Arab World English Journal (May,2016) Theses / Dissertation (ID 161)
Name of the researcher: Nashmiah Awad Almutairi
Title of the thesis: The Effectiveness of Using Schema Theory in Developing EFL Secondary-Stage Students’ Listening Comprehension
Subject/ major: Applied Linguistics
University name : Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Department of English Language and Literature
Degree: Master of Art
Year of award: 2012
Name of the supervisor: Dr. Rafiq Ahmad
Abstract
This research investigates the effectiveness of using schema theory on listening comprehension of EFL secondary-stage female students in the Fourth Secondary school in Almajma’ah through answering these four questions: 1-Do students’ schemata (their background knowledge) affect their listening comprehension? 2- Do schema-based strategies such as brainstorming, graphic organizers, and KWL facilitate students’ listening comprehension? 3- What are the students’ attitudes towards these strategies? and 4- To what degree do EFL female teachers – based on schema theory – in Almajma’ah Administration of Education, prepare their listening lessons? Four instruments were used to answer the research questions. These are pre- and post- listening comprehension tests for the experimental and control groups (65 students), a questionnaire for students in the experimental group, an interview with the teacher who taught both groups, and finally a questionnaire for teachers (34 teachers participated). The findings of the research proved that schema-based strategies facilitated the students’ listening comprehension and that their schemata affected their listening comprehension. Also, the students in the experimental group showed strong positive attitudes towards these strategies. In addition, the research showed that teachers need to learn more about pedagogy of teaching listening comprehension as well as schema-based strategies. Therefore, the researcher recommends training sessions for teachers on these strategies due to their great impacts on teaching listening comprehension.
Key words: graphic organizer, KWL strategy, schema theory,
Note: Citing this thesis , please use:
Almutairi, Nashmiah Awad. (2012).The Effectiveness of Using Schema Theory in Developing EFL Secondary-Stage Students’ Listening Comprehension. University name: Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, (Master’s Thesis). Retrieved from(Arab World English Journal Database. (ID Number: 161 May, 2016).
http://www.awej.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=908:nashmiah-awad-almutairi&catid=20&Itemid=117