Effect of Aligned Vocabulary Teaching to Learners' Strategy Preferences on Grade 11 Students' Perceptions of Strategy Use

Abstract

The study investigated the effects of aligning vocabulary teaching practices with learners' learning strategy preferences on their perceptions of strategy use. The study consisted of two phases. In the first descriptive phase, data was collected from 74 students through a questionnaire and interviews with eight top-performing students. The questionnaire used a zero-to-five scale, and a one-sample t-test compared the observed mean with the expected mean (X=3). The interview data was thematically interpreted alongside the questionnaire data. The majority of students preferred 18 different vocabulary learning strategies assessed through questionnaire and interview. In the second phase, a quasi-experimental design was adopted using these 18 strategies. The experimental group received intervention aligned with their learning strategy preferences, while the control group used the conventional method. Pre- and post-questionnaires and interviews were used to assess the groups' perceptions of the learning strategies. An independent sample t-test analyzed the questionnaire data, and the interview data were qualitatively analyzed. Before the intervention, the experimental and control groups' average mean scores were not statistically significant (p > 0.05), indicating similar perceptions of vocabulary learning strategies (X= 2.892 and X = 2.878), respectively. After the intervention, the groups' mean scores were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The experimental group had a significantly higher average mean score (X = 4.364) compared to the control group (X = 2.878). This highlights the significant contribution of aligning vocabulary teaching practices with students' learning strategy preferences in improving their perceptions of strategy.