本研究主要探討的是以手勢作為鷹架並將它融入英語說故事教學後，在過程中是否能夠提升台灣偏鄉英語低程度國中生的短期及長期記憶表現，並在最後探討參與者對於將手勢加入說故事活動的態度及想法，本研究的研究對象為台灣南部偏鄉地區的30位英語低程度國中生，研究對象的英語程度大約落在CEFR A1 至 A2。
本研究為準實驗設計，參與的學生分為實驗組16名及控制組14名，實驗組觀看加入手勢的說故事影片，控制組則觀看無手勢的說故事影片。研究工具包含用來測量學生的工作記憶能力 Taiwan Odd-Even Number Sequencing Test（TOENST）(Peng, 2009)、立即回憶故事測驗、兩週後的延遲回憶故事測驗，以及實驗後的學習態度問卷。
在本實驗的設計中，使用立即回憶故事測驗來評估學生對故事的短期記憶表現，以及兩週後的延遲回憶故事測驗來評估學生對故事內容的長期記憶表現，並根據故事中的 40 個故事元素進行評分，接著用描述統計、獨立樣本t檢定以及雙因子變異數分析來檢測手勢及工作記憶能力對參與者記得故事內容的影響，做完故事回憶測驗後，也透過五點里克特問卷與開放式問題了解學生對手勢融入故事教學的看法。
研究結果顯示，在立即回憶故事測驗中，實驗組的整體平均表現高於控制組，但是未達統計的顯著差異，然而，進一步分析不同手勢類型的表現後發現，隱喻型手勢（metaphoric gesture type）在實驗組與控制組之間達到顯著差異，表示手勢對學生理解較抽象的故事內容具有較明顯的幫助。而在兩週後的延遲回憶故事測驗中，實驗組平均稍微高於控制組但是仍未達顯著差異，因此我們可以了解單次手勢介入對長期記憶保留的效果較為有限，另外，延遲回憶故事測驗中也發現，工作記憶能力對學生的長期故事回憶表現中扮演重要角色，高工作記憶能力學生明顯優於低工作記憶能力學生，統計上也達顯著差異。
而在五點里克特問卷與開放式問題中顯示，實驗組與控制組皆對本次英文說故事活動持大致正向的態度。實驗組對手勢輔助說故事的部分面向呈現正向看法，但對於手勢是否能幫助學生在故事重述時想起詞彙，則未表現出明確的認同。控制組雖對手勢的態度是正向的，但由於未實際觀看有手勢的影片，因此他們的回答僅能反映一般看法，而不能視為手勢介入的效果。另外，兩個組別都期待教師能使用更多圖片、手勢、表情與較慢的語速。
整體來說，本研究的結果指出，雖然手勢並不能全面解決偏鄉低程度學生英語學習困境，但可以作為一種低成本且容易實施的教學鷹架，尤其是在處理較抽象的故事內容時，手勢能為學生提供學生理解英語故事時的額外視覺與支持。

This study examined whether using gestures as scaffolding and integrating them into English storytelling instruction could improve short- and long-term story recall performance among junior high school students with low English proficiency in rural Taiwan. It also investigated the participants' attitudes and thoughts on incorporating gestures into storytelling activities. The participants were 30 junior high school students from rural areas in southern Taiwan with low English proficiency, ranging approximately from CEFR A1 to A2.
This study used a quasi-experimental design, with participants divided into an experimental group of 16 and a control group of 14. The experimental group watched storytelling videos with gestures, while the control group watched storytelling videos without gestures. The tools in this study included the Taiwan Odd-Even Number Sequencing Test (TOENST) (Peng, 2009) to measure students' working memory, an immediate story recall test, a delayed story recall test two weeks later, and a learning attitude questionnaire.
First, an immediate story recall test was used to assess students' short-term recall of the story content, and a delayed test two weeks later was used to assess their long-term recall. The students were scored based on 40 story elements. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and two-way ANOVA were used to examine the effects of gestures and working memory on participants' retention of the story content. After the story recall test, a five-point Likert questionnaire and open-ended questions were used to understand students' attitudes toward integrating gestures into story teaching.
The results showed that in the immediate story recall test, the experimental group's overall average was higher than the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, further analysis of the gesture types revealed a significant difference in metaphorical gesture type between the experimental and control groups. This indicated that metaphorical gestures significantly enhanced students' recall performance of more abstract story content. In the delayed story recall test two weeks later, the experimental group's average performance was slightly higher than the control group's, but the difference was not statistically significant. Therefore, a single gesture intervention has a limited effect on long-term memory retention. Furthermore, in the delayed story recall test, this study found that working memory capacity plays a crucial role in students' long-term story recall performance. Students with high working memory capacity significantly outperformed those with low working memory capacity. Statistically significant differences were also observed.
The Five-Point Richter Questionnaire and open-ended questions showed that both the experimental and control groups generally had a positive attitude towards the English storytelling activity. The experimental group showed a positive view of gestures, but did not express a clear claim on whether gestures could help them recall vocabulary when recalling the story. As for the control group, they expressed a positive view of the potential uses of gestures, but their responses reflect only general opinions and cannot be considered the effectiveness of the gesture intervention in this study, as they did not actually see the gesture video. Furthermore, both groups hoped that teachers would use more pictures, gestures, and facial expressions, and speak more slowly.
Overall, the results of this study indicate that while gestures cannot completely address the English-learning difficulties of low-achieving students in rural areas, they can serve as a low-cost, easily implemented instructional scaffold. Especially when dealing with more abstract story content, gestures can provide students with additional visual support to understand English stories.

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