Empirical Analysis of Knowledge Graph-Based Adaptive Teaching in English Vocabulary Education

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jhve.202616408

Author(s)

Longfeng Mu1,2,*

Affiliation(s)

1Guangzhou University of Software, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China 2University of Macau, Macau, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

Traditional college English vocabulary teaching is characterized by fragmented knowledge presentation, unified rigid instruction, and disjointed theoretical and practical training. These drawbacks lead to learners’ mechanical rote memorization, redundant cognitive consumption and poor long-term vocabulary retention. In the context of intelligent education, knowledge graph (KG) technology can visualize lexical semantic associations and support personalized learning, effectively remedying the deficiencies of conventional vocabulary instruction. This study constructs a KG-based adaptive English vocabulary teaching framework and develops a three-stage teaching workflow covering pre-class exploration, in-class targeted interpretation and post-class consolidation. A 16-week quasi-experiment was conducted with 60 English major undergraduates, who were equally randomized into an experimental group receiving KG adaptive teaching and a control group adopting traditional linear teaching. Multiple quantitative and qualitative instruments, including vocabulary tests, cognitive load scales, learning logs and interviews, were applied for data collection. The results demonstrate that KG-enabled adaptive teaching significantly improves students’ vocabulary proficiency, semantic understanding depth and long-term retention. It also reduces extraneous cognitive load, optimizes cognitive resource allocation and facilitates active lexical knowledge construction. This study validates the effectiveness of KG-based adaptive teaching in English vocabulary education, providing reliable empirical evidence and practical references for intelligent foreign language teaching reform.

Keywords

Knowledge Graph; Adaptive Teaching; English Vocabulary Education; Smart Teaching; Cognitive Load; Teaching Empirical Analysis

References

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