A Phenomenological Study: Exploring Chinese Junior High School Students' Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Using Game-based Technology to Learn English in an English as Foreign Language Classroom in Shanghai, China (EFL-C)

William Clifton Green II

doi:10.17918/jh3c-2y67

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to determine the effectiveness of a video game called Scribblenauts based on the lived experiences of 30 junior high school, lower secondary Chinese speaking students in Shanghai. The problem in this study was the need to understand English language acquisition, problem solving and critical thinking skills as well as collaboration using game-based learning in China classrooms based on the lived experiences of Chinese Junior High School students who were enrolled at a language-training center studying English as a foreign language in Shanghai, China. In China, secondary school starts from grade six until grade twelve. The study was organized on the premise that video games help and motivate students learn constructively and autonomously as well as develop learners' communicative and academic competencies. This study explored how game-based learning becomes manifest in four dimensions comprising affective, behavioral, cognitive and social/cultural engagement. Game-based learning was explored in light of the Chinese middle school students' learning context. The overall organization of the literature review was based on three research questions that provided a rationale for the research questions. The research questions were: 1. How do Chinese junior high school, lower secondary school English as Foreign Language (EFL) students describe the influence of a video game on their ability to acquire English? 2. How do Chinese junior high school, lower secondary school English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners describe how playing video games contributes to developing skills such as creativity, innovation, and problem solving while acquiring English? 3. How do Chinese junior high school, lower secondary school English as Foreign Language (EFL) students describe their collaboration with peers while playing a video game? The researcher employed three focus groups of 10 students each to analyze 30 students' perceptions about how Scribblenauts promotes language learning and skill development (e.g. critical thinking) through the transcription of interview data. Student assignment portfolios were used to collect data about the participants' experiences playing video games. In addition, the researcher conducted 10 interviews as well as coded and generated themes based on the participants' responses. The study found that Scribblenauts, through its multiple solution in-game puzzle prompt activities, motivated and enabled students to engage in persistent, collaborative gameplay that stimulated vocabulary development as well as promoted student creativity and problem-solving skills. Chinese Junior high school students preferred utilizing games like Scribblenauts to traditional teacher-led forms of instruction because they believed the ability to take-action in the game was exciting. They further believed being able to brainstorm multiple solutions to problems helped them to learn as they explored the video game. This study concluded the following points: 1. Games like Scribbelnauts can be useful in the classroom for promoting creativity and collaborative problem solving when the level of game play allows students to understand what is to be achieved while motivating students to be persistent through giving them choices when responding to the challenges and feedback within the game. 2. The sustained interest of the student in the game and its relevant topics as well as the ability of learner to enter a state of flow while attempting to creatively solve problems in the game has a positive effect on students' language learning while they are immersed in the game. 3. Students are active in determining the value of using technology in the classroom in comparison to traditional methods utilized by teachers. In order for students to choose technology over traditional ways of learning, they need to perceive the technological learning experience as engaging as well as pedagogically meaningful. 4. Students perceive the ability to be creative, explore and take-action in game play as critical to the development of their creativity and problem-solving skills. Key recommendations from this study are that schools should create embedded course curricula objectives that center on using game-based learning technology to teach English. Schools should also allow students a voice in determining which technology should be utilized in the classroom as well as train staff and invest in resources to ensure all students have the opportunity to use technology. This study concludes that future research should increase the number and variety of participants in studies that utilize puzzle prompt video games, provide more structure for group activities, connect such games to school curricula objectives as well as be longitudinal in nature.

A Phenomenological Study: Exploring Chinese Junior High School Students' Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Using Game-based Technology to Learn English in an English as Foreign Language Classroom in Shanghai, China (EFL-C)

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A Phenomenological Study: Exploring Chinese Junior High School Students' Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Using Game-based Technology to Learn English in an English as Foreign Language Classroom in Shanghai, China (EFL-C)

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