Relationship Between Students’ Attitude Towards Vocabulary Learning and Their English Vocabulary Knowledge

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between students’ attitude (cognitive, affective and behavioral) towards vocabulary learning and their English vocabulary knowledge (breadth, depth and fluency) with reference to Grade 9. It employed a correlational research design and simple random sampling and stratified sampling techniques. Pearson’s r was computed to examine the relationship between each of the three aspects of students’ attitude towards vocabulary learning and their breadth, depth and fluency of English vocabulary knowledge. The coefficient of determination (r2) was calculated and multiplied by 100 to give a percentage value to examine how a difference in one variable is predicted by the difference in another variable. The findings show that there is a very strong positive relationship between students’ attitude towards vocabulary learning and their breadth of English vocabulary knowledge, but a strong positive relationship for a few aspect of breadth of vocabulary knowledge. A moderate positive relationship was found between the students’ attitude towards vocabulary learning and their depth of English vocabulary knowledge, but a weak positive relationship between their cognitive and affective aspects of attitude and their knowledge of some aspects of depth of vocabulary knowledge. There is a moderate positive relationship between each aspect of students’ attitude towards vocabulary learning and their fluency of English vocabulary knowledge. It is also found that the students’ attitude towards vocabulary learning predicts their breath, depth and fluency of English vocabulary knowledge by 77.44%, 26.3169% and 35.76% respectively (maximum values). Lastly, appropriate recommendations were made based on the conclusions of the study.