MLL

1. MLL Motivating Language Learners’ Project University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada Changes in Perceptions: Motivation, Teaching Styles, Engagement Maya Sugita and Kim Noels Department of Psychology , University of Alberta Motivation and Engagement Language teachers are eager to find ways to increase the quantity and quality of students’ engagement in language learning activities. Motivational instruction for promoting students’ engagement is important for many reasons. Increased students’ engagement is associated with both better academic activities, greater involvement and communication with the target language community. One way of getting practical information about how to motivate language learner is to investigate what they are actually motivated by during the classes. Purposes: The present study aimed to explore the changes in perceptions among university students in terms of : 1) language learning engagement; 2) teachers’ teaching styles based on three psychological needs of Self-Determination Theory and; 3) motivational factors. Results Background and Study 1) Language Learning Engagement 3) Other Motivational Factors Sleep Quality Results • CONCLUSIONS Method Participants: The 141 students who were enrolled in a foreign language course were recruited to participate in the two questionnaire sessions conducted in mid semester (November 2010), and the end of semester (December 2010). these students were predominately female (70.2%), first-year students (62.4%), born in Canada (86.5%) who identified English as their native language (87.2%). 2) Teachers’ Teaching Styles Design: The data were collected with a longitudinal design in which these participants completed two questionnaire sessions. An open-ended questionnaire was employed to capture motivational factors; student’s perceptions about teachers’ style of teaching; and student’s learning engagement. Conclusion Major results obtained from coding analysis were: 1) five categories were found for language learning engagement; behavioral engagement (‘stay engaged for success’) was the largest category; 2) four categories were found for teachers’ teaching styles; competence supports (informative feedback) were recognized as the most salient teaching styles; and 3) seven categories were found for motivational factors; among them, classroom interaction and self-regulation were the strongest motivational factors. These categories did not show changes between the first and second session. Based on the participant responses, a key way to keep students emotionally and behaviourally engaged is to provide constructive feedback so that students can measure their progress, to facilitate peer interaction, to create a comfortable classroom environment, and to make them self-regulated. Instrument: Open-ended Questionnaire (Q1) is about language learning engagement in the past week, specifically in terms of their feelings, perceived amount of learning, and any noteworthy occurrences. (Q2) is about their teachers’ teaching styles, and the aspects of this instruction which influenced their motivation in the prior week. (Q3) is about other motivational factors from classmate, the classroom environment, and any self-motivating strategy they might have used, as well as anything else that brought them enjoyment or made them work hard. • CONCLUSIONS • Independence from parental care was associated with poorer • sleep (living away, financial stress) • Influences of stress and negative affect on sleep quantity and • quality may indicate difficulties with first-year adaptation • Socializing with friends during first year may have positive • influences on sleep