The impact of ARCS-based vocabulary instruction with an online presentation tool on EFL students' achievement and motivation

The current study aimed to investigate the impact of ARCS based vocabulary instruction with an online presentation tool on EFL students' vocabulary achievement and motivation. The study employs a quasi-experimental research design. A 4-week intervention was planned to gather necessary data. 43 high school students studying at a state high school participated in the study. A pre-test as a vocabulary achievement test was applied to determine the vocabulary knowledge of students in both the experimental and the control groups before the intervention process began. The number of students in the experimental group was 21 and they were taught vocabulary with an online presentation tool for 4 weeks. The course design for the experimental group was prepared according to ARCS motivational model developed by Keller (1987). The control group, consisting of 22 students, learned the same vocabulary items with traditional methods, and ARCS model was not applied for this group's lesson plan. After the intervention process ended, a post-test as a vocabulary achievement test and the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey, prepared by Keller (2010) and adapted into Turkish by Kutu and Sözbilir (2011) were implemented in both groups. The results of the study revealed that both groups' vocabulary knowledge improved and there was not a significant difference between them. However, there was a significant difference between the motivation scores of these groups in favor of the experimental group. In conclusion, integrating ARCS model of motivational design with technology is significant to improve motivation of EFL students. Key Words: Information Communication Technologies, Online Presentation Tools, ARCS Model of Motivational Design, Vocabulary Instruction