Beyond memorization: AI-driven vocabulary learning in Kuwaiti primary EFL education
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Abstract
Vocabulary knowledge underpins EFL development, particularly at the primary level where lexical competence predicts later academic success. This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of Conker.ai-based instruction in improving vocabulary acquisition and retention among Kuwaiti fifth-grade pupils. Fifty fifth-grade students from two intact classes were allocated to experimental (n = 25) and control (n = 25) groups through random assignment of classroom sections, with the experimental group receiving AI-supported instruction and the control group receiving conventional textbook-based instruction over eight weeks. A researcher-developed vocabulary test was administered as a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for pre-test scores, revealed statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group in both vocabulary acquisition (F(1, 47) = 168.53, p < .001, η² = .23) and retention (F(1, 47) = 141.27, p < .001, η² = .26). These findings suggest that AI-supported, gamified vocabulary instruction, when implemented as an integrated pedagogical system, is associated with improved short- and long-term lexical learning outcomes.
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