Multiple Case Study on University Students’ Motivation and Attitudes toward the Content-Based English Teaching Method in English Preparatory Year Program

Merve Keskin; Mehmet Gürlek

Article Details

Multiple Case Study on University Students’ Motivation and Attitudes toward the Content-Based English Teaching Method in English Preparatory Year Program

Authors:

Merve Keskin | Mehmet Gürlek

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Dilbilim

Journal:

Dilbilim Issue 39, pp.105-119

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283900

pISSN:

0255-674X

Keywords:

Abstract:

 The purpose of this study is to evaluate students motivation and attitudes toward the content-based English classes that are a part of the freshman year curriculum at a university in Istanbul, Turkey. This study has adopted theintegrated research design and includes 27 students from 16 different disciplines. The learners were first given a scale to measure their attitudes and motivation, and this makes up the quantitative portion of the study. Attitude scale was adapted from the scale Thai EFL High School Students Attitude Toward Content-Based Instruction 2015 and motivation scale was adapted from Motivations towards Learning English: The Case of Jordanian Gifted Students 2015. After the adaptation and translation process, a pilot study was implemented to measure validity and reliability. Cronbach Alpha score of the scale was above 0.9. Therefore it is considered as reliable. Nakip, 2003 Semi-structured interviews with the students were then conducted as part of the studys qualitative methodology. The study uses SPSS to conduct a descriptive analysis of responses from the attitude and motivation scale t-tests to see whether a substantial difference exists between the motivation and attitudes of male and female students. One-way analysis of variance ANOVA was also used to determine whether a significant difference exists for the students attitude and motivation in terms of department. The study then carried out a situational data analysis of the semi-structured interviews using MAXQDA, with the results showing more than half the students 55.5 to have favorable attitudes toward the course. The median score from the attitude scale was 3.48, from which one can say that the learners are generally optimistic. The mean score from the instrumental motivation scale M  3.72 was found to be slightly higher than the mean score from the intrinsic motivation scale M  3.51. No discernible difference was found between the male and female students scores according to the results from the t-tests on the attitude and motivation scales nor among departments according to the one-way ANOVA. Six themes were revealed to impact students attitudes and motivation as a consequence of the situational data analysis. These include interest in the subject matter, contribution to language skill development, contribution to vocabulary, impact of in-class activities, impact of course materials, and teachers impact.

 The purpose of this study is to evaluate students motivation and attitudes toward the content-based English classes that are a part of the freshman year curriculum at a university in Istanbul, Turkey. This study has adopted theintegrated research design and includes 27 students from 16 different disciplines. The learners were first given a scale to measure their attitudes and motivation, and this makes up the quantitative portion of the study. Attitude scale was adapted from the scale Thai EFL High School Students Attitude Toward Content-Based Instruction 2015 and motivation scale was adapted from Motivations towards Learning English: The Case of Jordanian Gifted Students 2015. After the adaptation and translation process, a pilot study was implemented to measure validity and reliability. Cronbach Alpha score of the scale was above 0.9. Therefore it is considered as reliable. Nakip, 2003 Semi-structured interviews with the students were then conducted as part of the studys qualitative methodology. The study uses SPSS to conduct a descriptive analysis of responses from the attitude and motivation scale t-tests to see whether a substantial difference exists between the motivation and attitudes of male and female students. One-way analysis of variance ANOVA was also used to determine whether a significant difference exists for the students attitude and motivation in terms of department. The study then carried out a situational data analysis of the semi-structured interviews using MAXQDA, with the results showing more than half the students 55.5 to have favorable attitudes toward the course. The median score from the attitude scale was 3.48, from which one can say that the learners are generally optimistic. The mean score from the instrumental motivation scale M  3.72 was found to be slightly higher than the mean score from the intrinsic motivation scale M  3.51. No discernible difference was found between the male and female students scores according to the results from the t-tests on the attitude and motivation scales nor among departments according to the one-way ANOVA. Six themes were revealed to impact students attitudes and motivation as a consequence of the situational data analysis. These include interest in the subject matter, contribution to language skill development, contribution to vocabulary, impact of in-class activities, impact of course materials, and teachers impact.

 The purpose of this study is to evaluate students motivation and attitudes toward the content-based English classes that are a part of the freshman year curriculum at a university in Istanbul, Turkey. This study has adopted theintegrated research design and includes 27 students from 16 different disciplines. The learners were first given a scale to measure their attitudes and motivation, and this makes up the quantitative portion of the study. Attitude scale was adapted from the scale Thai EFL High School Students Attitude Toward Content-Based Instruction 2015 and motivation scale was adapted from Motivations towards Learning English: The Case of Jordanian Gifted Students 2015. After the adaptation and translation process, a pilot study was implemented to measure validity and reliability. Cronbach Alpha score of the scale was above 0.9. Therefore it is considered as reliable. Nakip, 2003 Semi-structured interviews with the students were then conducted as part of the studys qualitative methodology. The study uses SPSS to conduct a descriptive analysis of responses from the attitude and motivation scale t-tests to see whether a substantial difference exists between the motivation and attitudes of male and female students. One-way analysis of variance ANOVA was also used to determine whether a significant difference exists for the students attitude and motivation in terms of department. The study then carried out a situational data analysis of the semi-structured interviews using MAXQDA, with the results showing more than half the students 55.5 to have favorable attitudes toward the course. The median score from the attitude scale was 3.48, from which one can say that the learners are generally optimistic. The mean score from the instrumental motivation scale M  3.72 was found to be slightly higher than the mean score from the intrinsic motivation scale M  3.51. No discernible difference was found between the male and female students scores according to the results from the t-tests on the attitude and motivation scales nor among departments according to the one-way ANOVA. Six themes were revealed to impact students attitudes and motivation as a consequence of the situational data analysis. These include interest in the subject matter, contribution to language skill development, contribution to vocabulary, impact of in-class activities, impact of course materials, and teachers impact.

 Bu çalışma İstanbul, Türkiyedeki bir vakıf üniversitesinin hazırlık yılına entegre edilmiş içerik temelli İngilizce derslerine karşı öğrencilerin tutum ve motivasyonlarını ölçmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu çalışmada karma araştırma deseni kullanılmıştır ve 16 farklı bölümden 27 öğrenci katılmıştır. İlk olarak öğrencilerin tutum ve motivasyonunu ölçmek amacıyla öğrencilere bir anket uygulanmıştır. Bu kısım araştırmanın nicel kısmını oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın nitel bölümünde ise öğrencilerle yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Tutum ve motivasyon anketine verilen yanıtların SPSS kullanılarak betimsel analizi yapılmış, kadın ve erkek öğrencilerin arasında tutum ve motivasyon açısından anlamlı bir fark olup olmadığını görmek için t-testler ve bölümler arası anlamlı bir fark olup olmadığını görmek için ise tek yönlü varyans analizi yapılmıştır. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerin durumsal veri analizi ise MAXQDA programında tamamlanmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda öğrencilerin yarısından fazlasının 55,5 bu derse karşı olumlu bir tutum sergilediği görülmüştür. Tutum ölçeğinin ortalaması 3.48dir. Öğrencilerin kısmen olumlu bir tutum sergilediği söylenebilir. İçsel motivasyon ölçeğinin ortalaması 3.51ken araçsal motivasyonun ortalamasının biraz daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Tutum ve motivasyon ölçeklerinde yapılan t-testler sonucu kadın ve erkekler öğrenciler arasında, tek yönlü varyans analizlerinin sonucunda ise bölümler arasında anlamlı bir fark olmadığı görülmüştür. Durumsal veri analizinin sonucunda ise öğrencilerin tutum ve motivasyonunu etkileyen altı tema ortaya çıkmıştır. Bunlar içeriğe yönelik ilgi, dil becerilerine katkı, kelime dağarcığına katkı, ders içi yapılan aktivitelerin etkisi, ders materyalinin etkisi ve son olarak öğretmenin etkisidir.

Article Details

Multiple Case Study on University Students’ Motivation and Attitudes toward the Content-Based English Teaching Method in English Preparatory Year Program

Authors:

Merve Keskin | Mehmet Gürlek

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Dilbilim

Journal:

Dilbilim Issue 39, pp.105-119

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283900

pISSN:

0255-674X

Content-based English education

Thematic lessons

English preparatory program

Motivation

Attitude

İçerik temelli ingilizce eğitimi

Tematik dersler

İngilizce hazırlık programı

Motivasyon

Tutum

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Merve Keskin | Mehmet Gürlek

Publisher: Istanbul University

Main Topics: Dilbilim

Journal: Dilbilim Issue 39, pp.105-119

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 3/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001283900

pISSN: 0255-674X

Issues

Authors:

Merve Keskin | Mehmet Gürlek

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Dilbilim

Journal:

Dilbilim Issue 39, pp.105-119

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283900

pISSN:

0255-674X