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Alexander Nikolaou PhD anikolaou@hau.gr Hellenic American University

Attitudes and motivation of Greek Upper Secondary School Pupils toward Learning English - Gardner Revisited. Alexander Nikolaou PhD anikolaou@hau.gr Hellenic American University. 14rth International GALA Conference, Thessaloniki, 14-16 Deember 2007.

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Alexander Nikolaou PhD anikolaou@hau.gr Hellenic American University

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  1. Attitudes and motivation of Greek Upper Secondary School Pupils toward Learning English - Gardner Revisited. Alexander Nikolaou PhD anikolaou@hau.gr Hellenic American University 14rth International GALA Conference, Thessaloniki, 14-16 Deember 2007

  2. Schematic illustration of Gardner’s motivational construct Attitudes toward learning French desire Goal “Learning French is Important to me because….” motivational intensity (after Gardner 1985)

  3. LANGUAGE ACQUISITION CONTEXTS SOCIAL MILIEU OUTCOMES INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Integrativeness Motivation Cultural beliefs Formal Linguistic Attitudes toward the learning situation Non-linguistic Gardner’s Socio-educational model Informal Language aptitude

  4. Main hypothesis EFL learning in Greek upper secondary schools has an attitudinal and motivational dimension that is underpinned by micro factors (the learning situation) and macro factors (ideological and affective aspects of the TLCs)

  5. Sample Size State schools = 170 Private schools = 144 Total sample = 311 Male pupils = 141 (45%) Female pupils = 170 (54%) Total 311 Private Lykeio 1  a US-affiliated school Private Lykeio 2  a large uptown school Private Lykeio 3  a small suburban school

  6. Sections Total number of items 1.Respondents ’ Profile 22 2. Attitudescales 9 scales attitudes to ward the English lesson at school 20 item s attitudes toward the English lesson at the FL school 20 item s attitudes toward the school EFL teacher 25 item s attitudes toward the FL school EFL teacher 25 item s attitudes to classroom activities 1 7 item s attitudes to the British people 16 item s attitudes to the American people 16 item s attitudes to British English 4 item s attitudes to American English 4 item s 3.Orientationindex 13 - item scale Integrative orientation 4 items Instrumental orientation 7 items Coercive reasons 2 items 4. Parental encouragement 4 items 5. MotivationalIndex 4 scales Motivational intensity 10 items Motivational desire 6 items Desire to learn English 6 items Desire to learn FLs 6 items 6. Ideological Index 11 - item scale The Questionnaire

  7. Attitudes Incoming attitudes • learning English • foreign language learning • the TLC • Ideological affinity with the TLC • Parental support Outgoing attitudes • The learning situation (the EFL lesson, the EFL teacher, the EFL textbook, classroom activities/topics, British/American English).

  8. Attitudes toward the English lesson

  9. N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation my school lesson 304 20 100 59.2 15.47 my FL school lesson 206 20 100 71.1 17.93 204 Mean scores on the attitude to the English lesson

  10. Attitudes toward the English teacher

  11. N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation my school teacher 303 25 125 80.4 23.4 my FL school teacher 196 25 125 92.3 22.7 Mean scores of pupils’ attitudes to their EFL teacher at school and FL school

  12. Attitudes toward classroom activities r= 0.85 p< 0.01 correlation of the two types of ratings

  13. N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation EFL textbook 305 4 20 10.9 3.7 305 Attitudes towards the EFL textbook Mean score of pupils’ attitudes to the EFL textbooks Percentage distribution of pupil’s attitudes to the EFL textbook

  14. Attitudes toward learning English Percentage distribution of responses to items measuring attitudes to learning English

  15. One-way ANOVA: Attitudes to learning English 95% Confidence Interval For Mean N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Lower Bound Upper Bound Minimum Maximum grade A 98 20.2 4.09 .4136 19.46 21.10 6 30 grade B 112 19.8 4.72 .4467 18.98 20.76 6 30 grade C 83 17.9 5.58 .6135 16.73 19.17 6 30 N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Attitudes to 293 6 30 19.4 4.8 learning English 293 Attitudes toward learning English Mean score on the attitudes to learning English index F=5,97-df 2 p<0.02

  16. N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation TheBritish 267 16 80 44.8 13.2 The Americans 265 16 80 45.6 14.2 Valid N (listwise) 262 Mean scores of pupils’ responses Attitudes to the British and Americans

  17. The British were perceived as being more: • honest • smart • kind • sincere • dependable • polite • hardworking The Americans were perceived as being more: • interesting • unprejudiced • handsome • friendly • happy • successful • permissive • ambitious • popular

  18. N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation British English 270 4 20 13.7 4.3 American English 270 4 20 10.8 4.5 Valid N (listwise) 267 Attitudes toward British and American English Percentage distribution of responses to items Measuring attitudes to British & American English

  19. N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation ideological index 292 11 55 26.8 7.0 Americanindex 290 6 30 13.2 4.7 Britishindex 288 5 25 13.8 3.6 Mean scores on the ideological index Ideological Proximity to the two TL Cultures

  20. American ideological index: percentage distribution % 1. America is the greatest symbol of progress 22 2. I have a high regard for Americans 12 3. The American attitude to competition is a good thing 15 4. American foreign policy is, in general, correct 13 5. American influence on Greek culture is not threatening 16 6. Americans think only of money 61 British ideological index: percentage distribution % 7. I have a high regard for the British 18 8. British influence on Greek culture is not threatening 35 9. I prefer the British to Americans 32 10. Greece has more in common with Britain than the US 27 11. Britain is one of the most liberal countries in the world 19

  21. Reasons for studying English Orientation Index Instrumental index Integrative index

  22. Factor Analysis of Orientations Factor I: Instrumental Orientation Factor II: Coercive Orientation Factor III: Integrative Orientation Factor IV: Career Orientation

  23. Mean scores on the orientation index N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Instrumental orientation 303 7 35 24.3 5.7 Integrative orientation 4 20 14.3 3.3 300 92% 1. Useful in getting a good job 2. Will help me meet varied people 86% 3. I want to get an EFL qualification 78% 72% 4. I like English 65% 5 Studying English will make me a more knowledgeable person 6. I want to understand the lyrics of pop/rock music 58% 7. Be better informed about the attitudes of other countries toward Greece 55% 8. Fluency in English is a sign of good education 51% 9. English is the language of progress 50% 10. Study in an English-speaking country 31% 11. Will help better understand English-speaking people 50% 12. It’s part of the school curriculum 26% 13. My parents want me to 31%

  24. N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation parental support 308 5 25 15.8 3.3 Parental Encouragement Mean scores on the parental encouragement index

  25. Percentage distribution of responses to items measuring parental encouragement

  26. Motivational Intensity N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation motivational intensity 301 9 26 16.95 3.75 301 Mean scores on the motivational intensity index Motivational intensity index mean score differences: Gender Female pupils: 17.65 Male pupils: 16.08 p ≤ 0.001 School type State schools: 16.36 Private schools: 17.65 p ≤ 0.003 Grade Grade A: 17.59 Grade B: 17.03 Grade C: 16.09 F=5.97-df 2 p ≤ 0.02

  27. N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation motivational desire 300 6 20 14.73 3.41 Motivational desire Mean scores on the motivational desire index Motivational desire index mean score differences: Gender Female pupils:15.43 Male pupils: 13.85 p ≤ 0.001 School type State schools: 14.04 Private schools: 15.53 p ≤ 0.001

  28. 1. gender • age • type of school • the English lesson at school • the English lesson at the FL school • the school EFL teacher • the FL school EFL teacher • the EFL textbook • usefulness of EFL activities • preference for EFL activities • instrumental orientation • integrative orientation • motivational desire • motivational intensity • attitudes to learning English • attitudes to learning foreign languages • the British • the Americans • American ideology • British ideology • parental support Multiple Regression – variables examined

  29. Multiple Regression (test variable: term report mark) Parental support 0.28 Integrative orientation 0.22 term report mark Motivational intensity 0.20 Age when started learning English -0.14 R2 = .30

  30. Attitudes to learning English MOTIVATION Motivational desire Motivational intensity

  31. Multiple Regression (test variable: motivation) attitudes to FL learning 0.28 school lesson Motivation F 0.28 school EFL teacher 0.19 instrumental orientation 0.18 FL school teacher 0.13 usefulness of EFL activities 0.13 R2 = .56

  32. General Conclusions • The respondents were shown to have positive attitudes both to FLL in general and learning English. • Attitudes toward the two TLCs were found to be neutral although on the British ideological index responses were slightly positive. • Pupils were found to be both integratively and instrumentally oriented in the English-language learning task. 4. attitudes to the school learning situation are not negative as initially postulated but are less positive compared to the FL school. On the other hand the FL school emerged as the most important factor facilitating language learning. • There is a positive and significant correlation between parental encouragement, school grades, and the two motivation dimensions. 6.Consistent differences were found between the two sexes.

  33. Female pupils registered higher levels of positive affect towards learning FLs and English specifically, they are more motivated learners, have better marks and are more favourably disposed to the two TLCs than male pupils. • Consistent differences were also found across school grades. Grade C pupils appear to be the least motivated learners, and registered the least positive attitudes toward learning English as well as the learning situation • Private school pupils reported higher levels of self-confidence than state school pupils, and also registered higher levels of satisfaction with their school EFL lesson, motivation and positive affect. • motivation levels were revealed to be high. The study showed significant correlations between motivation and almost all the attitude and achievement variables. the study showed significant correlations between motivation and almost all the attitude and achievement variables.

  34. Noticeably absent is also the hypothesised impact of the two TLCs and their ideological salience on the model, which seems to support the major tenet of the criticism of the socio-educational model that in FLL contexts ideological and affective aspects of the TLC are not as relevant as in SLL contexts .

  35. Thank you!

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