Constructivist vs. Positive Psychology on Learning: Developing a Positive Intervention Inventory to Mediate Speaking, Anxiety, and Engagement

Like other domains of education, language learning is largely endowed with theory and practice from psychology. However, in the recent decades, dynamic assessment (DA) and positive psychology (PP), as two distinct approaches to learning, have become more prominent and cultivated robust empirical support. To answer whether DA serves learners’ and learning variables or PP, the present study adopted a comparative perspective to juxtapose their effects on speaking, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and foreign language anxiety (FLA). To this aim, a mixed method study was employed which sought two primary purposes; the development of a PP regulatory scale and comparing the effects of PP and DA regulatory scales on speaking, FLE, and FLA. The first aim was sought through a systematic review and application of a three-phase guideline for mediational inventory development. The latter was realized through a quasi-experimental approach using a post-test control-only experimental design. Consistent with the instruments used and the nature of the data collected, one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the effects of PP and DA on speaking while Kruskal-Wallis was used to compare their effects on FLE and FLA. A mediational inventory of PP entailing ۱۱ moves was constructed. Also, as revealed by ANOVA, (F (۲, ۳۳) = ۲۰.۶۰۰, p = ۰.۰۰۰), both DA and PP groups outperformed the control group in the speaking test while the DA group performed slightly better though not significantly. Also, Kruskal-Wallis indicated that PP and DA groups outperformed in FLE (χ۲ (۲) = ۲۳.۸۳۷, p = ۰.۰۰۰) and FLA (χ۲ (۲) = ۲۲.۶۷۷, p = ۰.۰۰۱) compared with control groups. PP group slightly outmatched with FLE and FLA compared with DA group but the difference was statistically non-significant.

کلیدواژه ها:

constructivism ، Dynamic assessment ، FLA ، FLE ، Positive psychology ، Regulation ، ZPD