Technology and content integration in language classes in a vocational high school

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates the effectiveness of technology and content integration in a foreign language class on students’ content and language mastery in a vocational high school. The study was carried out in a real classroom setting with an experimental and a control group (n=36). The experimental group followed a syllabus with technology and content integrated materials designed by the researcher whereas the control group used regular textbook-based instruction. Interactive e-books equipped with scaffolds were designed and developed by the researcher based on scaffolding design guidelines for educational software. Technology integration was planned thematically around a unit from the English language curriculum, and content-based activities were employed with educational mobile applications, such as augmented reality, and web-based applications, such as digital storytelling. The language achievement was evaluated with a unit exam and a language test while the content knowledge was measured with content tests in English and in Turkish. The results showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed control group in content tests. Although the experimental group did not perform better than the control group in the language test, they outperformed the latter in the unit exam and in a writing task. Implications for research and practice are discussed and recommendations are offered for the teachers, researchers, and policy makers seeking solutions for the low foreign language achievement in vocational high schools.