The Effect of the Mobile-Based Lesson Approach on the Attitude and Performance of EFL Teacher Trainees’ Aural Skills

This study aims to identify whether the mobile-based approach has significant effects on the attitudes and aural comprehension performances of English as a Foreign Language teacher trainees. A quasi-experimental, interval time series design was used to study a section of twenty-five third-year teacher trainees of English language at Arba Minch Teachers’ Education College in Ethiopia. The trainees’ attitude toward the mobile-based approach to attending aural comprehension lessons was assessed using a five-point Likert scale attitude survey questionnaire, whereas their aural comprehension performances were measured using a test having twenty multiple-choice question items. Consequently, a descriptive statistical method of data analysis was employed to understand the normality of the distribution of questionnaire data and internal consistency of results. The reliability of aural comprehension tests was also similarly measured. Consequently, nonparametric Wilcoxon Signed Rank and Friedman’s tests were employed to determine the effects on the trainees’ attitudes and aural comprehension performances. Moreover, the significant aural skill subconstructs were identified through pairwise comparisons of the three aural comprehension tests mean rank values using Friedman’s method along with related-samples Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. The results revealed that the use of a mobile-based approach produced significant positive changes on the teacher trainees’ attitude and aural comprehension performances. The literal-level subskill lessons were also found to be more significant in raising the trainees’ aural comprehension performances as a result of the use of the mobile-based approach when compared with the contributions of comprehension lessons that were meant to deal with inferential, critical, and creative listening lesson activities. © Common Ground Research Networks, Gashaw Tefera Woldetsadik, Mebratu Mulatu Bachore, Tesfaye Alemu Woldeab, Tesfaye Habtemariam Gezahegn, All Rights Reserved.