The effects of hands-on content-language integrated learning on fourth graders’ acquisition of target vocabulary and procedural knowledge in Taiwan

The study addresses how hands-on, embodied learning influences fourth graders’ language and content outcomes in a CLIL Social Studies context in Taiwan. CLIL has expanded in Taiwan as part of national bilingual initiatives, but empirical evidence on hands-on approaches—common in multimodal pedagogies (e.g., Lin’s Multimodality-Entextualization Cycle)—is limited, especially in non-STEM subjects like Social Studies. Challenges in CLIL include insufficient language scaffolding, overreliance on rote tasks, and limited high-quality materials, which can hinder acquisition of subject-specific vocabulary and procedural knowledge. Grounded in embodied learning theories that link cognition with action and sensory experience, the study compares hands-on activities (e.g., making dumplings, building bird nests, planting succulents) with worksheet-based instruction, and investigates students’ perceptions. Research questions: (RQ1) effect of hands-on learning on target vocabulary vs. worksheet-based instruction; (RQ2) effect on procedural knowledge; (RQ3) differences in student perceptions regarding vocabulary and procedures between the two approaches.

The review situates hands-on learning within embodied learning and multimodal CLIL pedagogies. Embodied learning posits cognition is intertwined with bodily movement and sensory engagement, supporting deeper processing and memory (Beilock; Coyle & Meyer). Lin’s Multimodality-Entextualization Cycle (MEC) advocates inquiry-based, multimodal, experiential tasks leading to entextualization and reflection. Empirical evidence shows bodily engagement (whole-/part-body movements, gestures) can boost learning and retention across domains. In CLIL, vocabulary spans general academic to discipline-specific terms; effective instruction leverages scaffolds (e.g., sentence frames, TPR) and contextualized practice. Studies indicate hands-on and inquiry-based experiences can enhance vocabulary learning by linking language to tangible actions and contexts. Procedural knowledge—skillful execution of sequenced actions—benefits from practice, feedback, and context-rich tasks; research shows embodiment-based strategies, gestures, and technology/craft tasks foster procedural knowledge formation. Despite these insights, focused research on hands-on embodied approaches in CLIL Social Studies is scarce, motivating the present study.

Design: Quasi-experimental, sequential explanatory mixed-methods with intact classes due to ecological constraints. Intervention type (hands-on vs worksheet-based) was randomly assigned at the class level; pre-tests ensured baseline comparability. Same experienced English instructor taught both groups in English. Participants and setting: Four intact 4th-grade CLIL Social Studies classes from three Taiwanese elementary schools; n=74 (EG=40; CG=34), ages 9–10, native Mandarin speakers. Prior experience: ~10–12.5% had dumpling-making experience; none had prior bird nest building or succulent planting. Pre-test independent-samples t-tests showed no significant between-group differences on vocabulary or procedural knowledge across activities. Timeline and curriculum: 6 weeks covering three textbook units taught over two weeks each: W1/W2 culinary traditions and meal preparation (Chinese Dumpling Making); W3/W4 natural world and biodiversity (Bird’s Nest Building); W5/W6 plant life and cultivation (Designing a Pot of Succulents). The first week of each unit provided common video-based conceptual introduction for both groups; the second week varied by condition. Interventions: - Experimental Group (hands-on): After shared video intro, teacher introduced target vocabulary with physical demonstrations and verbal reinforcement (e.g., twigs, branches, straws, bend, loop). Students performed the tasks: making dumplings, building nests in outdoor settings, and designing/planting succulents. Steps were modeled physically with concurrent language scaffolding; teacher provided iterative feedback and reinforcement; tasks concluded with a consolidating step (e.g., placing an egg in the nest). - Control Group (worksheet-based/PPT-led): After the same video intro, teacher presented vocabulary via PPT with images/definitions; students completed structured worksheets (matching, fill-in-the-blank, comprehension) individually or in small groups; guidance and feedback emphasized textual/visual reinforcement and repetition. Measures and data collection: - Achievement tests (pre-/post- for each activity): (1) Vocabulary Matching (6–9 items) matching words to pictures; (2) Procedural Knowledge Reordering (4 steps) ordering the correct sequence. Development: expert review, piloting with n=30, revisions. Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha 0.84–0.92 overall; in main study, EG 0.85–0.91; CG 0.89–0.93 across activities. Construct validity supported by correlations with English proficiency and Social Studies performance. - Learner Experience Surveys (post-activity, bilingual): Open-ended liking/why prompt; six Likert items (1–4) on vocabulary learning (effectiveness, ease, retention) and procedural learning (effectiveness, ease, retention). Reliability (Cronbach’s alpha): EG 0.890/0.918/0.922; CG 0.887/0.838/0.821 for dumpling/nest/succulent units respectively. Analysis: Within-group pre/post changes via paired-samples t-tests; between-group post-test comparisons via independent-samples t-tests (two-tailed, α=0.05) with Cohen’s d. Thematic analysis for open-ended responses. Ethical procedures included institutional approval and parental consent. Data availability: Zenodo repository https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13929764.

RQ1 (Target vocabulary): Both groups improved significantly within-group across all activities, but EG showed larger effect sizes. Between-group post-tests favored EG with large effects: - Chinese Dumpling Making (9 items): EG M=7.23 (SD=1.94) vs CG M=4.44 (SD=1.99); t=6.081, p<0.001, d=1.42. Within-group effects: EG d=2.43; CG d=1.13. - Bird’s Nest Building (9 items): EG M=7.13 (SD=2.15) vs CG M=4.09 (SD=1.83); t=6.474, p<0.001, d=1.51. Within-group effects: EG d=1.02; CG d=0.77. - Designing a Pot of Succulents (6 items): EG M=5.55 (SD=1.04) vs CG M=4.06 (SD=1.76); t=4.524, p<0.001, d=1.05. Within-group effects: EG d=1.03; CG d=0.83. RQ2 (Procedural knowledge): Significant within-group gains for both, with substantially larger effects for EG. Between-group post-tests favored EG: - Chinese Dumpling Making (4 steps): EG M=3.13 (SD=1.07) vs CG M=1.76 (SD=1.21); t=5.145, p<0.001, d=1.21. Within-group effects: EG d=1.87; CG d=0.59. - Bird’s Nest Building (4 steps): EG M=3.23 (SD=1.10) vs CG M=1.97 (SD=1.55); t=4.066, p<0.001, d=0.95. Within-group effects: EG d=1.82; CG d=0.52. - Designing a Pot of Succulents (4 steps): EG M=3.60 (SD=0.63) vs CG M=1.18 (SD=1.03); t=12.401, p<0.001, d=2.89. Within-group effects: EG d=2.57; CG d=0.53. RQ3 (Perceptions): EG rated memory/retention of vocabulary and procedures significantly higher across activities, with several significant advantages in perceived effectiveness, but no significant differences in perceived ease of learning. Examples of significant differences (EG>CG): Dumplings—vocab memory (t=2.428, p=0.018), procedural memory (t=3.309, p=0.001); Bird’s Nest—vocab memory (t=2.243, p=0.028), procedural effectiveness (t=2.383, p=0.022), procedural memory (t=2.099, p=0.039); Succulents—vocab effectiveness (t=3.324, p=0.001), vocab memory (t=2.886, p=0.005), procedural effectiveness (t=2.918, p=0.005), procedural memory (t=2.531, p=0.014). Qualitative feedback indicated strong enjoyment and engagement in EG; CG responses were mixed, with some disappointment about lack of hands-on participation.

Hands-on, embodied activities in CLIL Social Studies yielded greater gains in both target vocabulary and procedural knowledge than worksheet-based instruction, directly addressing RQ1 and RQ2. The consistent large effect sizes suggest that coupling language with meaningful physical actions and sensory experience deepens cognitive processing and supports retention, aligning with embodied learning and multimodal pedagogy theories. Authentic task contexts likely promoted repeated, contextualized use of vocabulary and clearer mental models of procedures. Perception data (RQ3) showed that students recognized stronger memory benefits with hands-on learning, yet did not perceive it as easier than worksheets, likely reflecting familiarity with traditional, test-oriented instruction and initial adjustment costs when moving to experiential methods. Overall, the findings reinforce that integrating hands-on, inquiry-based tasks within CLIL can enhance both linguistic and content outcomes, though implementation should consider scaffolded transitions for learners accustomed to conventional formats.

The study provides empirical support that hands-on, embodied CLIL instruction in Social Studies significantly enhances fourth graders’ acquisition of target vocabulary and procedural knowledge compared with worksheet-based methods. It underscores the value of multisensory, authentic tasks for deeper engagement and retention, contributing evidence to CLIL pedagogy beyond STEM contexts. Pedagogical implications include: (1) selecting context-relevant, novel vocabulary for focused attention; (2) using structured, scaffolded hands-on sequences to manage cognitive load; and (3) employing behavioral reinforcement (immediate feedback, repetition) to consolidate learning. Future research should examine long-term retention through longitudinal designs, test generalizability across cultures and subjects, compare instructors to reduce bias, and explore blended transition strategies to ease students into hands-on approaches.

- Non-random sampling of intact classes and quasi-experimental design may introduce selection bias despite random assignment of intervention at class level and baseline equivalence checks. - Short duration (6 weeks) limits conclusions about long-term retention and transfer. - Potential confounds such as classroom dynamics, same-instructor effects, and individual engagement may have contributed to outcomes. - Homogeneous sample (Taiwanese fourth graders in specific schools) constrains generalizability to other cultural and educational contexts. - Student familiarity with traditional methods may have influenced perceptions of ease during the transition to hands-on learning.