Digital and AI-Supported Pedagogy as Methodological Infrastructure for Classroom-Based Documentation in Early English Language Teaching
Keywords:
digital pedagogy; artificial intelligence; early ELT; classroom observation; multisensory learningAbstract
This study examines the role of digital and artificial intelligence (AI)–supported pedagogical tools in facilitating classroom-based documentation of early language-learning behaviors in English Language Teaching (ELT) contexts. Rather than evaluating instructional effectiveness, the study adopts a classroom-based descriptive design to explore how these tools function as methodological infrastructure within authentic learning environments. The study involved 93 Grade 1 students in two naturally occurring conditions of instruction, which included a multisensory ELT classroom assisted by digital and AI tools, and an ordinary ELT classroom with minimal technological use. Learner behaviours were documented using structured observational rubrics across listening, speaking, reading, and writing domains during the baseline and post-observation phases. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed consistently higher mean scores in the multisensory ELT classroom across all four domains; however, performance patterns remained relatively stable over time in both contexts. These findings suggest that digital and AI-supported tools primarily contribute to the standardisation of instructional input and the structuring of observational processes, rather than producing immediate measurable improvements in learning outcomes. The study reconceptualises digital pedagogy as a methodological support for enhancing the reliability and consistency of classroom-based documentation in early language learning settings.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.6.38
References
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9068-5
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
Bruner, J. S. (1983). Child’s talk: Learning to use language. Oxford University Press.
Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching languages to young learners. Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733109
Connor, C. M., Piasta, S. B., Fishman, B., Glasney, S., Schatschneider, C., Crowe, E., Underwood, P., & Morrison, F. J. (2009). Individualizing student instruction precisely: effects of Child x Instruction interactions on first graders' literacy development. Child development, 80(1), 77–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01247.x
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design (5th ed.). Sage.
Dickinson, D. K., & Porche, M. V. (2011). Relation between language experiences in preschool classrooms and children’s kindergarten and fourth-grade language and reading abilities. Child Development, 82(3), 870–886. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01576.x
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies. Oxford University Press.Duke, N. K., & Cartwright, K. B. (2021). The science of reading comprehension instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(1), 25–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.411
Downer, J. T., Booren, L. M., Lima, O. K., Luckner, A. E., & Pianta, R. C. (2010). The individualized classroom assessment scoring system (inCLASS): Preliminary reliability and validity of a system for observing preschoolers' competence in classroom interactions. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.08.004
Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford University Press.
Flewitt, R., Messer, D., & Kucirkova, N. (2015). New directions for early literacy in a digital age: The iPad. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 15(3), 289-310. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798414533560
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., Gray, J. H., Robb, M. B., & Kaufman, J. (2015). Putting Education in “Educational” Apps: Lessons From the Science of Learning: Lessons From the Science of Learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615569721
Jewitt, C. (2008). Multimodality and literacy in school classrooms. Review of Research in Education, 32(1), 241–267. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X07310586
Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203970034
Liu, S., Reynolds, B. L., Thomas, N., & Soyoof, A. (2024). The Use of Digital Technologies to Develop Young Children’s Language and Literacy Skills: A Systematic Review. Sage Open, 14(1).
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511811678
Mercer, N., & Howe, C. (2012). Explaining the Dialogic Process of Teaching and Learning: The Value and Potential of Sociocultural Theory. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 1, 12-21.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2012.03.001
Ouyang, F., & Jiao, P. (2021). Artificial intelligence in education: The three paradigms. Computer and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13437
Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 45(3), 255–287. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0084295
Pellegrino, J. W. (2014). Assessment as positive influence. Educational Psychologist, 49(1), 65–75. https://doi.org/dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pse.2014.11.002
Pianta, R. C., La Paro, K. M., & Hamre, B. K. (2008). Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Porter, A. C. (2002). Measuring the content of instruction: Uses in research and practice. Educational Researcher, 31(7), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X031007003
Schmidt, W. H., & Prawat, R. S. (2006). Curriculum coherence and national control of education: issue or non?issue? Journal of Curriculum Studies, 38(6), 641–658. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220270600682804
Selwyn, N. (2016). Education and technology: Key issues and debates (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781474235952
Selwyn, N. (2016). Education and technology: Key issues and debates (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781474235952
Shams, L., & Seitz, A. R. (2008). Multisensory learning benefits. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(11), 411–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2008.07.006
Tlili, A., Shehata, B., Adarkwah, M. A., Bozkurt, A., Hickey, D. T., Huang, R., & Agyemang, B. (2023). What if the devil is my guardian angel: ChatGPT as a case study of using chatbots in education. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1).
Tripathi T, Sharma S. R, Singh V., Bhargava P., & Raj C. (2025) Teaching and learning with AI: a qualitative study on K-12 teachers' use and engagement with artificial intelligence.. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1651217. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1651217
Van de Pol, J., Volman, M., & Beishuizen, J. (2010). Scaffolding in teacher–student interaction: A decade of research. Educational Psychology Review, 22, 271–296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-010-9127-6
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Srini Sandhya M, B. R Aravind
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).
