the findings of the study, the students will learn that they can
make use of their leisure time to learn new words and as such encourage them to
get and play more of vocabulary games than ordinary leisure games.
To the society, the study will generally create an awareness
that games are not just for fun or a mere waste of time but can be used for
meaningful educational activities and since vocabulary acquisition never ends,
every individual can engage in vocabulary games as leisure
activities and make avenues for learning and relaxation at the same time.
Also, the findings of the research will enlighten parents to provide word games
for their children instead of ordinary games or watching television.
Other benefits of the study include the fact that the study
would serve as an empirical basis for future research evidence and citations as
there is paucity of research evidence on the use of game for instruction in
Nigeria.
Scope of the Study
The study is delimited to the investigation of the effect of
manual games on Secondary School Students’ achievement in English Language
vocabulary. Four games were used for the study. The games include Go Fishing,
Hot Seat, Fly Swatter and Animal Riddles.
The study was conducted only in Enugu Educational Zone in Enugu
state, Nigeria. The zone is made up of four local governments.
The study was specifically be concerned with:
·
Antonyms
·
synonyms
·
Words associated with animals.
·
Words associated with banking.
This is because these are the only vocabulary topics in the JSS2
syllabus for the third term.
Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the
study;
1. What
are the mean achievement scores of students taught English language vocabulary
using games and those taught with the conventional method?
2. What
are the mean motivation scores of students taught English language vocabulary
with games?
3. What is
the difference in the mean achievement scores of male and female students
taught English language vocabulary with games?
4. What is
the influence of gender on the mean motivation scores of students in English
language vocabulary when taught with games?
5. What is
the interaction effect between method and gender on the mean achievement of
students in English language vocabulary?
Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the
study. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.
HO1: There is no significant difference in the
mean achievement scores of students taught vocabulary using games and those
taught with the conventional method.
HO2: There is no significant difference in the mean
motivation ratings of students taught vocabulary with games and those taught
with the conventional method.
HO3: There is no significant difference between the
mean achievement scores of male and female students taught vocabulary with
games.
HO4: There is no significant difference in the mean
motivation rating of male and female students taught vocabulary using games.
HO5: There is no interaction effect of method
and gender on the mean achievement of students in English language vocabulary.