THE USE OF TEACHER-DEVELOPED EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS IN EFL GRAMMAR TEACHING AND LEARNING: A COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY

Despite an ever-increasing use of video in EFL teaching today, and a considerable amount of research existing on its role in English teaching, many dimensions of it remain under-explored. These include its use at different educational levels, its compatibility with different theories of learning, its use targeting different aspects of English, and its impact on proficiency as well as motivation. The present study adds to knowledge by focusing specifically on use at tertiary level, in combination with Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), targeting grammar teaching, and measuring both proficiency change and attitudes/perceptions. This study employs a quasi-experimental research design to investigate the effect that teacher-developed CLT informed educational videos have on EFL BA students’ grammar learning, also exploring those students’ attitudes and perceptions concerning those videos. EFL students (n=43) participated in this study in two groups learning the same grammar points: an experimental group who undertook the treatment of watching the videos along with attending regular classes (n=22), and a control group (n=21) who just learned through regular classes. A pre-test and a post-test were used to measure the effect those videos had on EFL students’ grammar learning. At the end of the treatment, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire measuring perceived benefits in terms of categories recognized in the Cognitive Load Theory (CTL), as well as of motivation, was also circulated among the students of the experimental group. Post-test scores revealed that both groups made significant progress and were able to increase their grammar knowledge. However, the experimental group outperformed the control group by a small margin. Results of the questionnaire showed that students recognized videos as assisting with all CTL aspects of learning, plus motivation, with the greatest impact on reducing extraneous load and enhancing germane load.