Podcasting as a Pedagogical Intervention for English Vocabulary Development among Senior High School Students in the Philippines
The Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index has consistently reported a decline in the English proficiency of Filipinos. This emphasizes the need to strengthen students’ vocabulary development. In response, this study examined the effectiveness of podcasting as a pedagogical tool and channel to improve English Proficiency of Senior High School students. The study employed an experimental method with a non-randomized pretest–posttest control group design. Two sections of Grade 12 students under Humanities and Social Science strand from Nueva Ecija High School in Nueva Ecija, Philippines were assigned as the control group (traditional teaching) and the experimental group (podcast intervention). The intervention lasted for three sessions over one week, with vocabulary-focused podcasts developed by English teachers of 3–5 minutes in duration, and were made available through Spotify. Data were gathered using pretest and posttest quiz-type questionnaires. This was supported by a Likert-scale survey on students’ interest in podcasts, and validated through a focus group discussion. Results revealed that students in the experimental group showed significant improvement in vocabulary acquisition compared to the control group. Moreover, their level of interest significantly increased after the podcast intervention, with overall responses shifting from “Agree” to “Strongly Agree.” The findings suggest that podcasts are not only effective in enhancing vocabulary but also serve as engaging, accessible, and enjoyable learning tools. This study recommends integrating podcasting into classroom instruction as a modern approach to enrich students’ vocabulary learning and support language proficiency. Highlights● Podcast-based instruction significantly improved English vocabulary acquisition among students compared to traditional teaching methods.● Vocabulary podcasts proved to be an engaging and accessible learning tool, increasing students’ interest.The study demonstrates that podcasting is an effective pedagogical intervention that could contribute to improving vocabulary learning and supporting language proficiency in the Philippines.