Schema Activation and Listening Comprehension in EFL Secondary Students: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Study in Morocco

Abstract

This study investigates the extent to which schema-based pre-listening instruction improves the listening comprehension of Moroccan EFL secondary students. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was employed with 68 third-year baccalaureate students from a secondary school in Kénitra, Morocco, assigned to experimental (n = 35) and control (n = 33) groups. Over a five-week intervention, the experimental group received pre-listening instruction incorporating brainstorming, vocabulary pre-teaching, graphic organizers, and KWL chart activities, whereas the control group received conventional instruction. Data were collected through a listening comprehension test battery, a background knowledge probe, and a 20-item attitude questionnaire. Results showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on post-intervention listening measures, with large effect sizes observed after ANCOVA adjustment (partial η² = .71). Prior knowledge varied systematically across thematic units and was moderately to strongly associated with comprehension performance (r = .44–.61). Learners with lower prior knowledge registered the largest gains from instruction. Attitudinal findings revealed strongly positive perceptions of schema-based instruction, particularly regarding vocabulary pre-teaching and anxiety reduction. The study extends schema theory research to the Moroccan EFL context and supports the pedagogical value of schema activation in listening instruction.