Implementing learning stations in the 4th year of CSE English classroom: A comparative study on its effectiveness

Abstract

This proposal is aimed at considering the topic of active methodologies within the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in Spanish secondary schools. Close attention is paid to the learning stations methodology, which is applied to promote active learning experiences among learners. Although its implementation in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom is still scarce, this paper compares results from two groups of students (i.e. control vs experimental group) who received instruction on conditionals following two different methodologies, namely the presentation-practice-production (PPP) approach, on the one hand, and learning stations, on the other. In fact, the participants in this project are two groups of 15-16 years old students in the 4th year of Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE), with an average of an A2-B1 level according to the CEFRL. Indeed, the main purpose of this research is to assess the effects of learning stations on the EFL classroom. More precisely, the first objective is to observe if there is any statistically significant difference between instruction by means of learning stations as opposed to traditional strategies in terms of the academic performance of the students in each of the aforementioned groups. In turn, the second goal is to study whether learning stations help students get better academic results, and, finally, the third aim is to focus on the hypothesis according to which CSE students may be more motivated to learn through learning stations. In the current context and bearing in mind the wide range of teaching resources available, new methods fostering more active learning are incorporated into the educational paradigm. Particularly, in language subjects, which enhance the acquisition of communicative skills, new paths to interact and relate with others have been brought to the classroom. Active methodologies are usually understood as requiring a focus on the learner rather than the teacher. That is to say, the aim is no longer for students to become mere content-specialists in a particular area of study, but for them to develop a set of abilities, skills, and attitudes which will allow them to succeed in their future chosen professions. Therefore, changes in education include more critical, meaning-based approaches, student-centred models, collaborative and cooperative techniques, and active learning models, among others. More specifically, in this paper learning stations have been implemented to practise a particular grammar point from the EFL curriculum of the 4th year of CSE. Therefore, some previous research on grammar learning and teaching has been necessary to contextualise this experiment. Parallel to that, these resources imply some management issues which should be considered when utilizing them in the classroom. Indeed, the success of this methodology is firmly linked to the frequency of their implementation, the quality of the activities and materials designed, the heterogeneity of the groups of students, the appropriate classroom layout, and the subsequent evaluation of the process. To conclude, the results from two different groups of students were analysed and compared to draw the following conclusions. After two different teaching methodologies were used (namely, PPP and learning stations) to work on conditional sentences in the EFL classroom, results showed that the students who received grammar instruction based on the latter performed better in their post-tests. In addition, according to empirical evidence, it can be stated that there is a favourable effect on students’ academic results when they receive grammar instruction based on active methodologies, such as learning stations. Finally, these resources also foster students’ motivation when working on conditional sentences, as well as make them have a more positive perception after receiving the grammar instruction.