Enhancing Decoding Fluency of Learners through Gamified Phonics-Based Intervention
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22052239Keywords:
decoding fluency, gamified phonics, EFL learners, WordWall, Wayground, Gradual Release of ResponsibilityAbstract
This action research investigated the effectiveness of a gamified phonics-based intervention in enhancing the decoding fluency of Grade 3 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Changhua, Taiwan. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control-group design was employed with 40 learners from two intact classes, comprising a control group (n = 20) and an experimental group (n = 20). The experimental group received six gamified phonics sessions using WordWall and Wayground within the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, whereas the control group received regular phonics instruction. A researcher-developed 20-item Decoding Fluency Test measured sound-to-letter recognition, blending, word recognition, and sentence recognition. The instrument obtained an Item-Level Content Validity Index of 1.00 across all validation criteria and Cronbach's alpha of .809. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, independent-samples t tests, and paired-samples t tests at the .01 significance level. The control group changed from M = 12.30 (SD = 2.89) at pretest to M = 12.05 (SD = 3.25) at posttest, while the experimental group increased from M = 12.00 (SD = 2.77) to M = 13.50 (SD = 2.95). However, no statistically significant differences were found for the pretest, posttest, within-group pretest-posttest comparisons, or mean gain scores. The experimental group nevertheless showed a higher descriptive gain (M = 1.50) than the control group (M = -0.25). The findings indicate that gamified phonics may be a promising supplementary approach for decoding practice, but the six-session intervention did not produce statistically measurable advantages under the conditions of the study. Longer implementation periods and larger samples are warranted.
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