The purpose of this research was to find out the perceptions of teachers and students when using "Kahoot!" in vocabulary teaching and learning.. The research investigated fifty teachers
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Vocabulary represents one of the most important skills required for foreign language teaching and learning It is the basis for developing all other skills such as reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling, and pronunciation Vocabulary is the main tool for students to use English effectively Wilkins (1972) argued: ―Without grammar little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed.‖ (pp 111–
112) Indeed, people need to use words in order to express themselves in any language The teacher has an essential role in helping students to improve their vocabulary Nowadays, there is a great variety of activities for teachers to use for vocabulary presentation and practice Vocabulary is no longer treated as an add-on and teachers become more aware of the importance of vocabulary and attention is paid to the grammar of words, collocations, and to word frequency To address students' vocabulary learning needs, some digital learning tools, including "Kahoot!", have been introduced as a means to enhance students' ability to acquire vocabulary and retain vocabulary Particularly as students develop greater fluency and expression in English, it is significant for them to acquire more productive vocabulary knowledge and to develop their own personal vocabulary learning strategies To fulfill students' need for vocabulary learning, numerous digital learning tools, such as "Kahoot!", have been launched as a way to improve students' vocabulary acquisition and retention
In the context of integration and globalization in Vietnam, language instruction and improvement, particularly in English, is a major concern Students who receive context-based, multi-sense instruction often show statistically and educationally significant increases in their vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension compared to students who do not These benefits are most evident in reading comprehension This is inconsistent with Harmer (2001) stating that vocabulary is considered as the core of the language Students need to know the words in context to see how they are used during the interaction As vocabulary plays an important role, as a basic component of language proficiency (Richard & Renandya, 2002), it provides much of the basis for how well learners speak, listen, write, and read Nevertheless, due to a number of difficulties, English language instruction in Vietnam has not been as successful as hoped One of the most serious issues is that, despite the importance of vocabulary in learning English, the instructor cannot devote much time in the classroom to teaching vocabulary due to time constraints and other factors As a result, providing students with a choice of learning resources and assisting them in becoming self-sufficient learners is critical As a result, the use of technology in the classroom, particularly the usage of mobile phones in teaching and learning, is promoted Numerous mobile apps have been launched to facilitate the teaching and learning process in Vietnam as a result of the integration of information technology (IT) in education The issue is that there have been few researches in Vietnam on the use of mobile vocabulary applications for language teaching and learning in high school Therefore, the use of "Kahoot!" App in the classroom was conducted through teachers and their perceptions were clarified According to Gibson (1996), teacher perception is the process of how teachers see or understand the phenomena that occur in the classroom during the teaching and learning process In this study, teachers' perceptions are needed to know the teachers' point of view about the use of "Kahoot!" App in the teaching and learning process The teachers look at the activities taking place in the classroom and then they give their opinions and also the teacher's perceptions arise based on their experiences Nowadays, the use of "Kahoot!" in the classroom is not very common in Vietnam When there is an English class in school, some high schools use it to teach classes on English language proficiency, including reading, speaking, and writing As a result, in order to fill a research gap perceived to use "Kahoot!" in improving L2 learners' vocabulary knowledge in the context of high schools in Vietnam, this study aims to investigate teachers' and students' perceptions in teaching and learning vocabulary.
Aim of the study
The research is aimed at investigating teachers as well as students’ perceptions toward using "Kahoot!" App for teaching and learning vocabulary at high schools in Quy Nhon City.
Objectives of the study
The objectives of this research are as follows:
1) To find out the teachers’ perception toward the use of "Kahoot!" Application in teaching vocabulary
2) To identify students’ perception on the use of "Kahoot!" Application in learning vocabulary.
Research questions
The current study aims at investigating teachers’ and students’ perception of the use of "Kahoot!" App for teaching and learning The following research questions are proposed:
1) What are teachers’ perceptions on the use of "Kahoot!" App for teaching vocabulary?
2) What are students’ perceptions on the use of "Kahoot!" App for learning vocabulary?
Scope of the study
The research focused on EFL teachers and students at high schools in Quy Nhon City who use "Kahoot!" App for their learning and teaching practices The goal of the study was to find out how teachers and students perceived the use of "Kahoot!" App for teaching and learning at high schools in Quy Nhon City as well as their challenges they faced during teaching and learning vocabulary process It only looked at the fifty teachers who used
"Kahoot!" App to teach vocabulary and one hundred and twenty students who already used the app to learn vocabulary.
Significance of the study
It is hoped that the research is beneficial to both teachers and students The researcher expects the "Kahoot!" App to be an effective tool used and applied by teachers in teaching vocabulary in a more interesting and engaging way For students, this study is intended to assist them to acquire vocabulary successfully and make their learning motivation increase in learning English.
Organization of the study
The research is presented in five chapters: Introduction, Literature Review, and Research Method, Research findings and Discussion, Conclusions and Implications
Chapter one provides some background knowledge of the study Then it presents the purpose as well as the research questions and the significance of the study Finally, it describes the organization of the study
Chapter two explores several underlying theoretical constructs that framed this study It also examines the relevant literature regarding 1) the vocabulary in language learning, 2) motivation, 3) "Kahoot!" App, and 4) related studies on the usefulness of "Kahoot!" App in vocabulary learning
Chapter three explains the research method Firstly, it presents the research hypotheses of the present study Secondly, it describes the research design and the participants of the study Thirdly, it introduces the research instruments used to collect data for the study Lastly, this chapter will come to an end with the procedure to conduct the study and the methods of data analysis
Chapter four reports the results of the study First of all, the information collected from the questionnaire will be analyzed Secondly, the data of the face-to-face semi-structured interviews will be analyzed in order to give more explanations for the findings of the study Finally, the teachers' and students' perceptions as well as their challenges when applying this app are presented
Chapter five makes a conclusion of the report of the study First, it will interpret these findings and discuss interference to the previous studies Then, it will suggest the research implications Finally, the limitations of the study and the suggestions for future research will be the last part of this chapter.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Vocabulary
Reading, speaking, listening, and writing are the four skills that any language requires In order to master a language, learners must master three components: grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, in addition to become proficient in these four abilities Vocabulary is central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their ideas Wilkins (1972) claims ― while without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed‖ (pp 111–112) Lewis (1993) went further to argue, ―Lexis is the core or heart of language‖ (p 89) It is critical for students to acquire more productive vocabulary knowledge and strengthen their vocabulary learning practices as their fluency and expression in English improves Nation (2001) further describes the relationship between lexical knowledge and language use as complementary: language use is enabled by lexical knowledge, and the lead language is utilized to expand vocabulary knowledge Researchers such as Laufer and Nation (1999), Maximo (2000), Read (2000), Gu (2003), Marion (2008) and Nation (2001), and others have realized that the vocabulary is essential for successful second language use and plays an important role in the formation of complete spoken and written texts Hence, vocabulary is ultimate expression Having a massive vocabulary will enable you to communicate and express yourself clearly Language vocabulary is also equivalent to thinking vocabulary, emphasizing that you will be able to think concisely While much of your vocabulary is built during childhood, it is certain to stabilize once you leave the education profession To keep your vocabulary in order and expand after this time, it's a good idea to read, play word games, or even set yourself a goal to learn a new word every day
Many linguists believe that vocabulary is one of the most basic factors of learning a second language Linse (2016, p.121) stated ―vocabulary is the collection of words that an individual knows‖: A vocabulary can be defined as a set of words or phrases that can be used to describe things in communication, hence, people have to know the vocabulary in order to communicate with others Teaching vocabulary is necessary for teachers, especially English skills
In addition, Schmitt (2008) stated teaching and learning should be a long-term process of explicitly repeating the vocabulary acquired for the duration of the course Similarly, according to Harmer (2001), vocabulary is the most essential element of a language If language structures form the skeleton of the language, he claims that vocabulary provides the vital organs and flesh Furthermore, lexical knowledge is important for communicative skills and the acquisition of a second language (Schmitt, 2000) In addition, Thornton and Houser (2005) showed that mobile devices will so be effective tools for delivering learning materials to leaners
Vocabulary acquisition is a prolonged and iterative process that involves the integration of several types of knowledge as well as the development of various levels of ability to apply that knowledge in communication (Paribakht and Wesche, 1999) Likewise, according to Alquatani (2015), vocabulary learning is seen as a necessary component of language learning As a result, many researchers believe that a full mastery of vocabulary knowledge is a trustworthy indicator of language acquisition success Thornburry (2002) argues that learners who spend a lot of time studying grammar do not make much progress, but that having more vocabulary and phrases will help them grow because they can practically explain everything with words even if they do not speak much grammar
To sum up, the primary factor for communication ability is vocabulary, and a lack of vocabulary can lead to ineffective communication A student with insufficient vocabulary will not perform well in all aspects of language itself (Susanto, 2017) In other words, having a sufficient vocabulary is the foundation for effective language development
Learning vocabulary is unquestionably important when learning a language Many studies have been conducted in order to determine how vocabulary should be taught and what the most effective teaching and learning techniques are People have debated whether vocabulary should be taught casually or deliberately Deliberate vocabulary development demands conscious effort to build up new target terms, whereas casual vocabulary learning refers to gain vocabulary automatically through frequent exposure in communicative activities
Many studies show that there is no single efficient approach to teach and learn vocabulary However, combining two paradigms of implicit and explicit learning may be the most effective way to teach vocabulary, and this is how most contemporary vocabulary learning systems work (Ma and Kelly,
2006) Cristina (2010) affirms that, ―Vocabulary is picked up unintentionally through indirect exposure to words and through explicit instruction on purpose in specific words and word learning strategies‖ (p 170) In the education sector, providing students with traditional methods of learning vocabulary is less effective than teaching them vocabulary learning approaches that allow them to gain vocabulary knowledge on their own As shown by Schmitt (2000), just pre-teaching vocabulary may not have a major impact on vocabulary learning Students should use strategies for learning outside of the classroom to improve their vocabulary learning (Schmitt, 2000; Nation, 2001)
As seen by Ahmed (1989), there are four basic kinds of vocabulary acquisition tactics: (1) memorizing strategies, (2) practice and dictionary strategies, (3) note-taking strategies, and (4) group work strategies Gu (2010) discovered a high link between vocabulary knowledge and the use of vocabulary acquisition strategies Teng (2015) agrees with this conclusion and adds that using a vocabulary learning technique increases word learning Although gender differences in vocabulary learning strategies have been identified, researchers have debated whether gender differences in vocabulary achievement exist While Gu (2002) finds that female learners outperform male classmates in vocabulary learning, Llach and Gallego (2012) conclude that there is no difference in vocabulary retention between female and male learners
Students are frequently aware of the significance of vocabulary in their language study Vocabulary instruction assists students in comprehending and communicating in English Although most English students will agree, acquiring vocabulary also helps students in becoming competent in English for their specific reasons Students will benefit from a large vocabulary as they learn English and its four main skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing Richards and Renandya (2002) thought that vocabulary is important in foreign language learning and competency because it affects how well learners speak, listen, read, and write Brown, (2001, cited in Utami, 2014), however, emphasizes the importance of vocabulary in communication by claiming that survival-level communication can be highly intelligible when people merely connect words together without using any grammatical rules Because languages are built on words, teaching words is an important part of learning a language (Thornbury, 2002) Without words, learning a language is practically difficult; even human-to-human communication is predicated on words Both teachers and students believe that learning new words is an important part of learning a language (Walters, 2004) In assessing students’ vocabulary mastery, Schmitt and McCharty (1997) stated that information that is both receptive and productive Words that learners recognize and comprehend when they occur in context are referred to as receptive knowledge, whereas productive knowledge refers to words that learners understand, are able to pronounce correctly, and utilize productively in speaking and writing It is thought that measuring students' receptive vocabulary is more relevant because language is first taken receptively
One of the most controversial aspects of teaching English as a foreign language is vocabulary instruction Teachers face challenges as the teaching and learning process expands They're having trouble figuring out how to instruct students in a way that produces satisfactory results Teachers should plan advance and explore the best approaches to use with students A skilled teacher should be well-versed in a variety of current teaching methods Teachers must be able to master the material in order for students to understand them and get involved and enthusiastic about the teaching and learning process in the classroom Teachers should be conscious that teaching vocabulary is a new and different experience from the students' native language They must also consider that teaching English to young learners differs from teaching English to adults Teachers must be aware of the features of their students They must also develop good procedures and appropriate material in order to achieve the language teaching goal
Furthermore, the usage of media can assist teachers in delivering topics in a relevant and personalized manner It will be "Kahoot!" App is intended to boost students' motivation to learn English vocabulary questions in this study
It could be a different way to make learning English vocabulary more enjoyable in the classroom
2.1.3 Vocabulary learning and vocabulary memorizing
Memory, according to cognitive psychologist Margaret W Matlin, is the "process of retaining information through time." Others have referred to it as the ability to predict our future path based on our past experiences Memory has been divided into three categories by psychologists: sensory, short-term, and long-term memory Mitchell (1979) affirmed that long-term memory entails the consideration and arrangement of complicated knowledge and information from further reference and cognitive processing Based on the most recent Schmitt (2000), the most common method of transferring information from short-term memory to long-term memory happens when some previously stored information in the long-term memory is compatible with the new knowledge These findings are in accordance with earlier neurological research
Baddeley (1990) stated that repeating language over longer periods of time permits our brain to regenerate neurochemical components that enable long-term memory This method is also motivated by a constant theme in the literature on vocabulary learning: language development requires repetition or recycling (Nation, 2001; Schmitt, 2008) Although the precise number of repetitions is unknown and varied, teaching and learning should be a long- term process of explicitly repeating the vocabulary learnt throughout the course (Schmitt, 2008)
Vocabulary is not explicitly taught in many second language classes, and students are usually expected to learn vocabulary on their own without much guidance In those instances when vocabulary is taught in second language classes, it is often taught poorly or unsystematically, for example, by presenting word list for memorization In the context of vocabulary instruction in China, memorization of a vocabulary list is fairly common Li
Motivation
Motivation is the term used to describe the factors driving conduct that is marked by enthusiasm and spirit Motivation refers to ―the reasons underlying behavior‖ (Guay et al., 2010, p 712) Besides, according to Dornyei (2001), motivation is a process in which a specific amount of instigation force emerges, commences action, and persists as long as no other force emerges to diminish it and therefore terminate action, or until the desired outcome is achieved He (2001) further said that most language learners who are truly determined to learn a foreign/second language will be able to achieve a reasonable working knowledge of the language at the very least, regardless of their language aptitude According to Harmer (2001), there are two sorts of motivation to regard: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation They are presented below
Intrinsic motivation is a type of motivation that comes from within an individual Hence, a person may be motivated by a desire to improve oneself or by the enjoyment of the learning process itself (Harmer, 2001, p.51) What’s more, intrinsic motivation is described as doing something for the purpose of doing it rather than for a specific outcome Furthermore, it is a motivation that stems from a person's satisfaction, interest, or pleasure Deci et al (1999) argued, ―Intrinsic motivation energizes and sustains activities through the spontaneous satisfaction inherent in effective volitional action It is manifest in behaviors such as play, exploration, and challenge seeking that people often do for external rewards‖ (p 658) For instance, a child may play outside — jumping, running, skipping – just because it is enjoyable and pleasant
Intrinsic motivation was first discovered in animal behavior experiments, where it was shown that many organisms engage in exploratory, playful, and curious behaviors even when no reinforcement or reward is provided (White, 1959) Intrinsic motivation is not the exclusive type of motivation or even collective action in humans, but it is a common and significant one Although intrinsic motivation occurs in certain ways within individuals, it also exists in interpersonal relationships and activities In essence, human beings are motivated for some tasks but not for others, and not everyone is intrinsically motivated for every work
Because intrinsic motivation arises in the interaction between a person and a task, some authors have defined it in terms of the enjoyment a human derives from intrinsically motivated task involvement The social environment, on the other side, must nurture intrinsic motivation in order for it to flourish The perception of intrinsic motivation is influenced by social contexts, which affect perceived autonomy and competence In general, intrinsic motivation is increased when the social context supports autonomy by enhancing an internal perceived locus of causality (i.e., the activity derives from personal choice and internal causation rather than external pressure) The concept of intrinsic motivation was proposed as a significant response to two behavioral theories that dominated experimental psychology from the 1940s to the 1960s, which explains why there are so many diverse definitions It's vital to note that intrinsic motivation only occurs for activities that provide an individual with an intrinsic advantage — for example, activities which provide novelty, challenge, or aesthetic value
Acording to Deci and Ryan (1985), Self-determination theory (SDT), intrinsic exists within a person rather than as a result of an interaction with an activity Furthermore, SDT clearly conflates intrinsic motivation (enjoying the activity) and achievement motivation (wanting to achieve something) (pursuing goals and challenges), when intrinsic motivation is defined as ―the inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise one's capacities, to explore, and to learn‖ (Ryan & Deci, 2000, p 70)
According to extrinsic motivation, the cost of doing a behavior is simply the cost of accomplishing a goal that is unrelated to the action itself It's a construct that's attached to any activity that's done to attain a distinct consequence As a result, extrinsic motivation differs from intrinsic motivation, which refers to doing a basic task for the sake of doing it rather than for its utility value
Extrinsic motivation is multifaceted, ranging from fully external (e.g., washing dishes to earn money) to completely internal (e.g., washing dishes to earn money) (e.g engage in recycling because it makes a person aware of their responsibility to the environment as a citizen)
Extrinsic motivation is defined as behavior that involves means-ends relationships; it is the act of doing something in order to gain future benefit (or avoid some future disvalue) because humans must survive in the long run, acting for the future is not only not inferior to other forms of motivation, as some argue, but it is also necessary for happiness and survival (e.g., see Locke, 2018a)
Extrinsic does not mean outside of the person, but rather outside of the task; it refers to the value that a certain activity can provide (Rheinberg & Engeser, 2018) They assumed that attaining goals might lead to future benefits, but the pleasure one gets from task performance, development, or mastery is at the core of achievement motivation because so much human action is viewed as a means to an end to varied degrees, it spans a wide range of action-outcome interactions (i.e., instrumentality) In addition, extrinsic motivation, when it leads individuals to think, plan, and act in the long term, should help to prevent or reduce stress and put people on the path to life happiness, to the extent that it is under their control There are, of course, exceptions If one's value choices are centered on impressing others or overcoming self-doubt by flaunting one's wealth (Locke & Kenner, 2016), one has relinquished control of one's life and may live a life of quiet desperation
According to Self- Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985; Ryan and Deci, 2000), it has the ability to provide a wealth of information about how people acquire and internalize their motives Extrinsic motivation can be inside or beyond the self, depending on the degree of self-determination by which goals are desired, adding to the complexity in Self-determination theory This theory also argues a set of extrinsic motives that change in degree of internalization External regulation, in its most extreme form, refers to behavior that is predominantly influenced by extrinsic influences (e.g deadlines, rewards, directives, penalties).Because this form of conduct is primarily motivated by external demands, motivation and causality for behavior are external rather than internal Introjected regulation is when external pressure is partially redirected inward but not fully adopted or internalized This form of drive appears to be well-controlled, yet it stems from an internal sense of pressure rather than external pressure Identified regulation is a more autonomous sort of extrinsic incentive that refers to the point at which conduct is self-certified and governed internally (Ryan and Deci, 2000) When individual values or identities are linked to the outcome of an action, this type of regulation occurs Lastly, integrated regulation, the most independent kind of extrinsic motivation, refers to simply behavior internalization Integrated motivation feels natural to the self; it's almost as if it's a form of self-expression and identity As a result, a sense of personal and psychological integration is connected to integrated behavior (Weinstein et al
2011) Integrated regulation remains extrinsic despite its great internalization since it serves to express anything other than pure interest or interest Aspects of determinism are present in the theory We regard will autonomy as an axiom, but others regard it as a requirement (Locke, 2018) We also do not see monetary incentives in the same way that SDT does We suggest that humans have the power to pick their own objectives through thinking, and that external pressures or incentives must act through the value standards that one has chosen or accepted, in line with our earlier definition of motivation
Gardner, Lalonde, and Moorcroft (1985) evaluated the impact of 170 students from an introductory psychology course's aptitude and integrative motivation on their acquisition rate of 25 French/English word pairs They discovered that those with a strong integrative motivation learned faster than those with a low integrative motivation, among other things Apart from these findings, a recent study trend focuses on the impact of the task's motivational and cognitive burden on the learners' lexical ability In this vein, Laufer and Hulstijn (2001) propose the participation load theory, which states that the larger the task's cognitive and motivational burden, the more successful it is at increasing lexical competence According to Kim (2008), the greater the cognitive-motivational index in the task, the better the results in the early stages of vocabulary learning and in the retention of new words will be They also discovered that the activity's participation load, rather than the task itself, is the most important component in vocabulary learning Tseng and Schmitt
(2008) believe that motivation should be regarded as a dynamic element with multiple stages, and that each of these stages will affect the process of language acquisition, which is also dynamic, in different ways
As a result, both types of motivation can lead to people engaging in an action Furthermore, when students use the ―Kahoot!‖ App to teach and acquire vocabulary, it has been linked to a variety of positive student outcomes, such as increased academic motivation, pleasant emotions, persistence, information processing, well-being, and academic success
Educators must employ effective learning materials that are also loved by students when teaching Learning while playing is a form of media that can capture a student's interest Understanding learning media is a method or set of educational resources that can be utilized as an intermediary in the learning process to improve the efficacy and efficiency of accomplishing learning goals The advantages of learning media include the ability to attract more students, encourage them, and generate a range of learning approaches
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research hypotheses
The study was based on theories of vocabulary teaching and learning along with the previous studies on the use of ―Kahoot!‖ in teaching and learning vocabulary The research suggested the hypotheses of the present study as follow:
1 It is hypothesized that teachers have positive attitudes toward the use of ―Kahoot!‖ in teaching vocabulary
2 It is hypothesized that students find it motivating to learn vocabulary with the use of the application.
Research design
Creswell (2009) stated that research design is defined as a plan and procedure which the researcher can use with complete data collection and analysis methods Based on the research questions, the approach which is employed during this research is both qualitative and quantitative research This study focused on the teachers and students’ perception of the use of
―Kahoot!‖ App in the teaching-learning process
According to Ary (2006), the qualitative method excels in producing detailed textual descriptions of how people feel about a particular research topic Qualitative researchers focus on the whole picture rather than breaking it down into factors in order to better comprehend a phenomenon Rather than a numerical examination of data, the goal is to get a holistic picture and a deeper understanding
Mack (2005) claimed that qualitative approaches are useful for discovering intangible aspects like societal norms, socioeconomic position, gender roles, race, and religion, which may not be immediately obvious in the study problem Qualitative research is also concerned with the study of social phenomena and the expression of the feelings and perspectives of the participants This is founded on the premise that knowledge emerges from social contexts and that comprehending social knowledge is a genuine scientific procedure
Following Lexy (2000), there are many different sorts of qualitative research, including:
1 Conduct biographical study on an individual if the material is available and the person being studied is willing to offer information
2 Ethnographic research is used to study human behavior in a natural setting
3 Investigating phenomena is often known as seeking out or learning about the significance of the core or fundamental elements of life
4 Historical investigation is done into past events
5 Investigation of a "unity system" is done through case studies The system's unity may be referred to as a program, activity, event, or collection of individuals associated with a specific location, period of time, or tie
The author employs a case study in this study One of the types of qualitative approaches is the case study It is an empirical investigation into a current phenomenon in its real-life setting, when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not obvious, and numerous sources of evidence are utilized It was conducted by going over how to collect data, analyze it, compute it, draw a conclusion, and write a report In this study, the type of case study is a descriptive case study According to Bruce (2001), descriptive case explorations necessitate the investigator presenting a descriptive theory, which serves as the general framework for the investigation The formulation and identification of a feasible theoretical perspective before enunciating research topics is implied by this approach According to the aforesaid theoretical explanation, the researcher clarifies the research concerns using a qualitative technique, particularly case study procedures This research method is used to have a better grasp of the research problem The researcher preferred to employ a qualitative method to examine teachers' and students' perceptions of the use of the ―Kahoot!‖ App in the teaching-learning process in order to achieve a deeper understanding
Quantitative research methods focus on objective measurements and statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data acquired through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, as well as modifying pre-existing statistical data using computing tools Quantitative research is concerned with collecting numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people or explaining a phenomenon Introduction, literature and theory, methodology, results, and commentary are all included in the final written report
The survey's second section had 20 items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, indicating the following values: (Strongly agree: 5 points, agree: 4 points, Unsure: 3 points, disagree: 2 points, strongly disagree: 1 point) Attention and focus (3 items), interaction and engagement (3 items), motivation and competition (4 items), and learning and knowledge retention
(3 items) are the five areas (3 items) amusement and pleasure (3 items)
In contrast to qualitative data, which aims to comprehend (Punch
2009), quantitative data aims to make numerical generalizations about a phenomenon (Creswell 2014) As a result, a self-report measure (survey) was created using Google Forms to determine which variables Emirati students encountered the most while playing ―Kahoot!‖ The goal of the study and general questions to identify participant demographic information such as age, gender, and English proficiency level were included in the first section of the survey Before distributing the survey, it was revised and piloted During the piloting phase, spelling errors were detected, and ambiguous statements were reworded Initially, the survey was constructed in English but later it was decided to translate it into Vietnamese as the majority of the participants are in the introductory level of the English program
To collect data for the study, questionnaires and semi-structured interview were conducted to document in-depth information about the participation in ―Kahoot!‖ activities and perceptions of teachers and students towards the use of ―Kahoot!‖ App for vocabulary teaching and learning.
Participants
The participants involved in this research are English teachers who use
―Kahoot!‖ App in their teaching in the classroom in high schools in Quy Nhon City The number of teachers who uses ―Kahoot!‖ App in Quy Nhon City is 50 All of them were surveyed in the form of questionnaire, in this study, 5 (five) of them agreed to be the participants who were invited to be interviewed to give relevant answers to the research questions Each interview lasted ten to fifteen minutes
The participants in this study were chosen through purposive sampling by the researcher Purposive sampling is a method of selecting individuals who have certain features that the researcher requires Purposive sampling, according to Sugiyono (2010), is a technique for determining research samples with certain considerations aimed at making the data obtained later more representative and focuses on specific characteristics of the population that are of interest, allowing the researcher to best answer the research question Furthermore, according to Arikunto (2010: 183), "purposive sampling is the process of picking a sample by taking a subject that is taken depending on the specific objective rather than the level or region." In this study, however, the researcher asked five teachers who utilized ―Kahoot!‖ App in the teaching vocabulary process to be interviewed in order to provide appropriate responses to the research questions
This study was completed in high schools in Quy Nhon City The study involved 120 students of three grades at high schools in Quy Nhon City: 10 th grade, 11 th grade, 12 th grade who are taught English through ―Kahoot!‖ App by their teachers in classrooms Five students who use ―Kahoot!‖ App in the learning process agreed to be interviewed to give relevant answers to the research questions Each interview lasted ten to fifteen minutes
The participants in this study were picked by the researcher using purposive sampling However, in this study, the researcher interviewed five students who were taught using ―Kahoot!‖ In order to offer acceptable responses to the research questions, EFL students were questioned about their use of an app in the vocabulary acquisition process.
Instruments
In this research, two instruments were employed: questionnaire and interview
According to Sugiyono (2016), the researcher stated about the questionnaire and interview that a questionnaire is a tool for gathering information on a group of people's feelings, beliefs, experiences, perceptions, and attitudes It could be structured or unstructured as a data collection tool Most of the time, the questionnaire was a fairly short, pre-planned set of questions designed to provide precise information in order to address a specific demand for research material on a relevant issue Respondents from a comparable interest area were used to gather data for the study In addition, the researcher claimed that an interview is a meeting between two people in which they exchange information and ideas through questions and responses, resulting in communication and mutual development of meaning about a certain issue It is vital to construct the initial outline of the main issues that will be asked as instructions for the implementation of the interview in order for the data acquired through the technique of the objective of the interview to be complete and well in accordance with the research objective
The purpose of the questionnaire is to find out how teachers and students feel about the role of ―Kahoot!‖ App in teaching and learning English ,moreover, the tactics they use to teach and learn vocabulary As a result, there were two questionnaires: one for students and one for teachers The results of the questionnaire were confirmed by a semi - structured interview with a few of the respondents The questionnaire was administered to the teachers and students using ―Kahoot!‖ App
The first part of the questionnaire is about general information of the participants such as their age, their sex, their time for teaching English on
―Kahoot!‖ App The second part of the questionnaire is based on a five-point Likert scale, which was adapted from the questionnaire construction models designed by Bauer-Razamani (2015) The researcher can gather data using this scale on how frequently ―Kahoot!‖ App as a tool for learning and teaching vocabulary is used by both teachers and students
The items of this questionnaire are also created according to those 3 categories to reveal the perceptions of the teachers about the teaching vocabulary with ―Kahoot!‖ App
The first cluster is twenty close-ended items which were adapted from User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) by Schrepp (2013) It covers all the information needed to answer the two research questions This cluster includes for a degree of agreement in using ―Kahoot!‖ App In this cluster, close-ended items were used for these reasons First, they are simple to comprehend, so respondents do not have to spend much time reading the questions over and over and closed-ended questions are easy to answer Second, closed ended questions provide superior insight when data is acquired and has to be compared Third, since closed-ended questions may be quantified, statistical analysis becomes much easier Last, as the questions are simple, it is much more probable that respondents will react to sensitive or even personal topics
Secondly, the fourth cluster encompasses 20 items to measure teachers’ attitudes toward using ―Kahoot!‖ App in learning vocabulary, such as ―I enjoy teaching vocabulary with ―Kahoot!‖ App.‖ and ―I intend to teach English vocabulary with ―Kahoot!‖ App in the future.‖ These 15 items are divided into 3 small clusters to investigate participants’ affective attitudes, cognitive attitudes and behavioral attitudes This cluster includes five degrees of agreement or disagreement (Strongly Disagree/ Disagree/ Unsure/ Agree/ Strongly Agree)
The third cluster consists of three open-ended questions The questions are about (1) the benefits of using ―Kahoot!‖ App, (2) the weaknesses of using ―Kahoot!‖ App in class, and (3) their suggestion of using ―Kahoot!‖ App
According to Ary (2010), one of the most extensively used and fundamental strategies for acquiring data in qualitative research is interviewing It is also used to gather data from people in their own words regarding their thoughts, beliefs, and feelings about circumstances As a result, the researcher used interviews as the second instrument in this study Essentially, the interview session was used to strengthen, clarify, and validate the responses to the questionnaire that was provided to respondents, resulting in a stronger deep response from the questionnaire
A semi-structured interview is a meeting in which the interviewer does not strictly adhere to a pre-determined set of questions Instead of a straight question and response approach, they will offer more open-ended questions, allowing for a debate with the interviewee The interviewer may prepare a list of questions but will not necessarily ask all of them or discuss them in any specific order, instead using them to lead the conversation In other circumstances, the interviewer will just have a list of general questions to ask Two-way dialogue is encouraged by the semi-structured interview method Both the interviewer and the candidate have the opportunity to ask questions, allowing for a thorough discussion of all relevant topics Because of the casual tone, the candidate may feel more at ease discussing approaches and experiences that will highlight the qualities that make them a good fit for the job
The semi-structured interview was administrated after the questionnaire had been carried out This interview gives the researcher a deeper understanding of the entire process of the teachers’ teaching on ―Kahoot!‖ App as well as teachers’ experience and perception of using ―Kahoot!‖ App in teaching vocabulary The researcher interviewed 5 out of 50 teachers who use this app in their teaching process It was expected that the participants would share their thoughts on ―Kahoot!‖ App's best and worst features, what they liked or disliked about the App, what challenges they encountered while using it and suggested how to improve teaching vocabulary with ―Kahoot!‖ App to get better achievements.
Data collection and data analysis
The data for this study was gathered through a Google-Form questionnaire and interview The technique for gathering data in this study is outlined below
The questionnaire was conducted on fifty English teachers and one hundred and twenty two students who use ―Kahoot!‖ App in their teaching and learning process Then the questionnaire was conducted to investigate teachers as well as students’ attitude toward using ―Kahoot!‖ in teaching and learning vocabulary Five teachers and five students would have a semi- structured interview with the researcher to gain further information
An interview is usually a face-to-face conversation between the researcher and the respondent that involves transferring information to the interviewer (Creswell, 2012) Interviews can be done one-on-one and more than one-on-one informal dialogue Alternatively, it can be held over the phone and the internet In this study, the researchers conducted face-to-face interviews The interviewer asks the stories or experiences of the participants Although the interview is informally set up, it focuses on the interview context The research tool in this study is the interview (in-depth interview) as the main data collection technique ―The in-depth interview is a technique that involves conducting intensive individual interviews with a small number of respondents to explore their perspective on a specific idea, program or situation‖ (Boyce and Neale, 2006, p.3)
To obtain in-depth information regarding teachers' perceptions of using
―Kahoot!‖ App in the teaching and learning process, especially in teaching English, the researcher used the semi-structured interview method In this study, there were 5 (six) questions interview regarding the use of ―Kahoot!‖ App for the teachers in the teaching and (five) questions interview for the students in their learning process The interview process took ten to fifteen minutes for each English teacher and each student The researcher collected the data by providing the participants some questions related to the use of
―Kahoot!‖ App in the teaching and learning process especially in teaching English subjects There are several steps to gather the data from the interview:
1 Five teachers were interviewed by the researcher, who used a smartphone recorder to record the interviews
2 In order to facilitate listening and data transcription, audio recordings were downloaded on a laptop
3 The audio file was carefully transcribed by the researcher after attentive listening
4 The data from the interview was analyzed and interpreted by the researcher
5 The interview data was compiled by the researcher to determine the study's conclusions
The analyzing of the data was taken note from the questionnaire There were several options about the answers to the questionnaire itself Every statement had some agreements namely ―Strongly Disagree‖, ―Disagree‖,
―Unsure‖, ―Agree‖, and ―Strongly Agree‖ This research used the most frequent degree of agreement chosen as the way to summarize the data in a frequency distribution
Questionnaire and interview were given after ―Kahoot!‖ App in class Some questions were chosen by the researcher so that teachers could respond and answer each question given An interview was recorded using mobile audio and then transcribed Students were asked to answer honestly according to how they felt before and after ―Kahoot!‖ App The data that had been collected was then analyzed using a descriptive study for purpose classification and summarization
The questionnaire was used to record the first step of data analysis There were numerous alternatives for the responses to the itself questionnaire There were some agreements in each statement, such as "Strongly disagree,"
"Disagree," "Unsure," "Agree," and "Strongly agree." The most common degree of agreement was utilized to summarize the data in a frequency distribution in this study The following is a breakdown of the questionnaire's scoring
To let the writer know what their options were, the participants were supposed to tick on the offered column depending on their own preferences The writer added up all of the scores from each statement and converted the total into a percentage To calculate the findings, a formula was utilized that described the interpreted form of numbers in words The result was in the form of numbers, which would be converted to percentage data using the formula The following is the formula that the researcher employed
This chapter just presented information related to the method used to conduct this study The outcomes of the study would be reported in the following chapter.
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Students’ perception of using "Kahoot!" App on learning vocabulary 53 1 A clear and understandable App
8 students (6,7%) strongly disagree Only 0,9% of them disagree ―Kahoot!‖ App is an interactive game that allows students to learn and test their knowledge It's an entertaining, free, and easy-to-use program for kids who don't just want to learn but also want to have fun ―Kahoot!‖ App is distinct from other vocabulary apps in that it is simple and easy to use The app's material is simple enough for pupils to comprehend, making it more interesting All of these can be seen by the fact the majority of high school students who used the ―Kahoot!‖ App agreed that using the app in class is clear and understandable, according to the study
4.3.2 An enjoyable atmosphere when learning with “Kahoot!” App
The pie chart reveals that 56 students (47,1%) are in agreement and 52 students (43,7%) strongly agree, whereas 3 students (2,5%) are unsure and 7 students (5,9%) strongly disagree Only 1 student (0,8%) disagrees
―Kahoot!‖ App is a fun and engaging interactive game that helps students learn vocabulary The software is well-liked not only by students but also by teachers It is an online game-based learning program that allows teachers to engage their students in the learning process through games The game is fun to play, and it encourages students to undertake additional vocabulary assignments in class The teacher can use ―Kahoot!‖ App to build an interactive quiz as well as share it with the class via the website or mobile app Before their scores are published and they receive comments on how well they did, the class has up to 10 minutes to answer all of the questions Moreover, it allows students to see the definition of a word as well as memorize it This may inspire more students to join in the game and get more invested in it Furthermore, this game motivates pupils who may otherwise be reluctant to participate or speak up in class Thus, that the majority of high school students who used the ―Kahoot!‖ App agreed that using the app in class is understandable It not only stimulates them to undertake more vocabulary assignments in class but also pique their interest in learning new words
4.3.3 An easy and effective teaching aid
Figure 4.16: An effective teaching aid
According to the pie chart, 51 students (42,9%) are in agreement, 58 students (48,7%) have the strongest level of agreement Meanwhile only 6 students (5%) are unsure, while 4 students strongly disagree (3,4%)
―Kahoot!‖ App is a real-time multiplayer game in which participants compete to answer questions as quickly as possible It's a digital game that may be used to teach vocabulary and help kids learn new words For years, ―Kahoot!‖ App has been used in classrooms, but it's now becoming popular as a homeschooling tool The game is convenient to use at home or at school because it can be played on any device with internet connectivity Teachers can construct their own ―Kahoot!‖ by selecting question and response alternatives, as well as the number of rounds and time limit They can also choose whether or not the correct answers are displayed to the players, which is ideal for younger students who are still learning to spell and read This could be possibly the reason why the majority of high school students who used the ―Kahoot!‖ App believed that utilizing it to learn language helps them grasp it better
The pie chart demonstrates that the majority of students (41,7%) agree, accompanied by 59 students (49,2%) who strongly agree, while 5 students (4,2%) are unsure, and the same number of students strongly disagree Only one of them disagrees (0,7%)
With the ―Kahoot!‖ App, students may quickly improve their English vocabulary study skills It is an educational tool that uses games to help students learn new vocabulary and concepts The games are designed to be tough but not too difficult, depending on the learner's skill level The
―Kahoot!‖ App has over 100 games The games are played in teams by students They are given a word and must locate it in the word list Students can also select from two or more options, but they cannot provide the answer themselves The ―Kahoot!‖ App has been used for several years and has considerably improved pupils' vocabularies This can be revealed by the fact that the vast majority of high school students who used the ―Kahoot!‖ App agreed that it increased their English vocabulary and learning English vocabulary with the ―Kahoot!‖ App was simple
4.3.5 A wider range of vocabulary activities
Figure 4.18: A wider variety of vocabulary activities
The majority of the teachers (57%) agree, as indicated by the pie chart, and 39,5% of them strongly agree Meanwhile 9 students (7,6%) are unsure and the six students (5%) strongly disagree ―Kahoot!‖ App is a famous quiz game that can be used to learn vocabulary, according to students The game is beneficial to students because it fosters a competitive atmosphere that encourages them to memorize more vocabulary The ―Kahoot!‖ App can be downloaded and used in class or at home on your computer, tablet, or phone There is a variety of methods to play the game, as well as a variety of topics to investigate with the app This could be why the majority of high school students who used the ―Kahoot!‖ App agreed that it provided them with a greater selection of vocabulary activities
4.3.6 Accessibility by students’ own devices
Figure 4.19: Connecting to the app on their own devices
As shown in the pie chart, the majority of students (46,2%) agree, and 42,7% of them strongly agree This sharply contrasts with only 6% being unsure, 4,3% strongly disagreeing, and 0.8 % disagreeing The ―Kahoot!‖ App is a game-based learning platform that allows students to study vocabulary on their mobile devices The ―Kahoot!‖ App was created to assist teachers in creating quizzes, games, and surveys for their pupils It can also be used for educational and learning reasons From anywhere in the world, students can use the ―Kahoot!‖ App on their mobile devices or desktops They can play games with other gamers from all over the world whenever they wish The program is not only entertaining, but it also serves as a useful tool for learning new terms and definitions Thus, the fact that the majority of high school students who used the ―Kahoot!‖ App agreed that they can access
―Kahoot!‖ App to study vocabulary on their own devices is easy to understand
4.3.7 Students’ preference for written vocabulary lists
The pie chart demonstrates that 42,5% of students are in agreement, with 49 40,8% of them strongly agreeing and 10,8% of students are unsure whereas 5% of them strongly disagree and 0.8% of students that are in disagreement It can be seen form the chart that students prefer to learn vocabulary through written lists The study discovered that there are two basic methods for teaching vocabulary: word-by-word and word-in-context The word-by-word method involves teaching a single word at a time, whereas the word-in-context method involves teaching a complete sentence or paragraph using a list of words They investigated how students learned vocabulary using these two strategies and discovered that children preferred learning vocabulary using printed lists of terms in context In a similar way, as shown above, the vast majority of high school students who used the ―Kahoot!‖ App thought that learning vocabulary through printed lists is preferable
4.3.8 The opportunity to deliver richer content towards using “Kahoot!” App
Figure 4.21: The ability to give deeper content through the use of “Kahoot!”
The pie chart demonstrates 46,2% of the participants agree and 46,2% of them strongly agree In contrast, 3,4% of them are unsure; 0,8% strongly disagrees; and 3,4% are in the middle of the disagreement spectrum Teachers can use ―Kahoot!‖ App to design interactive quizzes to engage students
―Kahoot!‖ App has a number of elements that make it a useful tool for keeping students engaged It can make quizzes, track students' progress, and provide immediate feedback Teachers can use ―Kahoot!‖ App to examine students' knowledge of vocabulary words or to test their understanding of certain concepts That could be seen by the fact the vast majority of high school students who used the ―Kahoot!‖ App believed that it allows them to present greater content
In conclusion, ―Kahoot!‖ App helps students recall what they learned previously and they can use it to assess their understanding The students were able to measure their understanding with second ―Kahoot!‖App's benefit It may help them recall what they have learned by taking the quiz that covers the prior material Furthermore, adopting ―Kahoot!‖ App may encourage students to learn Students may observe the colorful display and the mix of music while exhibiting the question and answer in ―Kahoot!‖ It may also assist students in taking the quiz using a new method of learning rather than the traditional method of using paper They were able to join the course thanks to ―Kahoot!‖ scoring' s mechanism, which allowed it to appear after all of the questions had been answered Then, when utilizing the old-style quiz, they could see their score, but there were instances when they couldn't Finally, ―Kahoot!‖ App creates a positive mood in the classroom The
―Kahoot!‖ method allowed the five students to take the quiz simultaneously but with individual responses, allowing them to develop competency The focus in class was on learning, which was beneficial to the learning process
After collecting the data from the questionnaire, out of the 120 participants, five students (2 male, 3 female) were interviewed to better understand their attitudes regarding utilizing the ―Kahoot!‖ App The advantages and difficulties of doing so were also made clear
Because the potential pool of participants is already limited, the sample size is regarded acceptable for the chosen (purposive) sampling strategy (Marshall 1996) The students who agreed to participate were invited to set aside 20 minutes for a semi-structured interview in which they were asked questions about how "Kahoot!" was used during the course (interviews took twenty mininutes) Students' experiences with ―Kahoot!‖ App and the tool's impact on classroom dynamics, engagement, motivation, and learning were the focus of the questions Students were also encouraged to suggest new ways to use "Kahoot!" and to summarize their overall experience with the app The results of each interview are listed below
A useful App for students’ vocabulary learning
―Kahoot!‖ App may assist students in remembering previously learned content It was also utilized by the teacher to grade the students According to student A and C, they assumed:
“This app helps us remember the previous material."
―Kahoot!‖ App allowed students to assess their knowledge The students might evaluate their understanding by looking at their ―Kahoot!‖ Score As student D and E said:
Summary of the study
The study mainly focused on the teachers and students’ perception on the use of ―Kahoot!‖ App in teaching and learning vocabulary Besides the positive aspects, some drawbacks are presentedm, especially are technical issues of using ―Kahoot!‖ App such as unreliable Internet connections, difficulty reading responses to questions on a projected screen, inability to change answers after submission, stressful time pressure for providing solutions, insufficient time to respond, fear of losing, and difficulty catching up if an incorrect response was provided are among the most significant challenges faced by participants Additionally, educators have stated that determining the level of difficulty of questions and answers, network access concerns, and scoring depending on how quickly understudies react are among the primary challenges that instructors may find tough to overcome.