The Effectiveness of Quizlet in Enhancing Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention among Seventh-Grade EFL Learners in the Arab Educational Context in the Northern Region

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of Quizlet in enhancing vocabulary learning and retention among seventh-grade EFL learners in the Arab educational context in the Northern District of Israel. The study aimed to determine whether Quizlet-based vocabulary instruction could support students’ vocabulary learning and retention more effectively than traditional vocabulary instruction. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design with two equivalent groups. The participants were 50 seventh-grade students from Al-Mutanabbi Junior High School in Kafr Manda. The experimental group consisted of 25 students who learned the target vocabulary through Quizlet, while the control group consisted of 25 students who learned the same vocabulary through traditional instruction. The intervention lasted four weeks and included 20 instructional sessions. Data was collected through a researcher-constructed vocabulary test consisting of 35 items distributed across six sections. The same test was administered three times: before the intervention as a pre-test, immediately after the intervention as a post-test, and four weeks later as a delayed post-test. The pre-test was used to examine the initial equivalence of the two groups, the post-test measured vocabulary learning, and the delayed post-test measured vocabulary retention. The validity of the test was examined by ten specialists in English language teaching and curriculum design. The reliability of the instrument was established through a pilot study with 20 students outside the main sample. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was 0.85, indicating a satisfactory level of internal consistency. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and paired samples t-tests were used to analyze research questions and hypotheses. The findings showed no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the pre-test scores, indicating that the two groups were comparable before the intervention. However, statistically significant differences were found in the post-test and delayed post-test scores in favor of the experimental group. The experimental group also showed statistically significant improvement from the pre-test to the post-test and from the post-test to the delayed post-test. Regarding gender, no statistically significant differences were found between male and female students in vocabulary learning or vocabulary retention within the experimental group. The study concluded that Quizlet can be an effective digital tool for supporting vocabulary learning and retention among seventh-grade EFL learners when it is integrated purposefully into classroom instruction. The study recommends integrating digital vocabulary learning tools such as Quizlet into EFL vocabulary instruction and providing teachers with professional development in technology-enhanced language learning.