Unlocking literacy with AI: ChatGPT-supported morphological awareness for word reading and reading comprehension of Turkish second-graders
Interactive Learning Environments, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/10494820.2026.2734314
- Dergi Adı: Interactive Learning Environments
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Applied Science & Technology Source, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), INSPEC, Psycinfo, EBSCO Communication Source, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Communication Source (EBSCO), Education Collection (ProQuest), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, mixed methods, morphological awareness, reading comprehension, word reading
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study investigated the effects of a ChatGPT-supported morphological awareness intervention program on second-grade students’ word reading and reading comprehension skills, as well as their experiences with the program. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design (QUAN→QUAL) was employed. The quantitative phase consisted of a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design with 50 students assigned to treatment and control groups. Over an eight-week period, the treatment group received morphological awareness instruction enriched with ChatGPT-generated materials, whereas the control group received the same content without ChatGPT-generated materials. ANCOVA results revealed that, after controlling for pretest performance, the treatment group demonstrated significantly higher posttest scores in both word reading (η² = 0.29) and reading comprehension (η² = 0.13), indicating large and medium effect sizes respectively. The qualitative phase, based on focus group interviews with 12 students, showed that participants perceived the AI-supported program as original, engaging, and enjoyable, and they reported improvements in their vocabulary knowledge, morphological awareness, and comprehension processes. Integrated findings suggest that ChatGPT-enhanced instruction facilitates deeper word-level processing, increases motivation, and improves early literacy outcomes. The study highlights the instructional value of generative AI tools in elementary education and offers implications for their effective integration into language teaching practices.