Comparing traditional and blended learning methods for teaching Chinese vocabulary to primary 2 Thai students

Abstract

This experimental study compared two methods: blended learning and traditional. The objectives included determining which method would produce higher achievement in learning Chinese vocabulary among 80 Primary 2 Thai students over an 8-week period, and if there were significant differences between boys and girls. They were in their second year of learning Chinese vocabulary. The second objective was to learn if there was a significant difference between the two groups in attitudes towards learning Chinese vocabulary. The students were divided into two groups, a control group and an experimental group, each having 40 students, matched for gender and for prior knowledge of Chinese vocabulary. A pre-post test was used to gather learning achievement data. The findings revealed that the blended learning method was more effective than the traditional method in teaching Chinese vocabulary to Primary 2 Thai students. The post-test mean scores of the experimental group was 23.85 and the control group was 21.50. The difference in the two scores was statistically significant. The experimental group outperformed the control group. Girls out performed boys. An opinionnaire was administered at the end of each of the first four weeks of lessons to compare student attitudes between the two groups towards learning Chinese vocabulary. The data showed that there was no difference: the students in both groups were equally happy learning Chinese vocabulary