Effect of the Pedagogical Use of ChatGPT on Vocabulary Acquisition in 10th-Grade Basic Education Stu-dents: A Mixed Study with Repeated Measures

Authors

  • Coraima Lizbeth Armijos-Guamán Institución Fiscal Libertador Bolívar
  • Isabel Petita Guamán-Villa Institución Fiscal Sevilla de Oro
  • Ruth Elizabeth Peñafiel-Jurado Institución Fiscal Miguel Moreno Ordoñez
  • Carlos Iván Andrade-Bayona Asesoría en Investigación Académica (AiA)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21955499

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, receptive vocabulary, basic education, language teaching

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of the peda-gogical use of ChatGPT on receptive vocabulary acquisition among tenth-grade students in a rural Ecuadorian school. A quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent groups, pretest and posttest was applied to a sample of 15 students: seven in the experimental group and eight in the control group. The experimental group worked for one week with guided activities supported by ChatGPT, focused on meaning recognition, con-textualized word use, synonyms, antonyms, and short written production; the control group con-tinued with regular instruction. The results showed slight increases in both groups. The ex-perimental group moved from a mean score of 21.00 to 21.43 points, while the control group increased from 20.88 to 22.00 points. Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests did not show statisti-cally significant differences either within groups or between them. It is concluded that, in this brief and contextualized application, ChatGPT did not produce a significant differential improvement compared with regular instruction, although no decline was observed in the experimental group.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Coraima Lizbeth Armijos-Guamán, Institución Fiscal Libertador Bolívar

ORCID

Coraima Lizbeth Armijos Guaman holds a Master’s degree in Basic Education from the State University of Milagro and a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Sciences, with a specialization in Spanish Language and Literature, from the University of Cuenca. She works as a Language and Literature teacher, with experience in curriculum planning, pedagogical support, and supervision of research projects. Her complementary training focuses on attention to diversity, curricular opportunities, and recreational reading. She is currently developing academic work related to the pedagogical use of ChatGPT in school vocabulary acquisition.

Isabel Petita Guamán-Villa, Institución Fiscal Sevilla de Oro

ORCID

Master’s degree in Basic Education from the Universidad Estatal de Milagro and Bachelor’s degree in Basic Education from the Universidad Nacional del Ecuador (UNAE). She also holds professional training as a Primary Education teacher from the Universidad de Guayaquil. She has extensive experience as a classroom teacher, having worked in various educational institutions in Ecuador since 2007. She currently teaches at Unidad Educativa Sevilla de Oro. Her continuing professional development includes areas such as technological innovation and digital content creation, computational thinking, video game programming for teachers, educational support strategies, human rights, and human mobility.

Ruth Elizabeth Peñafiel-Jurado, Institución Fiscal Miguel Moreno Ordoñez

ORCID

Distinguished professional in the legal and educational fields. With a strong academic background, she holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, complemented by a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a specialization in Pedagogy, and a Master’s degree in Education with a specialization in the Development of Thinking Skills. Throughout her career, she has devoted her professional life to teaching and has been a member of the faculty at Rosa de Jesús Cordero Educational Unit. Her commitment to education and the comprehensive development of her students is reflected in her work as an educator, where she applies innovative approaches aimed at strengthening critical and creative thinking in the classroom.

Carlos Iván Andrade-Bayona, Asesoría en Investigación Académica (AiA)

ORCID

He has developed a professional trajectory linked to research, academic publishing, and cultural production. His work includes scientific publications in areas such as research methodology, psychometrics, communication, sociocultural studies, and legal analysis, as well as the preparation and editing of books and educational materials. His recent contributions include studies on the methodological quality of nursing research and the psychometric properties of assessment instruments. At the same time, he maintains an active output of essays and cultural and literary criticism, published in the Quinta Esquina supplement of Diario El Mercurio, thus connecting academic research with public dissemination and cultural creation.

References

Abdelhalim, S. y Alsehibany, R. (2025). Integrating ChatGPT for vocabulary learning and retention: A classroom-based study of Saudi EFL learners. Language Learning & Technology, 29(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/73635

Akgun, S. y Greenhow, C. (2022). Artificial intelligence in education: Addressing ethical challenges in K-12 settings. AI and Ethics, 2, 431–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00096-7

Alvarado, R., Alvarado, S., Govea, D. y Jaime, D. (2025). Impacto de la educación digital en las zonas rurales de Ecuador: Retos y oportunidades. Seminars in Medical Writing and Education, 4, 468. https://doi.org/10.56294/mw2025468

Chounta, I., Bardone, E., Raudsep, A. y Pedaste, M. (2021). Exploring teachers’ perceptions of artificial intelligence as a tool to support their practice in Estonian K-12 education. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-021-00243-5

Darvishi, A., Khosravi, H., Sadiq, S., Gašević, D. y Siemens, G. (2024). Impact of AI assistance on student agency. Computers & Education, 210, 104967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104967

Durazno, B., Díaz, K. y Zambrano, J. (2025). Exploring the effect of ChatGPT as an educational tool to improve vocabulary acquisition in the English language. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 9(1), 4874–4886. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v9i1.16190

Fritz, C., Morris, P. y Richler, J. (2012). Effect size estimates: Current use, calculations, and interpretation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 141(1), 2–18. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024338

García, M. (2024). Inteligencia artificial y léxico: Una propuesta con ChatGPT para niveles B1 y B2 en la enseñanza del español como lengua extranjera. RILEX. Revista sobre Investigaciones Léxicas, 7(3), e9111. https://doi.org/10.17561/rilex.7.3.9111

Kim, N. y Kim, M. (2022). Teacher’s perceptions of using an artificial intelligence-based educational tool for scientific writing. Frontiers in Education, 7, 755914. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.755914

Kohnke, L., Moorhouse, B. y Zou, D. (2023). ChatGPT for language teaching and learning. RELC Journal, 54(2), 537–550. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882231162868

Lakens, D. (2013). Calculating and reporting effect sizes to facilitate cumulative science: A practical primer for t-tests and ANOVAs. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 863. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00863

Li, B., Lowell, V. L., Wang, C. y Li, X. (2024). A systematic review of the first year of publications on ChatGPT and language education: Examining research on ChatGPT’s use in language learning and teaching. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 7, 100266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100266

Luo, Y., Yang, M. y Zhang, X. (2021). The effect of vocabulary depth and breadth on English listening comprehension can depend on how comprehension is measured. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 657573. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.657573

Márquez, N., Guamán, I. y Peñafiel, R. (2025). Entre la innovación y la cautela: Voces docentes sobre la inteligencia artificial en la educación secundaria. South American Research Journal, 5(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15659239

McGrath, C., Cerratto Pargman, T., Juth, N. y Palmgren, P. (2023). University teachers’ perceptions of responsibility and artificial intelligence in higher education: An experimental philosophical study. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 4, 100139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2023.100139

Morocho, R., Cartuche, A., Tipan, A., Guevara, A. y Ríos, M. (2023). Integración de la inteligencia artificial en la educación. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 7(6), 2032–2053. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v7i6.8832

Mugableh, A. (2024). The impact of ChatGPT on the development of vocabulary knowledge of Saudi EFL students. Arab World English Journal, Special Issue on ChatGPT, 265–281. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/ChatGPT.18

Nazaretsky, T., Ariely, M., Cukurova, M. y Alexandron, G. (2022). Teachers’ trust in AI-powered educational technology and a professional development program to improve it. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(4), 914–931. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13232

Peñafiel, R., Márquez, N. y Guamán, I. (2024). Inteligencia artificial en la educación: Revisión sistemática de perspectivas, beneficios y desafíos en la práctica docente. South American Research Journal, 4(2), 5–15. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14507789

Pratama, M., Sampelolo, R. y Lura, H. (2023). Revolutionizing education: Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for personalized learning. Klasikal: Journal of Education, Language Teaching and Science, 5(2), 350–357. https://doi.org/10.2656-9914

Shadish, W., Cook, T. y Campbell, D. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.

Sumakul, D., Hamied, F. y Sukyadi, D. (2022). Artificial intelligence in EFL classrooms: Friend or foe? LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 15(1), 232–256. https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/LEARN/index

Walter, Y. (2024). Embracing the future of artificial intelligence in the classroom: The relevance of AI literacy, prompt engineering, and critical thinking in modern education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00448-3

What Works Clearinghouse. (2022). What Works Clearinghouse procedures and standards handbook, version 5.0. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/handbooks/

Zhai, C., Wibowo, S. y Li, L. (2024). The effects of over-reliance on AI dialogue systems on students’ cognitive abilities: A systematic review. Smart Learning Environments, 11, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00316-7

Zhang, P. y Tur, G. (2024). A systematic review of ChatGPT use in K-12 education. European Journal of Education, 59(2), e12599. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12599

Downloads

Published

2026-08-16

How to Cite

Armijos-Guamán, C. L., Guamán-Villa, I. P., Peñafiel-Jurado, R. E., & Andrade-Bayona, C. I. (2026). Effect of the Pedagogical Use of ChatGPT on Vocabulary Acquisition in 10th-Grade Basic Education Stu-dents: A Mixed Study with Repeated Measures. South American Research Journal, 6(1), 23–31. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21955499

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): Evidences

Section

Artículos

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Coraima Lizbeth Armijos-Guamán, Isabel Petita Guamán-Villa, Ruth Elizabeth Peñafiel-Jurado, Carlos Iván Andrade-Bayona

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.