The Development of Mobile Phone Applications to Promote Phonic Skills in Primary School

Abstract

Background and Aims: Phonics instruction plays a critical role in developing foundational reading fluency, pronunciation, and phonemic awareness, particularly in primary education. However, students in Thailand, especially in rural areas like the Phetchaburi Educational Service Area 2, face significant challenges in mastering phonics. These challenges stem from structural differences between Thai and English phonetic systems, the absence of specialized English teachers, and limited exposure to native speakers, resulting in poor reading comprehension, pronunciation difficulties, and low confidence in using English. These educational gaps highlight the urgent need for innovative solutions to support phonics education beyond traditional classroom settings. This study addresses these issues by leveraging mobile technology to develop an engaging phonics learning application. The objectives of the study are fourfold: First, the study seeks to develop a mobile application specifically designed to promote phonics skills among primary school students. Second, it aims to validate the effectiveness of the application by measuring phonics improvement through pretest and posttest assessments. Third, it compares the learning outcomes of students who used the application (experimental group) with those receiving traditional instruction (control group), providing insights into the app's impact. Lastly, the study evaluates students' satisfaction with the app, assessing usability and its influence on learning engagement. These objectives collectively address the critical need for accessible phonics education tools in resource-limited settings.

Methodology:   A mixed-methods approach was adopted to gain comprehensive insights into both learning outcomes and user experiences. The study involved students from a randomly selected school in Phetchaburi Educational Service Area 2, with participants divided into experimental and control groups. Grade 6 students formed the experimental group, using the mobile application for five weeks, while Grade 5 students followed traditional phonics instruction. The quantitative component included pretest-posttest assessments, with a 60-item test covering essential phonics components such as consonants, vowels, clusters, and suffix endings. Qualitative data were gathered through student surveys and focus group interviews, providing deeper insights into their experiences with the application.

Results: The study’s results demonstrate that the mobile application significantly enhanced phonics skills among the experimental group. The mean score for the experimental group improved from 14.7 (pretest) to 45.93 (posttest), a gain of 31.23 points. In contrast, the control group showed a modest improvement from 15.1 to 22.5, with a 7.4-point increase. A two-tailed t-test analysis (t = 29.84, p < 0.05) confirmed that the observed differences between the groups were statistically significant, validating the effectiveness of the mobile app. Students expressed high satisfaction, with average scores of 4.9/5 for learning improvement, 4.8/5 for exercise usefulness, and 4.7/5 for learning at their own pace. These findings indicate the practical effectiveness of the mobile application in enhancing phonics education and student engagement.

Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of mobile learning tools to address the challenges of phonics education in rural Thailand, offering a scalable solution for areas with limited access to specialized teachers and instructional resources. The significant improvements in phonics performance among students using the mobile application suggest that such tools can serve as effective supplements to traditional instruction, supporting students' phonemic awareness, pronunciation, and reading fluency. These findings have broader implications for educational policy and practice, underscoring the need to integrate technology-based solutions into the curriculum to enhance language learning outcomes. Future research could explore the long-term impact of the application, its adaptability to other regions, and the integration of advanced features such as offline access and adaptive learning modules.