Abstract
This study explores the similarities and differences between adult language learners' and their teachers’ attributions of perceived success and failure in learning English as a foreign language in an intensive program. It examines attributions along with three dimensions: locus of causality, stability and controllability. 319 students and 81 teachers responded to a self-administered questionnaire and reported more attributions for failure than for success. The most frequent attributions both groups stated were effort, teacher, motivation, and participation. Causal dimensionality patterns of success and failure-oriented students did not show much differences. They both had significantly more controllable and unstable attributions. Teachers' dimensionality patterns did not differ from that of the students except for locus of control dimension. Causal dimensionality of both teachers and students seemed to be healthy attributional styles according to Weiner’s attributional model of achievement motivation.
Highlights
Academic success in foreign language education embodies a complex nature dominated by perceptions of learners and teachers
Adult learners believed that their effort (50%) was the main reason of their success; teacher factor (19%), school system (8%), participating in the lesson (5%) and using the target language in their daily life (5%) were among the other main causes stated by the students causing them to be successful language learners
Attributions stated for failure were more than those stated for success in both teacher and student groups, a finding supported by attribution theory; more why-questions are asked when failures are experienced (Weiner, 1979; Weiner, 2000)
Summary
Academic success in foreign language education embodies a complex nature dominated by perceptions of learners and teachers. It has been revealed that people attribute an infinite number of causes to their perceived successes and failures and that these personal contributions influence their subsequent actions. These attributions create different affective and emotional reactions (Weiner, 1986; Williams, Burden and Al-Baharna, 2001). Attributions, which are defined as the interpretations of the causes of outcomes by individuals (Weiner, 1985), have been identified as the most significant factors influencing individual’s persistence, expectancy of future success, motivation, and in return, academic achievement (Brophy, 1998; Pintrich and Schunk, 1996; Weiner, 2000). No matter what causes learners attribute their success or failure, all can be categorized along these three dimensions
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