LALEJ: Language and Literacy Education Journal

THE IMPACT OF PLAYMOBIL TOYS MANIPULATION STRATEGY ON PRIMARY PUPILS’ READING COMPREHENSION

2025-03-03T10:07:02+08:00

Research on reading comprehension has been conducted extensively due to the great focus on children's literacy development. It is important to shift from a simple text-to-text method to a text-to-hands-on approach to improve reading skills. Therefore, the study objectives are to investigate the impact of Playmobil toys manipulation approach on primary students' reading comprehension of short narrative stories in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. Sixty Year 3 students from two primary schools in Raub, Pahang, were involved in this experimental research. After reading the stories, the children in the experimental group had the chance to interact with the Playmobil toys. The toys were then taken away, and the pupils had to create mental pictures that matched the story events. In each session, the children in the manipulation group were compared to their rereading peers to determine if they did substantially better in cued and free-recalls. Furthermore, the study aimed to determine if good, moderate and weak second English language learners (ELLs) differed in their ability to profit from the Playmobil Toys manipulation approach. The statistically significant differences within the sessions in the manipulation group and in between with the rereading group highlighted this method’s practical importance in enhancing the students’ reading and memory skills. Also, the manipulation method benefited the good and intermediate ELLs. This study offers a valuable way to help primary pupils to understand short stories.

ATTITUDES, INVOLVEMENT AND CHALLENGES OF CLASSROOM INTERACTION: INVESTIGATING THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF ENGLISH, UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA, BANGLADESH

2025-04-17T09:20:05+08:00

The current study examined the perceptions of classroom interaction of 40 final-year undergraduate students studying in the Department of English at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh. The study aimed to investigate their attitudes towards classroom interaction, the extent to which they participated in it and the challenges they faced during classroom interaction. The study used a five-point Likert Scale questionnaire survey, which included 27 close-ended and an open-ended item. The data on the close-ended items were analyzed using Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets (version 16.0.16924.20064.) and Google Forms (version 4.0.2). Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations and percentages) were calculated for each variable of the close-ended items. The open-ended data were analyzed thematically. The results revealed that the students had positive attitudes towards classroom interaction. They tended to participate more in student-to-student interaction than teacher-to-student interaction; however, the percentage of their participation in classroom interaction was not satisfactory. Inappropriate seating arrangement, limited time, dominance of a particular group of students, the teachers’ preference of delivering lectures to communicative activities, overcrowded classrooms and affective constraints (e.g., lack of confidence, shyness and anxiety) were the major challenges that the students faced during classroom interaction. Recommendations were offered to teachers, students and institutional administrations to increase students’ participation in classroom interaction. In addition, it acknowledged its limitations.

PERSONALIZED BLENDED LEARNING THROUGH AI AND GAMIFICATION: ENHANCING PRIMARY STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE AND LITERACY IN GUANGDONG, CHINA

2025-04-07T10:04:38+08:00

This empirical study addresses the urgent need for more effective, engaging approaches to language and literacy education in primary schools by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and gamification within a blended learning environment. Although prior research has examined the benefits of AI and gamification, little is known about their combined impact on young learners in linguistically diverse regions such as Guangdong Province, China. The study employed a quasi-experimental design involving 200 students aged 6 to 12, evenly distributed by gender into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received instruction through AI-enhanced personalized learning pathways and gamified tasks, while the control group followed traditional teaching methods. Data were collected through standardized reading tests, vocabulary assessments, and validated instruments measuring motivation and engagement. Results revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group, demonstrating a 25% increase in vocabulary acquisition, a 30% gain in reading comprehension, a 20% rise in engagement, and a 15% improvement in motivation. These findings underscore the effectiveness of combining AI and gamification in promoting individualized, motivating, and data-driven learning experiences. The study offers practical implications for educators and school leaders seeking to enhance language education through adaptive technologies and game-based strategies, and it opens new avenues for research on the long-term impact and scalability of these innovations.

HULU SELANGOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE IN CEFR-ALIGNED ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

2025-04-29T17:12:23+08:00

The study aimed to investigate the level of teachers’ knowledge in implementing the CEFR-Aligned curriculum. Data for the study were obtained from 50 respondents using a questionnaire. Findings indicate that the majority of English teachers have a high level of knowledge in implementing the current English language curriculum. Yet, there were a few aspects that need to be addressed, specifically regarding teachers’ pedagogical and content knowledge on learners’ assessment in the CEFR-Aligned curriculum, indicating the need for stakeholders to include more training and modules to assist teachers in successfully implementing the CEFR-Aligned English Language curriculum.

THE IMPACT OF TASK VALUES, SELF-EFFICACY, METACOGNITIVE AND COGNITIVE SRL ON EFL CHINESE UNDERGRADUATES’ ENGLISH PERFORMANCE

2025-04-07T10:00:05+08:00

English learning is considered to be essential for Chinese undergraduates to enhance their global competitiveness. While students’ motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning (SRL) are known to influence the EFL learning process, it remains unclear which specific dimensions within these constructs are the most predictive of English performance. This study aims to examine the impact of specific motivational beliefs (i.e., task values and self-efficacy) and SRL (i.e., metacognitive SRL and cognitive SRL) on EFL performance among Chinese college students. A sample of 268 students was invited to complete 5-point Likert scale questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicated that task values have the most significant positive effect on EFL performance, followed by self-efficacy and metacognitive SRL, while cognitive SRL showed almost no significant influence. These findings suggested that educational interventions should prioritize fostering students' motivational beliefs involving task values and self-efficacy, along with enhancing metacognitive SRL strategy use, to improve EFL performance among Chinese undergraduates effectively.