Using Technology-Enabled Instruction to Empower Saudi EFL Classrooms: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Despite students commencing English language learning from a young age, many continue to display low proficiency scores in English during higher education. In today's digital era, traditional instructional methods appear increasingly obsolete and warrant enhancement or substitution with innovative technology-enhanced instructions (TEIs), which have demonstrated the potential to enrich educational environments by introducing novel teaching and learning opportunities. This study seeks to examine the efficacy of Web-Based Learning (WBL), Blended-Based Learning (BBL), and Online-Based Learning (OBL) for low-proficient EFL/ESL learners. The study engaged 187 freshmen, selected through purposive sampling, and adopted a quasi-experimental method, forming four distinct groups: three experimental and one control. The experimental groups were exposed to WBL, BBL, and OBL, respectively, while the control group received a traditional teaching approach (TTA). Assessment of participants' core linguistic skills-listening, reading, vocabulary, and grammar was conducted using the British Council English score test, both as a pre-test and a post-test. RM-ANOVA was utilized to analyse data. The analysis revealed significant improvements in all core skills from pre-test to post-tests across all groups. Notably, the groups participating in WBL and BBL performed better than those in OBL and TTA in overall core skills assessments. These outcomes were interpreted within the frameworks of technology integration, interactive learning dimensions, and traditional educational perspectives, providing critical insights for stakeholders contemplating the incorporation of more TEIs in EFL contexts under development.