Xue Wang

This meta-analysis synthesized recent research on promoting learner autonomy through strategy instruction in tertiary English classrooms in China for two main purposes: (a) to estimate the effects of strategy instruction on English achievement and outcomes related to learner autonomy; and (b) to examine the moderating effects of a set of intervention and contextual characteristics. A total of 49 studies contributed to 111 effect sizes for this meta-analysis. Using a random-effects model, this study finds that the overall effect size of strategy instruction was 0.92 (p < 0.001). The type of outcome measure significantly moderated the impact of strategy instruction. Interventions that assessed multiple aspects of learner autonomy (cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and social) had a significantly higher mean effect size than those assessing a single aspect. The results suggest strategy instruction is a viable instructional tool for promoting learner autonomy among college students in English-as-a-foreign-language classrooms. The results emphasize that fully understanding the impact of a strategy instruction intervention on learner autonomy requires an examination of its various dimensions.

This quantitative study examines the dosage effect of a computer-assisted tutoring approach, Tutoring with the Lightning Squad, on the reading achievement of struggling students. Using a multi-site, cluster-randomized controlled trial design, 188 students in Grades 1-3 from six schools in Minnesota and Virginia were randomly assigned to receive either Lightning Squad tutoring or regular reading instruction between November 2016 and January 2017. Implementation results revealed that many students in the treatment group did not receive the full intended dosage of treatment. Dosage analyses indicated that high attendance in the intervention had a significant positive effect on reading outcomes, including Passage Comprehension and Word Attack. The findings emphasized the critical role of implementation fidelity in program effectiveness and suggested that a higher dosage of the Lightning Squad intervention may lead to better outcomes for struggling readers.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are crucial for synthesizing evidence but are time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially during data extraction. To address this challenge, we developed MetaMate, an open-access web-based tool leveraging large language models (LLMs) for automated data extraction in educational systematic reviews and meta-analyses. MetaMate utilizes a hierarchical schema and divide-and-conquer approach in its extraction chain, and a from-global-to-local lens and example retriever in its verification chain. We evaluated MetaMate’s performance on 32 empirical studies, extracting 20 data elements related to participants and interventions. MetaMate achieved high precision, recall, and F1 scores, with performance comparable to human coders when benchmarked against an expert-defined gold standard. Notably, MetaMate demonstrated advanced mathematical reasoning and semantic comprehension, surpassing keyword-based approaches and avoiding common human errors. As the first LLM-powered data extraction tool designed specifically for educational research, MetaMate has the potential to significantly streamline the systematic review process and reduce time and effort for researchers. MetaMate is available at https://metamate.online.

This article considers the continuing debate in pronunciation instruction (PI) about whether segmental or suprasegmental features are more important in teaching English to speakers of other languages. While evidence has accumulated on both sides of the debate, the emergence of the notion of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) further complicates the issue. This article provides a review of current research supporting the different views in the segmental/suprasegmental debate. The review highlights research evidence that examines either the impact of segmental and suprasegmental features on intelligibility or the effectiveness of teaching these features to improve intelligibility. A review of this line of research underlines the context-specific nature of the debate and a third view that blurs the boundary between segmentals and suprasegmentals.

This study explores Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ attitudes towards accent for effective English as a lingua franca (ELF) communication. Notwithstanding the research conducted on EFL learners’ perceptions of different variations of the English language for their language learning, little attempts have been made to investigate their perspectives in detail within the context of China. This inquiry thus intends to bridge this gap by exploring EFL learners’ accent preferences for ELF communication. Data were collected qualitatively from 34 students at an international university in China to examine their experiences of EFL learning and ELF communication. Data were classified and categorized based on learners’ accent preferences and then coded for analysis from their learning discourses, cultural media, material conditions and social agents. The results point to various sociocultural and sociohistorical variables that have reified their language choices and ideology to further underpin their native speaker (NS) and non-native speaker (NNS) dichotomy.