The Role of Epistemic Curiosity in Increasing Students` Grammar and Speaking Competence: A Study on Foundation English Students at Tishk International University
Saban Kara1
1 English Language Teaching Department, Faculty of Education, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq
Correspondence: Saban Kara, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq.
Email: [email protected]
Published: February 22, 2023
ABSTRACT
Epistemic curiosity is a constant desire to acquire knowledge in various domains. A growing interest has been noticed to implement epistemic curiosity-based instruction at educational institutions. Likewise, a wealth of research has been conducted to measure the effects of epistemic curiosity-based instruction on students’ English proficiency. However, a gap has been observed in the literature to measure the effects of epistemic curiosity on students’ speaking and grammar achievement rates in Iraq at a tertiary level. To this end, current study was carried out to measure the effects of epistemic curiosity-based instruction on students’ grammatical and speaking competence within a span of 12 weeks. Fifty freshman Foundation English course students who studied at TISHK International University in Erbil, Iraq were chosen by employing cluster sampling method in 2021-2022 Academic Year. The participants aged between 18 and 23 were chosen from 10 different departments ranging from dentistry to civil engineering. Control group students followed a traditional instruction, whereas the students in experimental group expanded their learning by doing thorough research on the internet about assigned topics. The data were collected via two exams, a questionnaire and an interview in line with a mixed methods design study. Subsequently, quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS 23, whereas qualitative data were analyzed with MAXQDA software program. Based on the findings in independent samples t test, it was revealed that students’ grammar and speaking marks increased significantly in experimental group, whereas the progress was not significant in control group. Similarly, questionnaire and interview findings show that epistemic curiosity-based instruction raised students’ motivation and satisfaction levels. Additionally, they attested that being curious promoted their learning, so they developed a habit towards learning by discovery. The implications of this study can lay the foundation for the stakeholders of education who consider implementing an epistemic curiosity-based instruction at educational institutions.
Keywords: Epistemic curiosity, English proficiency, grammar, speaking competence
DOI: 10.23918/vesal2023v32