Bridging classroom and real-life learning mediated by a mobile app with a self-regulation scheme: Impacts on Chinese EFL primary students’ self-regulated vocabulary learning outcomes, enjoyment, and learning behaviours

This paper proposes and evaluates an innovative pedagogical design using Vocab+, a mobile app with a self-regulation scheme to support self-regulated vocabulary learning (SRVL) of 86 Grade-4 Chinese students and bridge classroom and real-life learning. The participants were from two classes from a school in Eastern China and were randomly assigned to the experimental or the control group. Both groups were taught by the same teacher, but Vocab+ was only integrated into the pedagogical design for the experimental group. A mixed-method research approach was employed. Data collection included pre- and post-vocabulary tests, pre- and post-questionnaires on enjoyment, and students' log data on Vocab+. Quantitative analysis was conducted to assess the impacts of the proposed pedagogical design using Vocab + on students' SRVL outcomes and enjoyment. An epistemic network analysis (ENA) was also performed to explore the evolution of co-occurrences of SRVL behaviours over time. The results showed that the Vocab + condition significantly enhanced the students' learning outcomes and increased their enjoyment by effectively bridging the gap between classroom and real-life learning. The ENA results indicated changes in SRVL patterns in learning activities facilitated by Vocab+. These findings’ implications for SRVL pedagogical design and future research are discussed in this paper. Copyright © 2025 The Authors.