臺灣地區三年級至九年級學生英語學習動機之研究

A Study on the English Learning Motivation of Taiwanese Students from Grades 3 to 9

甘惠華(Hui-hua Kan)

指導教授 ： 程玉秀教授

國立臺灣師範大學/文學院/英語學系/碩士(2004年)

摘要

摘要

本論文旨在探討臺灣地區三年級至九年級學生之英語學習動機，包括英語學習動機之強度與英語學習動機之種類。研究重點在於瞭解自三年級至九年級，學生的英語學習動機如何改變，包含強度的變化與種類的變化。除了以年級作為探究的變因外，本研究亦討論動機與其他個人背景因素間的關係，包括性別、家庭社經地位、英語接觸量等。此外，對於動機強度與動機種類間以及各動機種類彼此之間的關係，亦有所探討。
本研究中所測量之學生英語學習動機種類包括整合性動機、工具性動機，內在動機、外在動機、無動機與非自主動機(Requirement Motive)。之所以納入非自主動機(Requirement Motive)乃因前人研究指出此動機在臺灣學生族群中頗為顯著。本研究之工具採用Gardner之態度/動機測驗量表(Attitude/ Motivation Test Battery, AMTB) (1985b) 以及Noels等人之語言學習動機量表(Language Learning Orientations Scale) (2000)。研究對象來自台北與台南兩市，共1,292名學生參與。研究方法為量化研究，採用統計分析學生之問卷填答。使用之統計方法包括描述性統計，如平均值、標準差等，與推論性統計，如t考驗、變異數分析、與皮爾遜相關分析。
研究結果發現，學生之動機強度隨年級增加而降低，國中學生(七年級至九年級)之英語學習動機顯著低於國小學童(三年級至六年級)。男生之英語學習動機顯著低於女生，但在三、四年級並未出現如此之顯著差異，也就是說，男女在英語學習動機方面的顯著差異從五年級以後才開始浮現。研究結果也發現，家長具高社經地位之學生，其英語學習動機顯著強於中社經與低社經地位者，而中社經地位者之學習動機又顯著強於低社經地位者。考慮學生英語接觸量與其學習動機之關係，結果發現，在校內接觸方面，學校每週英語課堂數以一至兩節課之學生學習動機最強；而在校外接觸方面，有校外英文課與家中有人陪同練習英語者，學習動機較強。在英語學習動機種類上，研究結果發現，不論年級、性別或社經地位，工具性動機為一顯著之動機。國小學童(三年級至六年級)之整合性動機、內在動機與外在動機皆顯著強於國中學生(七年級至九年級)，而國中生(七至九年級)的非自主動機(Requirement Motive)則顯著強於國小學童(三至六年級)。另外，三年級與四年級學生之內在動機高於外在動機，而五年級以上之學生則是外在動機高於內在動機。女生除了無動機與非自主動機(Requirement Motive)低於男生之外，其餘動機皆高於男生。
在相關研究方面，結果指出，除了無動機與非自主動機(Requirement Motive)之外，所有動機種類皆與動機強度成正相關。其中又以內在動機與動機強度之正相關係數為最高。此項結果建議教師們可在提升學生之內在動機方面多所著力，同時也建議國中英語教師可致力於維持國小學童進入國中後之內在動機與整合性動機。再者，本研究亦提醒英語教師們多注意男生與中、低社經地位學生之英語學習動機，因為這些族群之學生英語學習動機相對偏低。

關鍵字

英語學習動機 ； 工具性動機 ； 整合性動機 ； 內在動機 ； 外在動機 ； 學習動機變化 ； 橫貫研究

並列摘要

ABSTRACT

This is a cross-sectional quantitative study exploring the English learning motivation of Taiwanese students from Grade 3 to Grade 9. The major focus was laid upon the patterns and changes of motivational intensity and motive types across the seven grades. The relationship between motivation, including motivational intensity and motive types, and other students’ background variables, such as gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and amount of exposure to English was also explored. The major instrument consisted of a questionnaire adapted from Gardner’s Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (1985b) and Noels, et al.’s Language Learning Orientations Scale (2000). In addition to Amotivation, Intrinsic, Extrinsic, Integrative, and Instrumental Motives, Requirement Motive, which is not included in the above two instruments, was added as another motive type due to its saliency reported in previous studies on Taiwanese students’ English learning motivation. A total of 1,292 students from Taipei and Tainan Cities participated in this study. Besides descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation were used to analyze participants’ responses.
The results showed that motivational intensity decreased from Grades 3 to 9. Junior high school students’ English learning motivation was found to be significantly weaker than elementary school students’. Boys’ motivational intensity was significantly weaker than girls’ although a comparison of the two genders across grade levels indicated that the difference was significant only from fifth graders up. Students of high SES reported significantly stronger motivation than those of mid and low SES, and those of mid SES stronger than those of low SES. Regarding amount of exposure to English, it was found that those who had one to two English classes per week at school, had extracurricular English classes, and had someone to practice English with at home had significantly stronger motivation.
On the part of motive types, third and fourth graders were significantly more intrinsically motivated than junior high school students. In fact, elementary school students showed significantly stronger Integrative, Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motives than junior high school students. Junior high school students showed significantly stronger Requirement Motive than elementary school students. Comparing Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motives for students at each grade level, third and fourth graders demonstrated stronger Intrinsic than Extrinsic Motive whereas Extrinsic Motive was stronger than Intrinsic in fifth graders and above. Considering the saliency of motive types at each grade level, Instrumental Motive was the most salient to students at all grade levels except third and fourth graders. It was also the most salient among all motive types to both genders and to students of all SES levels. Boys in general were either more amotivated or more motivated by requirements than girls while girls demonstrated greater strength of the rest of the motive types than boys. Correlation analysis revealed that all motive types except Amotivation and Requirement Motive were positively correlated with motivational intensity. Among all motive types, Intrinsic Motive had the highest positive correlation coefficient with motivational intensity. It is thus suggested that teachers can work toward the promotion of learners’ Intrinsic Motive. Moreover, junior high school English teachers are recommended to find ways to keep junior high freshmen’s Integrative and Intrinsic Motives as strong as when they might be in elementary school. Besides, boys and students of mid and low SES need teachers’ extra attention in their English learning because these groups of students tend to be less motivated.

並列關鍵字

English learning motivation ； Instrumental Motive ； Integrative Motive ； Intrinsic Motive ； Extrinsic Motive ； Changes of learning motivation ； Cross-sectional study