DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2022.1569
title: The effects of data-driven learning approach in a content and language integration learning classroom: a study of economics subject in a Thai high school

description: Nowadays, there are fewer research studies that apply content and language integrated learning (CLIL) strategies to simultaneously enhance students' content, specific language, and linguistic knowledge at the secondary school level and in higher education. In Thailand, there has not previously been much information about the use of corpus data in the design and implementation of CLIL in the classroom. Therefore, the current study aims to bridge the gaps in order to improve students’ language and content knowledge and develop the CLIL and data-driven learning (DDL) learning processes and problem-solving processes to be more effective through teaching and studying Economics and specific languages to Thai high school students.The aims of the present study were: 1) To compare the effects of the Corpus-Based CLIL method on terminologies, collocations, and grammatical features in Economics together with Economics content comprehension of Thai high school students and their writing development from the comparison between pre-test and post-test in the descriptive paragraph task; 2) To examine how Thai high school students follow CLIL and DDL learning processes while dealing with the Corpus-Based CLIL method during learning the Economics subject together with the English language; and 3) To explore Thai high school students’ attitudes towards the application of the Corpus-Based CLIL method. The participants were 40 eleventh-grade students at Thai Demonstration Secondary School under the supervision of the Faculty of Education located in Nakhon Prathom, Thailand. The experiment was conducted in English 4 (EN 32102) in the second semester of the academic year 2021 and lasted for 4 months. The researcher gathered both quantitative and qualitative data in this study. In terms of quantitative data, there were three instruments: the pre-test, the post-test, and the questionnaire, while the qualitative data were composed of the MacMillan Dictionary Online (2022), the Specialized Corpora in Economics and Business, the Students' descriptive paragraph writing, the observation field notes, the student reflection, and the semi-structured interview. Furthermore, the researcher analyzed the quantitative data using the paired sample T-test (x̅ and SD) in SPSS software, while the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis and presented in frequency, means, and percentage. The findings revealed that 1) the post-test results were significantly higher than the pre-test results after using the Corpus-Based CLIL method. Regarding students' English writing skills, they could effectively improve specific language knowledge such as lexis, syntax, and collocation in Economics. 2) The students could greatly improve their Economic and English learning processes through the several creative activities and innovative materials given in the CLIL and DDL learning processes. 3) The students had high confidence in their ability to deal with the effective methodology of studying both language and content. Based on the results, it can be summarized that the Corpus-Based CLIL method can enhance students’ learning knowledge, learning processes, and learning attitudes in studying Economics and English at the same time with high effectiveness.