3.3 Procedures
3.3.1 The pilot study
3.3.1.2 Results of the Analysis of Metacognitive Vocabulary Learning
Prior to using PCA with varimax rotation to investigate the factor structure of the metacognitive vocabulary learning strategy awareness questionnaire, the critical
ratio (CR) of each item and the correlation between each item and the rest of the test was calculated. Items 7 and 13 of the questionnaire were deleted because their CR values and correlation coefficients were insignificant. The critical ratio value and the correlation coefficient of each item are presented in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1 The critical ratio value and the correlation coefficient of metacognitive vocabulary learning strategy awareness questionnaire sense of whether I need to remember it.
13.564*** .734**
6 I know what cues I should use in guessing the meaning of a particular word.
21.833*** .810**
7 I make a note of words that seem important to me.
1.688 .076
8 Besides textbooks, I look for other readings that fallunder my interest.
11.947*** .753**
9 I wouldn’t learn what my English teacher doesn’t tell us to learn. (Reversed value)
10.297*** .703**
10 I only focus on things that are directly related to examinations. (Reversed value)
10.192*** .712**
11 I will care much about vocabulary items that my teacher does not explain in class.
12.666*** .756**
12 I use various means to make clear vocabulary items that I am not quite clear of.
12.678*** .787**
13 I use English-language media (broadcasts, songs, movies, newscast, magazine, etc.) to help memorize English vocabulary.
1.408 .080
14 I test myself with word tests to see if I have remembered the learned vocabulary.
18.792*** .721**
15 I use spaced word practice to review the learned 18.292*** .734**
vocabulary.
16 I make plans for reviewing the learned vocabulary. 12.906*** .663**
17 I evaluate my plans for learning vocabulary to see if they can help me memorize the learned vocabulary effectively.
17.821*** .742**
***P＜0.001 **P＜0.01 *P＜0.05
The KMO value was .934, and the result of Bartlett’s test of Sphericity reached statistical significance (Approx. Chi-Square = 3145.563, df = 105, Sig. = .000). The results supported the factorability of the correlation matrix, and principal components could be identified among the variables. Table 3.2 presents the results of KMO and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity.
Table 3.2 Results of KMO and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy .934 Approx. Chi-Square 3145.563
Df 105
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity
Sig. .000
The results of PCA indicated that there were 16 items which could be classified into 3 components, whose eigenvalues exceeded 1.0. The factor loadings of the items are summarized in Table 3.3. After PCA, the three components were named Selective Attention (6 items), Self-Initiation (5 items), and Consolidation (4 items). The three components explained a total of 75.285% of the variance (Table 3.4).
Table 3.3 Summary of items and factor loadings from PCA
Factor loadings Items
1 2 3
I have a sense of which word I can guess and which word I can't.
.814
I know when a new word or phrase is essential for adequate comprehension of a passage.
.807
I know which words are important for me to learn. .806 I look up words that I'm interested in. .796 I know what cues I should use in guessing the meaning of a particular word.
.744
When I meet a new word or phrase, I have a clear sense of whether I need to remember it.
.685
Besides textbooks, I look for other readings that fall under my interest.
.785
I wouldn’t learn what my English teacher doesn’t tell us to learn. (Reversed value)
.773
I will care much about vocabulary items that my teacher does not explain in class.
.771
I don’t only focus on things that are directly related to examinations.
.739
I use various means to make clear vocabulary items that I am not quite clear of.
.734
I test myself with word tests to see if I have remembered the learned vocabulary.
.834
I use spaced word practice to review the learned vocabulary.
.815
I make plans for reviewing the learned vocabulary. .757 I evaluate my plans for learning vocabulary to see if they
can help me memorize the learned vocabulary effectively.
.577
Table 3.4 Total Variance Explained
Initial Eigenvalues Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings
The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was found to be .949. The reliability coefficients of the subscales were also found to be .941 for Selective Attention, .910 for Self-Initiation, and .867 for Consolidation.
3.3.1.3 Results of the Analysis of Mobile Vocabulary Learning Readiness Questionnaire
The participants’ readiness towards using smartphones to learn English vocabulary was investigated with the questionnaire adapted from Walls et al. (2010) and Rahimi and Katal (2012) and partially developed by the researcher himself. In the
pilot study, the questionnaire had 21 closed-ended items that assessed learners’
readiness towards mobile vocabulary learning in terms of familiarity with smartphones (7 items), experience in learning with smartphones (6 items), and attitudes towards the value of using smartphones to learn English listening (8 items).
A 5-point Likert scale ranging from ‘not at all’ like me to ‘very much’ like me was used in the questionnaire. All of the 21 items in the questionnaire were translated into Chinese for the participants by the researcher himself.
According to the result of the test of critical ratio (CR) value, item 4 of the mobile listening learning readiness questionnaire was deleted because its CR value and correlation coefficient were insignificant. The CR value and the correlation coefficient of each item are presented in Table 3.5.
Table 3.5 The critical ratio value and the correlation coefficient of mobile vocabulary learning readiness questionnaire
7 I know how to make plans on my smartphone to review the learned words.
10 I think the APPs are useful for learning English words. 5.675*** .450**
11 I think the APPs are a valuable resource for learning English words.
7.348*** .409**
12 I think my smartphone can help me remember English words better.
6.177*** .450**
13 I think mobile phones are as valuable as in-class lectures in learning English words.
5.517*** .478**
14 I have used my mobile phone for learning English words before.
5.815*** .452**
15 I have downloaded, set up and used APPs for learning English words before.
8.130*** .507**
16 I have used the dictionary function on my smartphone to look up words.
8.270*** .536**
17 I have used APPs on my smartphone to make word cards to help me remember words.
20 I have used my smartphone to make plans to review the learned words.
The KMO value was .851, exceeding the recommended value of .6 (Tabachnik
& Fidell, 2007) and the result of Bartlett’s test of Sphericity reached statistical significance (Approx. Chi-Square = 2049.146, df = 190, Sig. = .000). The results supported the factorability of the correlation matrix, and principal components could be identified among the variables. Table 3.6 presents the results of KMO and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity.
Table 3.6 Results of KMO and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy .851 Approx. Chi-Square 2049.146
Df 190
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity
Sig. .000
After the tests of KMO and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity, a principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to determine the numbers of principal factors and categorize the items of the questionnaire. The results of PCA indicated that there were
16 items which could be classified into 3 components, whose eigenvalues exceeded 1.0. The factor loadings of the items are summarized in Table 3.7. The three components found in PCA were then named Familiarity (5 items), Experience (6 items) and Attitude (5 items). The three components explained a total of 60.126% of the variance (Table 3.8).
Table 3.7 Summary of items and factor loadings from PCA
Factor loadings
I have used the multimedia function on my smartphone to help remember words.
I think my smartphone is a useful tool for learning English words.
.838
I think my smartphone is a convenient tool for looking up English words.
.754
I think the APPs are useful for learning English words. .742 I think my smartphone can help me remember English
words better.
.577
I think the APPs are a valuable resource for learning English words.
.465
Table 3.8 Total Variance Explained
Initial Eigenvalues Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings
Component
Total % of Variance
Cumulative
%
Total % of Variance
Cumulative
% Familiarity 5.752 35.948 35.948 5.752 35.948 35.948 Experience 2.500 15.627 51.575 2.500 15.627 51.575
Attitude 1.368 8.551 60.126 1.368 8.551 60.126
The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the mobile vocabulary learning readiness questionnaire was found to be .874, exceeding the recommended .70 (Gay, 1992). The reliability coefficients of the subscales were also found to be .873 for Familiarity, .695 for Attitude, and .779 for Experience.