International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education (Mar 2017)
The effect of simulation on middle school students’ perceptions of classroom activities and their foreign language achievement: A mixed-methods approach
Abstract
The present study delved into a language learning model in the domain of English as a foreign language (EFL), i.e., simulation. The term simulation is used to describe theactivity of producing conditions which are similar to real ones. We hypothesized that simulation plays a role in middle school students’ perceptions of classroom activities (i.e., interest, challenge, choice, and joy). It was also conjectured that simulation affects foreign language achievement. To do so, the study utilized an experimental design consisting of 51 femaleparticipants (25 learners in the control group and 26 students in the experimental group). The results demonstrated the positive role of simulation in students’ perceptions of classroom activities and their language achievement. A semi-structured interview was also held at the end of the study with a number of students in experimental group to investigate student’s attitudes and emotional reactions towards simulation.
