Motivating & motivation in TTO: Initial findings Tessa Mearns, TTO-Day Utrecht, 10 November 2017 Bij ons leer je de wereld kennen 1
Roadmap 1. Why this topic? 2. Background to study 3. Research design 4. Some tentative findings 5. Next steps 2
Question Why might CLIL/TTO motivate? - https://padlet.com/t_l_mearns1/motivating 3
Some answers: Why should CLIL motivate? Interest - Subject language / Language subject - Initial spark (Muir & Dörnyei, 2013) Authenticity - Authentic TL materials - Emphasis on culture/intercultural communication - Experiences of successful TL use - Incidental language learning (de Bot, 2007) - Using language for a purpose (Lasagabaster & Sierra, 2009; Lorenzo et al., 2010) Challenge, autonomy & (inter)active learning (Ting, 2010) Novelty (Gajo & Serra 2002; Ruiz de Zarobe 2008) - Teacher engagement - Variation of activities and materials (Mearns, 2015) 4
Roadmap 1. Why this topic? 2. Background to study 3. Research design 4. Some tentative findings 5. Next steps 5
TTO/CLIL motivation research (1) Mearns (2015, 2016): - TTO learners generally more motivated for school/learning/english - Motivation seems to precede entry into TTO How can we better-support existing motivation? Mearns & de Graaff (in press): - TTO boys more motivated than TTO girls! Is this really the case? If so, why? What does it mean for teaching and learning? 6
TTO/CLIL motivation research (2) Some issues in CLIL motivation research: - Conflicting evidence from different contexts - Reliability of findings: Motivation for or from CLIL/TTO? - No purpose-designed tools to measure motivation in CLIL - Focus on motivation and not on motivating 7
Roadmap 1. Why this topic? 2.Background to study 3. Research design 4. Some tentative findings 5. Next steps 8
Motivating and motivation in TTO Goals: Consider learners and teachers perspectives in order to - investigate trends in motivation for English within bilingual education (gender, age, stream ) - identify successful approaches used by CLIL teachers to support bilingual learners motivation for English Research questions: 1. What are the roles played by internal and external factors in the L2 English motivation of learners in bilingual education? 2. Which strategies are employed by language and subject teachers in bilingual education in order to motivate their pupils to learn English? 3. What can teachers of English and of English-medium subjects in bilingual education do in order to make a greater contribution to their pupils L2-motivation? 9
Research design: Phase 1 Large-scale, mixed methods: 1. Pupil motivation questionnaire (closed 20 October 2017) - 20 schools, 1988 pupils - 1st (baseline), 3rd, 5th year TTO - Academic (VWO) and General (HAVO) streams - Hopefully repeated measurements in 2018, 2019 2. Teacher motivational strategies questionnaire (closed 20 October 2017) - +/- 244 English-medium teachers (any subject) in TTO - Original design, based on motivational strategies from Dörnyei (2001), Hadfield & Dörnyei (2013) and Dörnyei & Kubanyiova (2014) - Participant schools + snowballing 3. Follow-up interviews with pupils (Spring/Summer 2018) 10
CLIL Motivational State Questionnaire (1) Theoretical framework: L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2009) - Ideal L2 Self The English-speaker you would like to become The more vivid the better The more realistic the better - Ought-to L2 Self The English-speaker you feel you should/are expected to become Better if aligned with Ideal L2 Self - L2 Learning Experience The experience of learning English (usually classroom-based) 11
CLIL Motivational State Questionnaire (2) Existing tool: Student Motivational State questionnaire (Papi &Abdollahzadeh, 2012) Iranian EFL context 5 scales (35 items) - Ideal L2 Self Scale - Ought-to Self Scale - English Learning Experience Scale - Motivational Intensity Scale - Linguistic Self-Confidence Scale Adaptations CLIL Motivational State Questionnaire Cultural context - Ideal L2 Self: differences in type of ambitions, educational context - Ought-to Self: other kinds of social pressure, influence of family experienced differently CLIL context - English Learning Experience, Motivational Intensity, L2 Self-Confidence: Focus on English lessons as main source of L2 learning English lessons, subject lessons, CLIL lessons 12
Closer look: CLIL Motivational State 1. Ideal L2 Self Scale (7 items) Questionnaire (3) Final design: Aimed at a European CLIL context 7 scales, 47 items - Ideal L2 Self Scale - Ought-to Self Scale - Motivational Intensity Scale - Linguistic Self-Confidence Scale - English Learning Experience Scale - Subject Learning Experience Scale - English-through-Subject Learning Experience Scale Additional demographic and open questions Ranking question regarding reasons for choosing TTO I can imagine myself living abroad and using English for communicating with other people. I imagine myself speaking English as if I were a native speaker of English. I imagine myself speaking English with international friends or colleagues. Whenever I think of my future career, I imagine myself using English. I imagine myself doing further studies where all my courses are taught in English. I imagine myself being a person others know as a fluent speaker of English. I imagine myself using English to make friends in other countries. 2. Ought-to L2 Self Scale (6 items) If I fail to learn English, I ll be letting other people down. I study English because friends of mine think it is important. Studying English is important to me because other people will respect me more if my English is good. I consider learning English important because my family thinks that I should do it. Learning English is necessary because people surrounding me expect me to do so. I should learn English or else people may think that I am not clever. 3. Motivational Intensity Scale (9 items) When I am in lessons where English is used, I volunteer answers as much as possible. If English were not taught in school, I would pick up English in other ways anyway (i.e., watch English films or series, read English books and newspapers, play computer games, etc.) I try to speak English whenever possible, even outside of school. If I had a problem understanding something in English, I would immediately ask the teacher for help. When it comes to assignments in English, I work very carefully, making sure I understand everything. If my English teacher wanted someone to do an extra assignment, I would definitely volunteer. I actively think about the English I have learned in school. I find learning English really interesting. If I could not have done TTO, I would have found another way to improve my English. 4. Linguistic Self-Confidence Scale (7 items) I feel like I will make progress with my English this year. I feel comfortable with the idea of giving presentations in English. I have often experienced a feeling of success when using English. I am sure that one day I will be able to speak fluent English. During lessons taught in English, I usually understand what to do and how to do it. I think I am good at learning English. I believe I will receive good grades in English this term. 5. English Lesson Experience Scale (7 items) I like the atmosphere in English lessons. I really enjoy English lessons. I feel like time passes quicker during English lessons. I always look forward to English lessons. I would like to have more English lessons each week. I find English lessons interesting. I feel like English lessons help me to improve my English. 6. Subject Learning Experience Scale (6 items) based on favourite TTO subject I like the atmosphere in the lessons for this subject. I really enjoy the lessons for this subject. I feel like time passes quicker during lessons for this subject. I always look forward to lessons for this subject. I would like to have more lessons for this subject each week. I find lessons for this subject interesting. 7. English-Through-Subject Learning Experience Scale (5 items) I feel comfortable using English during lessons for this subject. I enjoy using English during lessons for this subject. If they were taught like this subject, I would like to have more lessons in English. I find learning English through this subject interesting. I feel like the lessons for this subject help me to improve my English. 13
Roadmap 1. Why this topic? 2.Background to study 3.Research design 4. Some tentative findings 5. Next steps 14
Here goes Initial analyses: Factorial ANOVAs for gender, stream, year (to follow-up with MANOVAs/Multi-level modelling later) All 7 scales statistically reliable (Cronbach s α 0.7) Average scores per scale (max. 5): Ideal L2 Self 3.83 Ought-to L2 Self 1.99 Motivational Intensity 3.44 Linguistic Self-Confidence 3.87 English Learning Experience 3.37 Subject Learning Experience 3.94 Subject-through-English Learning Experience 3.74 15
Correlations between scales Scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1. Ideal L2 self -.156**.410**.524**.237**.190**.354** 2. Ought-to L2 self - n.s. n.s. n.s. -.087** n.s. 3. Motivational intensity -.582**.614**.287**.474** 4. Linguistic selfconfidence 5. English learning experience 6. Subject learning experience 7. English-through-subject learning experience -.420**.231**.413** -.242**.368** -.538** - **p <.001 (2-tailed) 16
Havo vs. Vwo: Which is more motivated? VWO higher: - Ideal L2 Self (p=.008) - Subject Learning Experience (p=.001) - English-through-Subject Learning Experience (p=.018) HAVO higher : - Motivational Intensity (p=.004) - English Learning Experience (p=.002) 17
Boys vs. Girls: What do you think? Girls higher: - Motivational Intensity (p=.008) - English Learning Experience (p=.008) 18
1st, 3rd & 5th year: Increase or decrease? (1) Significant increase (all p <.001): : Significant decrease (all p <.001): 5 5 4 3 2 1 Ideal L2 Self Ought-to L2 Self 4 3 2 1 Motivational Intensity Linguistic Self- Confidence Subject Learning Experience E-t-S Learning Experience 0 0 1st 3rd 5th 1st 3rd 5th 19
1st, 3rd & 5th year: Increase or decrease? (2) 3rd year dip (p <.001) : 5 4 3 2 English Learning Experience 1 1st 3rd 5th 20
Initial interpretations (1) Overall: - Instrument seems to be reliable (in terms of statistics) - Ought-to L2 self: predictably unpredictable - Confidence may play an important role in motivation - CLIL teaching and learning might be closely related to other motivational factors correlation causation 21
Initial interpretations (2) Sub-groups: - Differences in motivation between havo and vwo are not clear-cut! - Are Havo pupils motivated by something other than the Ideal L2 Self? - Is CLIL less motivating for Havo pupils? - Where there is a gender difference, girls score higher: contradicts previous findings (Mearns & de Graaff, in press) - The future self may be a stronger motivator among older learners - Learners may find the learning experience less motivating as they get older - The IB may be a welcome enrichment for English! 22
Roadmap 1. Why this topic? 2.Background to study 3.Research design 4.Some tentative findings 5. Next steps 23
Next steps (1) Pupil questionnaire: Continue/confirm data analysis & findings - Multi-level modelling - Analyse remaining data: open questions and reasons for choosing TTO - Support with interview data - Repeated measurement in September 2018 Consider differences between schools What else do they have to say? What does all this mean? Does motivation change? Teacher questionnaire: Analyse data to extract initial findings and inform Phase 2 What are teachers doing and why? 24
Next steps (2) Phase 2 (in-depth QUAL), 2018-19 - 3-level lesson analysis researcher observation teacher stimulated recall pupil stimulated recall + discussion - Identify motivating practices and their effects Possible follow-up - Intervention study with tool(s) developed from observations - Either to support motivation in bilingual education or to share the benefits with other (language) learners 25
Thank you to all schools, teachers, pupils involved so far. (I really mean it) also for continued support and collaboration in the future 26
References de Bot, K. (2007) Language Teaching in a Changing World. The Modern Language Journal, 91(2), pp. 274-276. Dörnyei, Z. 2009. "The L2 Motivational Self System." In Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self, edited by Z. Dörnyei and E. Ushioda, 9-42. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. Gajo, L. and Serra, C. (2002) Bilingual Teaching: Connecting Language and Concepts in Mathematics. In: D. So and G. Jones, eds, Education and Society in Plurilingual Contexts. Brussels: VUB Brussels University Press, pp. 75-95. Lasagabaster, D. and Sierra, J.M. (2009) Language Attitudes in CLIL and Traditional EFL Classes. International CLIL Research Journal, 1(2), pp. 4-17. Lorenzo, F., Casal, S. and Moore, P. (2010) The Effects of Content and Language Integrated Learning in European Education: Key Findings from the Andalusian Bilingual Sections Evaluation Project. Applied Linguistics, 31(3), pp. 418-442. Mearns, T. (2015) Chicken, Egg or a Bit of Both? Motivation in bilingual education (TTO) in the Netherlands. (PhD Unpublished), University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen. Retrieved from http://ethos.bl.uk/orderdetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.646095? Mearns, T. (2016). "Chicken, egg or a bit of both?". EP-Nuffic, from https://www.epnuffic.nl/voortgezet-onderwijs/tweetalig-onderwijs/onderzoek-en-scripties/onderzoek. Mearns, T.L., Coyle, D. and de Graaff, R. (2014) Aspirations and assumptions: a researcher's account of pupil involvement in school-based research. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 37(4), pp. 442-457. Mearns, T., and de Graaff, R. (in press). Bucking the trend? Motivational differences between boys and girls who opt in or out of bilingual education. International Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education. Mearns, T., de Graaff, R., & Coyle, D. (in press). Motivation for or from bilingual education? A comparative study of learner views in the Netherlands. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Muir, C. and Dörnyei, Z. (2013) Directed Motivational Currents: Using vision to create effective motivational pathways. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 3(3), pp. 357-375. Papi, M., & Abdollahzadeh, E. (2012). Teacher Motivational Practice, Student Motivation, and Possible L2 Selves: An Examination in the Iranian EFL Context. Language Learning, 62(2), 571-594. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9922.2011.00632.x Ruiz de Zarobe, Y. (2008) CLIL and Foreign Language Learning: A Longitudinal Study in the Basque Country. International CLIL Research Journal, 1(1), pp. 60-73. Ting, Y.L.T. (2010) CLIL Appeals to How the Brain Likes Its Information: Examples From CLIL- (Neuro)Science. International CLIL Research Journal, 1(3), pp. 3-18. 27
Questions or ideas? t.l.mearns@iclon.leidenuniv.nl Bij ons leer je de wereld kennen 28