Motivation for online learning in higher education: students of English

master's thesis

• Author: Sandra Gregurić
• Mentor: Kristina Cergol (mentor)
• Committee member: Alenka Mikulec (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Petra Karabin (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Kristina Cergol (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; (Chair of English Language Teacher Education); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2021-06-30, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Psychology; School Psychology and the Psychology of Education

Abstract

Motivation is a phenomenon which includes willingness to take action either because the action is enjoyable, or because it leads towards an accomplishment of other goals. There are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. An intrinsically motivated person does an action because it brings joy and satisfaction, while an extrinsically motivated person does an action because completing an action brings a reward. Motivation can be caused by different motives. One of the ways a person can motivate himself/herself is through practising self-talk.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether, and in what way, the students of English at the Faculty of Teacher Education managed to maintain motivation and English skills during the two months of online schooling. We investigated eleven students of primary education and English language at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb. We focused on the ways the participants managed to maintain their motivation. Also, we inquired whether or not the professors influence the participants’ motivation. In addition to that, later on in the research we introduced self-talk to see if positive self-talk would affect participants’ motivation positively. In other words, we wanted to research whether or not self-encouragement is affective.
The last thing we focused on was the maintenance of English language skills. We were interested into whether or not and in what way the participants managed to maintain their English language skills during an online learning.
The eleven participants (N=11) kept a diary for two months during an online learning. The participants had to write an entry into their diaries every day after their lessons. In the beginning of the research, the participants got general information that included topics they should include in their diaries.
The results show that the participants struggled with maintaining their motivation during an online learning. The participants expressed that professors can be a great source of motivation, but can also cause demotivation. When it comes to self-talk, the results show that the participants think it is useful, however it did not increase their motivation significantly. The results show that maintaining English language skills is more difficult during online learning that during face-to-face learning.

Abstract (croatian)

Motivacija je fenomen koji uključuje spremnost na uključivanje u neku aktivnost bilo zato što ta aktivnost ispunjava osobu ili zato što vodi do ispunjenja nekih drugih ciljeva. Motivacija se može podijeliti u dvije kategorije: na intrinzičnu i ekstrinzičnu motivaciju. Intrinzično motivirana osoba obavlja aktivnost zato što joj aktivnost donosi radost i zadovoljstvo, dok ekstrinzično motivirana osoba obavlja aktivnost zato što po završetku aktivnosti dolazi neka vrsta nagrade. Motivacija može nastati iz različitih motiva. Jedan od način kako se osoba može motivirati je kroz korištenje samoohrabrivanja.
Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je istražiti jesu li i kako studenti engleskog jezika Učiteljskog fakulteta u Zagrebu održavaju motivaciju te jezične vještine engleskog jezika tijekom dva mjeseca online nastave. Istraživano je jedanaest studentica primarnog obrazovanja i engleskog jezika Učiteljskog studija u Zagrebu. Fokus je bio na načinima na koje su sudionice održavale svoju motivaciju. Također, istražile smo jesu li profesori utjecali na motivaciju sudionica. Samoohrabrenje je u istraživanje uvedeno nešto kasnije kako bi se vidjelo je li samoohrabrivanje utjecalo na motivaciju sudionica, tj. je li samoohrabrenje učinkovit način motiviranja.
Zadnja stavka ovog istraživanja je održavanje jezičnih vještina engleskog jezika. Fokus je bio na pitanju jesu li te kako sudionice održale svoje jezične vještine engleskog jezika tijekom online nastave.
U istraživanju je sudjelovalo ukupno jedanaest (N=11) sudionica čiji je zadatak bio pisati dnevnik dva mjeseca za vrijeme trajanja online nastave. Zadatak je bio osvrnuti se na motivaciju svaki dan nakon online predavanja. Prije početka istraživanja sudionice su dobile općenite informacije te smjernice na što se trebaju osvrnuti u svojim dnevnicima.
Rezultati pokazuju da je održavanje motivacije tijekom online nastave bilo izazovno. Sudionice su izrazile da ih profesori mogu uvelike motivirati, ali i demotivirati. Kada se radi o samoohrabrenju, rezultati pokazuju da sudionice smatraju da je samoohrabrenje korisno, no nema značajnog povećanja u motivaciji. Rezultati također pokazuju da je održavanje jezičnih vještina engleskog jezika teže tijekom online nastave, nego za vrijeme nastave uživo.

• Keywords: motivation; self-talk; English language skills; diary
• Keywords (croatian): motivacija; samoohrabrenje; jezične vještine engleskog jezika
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:704063
• Study programme: Title: Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study of Primary Teacher Education and Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study for Primary Teacher Education with English and German Language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-02-03 11:34:47