Facilitating Self-Regulation with Zoom to Improve Oral Production in Primary School Students

Abstract

This mixed-method action research study determined the influence of self-regulation facilitated by Zoom in the improvement of oral production in twelve A1 level primary students in a public school in Loja, Ecuador. This action research was developed in two phases between February and June 2020, before and during the pandemic. The first phase was the self-assessment training phase before the pandemic and the second phase was the implementation of the innovation during five weeks of remote learning via Zoom during the pandemic with twelve volunteers out of the class of thirty. A speaking rubric measured quantitatively oral interaction data collected in speaking pre and post-test videos. Qualitative data was collected through students’ reflections and interviews to analyze their perspectives about the innovation. The results of this investigation showed an increase in students’ oral interaction with a large effect size, Cohen’s d= 1,63. The subskills studied were vocabulary, pronunciation and interactive communication. Pronunciation showed the largest improvement. Self-regulation contributed to the results even though the students tended to over-rate themselves on pronunciation. Even though students faced challenges, their perceptions about the project were positive. This study contributes to the improvement of speaking skills that public schools need.