The Effectiveness Of An Educational Program Based On Cognitive Dissonance Theory In Correcting Erroneous Grammatical Concepts Among Students Of Arabic Language Departments In Colleges Of Basic Education

Abstract

This research aims to identify the effectiveness of an educational program based on cognitive dissonance theory in correcting grammatical concepts among students of the College of Basic Education. To verify this objective, the researchers formulated the following hypothesis: "There is no statistically significant difference at the (0.05) level between the mean scores of the experimental group and the control group, who will study grammar according to the educational program, in the post-test for correcting grammatical concepts." The research population consisted of second-year students at the College of Basic Education. The researcher intentionally selected the sample from the Arabic Language Department at Al-Mustansiriya University. The total number of students in the two classrooms was (66), with (33) in classroom (1) and (33) in classroom (2).The researchers equated the two research groups in the following variables (chronological age calculated in months, grades of the previous general grammar subject, linguistic ability, intelligence, diagnostic test for misconceptions). The experiment began on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, and ended on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, for the two research groups (experimental and control). It lasted for a full semester, which is the first semester of the academic year (2025-2026). The researchers studied the two research groups themselves. The experimental group studied according to the educational program, while the control group studied according to the traditional method. The researchers developed a post-test for misconceptions, consisting of 54 items. The test comprised three questions, each with 18 sub-questions: the first question was a multiple-choice question, the second a fill-in-the-blank question, and the third a question requiring identification. The purpose of the test was to measure the level of misconception correction among the students in both research groups. Using an independent samples t-test, the following results were obtained: The students in the experimental group, who studied according to the educational program, outperformed the students in the control group, who studied according to the traditional method, in correcting grammatical misconceptions. This result indicates that the educational program had a statistically significant effect on correcting grammatical misconceptions among the second-year students (the research sample).

Based on these findings, the researchers drew several conclusions, the most important of which are:

1- The educational program based on cognitive dissonance theory contributed to revealing students' grammatical misconceptions and creating a state of cognitive inconsistency that prompted a review and correct reconstruction of these concepts, which positively impacted their level of grammatical understanding.

 2- The impact of cognitive dissonance in educational situations is effective in activating higher-order thinking skills. It requires students to examine their prior knowledge, compare it with accurate information, and then modify their cognitive structure to achieve internal consistency.