Students’ emotional experiences and learning outcomes during digital vocabulary instruction: comparing struggling and typical third grade readers

This study investigated the impact of digital vocabulary games (DG) and digital vocabulary worksheet (DW) on achievement emotions and learning outcomes among 62 third-grade students with diverse reading abilities. Participants were classified as struggling or typical readers based a standardized reading fluency assessment. The research examined how these digital tools influenced vocabulary acquisition and emotional responses across the diverse reading abilities. Results showed that both DG and DW effectively improved vocabulary knowledge, with no significant difference in learning gains between modalities. However, DG elicited greater active positive emotions and calmness than DW, which could foster motivation and persistence, crucial for learning. Struggling readers experienced increased calmness and decreased negative emotions with DG, achieving gains comparable to their typical readers peers with both tools. Typical readers did not exhibit significant differences in emotional experiences or learning outcomes between the digital tools, suggesting their adaptability to various digital formats. This study illuminates the role of digital tools in not only promoting vocabulary growth but also shaping diverse emotional experiences during learning among young students with varied reading profiles. The findings have important implications for supporting struggling readers and nurturing a positive learning experience for all.