A Comparative Study of the Impact of Explicit Instruction, Input Enhancement, and Guided Discovery on Iranian EFL Learners’ Passive Voice Production: A Computer-Assisted Language Learning Approach

It is commonly agreed that grammar is so important that it should not be ignored. The English passive voice can be a challenging aspect of grammar learning for Iranian EFL learners. The aim of this study was to comparatively and empirically investigate the effect of the Input Enhancement Technique (IET), Guided Discovery Approach (GDA), and Explicit Instruction Method (EIM) on Iranian EFL learners’ passive voice production. It sought to determine the individual effectiveness of these methods and identify the most efficient one. To this end, 70 Iranian EFL learners from the Payam Nour University of Tabriz were chosen and divided into three groups, including GDA (N = 22), IET (N = 25), and EIM (N = 23). The research data were obtained based on three validated, researcher-designed computerized activities. Pretest and posttest were used to elicit information on the learners’ production of passive voice. The results of the data analysis revealed that both IET and GDA had significant effects on the production of passive voice. However, EIM did not significantly influence the production of passive voice. Meanwhile, GDA was found to be the most efficient teaching technique compared with the other methods. This study has some important implications for teachers, students, and syllabus designers.