Motivation in the foreign language classroom

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivators

Positive reinforcement

Participants

The final sample consisted of 32 student adolescents in Grades 9–12. Fourteen of which are male and 18 of which are female. The school is a charter school that is the result of a 47 year old program offered to students in Hartford giving them the opportunity to attend public schools in suburban towns. This program is known as open choice.

The open Choice Program aims improve academic achievements and reduce racial-ethnic isolation. These programs provide all children with a choice of high quality educational programs. Therefore in any given classroom we see a very diverse group of students from different socio-economic settings. Current high school enrollment is at approximately 500 students. The students are all Spanish 3 students and have been divided into 2 sample sets. Sample A contains 18 students and the sample b contains 12 students.

Data collection procedures

The participants are unaware that they are participating in a research study. They were handed a questionnaire administered in English, which is their primary language. Participants were told that all of their answers are confidential. Participants were seated at their respective desks to guarantee their privacy. Researcher used structured Interviews, student assessment interview s and student observations. Students were observed 15 minutes every other day for a total of 20 observations. Observations began five minutes after task commenced and was timed in minute’s intervals. On task and off task behavior of samples were noted by one independent observer.

Preliminary functional assessment survey

In order to assess a baseline measure students were given a rubric without completion expectations set forth. They were then given a writing prompt where they had complete 60 words in 10 minutes. It was determined that only 10% of the students in each sample completed the task. They were then given a detailed rubric with completion expectations. Scores were generated based on level of completion. Students are expected to complete the task of 60 words in 10 minutes. They have also been given the optional assignment of the same writing task where they are allowed to write 0 words in 10 minutes on a template one sentence is written in English and then it is translated in Spanish. The ultimate goal is to have students complete an interpersonal writing task in Spanish.

SIMPLE SENTENCE STRUCTURE

WEEK 1 AND 2 SENTENCES: SCAFFOLDING THE TASK

Writing prompt rubric on the

board for those who might not

have it and need to quickly look.

Under is the writng prompt

Writing prompt: translate the

word and write

a sentence.

INTRINSIC DATA ON WEEKLY TASK

WORD COUNT IN EXCELTask: 60 words in 10 minutes Objective: Interpersonal writing task

Base Collection Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

Student Names Rubric Score Word Count Completion Ptg Completion Ptg Completion Ptg Completion Ptg ` Completion Ptg Increase in words % Increase

Student 1 6 32 23 19 17 12 24 26 3 13%

Student 2 6 19 16 14 14 14 16 32 16 100%

Student 3 6 27 22 45 47 44 46 47 25 114%

Student 4 6 14 11 11 12 18 23 34 23 209%

Student 5 4 21 21 25 51 37 43 55 34 162%

Student 6 3 11 31 27 31 12 34 41 10 32%

Student 7 1 56 55 31 42 41 54 51 -4 -7%

Student 8 2 60 44 51 49 56 52 59 15 34%

Student 9 5 53 31 50 54 26 50 54 23 74%

Student 10 5 43 47 52 60 60 60 60 13 28%

Student 11 5 11 21 17 14 19 20 20 -1 -5%

754%

Student 1 38% 32% 28% 20% 40% 43% 113%

Student 2 27% 23% 23% 23% 27% 53% 200%

Student 3 37% 75% 78% 73% 77% 78% 214%

Student 4 18% 18% 20% 30% 38% 57% 309%

Student 5 35% 42% 85% 62% 72% 92% 262%

Student 6 52% 45% 52% 20% 57% 68% 132%

Student 7 92% 52% 70% 68% 90% 85% 93%

Student 8 73% 85% 82% 93% 87% 98% 134%

Student 9 52% 83% 90% 43% 83% 90% 174%

Student 10 78% 87% 100% 100% 100% 100% 128%

Student 11 35% 28% 23% 32% 33% 33% 95%

EXTRINSIC DATA ON WRITING TASK

WORD COUNT ON EXCEL Task: 60 words in 10

minutes Objective: Interpersonal writing task

Base Collection Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

Student Names Word Count Completion Word Count Completion Word Count Completion Word Count Completion Word Count Completion Word Count Completion Word Count Increase in words % Increase

Student 1 27 30 34 44 60 77 79 49 163%

Student 2 17 16 16 11 20 18 20 4 25%

Student 3 48 52 14 21 56 52 52 0 0%

Student 4 11 13 25 12 16 29 22 9 69%

Student 5 30 34 43 51 100 65 65 31 91%

Student 6 60 57 60 60 91 105 105 48 84%

Student 7 22 23 31 42 44 20 20 -3 -13%

Student 8 60 60 60 60 71 100 100 40 67%

Student 9 60 60 60 60 67 50 50 -10 -17%

Student 10 60 60 60 10 12 60 60 0 0%

Student 11 13 19 24 34 20 42 51 32 168%

638%

% complete % complete % complete % complete % complete % complete

Student 1 50% 57% 73% 100% 128% 132% 263%

Student 2 27% 27% 18% 33% 30% 33% 125%

Student 3 87% 23% 35% 93% 87% 87% 100%

Student 4 22% 42% 20% 27% 48% 37% 169%

Student 5 57% 72% 85% 167% 108% 108% 191%

Student 6 95% 100% 100% 152% 175% 175% 184%

Student 7 38% 52% 70% 73% 33% 33% 87%

Student 8 100% 100% 100% 118% 167% 167% 167%

Student 9 100% 100% 100% 112% 83% 83% 83%

Student 10 100% 100% 17% 20% 100% 100% 100%

Student 11 32% 40% 57% 33% 70% 85% 268%

The researcher assigned an interpersonal writing task to 2 separate level 3 Spanish classrooms. The classrooms are mostly 10th and 11th graders. The assignment measured was an interpersonal writing task where students write 60 words in 10 minutes. The researcher collected based line data with no motivators in place. Data was collected over a period of 6 weeks. Students were assigned one interpersonal writing task per week. Once tasks were completed words were counted and students were given individual completion percentages. Were placed in excel data base. Students are then given a percentage completed score. This score was calculated by dividing the student’s word count by 60.

The data was then compared and researcher measured completion increase. (See table below) Completion increase this data was determined by calculating the difference of the base week and the current weeks. Additionally, this percentage assists in determining how much word count growth students have experienced at the end of 6 weeks. Results of this research demonstrated that students who are intrinsically motivated had more positive gains in reaching completion points in target language. Students in the intrinsic sample set showed an overall percentage of growth in target language of 754%. Whereas the extrinsic sample set experienced growth of 653%

Extrinsic Data table:

One trend that appeared in research was that students exceeded baseline performance between the first and fifth essay. The second writing task displayed students in both groups increased their baseline average by 10%. They also demonstrated lower level 1 Spanish errors rates. During the 3rd writing task 40 percent of the students, who were consistently delivering 40-50 word counts during the task, had decreased in word count by an average of 10 percent the researcher asked these students why they had decreased in word count and found that students were bored with task. For these students the researcher raised the word count to 100 words in 10 minutes. Students that had a baseline of 40-60 words all exceeded the 60 word goal by the 4th writing task.

The summary of the results demonstrated that the group motivated intrinsically had better overall writing performance by the 6th week. Students that scored between 10-20 words in the extrinsic set had a lower increase in word counts as those in the intrinsic set being studied. Students in the intrinsic set studies showed a consistent 10% growth in word count from week to week.

DIRECT INSTRUCTION: VOCABULARY PREP

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=0403c0eea1422a870db3d507d487d1a9&mId=2148411 (intrinsic)

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=5fcaca34c64759807d81d88d3afd791c&mId=2148227 (extrinsic)

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=141d375d833cb6f8d72ecabc27eafd92&mId=2132209 (extrinsic)

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=fabec164057555d1b1edbb9018d341ef&mId=2128116 (Intrinsic)

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=0bcd6a960493a6f94ecff2a21af7a86d&mId=2128118 (Intrinsic)

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=09104b40e4fc3cd304fe8c461064522a&mId=2128120 (Extrinsic)

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=6719103e807e45e171d33ece8329e8c1&mId=2128121 (Extrinsic) (Did not meet the word count)

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=908f8f1de5fe92d7ef72dfd95c7dc191&mId=2132227