The Effectiveness of Using Computerized Educational Songs on Developing Third Graders' Achievement in English Vocabulary and Structures and Motivation in Rafah Governorate

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of using computerized educational songs on developing Palestinian third graders' achievement in English vocabulary and structures and improving their motivation towards learning English. To achieve the aim of the study, the researcher adopted the experimental approach. The researcher purposively selected a representative sample of (80) third graders from Rafah elementary "B" boys' school. The participants were distributed into two equivalent experimental and control groups, each of which consisted of (40) students. The researcher designed (13) computerized songs which were used in teaching the experimental group, while the conventional method was used with the control one during the first term of the school year (2013-2014). The researcher prepared four tools to collect data: a vocabulary achievement test and a structure achievement test, a questionnaire and an observation card to compare students' motivation towards learning English before and after the experiment. The data of the study were analyzed using T-test Independent Sample and T-Test Paired Sample. Effect size technique was used to measure the effect size of computerized educational songs on the experimental group. The findings of the study revealed that there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores attained by the experimental group and those by the control group in the post application of the vocabulary and structure achievement tests in favor of the experimental group. Moreover, the findings indicated that there were statistically significant differences in the experimental group’s mean scores of the pre and post application of the motivation questionnaire due to the use of the computerized educational songs in favor of the post application. Thus, the results of the study revealed that the computerized songs strategy was effective in improving students' achievement in English vocabulary and structures and in enhancing their motivation towards learning English. In the light of those results, the researcher recommends the necessity of using the computerized songs in teaching English vocabulary and structures to young learners. Moreover, the researcher suggested that further research should be conducted to explore the effect of the use of the computerized songs on different English language skills and other school subjects and grades.