Investigating the impact of a constructivist teaching approach on Iraqi EFL students’ performance

Abstract

This study examines the impact of a constructivist teaching approach on Iraqi students performance in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) via a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design. Eighty students were randomly sampled and divided into two groups (experimental and controlled groups). The experimental group received instruction through a constructivist approach, while the control group received instruction through a non-constructivist approach. The study used researcher-designed General English Language Test (GELT) as an instrument for a pretest and post-test, as well as Murphys (1997) Constructivist Checklist for classroom observation as instruments to collect data. Independent Samples t-test and a Mann-Whitney U Test were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the two groups had similar English language skills and abilities before the experiment. The results also established that the participants in the experimental group in post-test situation showed higher academic achievements in GELT with statistical significance of (t (78)=2.315, P=.023) compared with those in the control group. The study concludes that using a constructivist approach to teaching Iraqi EFL students has a beneficial effect on their EFL performance. Consequently, it is recommended that a constructivist approach be implemented in the instruction of EFL students to improve their EFL performance and increase cognitive retention.