Investigating the Effect of Applying Brain-based Learning Principles on the Learning and Retention of Vocabulary by EFL Learners

Meshkin Mehr, Alireza; Purmohammad, Mehdi; Nushi, Musa; Talkhabi, Mahmoud

doi:10.29252/clls.16.22.239

Investigating the Effect of Applying Brain-based Learning Principles on the Learning and Retention of Vocabulary by EFL Learners

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Authors

¹ The Institute for Cognitive Science Studies

² Shahid Beheshti University

10.29252/clls.16.22.239

Abstract

The approach of most studies examining the effect of applying brain-based learning principles in education has been to implement them in the design of the teaching content and the environment in general. Given the fact that these principles are derived from the structure and function of the human brain, their individual or collective application is expected lead to tangible results. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two of those principles, namely the application of different sensory inputs to a learner during the learning process and the brain is social, on the learning and retention of vocabulary of 60 of EFL leaners at an English language institute. The effect of the application of these two principles combined was also investigated in this study. This experiment employed a pre-test, post-test design using a control group and three experimental groups. Two post-tests, immediate and delayed, were administered. In order to verify the results, all the steps were repeated three times. The results indicated better performance by learners in all the three experimental conditions compared to the control condition. However, no significant difference was reported between the experimental conditions. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the results of the immediate post-tests of neither of the four groups, meaning that the traditional and experimental methods produced similar learning immediately after the treatment.