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

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

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

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)

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

The Questionnaire

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

Attitudes toward the English lesson

my school lesson my FL school lesson NMinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation Mean scores on the attitude to the English lesson

Attitudes toward the English teacher

Mean scores of pupils’ attitudes to their EFL teacher at school and FL school Mean scores of pupils’ attitudes to their EFL teacher at school and FL school my school teacher my FL school teacher NMinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation

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

Mean score of pupils’ attitudes to the EFL textbooks EFL textbook NMinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation Percentage distribution of pupil’s attitudes to the EFL textbook Percentage distribution of pupil’s attitudes to the EFL textbook Attitudes towards the EFL textbook

Percentage distribution of responses to items measuring attitudes to learning English Percentage distribution of responses to items measuring attitudes to learning English % 1. I love learning English54 2. I'd rather spend my time on subjects other than English49 3. I think learning English is dull26 4. I plan to learn English as much as possible66 5. English is an important part of the school curriculum44 6. Learning English is a waste of time14 Attitudes toward learning English

Mean score on the attitudes to learning English index Mean score on the attitudes to learning English index Attitudes toward learning English Attitudes to learning English NMinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation F=5,97-df 2 p<0.02

Attitudes to the British and Americans Mean scores of pupils’ responses The British The Americans Valid N (listwise) NMinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation

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

Percentage distribution of responses to items Measuring attitudes to British & American English Percentage distribution of responses to items Measuring attitudes to British & American English British English American English Valid N (listwise) NMinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation Attitudes toward British and American English

Ideological Proximity to the two TL Cultures Mean scores on the ideological index ideological index American index British index N MinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation

American ideological index: percentage distribution % 1. America is the greatest symbol of progress22 2. I have a high regard for Americans12 3. The American attitude to competition is a good thing American foreign policy is, in general, correct American influence on Greek culture is not threatening Americans think only of money 61 British ideological index: percentage distribution % 7. I have a high regard for the British18 8. British influence on Greek culture is not threatening35 9. I prefer the British to Americans Greece has more in common with Britain than the US Britain is one of the most liberal countries in the world 19

Orientation Index Reasons for studying English % 1. Useful in getting a good job92 2. Will help me meet varied people86 3. I want to get an EFL qualification78 4. I like English72 4. Studying English will make me a more knowledgeable person I want to understand the lyrics of pop/rock music Be better informed about the attitudes of other countries toward Greece Fluency in English is a sign of good education Will help better understand English-speaking people English is the language of progress Study in an English-speaking country 31 Instrumental index Integrative index

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

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

Mean scores on the parental encouragement index Mean scores on the parental encouragement index Parental Encouragement parental support NMinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation

Percentage distribution of responses to items measuring parental encouragement Percentage distribution of responses to items measuring parental encouragement

motivational intensity N MinimumMaximumMean Std. Deviation Mean scores on the motivational intensity index Motivational intensity index mean score differences: Gender Female pupils:17.65 Male pupils:16.08 p ≤ School type State schools: Private schools: p ≤ Grade Grade A: Grade B: Grade C: F=5.97-df 2 p ≤ 0.02 Motivational Intensity

motivational desire NMinimumMaximumMeanStd. Deviation Mean scores on the motivational desire index Mean scores on the motivational desire index : Motivational desire index mean score differences: Gender Female pupils:15.43 Male pupils:13.85 p ≤ School type State schools: Private schools: p ≤ Motivational desire

Multiple Regression – variables examined 1. gender 1. age 2. type of school 3. the English lesson at school 4. the English lesson at the FL school 5. the school EFL teacher 6. the FL school EFL teacher 7. the EFL textbook 8. usefulness of EFL activities 9. preference for EFL activities 10. instrumental orientation 11. integrative orientation 12. motivational desire 13. motivational intensity 14. attitudes to learning English 15. attitudes to learning foreign languages 16. the British 17. the Americans 18. American ideology 19. British ideology 20. parental support

term report mark Parental support Integrative orientation Motivational intensity Age when started learning English Multiple Regression (test variable: term report mark) Multiple Regression (test variable: term report mark) R 2 =.30

Attitudes to learning English Motivational intensity Motivational desire MOTIVATION

Motivation F attitudes to FL learning 0.28 school lesson 0.28 school EFL teacher 0.19 instrumental orientation 0.18 FL school teacher 0.13 usefulness of EFL activities 0.13 Multiple Regression (test variable: motivation) Multiple Regression (test variable: motivation) R 2 =.56

General Conclusions 1.The respondents were shown to have positive attitudes both to FLL in general and learning English. 2.Attitudes toward the two TLCs were found to be neutral although on the British ideological index responses were slightly positive. 3.Pupils were found to be both integratively and instrumentally oriented in the English-language learning task. 3.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. 5.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.

Female pupils registered higher levels of positive affect towards 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 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. 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 8.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. 9.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.

Noticeably absent is also the hypothesised impact of the two TLCs and their ideological salience on the model, which seems to 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.