Experiential learning : the effects of role-play on self-concept and communicative competence

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Date
2005-03
Authors
Osman, Siti Rafizah Fatimah
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Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
This study attempts to investigate whether learners who are exposed to experiential learning form of role-play experience a change in self-concept and oral competence than those who are exposed to the traditional teacher-fronted approach. Another focus of the study is to determine whether there is parallelism between the changes that occur in self-concept and the changes that occur in oral competence. Two groups of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Perlis Diploma in Science Semester 2 students were selected as the subjects for the study. There were 27 students for the experimental group and 32 students for the control group. The study was carried out over a course of 14 weeks and began with the oral proficiency (speaking) test, which was administered as a pre-test for both groups prior to any teaching of speaking component. Ten sessions of speaking lessons were conducted with both groups; the experimental group adopted role-play whereas the control group underwent the traditional teacher-centred approach. The data were gathered through speaking pre-test and pG>st-test, pre-test and post-test of Multi-dimensional Test of Self-concept (MTS), on-going observations and pre and post semi-structured interview with learners of both groups. However, learners of the experimental group had an extra task, which required them to record their feelings, findings and improvements in journal entries. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5 was used to analyse the speaking and MTS tests. The results revealed that learners of both groups registered changes in self-concept and oral competence. However, learners of the experimental group attained higher and more significant changes in self-concept and oral competence than those of the control group. Likewise, observations and interviews conducted with both groups and journal entries submitted by the experimental samples supported the outcomes. Furthermore, Pearson correlation test reveals that there is correlation between the changes in self-concept and oral competence due to the use of experiential form of role-play as a learning process.
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Keywords
Role-play as a learning process.
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