Exploration of technology-mediated signature pedagogy for English grammar learning in elementary school education

This study aims to explore a signature pedagogy using two selected types of free digital resources for supporting English as Second Language (ESL) learners at the elementary school level to learn grammatical knowledge of English grammar. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, this study will progressively design, evaluate and then establish a signature pedagogy that fully exploits the use of free digital resources for learning elementary English grammar. A twofold documentary analysis will be conducted for the design of the target signature pedagogy. To evaluate the effectiveness of the designed signature pedagogy in the real classroom environment, two classes of Grade 4 ESL students will be subsequently invited to a one-month trial teaching. Students in the experimental group will learn the target topic under the designed signature pedagogy; while students in the control group will learn under traditional classroom teaching approach during the trial teaching period. This study will conduct attainment tests, classroom observations, questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews to investigate the impact of the designed signature pedagogy on the achievements, processes and perceptions of students in the learning of elementary English grammar. This study will finally advise a signature pedagogy potential to maximize the effectiveness of free digital resources on the learning of elementary English grammar among ESL learners. Copyright © 2011 Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education.