The effect of technology enhanced problem-centered curriculum on language learners' oral communication skills in higher education

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of technology-enhanced problem-based curriculum on English language learners' oral communication skills in higher education. This quasi-experimental research was conducted on 60 English Preparatory Program students at Sabancı University in the Fall 2021-22 academic year. The study was carried out across four classes, with two designated as the experimental group and the remaining two as the control group. Both the experimental group (N=30) and control group (N=30) were formed randomly among the existing A2+ level learners. Treatments, provided by the three instructors, lasted for eight consecutive weeks (24 hours of instruction in total), six weeks face-to-face and two weeks online. The control group received traditional instruction while the experimental group was given PBL instruction. The dependent variables of the study were learners' idea development, interaction, fluency and coherence as well as use of language skills, and overall oral assessment performance which was the total of the four components. The research is based on a quasi-experimental, pre-post-test design. Both quantitative data and qualitative data were gathered and analyzed. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews and feedback sheets. The results showed that students found the PBL Instruction challenging yet beneficial. Quantitative data was gathered via pretest and posttest. The collected statistical data were analyzed through Independent Sample T-tests. The results indicated that there is a statistically significant mean difference between groups on the scores of idea development, fluency and coherence, use of language skills, and overall oral assessment performance. However, there is no statistically significant difference in the interaction component. Keywords: English Language Teaching, Oral Communication Competencies, Problem-Centered Curriculum