The effects of collaborative task-based approach with and without network-based language teaching on undergraduate students' English language achievement and student engagement

Abstract

The main objectives of the research study were: 1) to compare the effects of Collaborative Task-Based Approach (CTBA) with, and without, Network-Based Language Teaching (NBLT) on students’ English language achievement; 2) to compare the effects and the developments of the effect of CTBA with, and without, NBLT on student engagement; and, 3) to find the relationship between English language achievement and student engagement. The subjects in this study were 48 students from Business English Program, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. The subjects were purposively selected, and randomly divided into the experimental group, which was taught using CTBA with NBLT, and the control group which was taught using CTBA without NBLT. There were 24 subjects in each group. The subjects had insignificant differences in general English proficiency, and in other important characteristics. The research instruments included an English language achievement test, self-evaluated rating scale questionnaires for affective and behavioral assessment, as well as self-evaluated guiding questions for cognitive engagement assessment. In addition, group interviews were conducted to investigate student engagement in depth. Data were analyzed by SPSS with t-test, Simple Correlation, Cohen’s d and Trend Analysis. The findings herein were concluded that 1) English language achievement in both groups was insignificantly different (p > 0.05); 2) the experimental group had behavioral engagement and cognitive engagement significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05), with moderate effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.70 and 0.73, respectively). However, the affective engagement in both groups was insignificantly different. The cognitive engagement trends were found in compound formation in both the control (r =0.95, p < 0.05) and the experimental groups (r =0.90, p < 0.05), while the behavioral engagement trend was likely to occur in linear formation (r = 0.74, p = 0.61) in the experimental group; 3) the significant relationships between English language achievement and student engagement were not found in both groups. Students’ English language proficiency and learning habits are suggested to be considered before CTBA with NBLT is to be implemented in other English courses.