Thesis Type: Postgraduate
Institution Of The Thesis: Gazi University, Turkey
Approval Date: 2018
Thesis Language: English
Student: Hamide Nur Ünal
Supervisor: Cemal Çakır
Abstract:Vocabulary learning and teaching are at the core of second language learning, but there is a consensus among the scholars that the latter is a challenging aspect of language instruction. Teachers have been seeking ways of presenting and practicing vocabulary effectively for a long time due to the large amount of vocabulary the learners need to master in a short period of time. Technology offers new ways and tools that the teachers can make use of to ease their burden. Considering the workload of the teachers, it is not a surprise that these tools which can help learners retain words effectively have gained importance among the teachers. With the help of a game-based learning platform, learning new words may be more effective than other methods regarding retention. This study investigates an online game called Kahoot! and its effect on vocabulary retention. A mixed-methods approach has been adopted to conduct the research. The quantitative data have been collected through a pretest-posttest-control group design. The control group practiced the target words by conventional exercises while the experimental group did it by means of Kahoot!. The study lasted for 5 weeks. The vocabulary retention of the groups has been assessed through an immediate post-test and a retention test. At the end of the study, a survey was given to the experiment group to gather their opinions about the application, and another survey was given to 15 teachers who have used Kahoot! to gain some insights into their thoughts about Kahoot!. By looking at the results of the tests, it can be said that there was no significant difference between the groups. However, both the teachers and the learners thought that Kahoot! was an effective tool to learn vocabulary.