Variations in the motivation of successful and unsuccessful Turkish learners of English

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between attitudes and motivation and success for Turkish high school students learning English as a foreign language. The purpose was to determine which components of attitudes and motivation were the most relevant in this context. Furthermore, the study sought to establish what changes occured in this relationship over an academic year. The subjects were thirty students, all from one class, following the intensive high school preparatory program in English at Gursoy Ozel Lisesi. A questionnaire, adapted from the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB), was administered in the middle of the first and second semesters. Shortly afterwards, one-to-one interviews were conducted with twelve of the subjects, selected to represent three different levels of the class. Scores on weekly achievement tests provided data on success. As expected, attitudes and motivation did correlate highly with achievement, but this was only consistent over time for the component of attitudes toward the learning situation. There was insufficient evidence for the existence of the other two components of the integrative motive, integrativeness and motivation, established in previous studies among learners of English as a second language. Attitudes toward the learning situation significantly declined over time regardless of the level of success. Complaints included the repetitive nature of lessons and too great an emphasis on writing in the class. Less successful students were particularly concerned with their exam grades, and with the fact that their increased efforts throughout the year did not produce the desired results.