EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF A MULTISENSORY PHONICS CURRICULUMON PHONEMIC AWARENESS IN CHINESE KINDERGARTEN EFL LEARNERS: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY

Abstract

A quasi-experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory phonics curriculum in enhancing phonemic awareness among Chinese kindergarten learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), in comparison to a standard language-integrated approach. Conducted over 4 months, the study involved 30 students from an international, bilingual school in Beijing, China, divided evenly into an experimental group (phonics intervention) and a control group (no intervention). Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design framework, the study combined quantitative data from test scores and ratings with qualitative insights from class observations and parental feedback. Mann-Whitney U-test results indicated improvement in phonemic awareness by increased post-test scores in alphabet lettersound recognition, initial letter sound proficiency, and vocabulary acquisition. The results demonstrated that the multisensory phonics curriculum significantly enhanced phonemic awareness in the experimental group.