Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate motivational orientations of 396 adolescents of public schools and their perceptions of their learning contexts. About half of the sample suited English as a compulsory language, while others studied Spanish as an elected language. Data were collected through a Likert-type self report questionnaire with questions related to mastery and work avoidance achievement goals, to perceptions of interesting classes and utility value. Results showed significant positive relations among mastery goal orientation and perceptions of interesting classes and utility, and negative relations among work avoidance goal orientation and those variables. Regression analyses showed that perceptions of interesting classes and utility value predict mastery goal orientation. Some significant differences aroused among students of the two learning contexts. Results were discussed in the light of motivational theories and some suggestions for new researches and for educational practices as well with adolescents were drawn.
Highlights
Significant statistical relationships were discovered, which will be explained in the light of the Achievement Goal Theory, the theoretical framework adopted in this study
The first objective was to discover the extent and quality of student motivation related to the purposes or reasons for involvement in the study of foreign languages
The data for the two subscales of goals will be discussed together
Summary
The aim of the present study was to investigate motivational orientations of 396 adolescents of public schools and their perceptions of their learning contexts. The aims of this study were: (1) to assess adolescent students’ motivation in two foreign language learning contexts, regarding their adoption of a learning or a work avoidance achievement goal; (2) to evaluate students’ perceptions of the classroom teaching in the promotion of situational interest and the use of motivational embellishments by teachers; (3) to assess whether, and to what extent, students perceive utility value in the study of a foreign language in school; and (4) to analyze relationships among perceptions of the classroom teaching and both learning and work avoidance achievement goals orientations
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