The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention
The current study investigates the effect of massed and spaced instruction on vocabulary recall and retention. To fulfill this objective, 75 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners (16 to 19 years) took part in 15 sessions of 60 minutes. The participants were randomly divided into three experimental g...
Main Authors: | , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2020-01-01
|
Series: | Cogent Education |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2020.1792261 |
_version_ | 1797764985367035904 |
---|---|
author | Ehsan Namaziandost Murad Hassan Mohammed Sawalmeh Masoumeh Izadpanah Soltanabadi |
author_facet | Ehsan Namaziandost Murad Hassan Mohammed Sawalmeh Masoumeh Izadpanah Soltanabadi |
author_sort | Ehsan Namaziandost |
collection | DOAJ |
description | The current study investigates the effect of massed and spaced instruction on vocabulary recall and retention. To fulfill this objective, 75 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners (16 to 19 years) took part in 15 sessions of 60 minutes. The participants were randomly divided into three experimental groups; a spaced distribution group (n = 25), a massed distribution group (n = 25) and a control group (n = 25). The massed distribution group had one intensive session on learning the target vocabulary; the spaced distribution group had three sessions at irregular time intervals, and the control group received no vocabulary-focused instruction. Using a before and after design, students were retested after 5 weeks. To collect data, a receptive vocabulary test was administered as both the pretest and the posttests. The results of One-way ANOVA indicated that the spaced distribution group significantly outperformed the massed distribution group on both immediate and delayed posttests. The results propose that EFL practitioners should synthesize spacing as a beneficial teaching technique into the curricula, instruction and educational materials to promote vocabulary learning in real classroom setting. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:04:33Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-324ffe99734d43c0902f03bd7a092362 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2331-186X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:04:33Z |
publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
record_format | Article |
series | Cogent Education |
spelling | doaj.art-324ffe99734d43c0902f03bd7a0923622023-08-02T02:10:54ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Education2331-186X2020-01-017110.1080/2331186X.2020.17922611792261The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retentionEhsan Namaziandost0Murad Hassan Mohammed Sawalmeh1Masoumeh Izadpanah Soltanabadi2Islamic Azad UniversityDhofar UniversityPayam Noor UniversityThe current study investigates the effect of massed and spaced instruction on vocabulary recall and retention. To fulfill this objective, 75 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners (16 to 19 years) took part in 15 sessions of 60 minutes. The participants were randomly divided into three experimental groups; a spaced distribution group (n = 25), a massed distribution group (n = 25) and a control group (n = 25). The massed distribution group had one intensive session on learning the target vocabulary; the spaced distribution group had three sessions at irregular time intervals, and the control group received no vocabulary-focused instruction. Using a before and after design, students were retested after 5 weeks. To collect data, a receptive vocabulary test was administered as both the pretest and the posttests. The results of One-way ANOVA indicated that the spaced distribution group significantly outperformed the massed distribution group on both immediate and delayed posttests. The results propose that EFL practitioners should synthesize spacing as a beneficial teaching technique into the curricula, instruction and educational materials to promote vocabulary learning in real classroom setting.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2020.1792261distribution of instructionspaced distribution instructionmassed distribution instructionl2 vocabulary learningl2 vocabulary recall and retention |
spellingShingle | Ehsan Namaziandost Murad Hassan Mohammed Sawalmeh Masoumeh Izadpanah Soltanabadi The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention Cogent Education distribution of instruction spaced distribution instruction massed distribution instruction l2 vocabulary learning l2 vocabulary recall and retention |
title | The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention |
title_full | The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention |
title_fullStr | The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention |
title_full_unstemmed | The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention |
title_short | The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention |
title_sort | effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on efl learners vocabulary recall and retention |
topic | distribution of instruction spaced distribution instruction massed distribution instruction l2 vocabulary learning l2 vocabulary recall and retention |
url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2020.1792261 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT ehsannamaziandost theeffectsofspacedversusmasseddistributioninstructiononefllearnersvocabularyrecallandretention AT muradhassanmohammedsawalmeh theeffectsofspacedversusmasseddistributioninstructiononefllearnersvocabularyrecallandretention AT masoumehizadpanahsoltanabadi theeffectsofspacedversusmasseddistributioninstructiononefllearnersvocabularyrecallandretention AT ehsannamaziandost effectsofspacedversusmasseddistributioninstructiononefllearnersvocabularyrecallandretention AT muradhassanmohammedsawalmeh effectsofspacedversusmasseddistributioninstructiononefllearnersvocabularyrecallandretention AT masoumehizadpanahsoltanabadi effectsofspacedversusmasseddistributioninstructiononefllearnersvocabularyrecallandretention |