Freshman students’ motivated behavior indicators in EAP courses


Kazaz İ.

Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, cilt.10, sa.3, ss.652-663, 2021 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

Attendance, L2 motivation, and language learning achievement indicators were pursued in an EAP course at a Civil Engineering Department for freshman students. Quantitative methodology via motivated behavior scale, first midterm grades and attendance was employed. The survey instrument was translated into Turkish, and both translation and back translation procedures were conducted to ensure the content validity of the instruments. The study was conducted at a state university in the North of Turkey, with 45 participants. These participants were 1st year students between the ages of 18 and 22. All of the participants -at the time of data collection- were A1 level students, as measured according to descriptors proposed in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Council of Europe, 2001). The quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS Statistics. Parametric tests were employed as the data showed a normal distribution. Both descriptive statistics and inferential analysis including Independent Samples T-test, One-way ANOVA, Pearson Correlation were applied and conclusions were drawn. The results demonstrated that the freshman learners in the educational context had medium level L2 learning motivation. Female students were a little more successful in their language achievement compared to male students. While motivation had a big impact on language learning achievement and was central in the interplay between the variables, absence had no effect at all. The higher was the motivation, the higher were the grades. This study concludes that achievement is stimulated by motivation.

Keywords:  L2 motivation, language learning achievement, EAP