The effects of instruction using graphic organizers on vocabulary learning of junior high school students in Taiwan

本研究旨在探討字彙圖教學對台灣國中生英文單字學習之成效，以及此教學方式對學生英文單字學習態度的影響。研究對象為六十三位來自中台灣某國中兩班三年級的學生，隨機指派一班為實驗組，而另一班為對照組。實驗組實施字彙圖教學，對照組實施傳統單字教學，每週上課一次，為期八週。兩組均在教學前後接受字彙測驗並施以單字學習態度問卷，實驗組另以問卷詢問對字彙圖教學的看法。研究結果顯示字彙圖教學比傳統單字教學更能顯著提升學生的單字學習，實驗組在字形、字義及用法上的表現均顯著優於對照組。雖然兩組在教學後對單字學習的態度仍未有顯著差異，實驗組在認知方面的學習態度卻在教學後有顯著改變，此外，實驗組普遍認為字彙圖教學有助於記憶新單字，而且表達出繼續使用的意願。本研究結果建議可採用字彙圖做為幫助國中生學習英文單字的教學工具。The present study employed an experimental/control group, pretest-posttest design to investigate the effects of vocabulary instruction using graphic organizers on Taiwanese junior high school students’ vocabulary learning. The subjects were 63 ninth graders from two classes in a public junior high school in central Taiwan. One was randomly assigned as the experimental group (N=32), and the other as the control group (N=31). The experimental group received graphic organizer instruction, while the control group received traditional vocabulary instruction once a week. Vocabulary pre-and post-tests and a vocabulary learning attitude questionnaire were administered before and after the 8-week treatment to examine students’ knowledge of the target words and their attitudes toward vocabulary learning. In addition, their perceptions of the graphic organizer instruction were also explored. The results revealed that graphic organizer instruction could significantly improve students’ vocabulary learning more than traditional vocabulary instruction, and it was effective in improving learners’ knowledge of word form, meaning, and use. Although students in the experimental group did not develop significantly more positive attitudes toward vocabulary learning than their counterparts in the control group, they significantly changed their cognitive attitudes after the treatment. Besides, they generally perceived that graphic organizer instruction could effectively help them remember English words and they were willing to use the word map in their future learning. The findings of this study suggest that the graphic organizer can be used as an alternative instructional tool to facilitate junior high school students’ vocabulary learning