Abstract
Elementary school is as much about developing attitudes as competence. With this fact in mind, the Japanese national government established a plan to enhance elementary school students’ motivation for learning English. The success of this program has, however, not been empirically tested. This study aimed to assess the longitudinal, discrete development of Japanese elementary school students’ motivation for learning English as a foreign language. A cohort of 513 Japanese elementary students participated in the study across 2 years of school. Students responded to surveys regarding the quality of their motivation at three time points, and their engagement at two time points. Latent profile analysis followed by latent profile transition analysis was used to assess the sample for latent subgroups. With subgroups established at three time points, a Mover–Stayer model was tested to estimate the movement of students among the subgroups across three time points and 2 years of elementary school education. Three theoretically consistent latent subgroups were observed at each of the time points. Based on theory and past empirical research, the subgroups (presented from least to most adaptive) were labeled: Poor Quality, High Quantity, and Good Quality. Across the three measurements, an overall shift of students to higher quantity and quality motivational subgroups was observed. This study provides evidence that the low-stakes, high-interest approach currently undertaken may have the desired effect of improving students’ motivation to learn across 2 years of schooling. Implications for both practice and national policy are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-19 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Motivation and Emotion |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 2018 Mar 10 |
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Keywords
- Elementary school
- Foreign language
- Japan
- Latent profile transition analysis
- Longitudinal
- Motivational profiles
- Quality of motivation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Cite this
Schools can improve motivational quality : Profile transitions across early foreign language learning experiences. / Oga Baldwin, William L. Q.; Fryer, Luke K.
In: Motivation and Emotion, 10.03.2018, p. 1-19.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Schools can improve motivational quality
T2 - Profile transitions across early foreign language learning experiences
AU - Oga Baldwin, William L. Q.
AU - Fryer, Luke K.
PY - 2018/3/10
Y1 - 2018/3/10
N2 - Elementary school is as much about developing attitudes as competence. With this fact in mind, the Japanese national government established a plan to enhance elementary school students’ motivation for learning English. The success of this program has, however, not been empirically tested. This study aimed to assess the longitudinal, discrete development of Japanese elementary school students’ motivation for learning English as a foreign language. A cohort of 513 Japanese elementary students participated in the study across 2 years of school. Students responded to surveys regarding the quality of their motivation at three time points, and their engagement at two time points. Latent profile analysis followed by latent profile transition analysis was used to assess the sample for latent subgroups. With subgroups established at three time points, a Mover–Stayer model was tested to estimate the movement of students among the subgroups across three time points and 2 years of elementary school education. Three theoretically consistent latent subgroups were observed at each of the time points. Based on theory and past empirical research, the subgroups (presented from least to most adaptive) were labeled: Poor Quality, High Quantity, and Good Quality. Across the three measurements, an overall shift of students to higher quantity and quality motivational subgroups was observed. This study provides evidence that the low-stakes, high-interest approach currently undertaken may have the desired effect of improving students’ motivation to learn across 2 years of schooling. Implications for both practice and national policy are discussed.
AB - Elementary school is as much about developing attitudes as competence. With this fact in mind, the Japanese national government established a plan to enhance elementary school students’ motivation for learning English. The success of this program has, however, not been empirically tested. This study aimed to assess the longitudinal, discrete development of Japanese elementary school students’ motivation for learning English as a foreign language. A cohort of 513 Japanese elementary students participated in the study across 2 years of school. Students responded to surveys regarding the quality of their motivation at three time points, and their engagement at two time points. Latent profile analysis followed by latent profile transition analysis was used to assess the sample for latent subgroups. With subgroups established at three time points, a Mover–Stayer model was tested to estimate the movement of students among the subgroups across three time points and 2 years of elementary school education. Three theoretically consistent latent subgroups were observed at each of the time points. Based on theory and past empirical research, the subgroups (presented from least to most adaptive) were labeled: Poor Quality, High Quantity, and Good Quality. Across the three measurements, an overall shift of students to higher quantity and quality motivational subgroups was observed. This study provides evidence that the low-stakes, high-interest approach currently undertaken may have the desired effect of improving students’ motivation to learn across 2 years of schooling. Implications for both practice and national policy are discussed.
KW - Elementary school
KW - Foreign language
KW - Japan
KW - Latent profile transition analysis
KW - Longitudinal
KW - Motivational profiles
KW - Quality of motivation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043399240&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85043399240&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11031-018-9681-7
DO - 10.1007/s11031-018-9681-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85043399240
SP - 1
EP - 19
JO - Motivation and Emotion
JF - Motivation and Emotion
SN - 0146-7239
ER -