An Instructional Activity Based on Task-Based Learning and Feynman Learning to Enhance Autonomous Learning Ability and Verbal Ability in Military Theory Course for The First-Year Vocational College Students

Abstract

This study sets four core research objectives: to design a combined instructional activity integrating Task-Based Learning (TBL) and Feynman Learning for vocational college military theory courses, to verify whether this activity improves freshmen’s autonomous learning ability, to explore its effects on students’ verbal ability, and to provide practical references for vocational education teaching reform. The research population included 328 first-year students from the School of Electromechanical Engineering of a vocational college, among whom 30 participants were selected via cluster random sampling. A 15-week pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was adopted. Two standardized assessment scales were used to collect data on students’ autonomous learning ability and verbal ability, and descriptive statistics as well as paired-samples t-tests were applied for data analysis. The results revealed that after the intervention, students achieved statistically significant improvements in both abilities. Specifically, the mean score of autonomous learning ability rose from 60.33 to 71.13 (p < 0.05, Cohen’s d = 0.96), and the mean score of verbal ability increased from 67.50 to 76.03 (p < 0.05, Cohen’s d = 1.73). TBL effectively boosted students’ learning initiative and independent problem-solving competence, while Feynman Learning deepened their comprehension of abstract theoretical concepts and optimized oral expression. This integrated teaching mode is proven feasible and effective for military theory teaching in vocational colleges, and it can serve as a practical approach to promote the high-quality development of vocational education.