Abstract:
This quasi-experimental study aimed to identify whether a mobile-based approach affected the
English as a foreign language teacher trainees’ attitude, aural comprehension and oral
performances after they were engaged in experimental intervention training with mobile-based
lessons integrating the aural and oral skill lessons. To conduct pilot and main study interventions,
tests were administered as pre-, mid-interval (optional), and post-intervention aural
comprehension and oral skill tests for a group of 27 third-year EFL (English as a Foreign
Language) teacher trainees at Arba Minch Teacher Education College in the academic year
2020/21-2021/22 G.C.
Quasi-experimental, time series designs were used to study the problem. Accordingly, the
teacher trainees’ attitude towards mobile-based approach to attend aural comprehension lessons
was assessed using a five-point Likert scale attitude survey questionnaire; however, their aural
comprehension and oral skill performances were measured using a test having twenty multiple choice question items and a rubric to measure their oral performances, respectively.
Consequently, the reliability of aural comprehension and oral performance tests were measured
to predict the reproducibility of the results in other test occasions. Consequently, nonparametric
Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, Friedman’s Test and Kruskal-Wallis’s H’ Test were employed to
determine the effects on the trainees’ attitude, aural comprehension and oral skill performances
and on the performances in the corresponding sub-skills. Therefore, the significant aural
comprehension and oral skill sub-constructs were identified through pairwise comparisons of the
four aural comprehension tests mean rank values along with Friedman’s method of related samples Kendall’s coefficient of concordance analysis. Descriptive and Kruskal-Wallis’s H tests
were employed to identify the oral skill sub-skills significant to the teacher trainees’ oral skill
developments.
Finally, the results revealed that the use of a mobile-based instructional approach had significant
positive changes on the teacher trainees’ attitude, aural comprehension and oral skill
performances. Accordingly, literal-level aural comprehension sub-skill lessons were found to be
more significant in raising the trainees’ aural comprehension performances when compared with
the contributions of comprehension level lessons that were meant to deal with inferential,
critical, and creative listening sub-skill lesson activities; whereas, all the oral skill sub construct
skills were found to be equally significant to develop the teacher trainees oral skill performance
as a result of mobile-based aural and oral skill lesson implementations. Therefore, EFL teachers
are advised to skillfully apply mobile-based lesson approach or instruction to deliver aural and
oral skill lessons for the betterment of their teacher trainees’ aural comprehension and oral skill
performances in the target foreign language.
