Innovative Methodologies in the Educational Context: Psychological and Behavioral Aspects

Drawing on Wigfield and Eccles’s motivational theory, which is acclaimed for explaining individual behavioral intentions, this study investigated the extent to which different forms of motivation (i.e., self-efficacy, task value, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivations) predicted student behavioral feedback engagement (i.e., action on teacher feedback and feedback seeking) in English learning. The participants were 276 male and female students who were enrolled in a second-year full-time English language and literature program at two Chinese universities. Multiple regression analyses showed that task value emerged as the only motivational variable that significantly predicted both students’ action on teacher feedback and feedback seeking. Intrinsic motivation significantly predicted action on teacher feedback, whereas extrinsic motivation and self-efficacy significantly predicted feedback seeking. Pedagogical implications for endeavors to support students in their engagement with feedback in learning English as a foreign language in China are discussed. Full article

The effort to design a most ideal strategy for L2 learners to take notes in L2 (EFL/EMI/EAP) classrooms has received growing attention. However, note-taking has been repeatedly tested and reported diverging impacts on students’ learning. This study investigates the effects of sign-based note-taking (SBN) with the traditional way of using pens and paper, and it features the cognitive processes of understanding and creating notes. SBN guides students to comprehend and draw a gestalt of notes using signs (i.e., icons, indices, and symbols). In a 16-week mixed study, three types of interventions—a traditional treatment, TOEFL’s ‘good-note guidance’ (GNG), and SBN—were administered to three separate student groups, namely a control group (CG) and two experiment groups (EG1 and EG2). Pre-, post-, delayed tests, questionnaires, and post-intervention interviews were conducted and analyzed for the needs and the effects of interventions on listening performances. Findings are as follows: only EG2 achieved significantly higher performance regardless of instructor’s influence, proving gestalt-based SBN an effective cognitive practice; GNG improved performance over time; students favored SBN, wanting longer-duration guidance. These results confirm that gestalt strengthens memory for L2 listening and yields pedagogical implications for L2 Listening classrooms. Full article

The use of electronic media has increased dramatically in the past decade due to the general increase in digitization of global societies. This trend has been recently enhanced by the COVID-19 occurrence and following forced implementation of various forms of eLearning into university curricula, including all forms of second language (L2) acquisition. The present study focuses on the evaluation of perceived advantages and disadvantages of online L2 acquisition via electronic media by university students of the Czech Republic (n = 114) and Poland (n = 121). The research methodology was an online questionnaire asking the users of digital media for L2 acquisition about their perceived advantages and disadvantages regarding the use of print and digital media and their potential impact on their L2 acquisition. To understand their evaluation is crucial as it could lead to increased motivation or demotivation to learn a foreign language. The results clearly show that the students realize the drawbacks of digital media and this could lead to their dissatisfaction and frustration when they have to use these media excessively. The implications of the findings could be helpful and necessary for various course designers, curricula makers, and course tutors as they are responsible for the smooth implementation of various digital tools into the educational process. Full article

It is well known that the proper allocation of learning time is particularly important for promoting students’ academic performance. Based on the data from PISA 2018, this research used the method of threshold regression and quantile regression to explore the optimal length of learning time to promote the students’ academic performance. At the same time, this research also explored the heterogeneity of the effect of learning time on different academic levels of students. The results show that for four Chinese provinces and cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu province and Zhejiang province, students who study in rural areas and private schools usually have longer learning time than students in cities and public schools. Moreover, it is suggested that there is no significant association between school quality and students’ learning time. The average learning time of students from the four Chinese cities and provinces is obviously longer than that in OECD countries. Moreover, it is found that the impact of learning time on academic performance across subjects is inverted U-shaped, and the optimal study time can be found in the learning of mathematics, science, and reading related subjects. As for the effect of learning time, the results showed that learning time commitment is more effective for students who are academically disadvantaged. At the same time, this study found that there is a relationship between students’ excessive learning time and students’ subjective well-being and attitudes toward learning activities. The non-cognitive factors can influence students’ academic performance gradually. According to the results of this research, it is suggested that students need to balance their learning time allocation against the appropriate learning time standards. Moreover, schools should adopt different learning time allocation schemes for students at different academic achievement levels. The teachers also should uphold a more scientific design of students’ after-school homework, and teachers and parents should also focus on improving students’ learning efficiency. Full article

This study analyzed the use of fifteen groups of digital tools that 197 active teachers made during the sudden shift to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 quarantine orders placed by various health departments in Spain and the United States. The study also examined the impact that the use of digital tools had on teachers’ perceived self-efficacy. A quantitative research design was used, supported by an exploratory descriptive approach that materializes in the application of an online questionnaire during the spring of 2020. The results indicate that perceived self-efficacy differs from country of origin and is conditioned by sociodemographic variables such as the training received and type of center. It is noted that teachers in Spain prefer the use of Moodle or Escholarium over that of teachers in the United States that opted for Google Classroom as a primary platform for teaching online, and the frequency of use of digital tools analyzed does not guarantee that their implementation is effective. Full article

Students are becoming less motivated towards current education. For this reason, teachers are investigating several innovative methodologies to learn how they affect student motivation, such as gamification. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of gamification on the motivation of elementary physical education students. A total of 72 elementary school students from two different Spanish elementary schools participated (38 boys and 34 girls), separated into a gamified group (n = 35) and a control group (n = 37). Ten gamification sessions were performed using a technological app called ClassDojo. The gamified proposal was based on both a PBL model and an MDA model. A questionnaire, “Motivation Questionnaire in Physical Education” (CMEF-EP) was used to measure the motivation of the students before and after the intervention. An increase was observed in all the variables for the gamified group: intrinsic motivation (p < 0.001), identified regulation (p < 0.001), introjected regulation (p = 0.001), and external regulation (p = 0.002), except for the amotivation (p = 0.120). No changes were observed in the control group. A significant interaction effect over time was seen only for intrinsic motivation for the gamified group versus the control group (F(1) = 5.263; p = 0.025; η² = 0.070). The results show the efficacy of gamification to increase the motivation of elementary physical education students. However, it does not decrease amotivation. This will enable the subject to contribute to achieving the United Nations’ proposed Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is to ‘Improve Quality Education’. Full article

Students’ behaviors have a close relationship with their learning efficiencies, particularly about professional knowledge. Different types of behaviors should have different influences. Disclosing the special relationship between undergraduate students’ conscious safety behaviors in their laboratory experiments with their learning efficiencies is important for fostering them into professional talents. In this study, a course entitled “Advanced Methods of Materials Characterization” was arranged to contain three sections: theoretical learning in the classroom, eight characterization experiments in the laboratory in sequence, and self-training to apply the knowledge. In the final examination, eighteen percent was allocated to the examination questions about safety issues. The students’ scores for this section were associated with their total roll scores. Two quantitative relationships are disclosed. One is between the students’ final examination score (y) and their subjective consciousness of safety behaviors (x) in their laboratory experiments, as y = 5.56 + 4.83 x (R = 0.9192). The other is between their grade point average (y) and safety behavior evaluation (x) as y = 0.51 + 0.15 x (R = 0.7296). Undergraduate students’ behaviors in scientific laboratories need to be verified to have a close and positive relationship with their professional knowledge learning efficiencies. This offers a hint that improving students’ safety behaviors and enhancing their subjective safety awareness are conducive to improving their learning efficiency for professional knowledge. Full article

The 12-Year Basic Education Curricula not only follow the objectives of previous curriculum syllabus development, but they place more focus on competence-oriented instruction, which aims to emphasize the importance of combining the curriculum with life situations that are not solely based on learning knowledge and skills. This study aims to investigate the results of the students’ learning effectiveness and learning engagement after adding competence-oriented instructional strategies into electrical engineering practical subjects offered by the Department of Electrical Engineering in skills-based senior high schools, and, at the same time, to figure out the difference in learning effectiveness using different instructional strategies. Two classes of students from the Department of Electrical Engineering major in electrical engineering practical subjects in one skills-based senior high school in Central Taiwan were chosen as the participants for this study. By way of pre-test–post-test research design and heterogeneous grouping, a 10-week instruction experiment consisting of two groups and occurring over the course of 30 classes was conducted, wherein competence-oriented instructional strategies were used in an experimental group, while traditional didactic instructional strategies were used in a control group. By analyzing the collection of quantitative and qualitative data through competence-oriented instructional strategies, the instruction effectiveness and feasibility of the basic electricity practical curriculum were developed as the study topic for understanding how competence-oriented instruction can be implemented into the practical curriculum of the electrical engineering and electronic engineering group. According to the research objective, the results were concluded as follows: (1) Students of the Department of Electrical Engineering have a slightly better learning effectiveness in electrical engineering practice under competence-oriented instructional strategies compared with those who learned under the traditional didactic instructional strategies; (2) there is a significant difference in the students’ learning engagement in electrical engineering practice from the Department of Electrical Engineering under competence-oriented instructional strategies compared with those who learned under the traditional didactic instructional strategies. The conclusion of this study emphasizes designing questions based on life situations, thereby applying what students have learned to solve problems they encounter in their daily lives. Compared with traditional didactic instructional strategies, competence-oriented instructional strategies not only have a better learning effectiveness and provide flexibility for the students to solve problems and provide analysis for situations, they also have broader applicability and an increased number of positive benefits when it comes to students’ group interactions and sharing. Full article

The evaluation of teaching effectiveness in blended learning methodologies is usually carried out using Likert-type questionnaires; however, instruments with Behavioral Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) are sometimes employed for this purpose. This paper examines the validity and reliability of an instrument with BARS designed to assess teaching effectiveness in blended learning environments, within the university setting. The research involves a sample of 1436 students from a medium size university in Spain. Using this sample (n = 1436), the authors carry out a psychometric study that consists of four phases: (1) comprehension validity analysis, (2) construct validity analysis, (3) confirmation of construct validity, and (4) analysis of the instrument reliability. The findings provide satisfactory values for all the parameters analyzed (for instance: Variance explained = 77.61%; RMSEA = 0.042; or Cronbach’s alpha = 0.956), indicating that the BARS instrument examined is perfectly valid and reliable for the appraisal of teaching effectiveness in blended learning methodologies. The authors conclude that this paper fills an important gap in the literature by presenting an instrument that, thanks to the use of behavioral scales, facilitates this task in the university context. Full article

Teachers’ professional learning on social media has received growing attention recently, but research into teachers’ academic engagement on social media remains limited. This study aimed to examine what factors motivated university English teachers to engage with academic reading on social media. The determinants of academic reading on social media were identified by semi-structured interviews, which were further validated by quantitative investigation. The results showed that participants’ perception of values of content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and students’ participation in the classroom affected their intentions toward commitment to academic reading on social media. Additionally, the results revealed that perceived value of pedagogical content knowledge mediated the relationship between perceived value of content knowledge and participants’ intentions toward academic reading on social media while also mediating the relationship between perceived value of students’ participation in the classroom and the participants’ intentions toward academic reading on social media. These findings yield implications for the professional development of university teachers and the development of pedagogical content knowledge. Full article

Background: Critical consciousness represents an emancipatory pedagogical process whose central goal is developing the necessary skills to identify and act in the direction of changing social limitations. An important kind of action that helps challenge social limitations is altruistic behaviour. Moreover, moral values could enhance the effect of critical consciousness on altruistic behaviour. Method: This study aims to provide some empirical support for the benefits of a unifying framework between moral education and critical consciousness by exploring the association between critical motivation and moral foundations, and the moderating role of groups’ status (disadvantaged versus privileged) within this association. The present research explores the link between critical consciousness, altruistic behaviour, and the mediational role of moral foundations. The data was collected from participants studying in urban areas and disadvantaged rural areas. Hence, the socio-economic status of the individuals (disadvantaged groups versus privileged groups) is considered a moderator in this dynamic. The study sample comprised 1031 adolescents aged 13–19 (M = 16.51, SD = 1.54). Results: The findings emphasise that fairness and care moral foundations mediate the relationship between critical motivation and altruistic behaviour, and the moderator role of group status. In conclusion, the poor development of critical motivation in disadvantaged groups influences moral values development and, ultimately, affects individual behaviour in the community. Full article

Understanding the perception that students have about their own cognitive processes is a key aspect that allows for a deeper assimilation of the different factors that affect school performance. However, there is limited evidence explaining the link between students’ perception of their own cognitive functions and their academic performance. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between perception of cognitive functions, such as memory, processing speed, attention, execution of complex tasks and nervousness, and academic performance in Chilean schoolchildren from the province of Biobio. A cross-sectional analytic design was conducted. The sample consisted of 590 elementary school students (12 ± 1.3 years old; 48.3% female) from Chilean public schools. The academic performance was measured by means of the accumulated final grades in the language, mathematics, physical education and health subjects, and the grade point average (GPA) of each student. Moreover, a survey to measure the cognitive functions of the participants was applied. The results show that 20.3% of the students perceived themselves as very nervous and 16.8% felt distracted. Differences in marks were observed in all the measured subjects, as well as in GPAs, depending on the perception of cognitive functions. Thus, the students with low to moderate perceptions of their cognitive functions received lower marks than those who reported a high perception. These results were consistent after a multivariate analysis adjusted for a socio-educational variables model. In conclusion, one in five public school students in the Biobío Region of Chile expressed a low perception of their cognitive functions, which is consistent with their weaker school performance. Therefore, it is believed that integrating curricular activity and cognitive work could potentially boost the perception of said functions, and thus reduce the risk of poor academic performance. Full article

It is well-established that English for academic purposes (EAP) programmes are critical for academic success in English-medium universities. Nonetheless, there is significantly less research on how EAP programmes impact multilingual domestic university students, compared to that of international students who speak English as a foreign language. While an earlier study on a university in Singapore found that an EAP programme had a statistically significant and positive intervention effect on students’ grade point average of the first semester upon matriculation, this study sought to investigate the perceptions of students from the same university, as this would contribute to how EAP programmes could be refined to better support learning. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 students invited based on a maximum variation strategy. Based on the thematic analyses undertaken, four themes (i.e., programme delivery, linguistic improvement, learning transfer and change in self-efficacy) were identified and discussed. These themes contributed to the formulation of SILVER, an innovative framework of components for consideration in EAP course design and delivery within higher education. Full article

Gender differences are essential factors influencing collaborative learning at both individual and group levels. However, few studies have systematically investigated their impact on student performance in the innovative context of STEAM education, particularly in the elementary school setting. To address this research need, this study examined the learning behaviors of 91 sixth graders in a STEAM program, who were classified into three gender groupings, namely, boy-only, girl-only, and mixed-gender groups, and further compared their performance in terms of cognition, interaction, and emotion by both gender and gender group type. The results show that, compared to individual gender differences, the gender group type had a greater impact on students’ behavioral performance during STEAM education. While all gender groupings had specific advantages, mixed-gender groups proved to be the most preferable, with benefits such as enhanced higher-order thinking, interaction, and emotional expression. Moreover, the study revealed that both boys and girls acted differently when working with the opposite gender in mixed-gender groups. These research findings have several implications for facilitating STEAM learning in co-ed elementary schools. Full article

This study explored how an experiential learning approach can be applied in education for sustainable development (ESD) for 2030 within the service industry. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted lives, health, the economy, and service industries, such as tourism and hospitality. ESD for 2030 proposed a framework of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) on how to learn from societal transformation. A case study from the Meiho University examined key influencing factors via students’ practices. Photographic evidence showed how internal psychology affects external behavior. Student groups participated in the proposed learning activities. Students from the tourism department imitated tourists to identify aspects pertaining to independent travel. This entailed broadly experienced activities in rural communities to modern cities. Responsible behavior was identified within self-learning topics, such as water problems, activation, low-carbon transportation, and ecological difficulties experienced on a small island. The results indicate that societal transformation involves an intrinsic mechanism from psychology inside to behavior outside. The planning required for independent travel tested students’ management competence of how a practical project can be controlled under limited budgets and COVID-19 risks. The social and cultural contexts become an interaction and exchange platform for authentic experiences, which resulted in personal learning outcomes. This newly developed mode explains why transforming society is necessary for ESD for 2030 to be implemented in higher education. SDGs are achievable in current circumstances, although learning contexts may differ. Full article

Computer-based testing is an emerging method to evaluate students’ mathematics learning outcomes. However, algebra problems impose a high cognitive load due to requiring multiple calculation steps, which might reduce students’ performance in computer-based testing. In order to understand students’ cognitive load when answering algebra questions in a computer-based testing environment, three perspectives, element interactivity, practice effect, and individual differences, were investigated in this study. Seven levels of algebra exam questions were created using unary and simultaneous linear equations, and the inverse efficiency scores were employed as a measure of cognitive load in the study. Forty undergraduate and graduate students were tested. There were four findings: (1) As the element interactivity of test materials increased, the cognitive load increased rapidly. (2) The high-efficiency group had a lower cognitive load than the low-efficiency group, suggesting that the high-efficiency group had an advantage in a computer-based testing environment. (3) “Practice” has a considerable effect on reducing cognitive load, particularly in level 6 and 7 test items. (4) The low-efficiency group can reduce but not eliminate the gap with the high-efficiency group; they may require additional experience in a computer-based testing environment in order to improve reducing their cognitive load. Full article

This article presents and focuses on the Institutional Support Questionnaire (ISQ) that was developed and validated to complement the Learning Needs Questionnaire (LNQ). While the LNQ, validated and published earlier, assessed students’ perceived learning needs, the ISQ assesses students’ psychological perspectives of their institution, particularly how they perceive their institution supports their learning. Both questionnaires work in tandem to support resource optimisation efforts in establishing targeted academic support structures within teaching-focused tertiary institutions. This study found that the 42-item ISQ had adequate psychometric properties and that institutional support could be represented by four factors (i.e., academic competency support, teaching practices, tutors’ characteristics, and use of technology in instruction) that reflected in large part the factors characterised by the LNQ (i.e., perceived academic competency, time management, preferred tutors’ characteristics, and use of technology). Practical applications of the use of both the ISQ and LNQ (i.e., how both could be applied in a tertiary education setting to identify perceived students’ learning needs and whether an institution is providing adequate support to meet these needs) and limitations on their use are discussed. Full article

Teaching is one of the most stressful work contexts, psychologically affecting professionals. The objective of this study is to analyse the effect of the frustration of NPB basic psychological needs, resilience, emotional intelligence and inclusion from the perspective of teachers in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is carried out with 542 teachers of therapeutic pedagogy and special educational needs using the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale PNTS questionnaires as a research method, the Resilience Scale (RS-14), the Trait Meta Mood Scale 24 (TMMS-24), the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Index for Inclusion. The results revealed positive correlations, on the one hand, between the factors of frustration among themselves and with burnout and, on the other hand, the positive correlation between emotional intelligence, resilience and the inclusion index. In conclusion, the resilience of teachers plays a protective role in the inclusion of students with SEN in the face of emotional exhaustion and the frustration of psychological needs. Full article

Encouraging feedback positively affects learners’ self-efficacy; in language learning, self-efficacy predicts language learner performance and behavior. Our research involved three studies to expand knowledge about why and how we can enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ self-efficacy beliefs in online settings. In Study 1, based on an online survey with 310 participants, we ascertained the extent to which EFL learners with greater self-efficacy tend to challenge themselves by learning content that requires a proficiency level that is higher than their current proficiency. In Study 2, we recruited 120 EFL learners; the results indicate that positive feedback via emojis embedded in online courses could significantly boost EFL learners’ self-efficacy beliefs about learning English. Study 3 involved 35 participants and extended the understanding provided by the first two studies, showing that EFL learners not only like to use emojis for computer-mediated communication (CMC), but also prefer to receive them as feedback. This research adds to knowledge on “why” and “how” we can enhance EFL learners’ self-efficacy beliefs in online contexts. We systematically provide empirical evidence regarding the aforementioned issues and demonstrate that positive feedback through emojis has great potential to enhance EFL learners’ self-efficacy, even when such feedback is subliminal. Full article

With the rapid development of information technology and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning has become an important supplement to the teaching organization form of basic education and higher education. In order to increase user stickiness and improve learning performance, gamification elements are widely introduced into online learning situations. However, scholars have drawn different conclusions on the impact of game-based competition on online learning performance. This study is based on field theory and constructivist learning theory. Taking the online interaction of the curriculum platform as the situation, psychological capital as the intermediary variable and connected classroom atmosphere as the adjustment variable, this paper constructs an interaction model between game competition and online learning performance and discusses in depth the intermediary effect of psychological capital and the adjustment effect of a connected classroom atmosphere. The results show that game-based competition has a significant positive effect on learning performance, and the effect of direct competition is better than that of indirect competition; the self-efficacy dimension of psychological capital plays an intermediary role between direct competition and learning performance, and the resilience dimension plays an intermediary role between competition and learning performance; and a connected classroom atmosphere plays a regulating role in the dimensions of game competition, knowledge mastery and knowledge innovation. Full article

Schools are ideal environments to promote healthy lifestyles and teach values among students. In this sense, the present study aims to verify the result of an Active Break program (AB) within the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) Model in the school environment. The sample consisted of two teachers/tutors from the sixth year of Primary Education and 51 pupils, aged between 11 and 13 years, who were divided into an experimental group (n = 26) and a control group (n = 25). The intervention program lasted 3 months, in which the hybridised methodology was applied during 100% of the weekly classes, computing a total of 156 sessions by the end of the study. It was a quasi-experimental study design that used a mixed methodology combining a systematic observational analysis with semi-structured interviews. The results showed an evolution in the behaviour of the teacher from the experimental group from a controlling style to one centred on the transfer of autonomy, while the teacher from the control group primarily used strategies based on the imposition of tasks and the establishment of organisation, which caused an increase in disruptive behaviours among students. We conclude that the program is adaptable to Primary Education and can be extended to any educational environment to improve the classroom climate and attract the attention of students and, finally, allows for the promotion of new teaching strategies. Full article

The integration of new media literacies and, consequently, strategies such as transmedia learning in the teaching–learning processes has been a topic of interest among various types of national and international institutions and governments. In this sense, the current article deals with the abilities, thoughts and expectations that Italian students in classical high schools have in order to face these new formative changes. For this purpose, a mixed methods approach (qualitative and quantitative) was designed and applied in the context of a classical high school in Cagliari (Italy): a questionnaire on digital skills (N = 128), a set of semi-structured interviews (N = 17) and two focus groups (N = 14). The results obtained allow us to verify that, from the point of view of skills, adolescents are prepared to take on the challenges of transmedia learning (navigation, information management), although their collaboration skills need to be strengthened. On the other hand, from the cognitive and affective points of view, they are positive and enthusiastic about these new possibilities: greater interaction, flexibility, engagement and variety of resources and learning strategies. Full article

The global importance of English and therefore the teaching of the English language has made the English language curriculum an integral part of all levels of teacher education, including early childhood education. The purpose of this study was to first explore the beliefs about the teaching of English to very young learners held by pre-service pre-primary teachers in Macau and then to see whether these beliefs were reflected in their microteaching. Qualitative content analysis performed on the written reflections and transcriptions of the microteaching videos of 75 pre-service pre-primary teachers found that their beliefs about classroom practices, lesson planning, and English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and learning were the most predominant beliefs exhibited in their reflections and were evidenced in their microteaching. Less predominant, but still salient, were their beliefs about the goals of language learning, assessment, teaching, pedagogical knowledge, and content. No observable practices were found regarding the pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the role of teaching, learning to teach, microteaching, the self, the subject, hearsay, self-assessment, and schooling. The current study found that with only limited exposure to EFL teaching methodology from a single course, the pre-service pre-primary teachers were able to implement some of their beliefs about several important aspects of teaching English to very young learners. Full article

Humor is applied in pedagogy to create a positive learning environment. Recent research focuses on the theories, effects, individual differences, and qualitative aspects of humor for instruction. However, there is a lack of studies focusing on quantitative features. Therefore, this research explored the quantitative characteristics of instructional humor in a naturalistic setting and applied techniques from natural language processing (NLP). This paper describes the results of two studies. The first study focused on instructional humor frequency and the placement of humor, while the linguistic features of instructional humor and non-instructional humor were compared in the second study. Two corpora were used in this research: TED Talks and user-submitted jokes from “stupidstuff.org” The results found that educators used humor 12.92 times for popular talks, while less popular talks only had 3.92 times. Humor is also more commonly placed during the first parts of the talk and lessens toward the end. There were also significant differences between the linguistic features of instructional and non-instructional humor in terms of readability scores and sentiment. These results provide a substantial update on quantitative instructional humor research and help educators understand how to use humor in the classroom in terms of quantitative and linguistic features. Full article

To mitigate the unexpected closure of educational institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, e-learning has become a practical alternative to conventional face-to-face instruction. Videoconferencing, a synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) approach, has been adopted as a venue to continue student learning activities. However, in the field of second-language (L2) education, videoconferencing had already been integrated into learning tasks, enabling L2 learners to have more opportunities to access authentic linguistic input and participate in interactions with more proficient users or native speakers of the target languages. Research has reported the pedagogical benefits of learners’ L2 achievement that are provided by videoconferencing, whereas some studies have reached a different conclusion. To further ascertain the effectiveness of videoconferencing in L2 learning, meta-analysis can be used to provide statistical evidence of the significance of study results, which serves as a useful reference for the application of videoconferencing to current e-learning practices. Thus, systematic meta-analysis was used in this study to synthesize the findings from experimental and quasi-experimental research into the effectiveness of videoconferencing for L2 learning. Videoconferencing approaches led to positive, medium overall effects in control/experimental group comparisons (g = 0.35, p < 0.5) on the L2 language development of listening and speaking abilities. However, this conclusion is based on five studies and, thus, needs to be treated cautiously. The implications of the findings and suggestions for future studies are discussed. Full article