A systematic review on the effectiveness of blended learning on learners’ EFL vocabulary performance

Abstract

Researchers have shown significantly pervasive interest in English Foreign Language (EFL) vocabulary performance through blended learning in both K-12 and tertiary education. This study is a systematic literature review (SLR) of quantitative studies related to vocabulary performance through blended learning approach in EFL context aiming at exploring the trend of this research topic and the effectiveness of this teaching approach on learners' vocabulary performance, EFL skills (except vocabulary performance), emotions and behaviors. We systematically searched articles on the related topic in four major databases, namely, Education Resource Information Center (ERIC), Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar from 2017 to 2021 and the reviewers independently performed the quality assessment by using PICOS principle. 45 out of 2894 studies with 3557 participants were included in this SLR article with which employed blended learning in experimental or quasi-experimental research designs mainly cultivating learners' vocabulary. Results showed that blended learning approach was frequently associated with statistically positive significance and displayed better academic performance and imposed positive effect on learners' EFL socio-psychological factors including skills, emotions and behaviors. This study quantifies an objective evaluation and precise estimation of the effects from blended learning studies that could further encourage researchers to bridge learning gaps and to know the research trend of this topic more comprehensively.

A Systematic Review on the Effects of Blended Learning in EFL Higher Education Contexts

“…BL has become a powerful option that has the potential to enhance EFL learning experiences in higher education settings (Zhao et al, 2023). Despite the increasing trend in research on BL in EFL higher education settings, systematic reviews have focused more on analyzing studies published prior to 2022 and investigating its effects on each specific skill, as shown by the research of (Altay and Altay, 2019;Qiu et al, 2022;Ismail and Yassin, 2023). Thus, this systematic review was conducted to address a gap by providing a critical analysis of the current research landscape surrounding the effects of BL Vol 13, Issue 1, (2024) E- ISSN: 2226-6348 To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i1/20812 DOI:10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i1/20812…”