STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 1

A Study of Student Motivation in the High School Foreign Language Classroom

Aaron Backlin
University of Southern Mississippi











STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 2

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The piesent pioject uiscusses leainei motivation as it exists within seconu language
acquisition both in teims of its liteiaiy iepiesentation anu the mannei in which it piesents
itself in the seconu language classioom. The pioject begins with a biief summaiy of the
motivational constiuct as well as a biief ieview of the extant liteiatuie on the subject in
uemonstiation of the uifficulty inheient in its uefinition anu unueistanuing. A case stuuy
was uone in the classioom focusing on a single stuuent in which the paiticipant's
motivational souices weie obseiveu anu iecoiueu. Thiough a seiies of obseivations anu
inteiviews, a stable woiking hypothesis about the paiticipant's motivational schema was
establisheu anu valiuateu thiough fuithei obseivation. Finally, a questionnaiie was given
to a mixeu gioup of high school Spanish stuuents using both the stuuy paiticipant's
motivational infoimation anu souices fiom the liteiatuie as a basis foi that questionnaiie.
The iesults fiom the questionnaiie uemonstiate that high school foieign language leaineis
have a piimaiily exteinal motivation towaiu success in the foim of giaues, but that theie
also exists a stiong intiinsic motivation towaiu self impiovement upon the peiception of
peisonal benefit in classioom tasks.






STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 3
Introduction
Even before the foreign language educator picks up the most recent collection of research
in second language acquisition (SLA) or reads the newest study in the newest journal, she is
already well aware of the crucial role that student motivation plays in shaping the classroom
environment and establishing the learning paradigm. As motivation has such an obvious and
profound effect on language learning and acquisition, it was selected as the focal topic of the
present case study project. Within this study, several questions will be considered: (a) what does
motivation look like from the student point of view, (b) what extrinsic motivators exist
consciously for students, (c) what intrinsic motivators exist consciously for students, and (d) can
observations of a single students motivational schema be extended to reflect those of the many?
Though a known factor in SLA research for some time, motivation has been notoriously
difficult to define in a clear and concise manner. Writing at the beginning of a period of keen
interest in SLA research, Frymier (1970) describes motivation as ...a function of values,
stimulation, personality structure, dissonance, and anxiety, among other things (p. 31). What,
then, has transpired in the understanding and definition of motivation in the last forty-odd years?
Apparently not a great deal of any concrete nature, as Brown (2007) comments that motivation is
...undoubtedly the most frequently used catch-all term for explaining the success or failure of
virtually any complex task (p. 168). Still, even given the apparent problematic and inconsistent
understanding of the concept, it is generally held that motivation is among the strongest
predictors of success in second language (L2) acquisition (Gass & Selinker, 2008).
While it may be that motivation is frequently defined to suit the purposes for which it is
being studied, it seems that several camps of thought can be identified toward the idea. Brown
(2007) describes three specific mindsets toward the motivation construct in SLA:
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 4
Behaviorist, featuring largely external sources of motivation (reward)
Cognitive, featuring internal, mental motivational sources (basic needs)
Constructivist, featuring both internal and external components (self-improvement and
community membership and identity)
The present study project will consider these three mindsets as it looks into the
motivational realities facing the participant.
Review of Literature
Though often presented in different ways (Gass & Selinker, 2008), motivation is
nonetheless well represented in both SLA and education literature. That it is both a crucial
element in any theoretical pedagogy and that it is often unique to individuals and cultures is not a
new insight. The often maddeningly individualistic nature of motivation in learning is well
played out in the literature of the last thirty years which offers a plethora of possibilities
regarding various sources of motivation. An intriguing study of motivational models in the
United States and the former U.S.S.R. reveals both grand similarities conceptually and notable
differences culturally (Bohlin, 1987) demonstrating an earlier awareness of the role played by
culture in shaping the motivational schema of individuals a fact further echoed throughout the
literature.
Culture accounts for some of the individuality in motivational elements, but certainly not
all of it. In addition to culture, there also exists the difference in goals and desires among
individuals. Breen & Lindsay (2002) identify a multitude of motivational constructs in learning
within eight goal-oriented motivational constructs. Their study postulates that some motivational
constructs are more suited to certain disciplines of study than others. Culture, individual
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 5
motivational goals, context of study, it becomes increasingly clear that the idea of motivation is a
multifaceted one with many external stimuli which can be broken down in a number of ways.
Brown (2007) describes two general pairs of distinctions which are useful for
generalizing the myriad individual differences. First, research in SLA has identified two basic
orientations toward motivation: instrumental orientation, in which a language is used as a means
to an end goal; and integrative orientation, in which the learner ultimately wishes to become a
part of the target language culture and interact within it. Second, in terms of general educational
research, there are two types of motivation: intrinsic motivation, in which the reward is in the
task itself; and extrinsic motivation in which a reward is anticipated from outside the self.
These general distinctions are helpful in grouping the multitude of individual
motivational schemas in a comprehensive way that might allow them to be better understood.
But how then are we to measure motivation? Tremblay and Gardner (1995) offer a fascinating
overview of many interdisciplinary motivational constructs and explains how they may be
applied to and to an extent measured within SLA research. Within the literature from both SLA
and other research areas there exists a wide variety of tools that have been utilized over the past
forty years to measure the motivation of learners in a variety of contexts. However, much as is
the case with its definition, the measurement of motivation is also subject to the requirements of
the researcher and as such is wildly variable. Moen and Doyle (1978), at the end of their expos
on various types of motivational factors (now often understood in different ways and by different
names), concluded that, regarding the measurement of motivation:
The reasonable conclusion may have to be that some trade-off will always be necessary-
breadth versus precision, criterion-keyed versus construct validated, convenience and
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 6
economy versus relevance and coverage and that the purpose to be served will determine
the kind of instrument to be used. (p. 19)
Perhaps yet another part of the reason that motivation is difficult to define and measure is
the fact that it spans a multitude of disciplines, changing in significance, focus, and impact as it
spreads itself out over a vast assortment of conceptual models. In his study focusing on
motivation in combination with positive psychology, Pajares (2001) finds that motivational
orientation toward goal setting is among the most productive of schemas. In a more recent study
viewing motivation through the lens of cognitive science, Brooks and Shell (2006) lament that
...it seems apparent that these two large groups of researchers the cognitivists and the
motivationists- are not making much use of one anothers understandings and progress (p. 18).
An interesting complaint, considering the inroads that cognitivist theories have made into SLA
literature (Brown, 2007; Gass & Selinker, 2008). While it would seem almost certain that
disparate disciplines should do a better job of considering one anothers work, the disciplinary
disharmony is only one further piece of a complicated puzzle. And there are yet more pieces.
Cai (2011) describes in her dissertation study on students of Chinese, a change in the
context of acquisition can also have direct effect on motivation. In the case of that study,
motivational differences were found as students shifted contexts from classroom-based to online-
based learning! In all, the literature paints a general picture of motivation in learners as a critical
mystery, a sort of fides quaerens intellectum within our conceptualization of the learner. From
the literature reviewed, several potential influences on and/or sources of motivation for the high
school L2 learner were defined:
Student Attitude (Hening-Boynton & Heitema, 2007; Howard & Schmeck, 1979)
Parents (Deslandes & Bertrand, 2005; Gonzalez, 2002)
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 7
Utility/Benefit (Cai, 2011; Tochon, 2009; Grimes, Miles, & Woodruff, 2004)
Affect/Enjoyment (Breen & Lindsay, 2002; Brown 2007)
Culture (Cai, 2011; Gass & Selinker, 2008; Brown, 2007)
Teacher Interaction (Haslett, 1976; Rampton, 2002)
This listing is by no means exhaustive, as the preceding brief review of literature seeks to
demonstrate, but these six factors seem to be the most applicable to the high school L2 classroom
based on experience in that arena.
Learner Profile
Ramptons (2002) study on the role of ritual processes on L2 learning motivation in
England found that boys suffered from poor motivation and underachievement as compared to
girls as subgroups. The studys descriptions of the boys and the classroom milieu in which they
found themselves led the researcher of the current project to choose motivation as the focus for
study, as well as selecting a male student of similar demeanor to those described in that study.
Though the present endeavors purposes are quite dissimilar to those of Rampton, it has been the
experience of the researcher that the male population of L2 Spanish classes averages out one to
two grades lower than the girls, especially at upper levels, and focus on a student similar to those
described by Rampton might prove valuable.
The participant in the present study is Benjamin (Ben) Kline, a sophomore at Grinnell
High School (GHS) enrolled in his second year of Spanish, who during the timeframe of the case
study, was finishing the A section of the course and entering the B section. Ben is a very
intelligent student, though not a regular voluntary participant in class. He is academically very
capable, though rarely willing to put a great deal of effort into furthering his knowledge and
understanding of any topic, including foreign language. In his academic classes, his grades are
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 8
generally in the B range, owing more to his naturally occurring intellect than to any effort on his
own part.
Ben is one child of a blended family, and speaks only one language, English, at home.
His father is military, his mother works in the insurance industry. He works a part-time job after
school, and is not involved in any sports or clubs at the school. Ben has quite a few friends,
though he interacts with them in different ways depending on the group present. His foreign
language experience outside of the Spanish courses offered at the high school consists of some
exposure to Arabic and Farsi as his father has worked with the Defense Language Institute and
encouraged Ben to pursue language studies. He has no functional ability in either of these
languages. Ben is consistently one of the top performers in the class, despite his relative
lethargy, and demonstrates an ability to internalize the content without much effort. His grades,
however, do not reflect this ability, but rather an inability to complete and turn in work.
Case Study Activities
Activity One Interview #1
The purpose of this first interview was to gather data on the participant and generally
assess some basic points regarding his individual motivational schema. A list of questions was
prepared for Ben, intended to gauge his basic motivation for taking a foreign language course.
The interview took approximately fifty minutes and the conversation was recorded.
In response to the question about what studying foreign language could offer him as a
student, Ben responded in typical fashion to his classmates that it is a college entrance
requirement and that studying it now in high school would save him time and effort later. After
the issue was pressed, Ben responded that he really wasnt sure, but that his parents wanted him
to take it, and that he had thought about the role of another language in future career plans.
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 9
Ben indicated that he planned to continue with all four years of Spanish in high school, so
long as his grades didnt suffer for it, and because most of his friends were planning to do the
same. He indicated that his attitude was similar to that of his classmates regarding taking a
foreign language course and his attitude toward taking a class because his friends were taking it.
Ben shared with me a bit about his fathers military service and brief involvement with the
Defense Language Institute and revealed that a lot of the pressure to take languages was coming
from his father. When asked if he would take the course without the pressure from home and
from college entrance requirements, he responded that he didnt know.
Ben further indicated that he found the vocabulary instruction to be interesting, especially
when we discuss etymology and common roots in comparison of English and Spanish. He stated
that he is interested generally in grammatical concepts, as long as it doesnt mean another
worksheet, and that the way the language works is really interesting to him, which surprised him.
Throughout the interview, notes were kept and a point was made of asking several of the
questions in multiple ways at different times to see if the answers would change. Bens
responses were generally consistent, though the role of parents and friends in his motivation was
somewhat unclear, as were any internal motivational cues, and similar questions would be
included in the second interviews questions for the sake of uncovering a firm basis for analysis
of his individual motivational schema. His answers were in line with observations and
comments from him during those observations, save for the three areas noted above. From this
interview, valuable information was gained into his background as a learner and the impact of
other students, parents, grades, and benefit on his motivation.


STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 10
Activity Two Interview #2
During the time between the two interviews, in the observations of that period, clarifying
questions were asked of Ben to better guide the questions used in the second interview. Of
particular interest were the role of friends/peers in motivation, both in terms of student culture
and enjoyment within the class; Bens own personal, internal motivators; and the role of his
parents. The second interview proved to be another invaluable source of information. As with
the first, a list of questions was prepared and the interview was recorded, lasting approximately
one hour, though the topic was somewhat lost as the discussion changed gears toward the final
ten minutes.
In an attempt to better determine what internal motivators drove Ben to take Spanish
classes, several questions were posed to him. In response to the question of why he was taking
Spanish at GHS rather than one of the other languages offered at the nearby Grinnell College, he
responded that it was easier as it is the only language offered at the high school (a fact that the
researcher laments and abhors, as does the study participant when asked about it!) and that this
way he didnt have to work out scheduling with the College. He was asked what language he
would study were he given the choice. He responded that he would most likely take a course in
an underrepresented language such as Arabic or Farsi, again referring to his father.
As the interview progressed, it became obvious from the way he was answering the
questions that while there wasnt a great deal of intrinsic motivation to learn L2, what was
occurring was in relation to the perception of future benefit in the workplace. Again, Ben
brought up his fathers service, and commented that he knew that functionality in language
would do good things for whatever career he chose.
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 11
Additionally, Ben was asked a series of questions designed to gather information about
the role of his friends in motivating him to learn Spanish as L2. His answers were somewhat
noncommittal, but in the end a pattern emerged that membership in a social group of, for lack of
a better word, slackers was important to him, and that he and his group of friends liked to take
courses that would be somewhat challenging, but still workable without a great deal of effort
outside of class time. Apparently our lower-level Spanish courses fit this description.
From this interview, the role of parents, especially his father, in motivating language
study became evident. Additionally, the role of friends/social group in motivation was finally
evident, and intrinsic motivation while sparing, was also present in the perception of benefit to
self. This information regarding perceived benefit would be put to the test in actuality over two
planned observations in one of which the benefit to the learner was evident and in the other any
benefit of the assignment was vague and poorly defined. Bens reactions, mood, and work
would be scrutinized for evidence in these two activities.
Activity Three Observation (High Benefit)
As the internal motivator that was most evidenced in interviews with Ben was that of
perception of benefit to self, this motivator was tested to gauge its strength in motivation of
Bens work in class. The assignment was a read-and-respond type assignment in which students
were instructed to individually read a letter that was taken from a Hispanic newspaper advice
column, consider its content, and write a response to the letter writer. Upon completion of the
assignment, students were to come speak to the instructor individually and summarize what they
read and how they responded in Spanish.
Before the assignment time began, the instructor spoke at length of the utility of
interacting with authentic language artifacts and that interaction, regardless of how simulated,
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 12
was crucial to their development as Spanish speakers. Additionally, several reading techniques
were discussed and their applicability to subjects outside of Spanish was demonstrated. Finally,
students were given some hints at the sorts of cultural information that can be gleaned from
reading and observing authentic materials. After all of this, students were allowed to begin
work.
During the work time, Ben was observed in his demeanor and amount of focus given to
the assignment. His demeanor and focus demonstrated that he had taken interest in the
assignment and was genuinely interested in testing his abilities with the language and interacting
in this way. His advice response was typically skewed for a sophomore boy and verged on the
silly, but the effort put into it was atypical for his participation in class assignments. He was able
to articulate accurately the content of the letter he read and his suggestions. While the
investigator was unable to directly observe Ben for the entirety of the time, the results of the
experiment were confirmatory of Bens internal motivator in perception of benefit.
Possible ancillary factors include teacher interaction and grade motivation, as the point
value given to this assignment was higher than the standard value of a homework assignment.
Activity Four Observation (Low/Vague Benefit)
As a counterpoint to the first structured observation experiment, the next day students
were provided with a very vaguely worded worksheet on a grammatical concept for review from
earlier in the year. The task was three pages of sentences to translate and questions to answer.
The concept was one in which students had performed well in the past. The assignment was
handed out and with little in the way of explanation outside of a reminder that it was due the
following day, was worth a standard five point value for homework, and then students were
instructed to begin work individually.
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 13
Again Bens demeanor and focus were observed, as well as the quality of the work turned
in. Within a few moments, Ben was off-task playing a game on his computer, though he was
very aware that he was being observed, and would quickly switch back to working on the
assignment. As the rest of the work time wore on, Ben sat for a period of time staring at the
wall, and then quickly rushed through the last several questions on the third page as the end of
class approached.
In looking over Bens work, it was obvious that he was disinterested in the assignment,
and in several places was simply writing words to fill space without consideration of what he
was intended to be doing. While the investigator admits that some of Bens malaise could
certainly be due to boredom, several other students found the review helpful and two even
thanked the instructor for taking time to review with them in class. Comparing the two
experiments directly, they seemed confirmatory of the other observational data regarding Bens
intrinsic motivation via self benefit. Grade motivation was low in this experiment, as the
standard point value was given for this larger-than-usual assignment.
Activity Five Student Questionnaire
Upon completion of the observation hours and the previous four case study activities, the
investigator sought an answer to the final question initially posed, that is whether the
observations of the one can be extended to the many in an inductive manner. Based on the
information gathered at that point, it was evident that Ben was primarily motivated by three
factors, two extrinsic and one intrinsic. The extrinsic motivational factor of parental
involvement is common to the majority of high school students in L2 at GHS, and as such was
not considered in the questionnaire. This step was taken based on the results of student interest
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 14
questionnaires given at the beginning of each year, in which some 80% of sophomore Spanish
students indicated that they were taking the course due to parents making them do so.
The other two factors, perception of benefit and grades, were the factors that I was most
interested in seeing played out. A questionnaire of seventeen situational cues was constructed
and a modified Likert scale used as a common assessment of student motivation. In all, 92
students took the questionnaire (Appendix A), and represented students from freshmen to
seniors, the majority of whom were sophomores and juniors. The style and content of the
questionnaire was influenced by research done by Breen and Lindsay (2002), Levine (2003), and
Yager (1996).
The results of the questionnaire (see Table 1) demonstrated that, unsurprisingly, students
are on average the most motivated by an extrinsic motivator, namely grades. The lowest-scoring
scenario on average regarding student motivation was unclear instructional practices on the part
of the instructor. Upon compilation and assessment of the results, the total responses to each
scenario scoring four and five were combined to represent high motivation and total number of
responses for each scenario scoring one and two were combined to represent low motivation.
The two areas of highest contrast were found, representing the most disproportionately
motivational scenario of the seventeen given, as well as the most disproportionately non-
motivational scenario of the seventeen. Additionally, the scenario that evidenced the greatest
equilibrium between the two extremes was also calculated.
The results of this comparison (see Table 2) was very interesting. The disproportionately
high motivator of the seventeen scenarios given was having only one or two peers that the
student knows well. The disproportionately low motivator of the scenarios was lack of instructor
clarity. The equilibrium motivator was also peer-driven, being the scenario in which the student
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 15
is surrounded by students who generally do not care at all about the class or its content. This
comparison evidenced the very real role that peer interaction plays in student motivation, as well
as the vital role the instructor plays in student learning.
Instructional Implications
In all, the results of this project have served to underscore the difficulty in defining,
measuring, and modifying student motivation. As can be seen, motivation cannot come only
from the individual learner, it cannot come only from the instructor, nor from only the parents,
nor from only peers and social groups. Rather, motivation is a complex construct fed by
countless factors as individual to a particular learner as a snowflake in a snow drift.
Two practical considerations become apparent from the results of the present study.
First, even if the primary influences in student motivation seem to be external, there still exists a
strong intrinsic motivator in self benefit and it is obviously beneficial that students be made
aware of the personal benefits of what goes on in the classroom. The question of why is as
important as that of what in the eyes of the student. Students want to know how the current
activity, lecture, or conversation plays into the grand scheme of things. That natural
inquisitiveness, while certainly stronger in some than in others, is something that we must foster
to increase motivation in our students.
Second, the impact of peers and peer groupings cannot be overlooked in terms of how
students are motivated. This concept surely makes sense when considered against observations
of L2 classes in which a student that is usually meek and mild individually becomes animated
and alive in their production simply by being placed with a particular group of peers. To the
opposite end, teachers the world over have long kept lists of what students ought not work
together, and for the very real reason that students can and do rob one another of motivation.
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 16

Conclusion
The results of the poll and the individual observations of the case study participant Ben
demonstrate that of Browns (2007) three perspectives on motivation, behavioristic anticipation
of external reward is still the clear victor in the fight for student motivation, with constructivistic
notions of self improvement and community identity a close second. While it may be that that
extrinsic motivation merely could be part of a larger, goal-oriented motivational construct, that
sort of large-scale goal-orientation was neither directly present nor in any way apparent from
interactions with the case study participant. It seems that students are largely motivated
primarily by short-term extrinsic rewards. It is, however, still very refreshing to see that some
degree of intrinsic motivation comes through in the questionnaire.
This sort of intrinsic motivation leveraged on perceived benefit is what one might expect
based on the literature. Pajares (2001) found that students who are aware of learning benefit in
task find motivation regardless of their errors in anticipation of personal growth. As such, the
undercurrent of student pursuit of self benefit is hardly surprising. Studies in the psychology of
locus of control would also seem to accurately predict the results of the questionnaire (Grimes,
et. al., 2004).
One particular consideration on motivation comes out of the present project, that perhaps
the motivation construct is so inconsistently understood because we are asking the wrong
questions. Perhaps we are seeking to confine a complex entity to one discipline bounded by
arbitrarily imposed borders, and perhaps we should heed the lament of Brooks and Shell (2006)
and seek synthesis with disciplines not traditionally touched by SLA research. Regardless of
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 17
reaction to this consideration, the field of study in motivation remains a fascinating area of focus,
and the researcher looks forward eagerly to keeping in contact with the literature on the matter.









































STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 18
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STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 20
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schools neeu to auopt. 701.0P ") ;<#-&,."%&' 70+0&$-84 IF(2), 6Su-681.
Tiemblay, P., anu uaiunei, R. (199S). Expanuing the motivation constiuct in language
leaining. ?80 H"<0$% B&%:#&:0 !"#$%&'4 IF(4), SuS-S18.
Yagei, K. (1996). Leaining Spanish in Nexico: The effect of infoimal contact anu stuuent
attituues on language gain. 9.+2&%.&4 G5(4), 898-91S.

















STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 21
Table One
Summary Results Student Questionnaire





















STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 22
Table Two
Areas of Commonality High, Low, and Equilibrium Points of Motivation






































STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 23
Appendix A


-$./*,$ 01$23&$21, 2, 41%*25, 6&,5.&5*

The following questionnaiie will pioviue you with uesciiptions of seventeen uiffeient
scenaiios you might encountei uuiing youi foieign language stuuy in high school. Foi each
scenaiio, please ieau the biief uesciiption anu then consiuei what youi motivation woulu
be to complete a task.

Foi oui puiposes, "Notivation" will be uefineu as willingness to apply one's self to the task
to piouuce a quality piouuct.

Thanks foi youi time!

1. 0pon enteiing the classioom, you aie piesenteu with a task that seems challenging, but
is cleaily something you can uo well with some effoit.

2. 0pon enteiing the classioom, you aie piesenteu with a task that seems uifficult, anu will
likely be uifficult iegaiuless of the amount of effoit you put into it.

S. 0pon enteiing the classioom, you aie piesenteu with a task that is uncleai, anu the
instiuctoi has not pioviueu enough explanation foi you to unueistanu completely what the
task is.

4. 0pon enteiing the classioom, you sit with a laige gioup of fiienus you know well, anu
the instiuctoi gives you a task.

S. 0pon enteiing the classioom, you sit by youiself because you uon't ieally know anyone
in the class. The instiuctoi gives you a task.

6. 0pon enteiing the classioom, you sit with one oi two fiienus. You know some of the
people in the class. The instiuctoi gives you a task.

7. In the classioom, the instiuctoi hanus you an assignment to be completeu in class, in the
ioom.

8. Buiing the last few minutes of class, the instiuctoi hanus out an assignment. You plan to
complete it uuiing stuuy centei latei in the uay.

STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 24
9. 0pon aiiiving home aftei the school uay, you pull out the assignment that the instiuctoi
gave as homewoik anu begin woiking on it.
1u. In the class you aie suiiounueu by othei stuuents who cleaily finu language leaining to
be impoitant, anu holu school anu leaining in high iegaiu.

11. In the class you aie suiiounueu by othei stuuents who uon't ieally caie about the topic,
but still want to get goou giaues. They will uo as much as it takes to get by with a B giaue.
12. In the class you aie suiiounueu by othei stuuents who uon't caie at all about the topic,
oi about school in geneial.

1S. The instiuctoi hanus you a task aftei explaining in uetail how the task will benefit you
as a leainei.

14. The instiuctoi hanus you a task anu you can immeuiately see that it will benefit you as
a leainei, even without teachei explanation.

1S. The instiuctoi hanus you a task. Theie is no explanation of benefit, anu you aie unable
to see any cleai benefit to you.

16. The instiuctoi hanus you a task. You aie tolu that the task is woith a giaue upon timely
completion.

17. The instiuctoi hanus you a task. You aie tolu that the task is foi piactice anu will not
count as an inuiviuual giaue, but that the piactice is impoitant.



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&''1=?&,2*/ "@ $:* +1<<1>2,5 =1/2+2*/ 62A*%$ -'&<*8

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C D E F G









STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 25
Appendix B


Summary Log (Transposed from Handwritten Notes)


5QNNQ5= I've selecteu "KB" as my ieseaich paiticipant. I askeu his peimission anu
explaineu infoimally what will be taking place. We'll get staiteu with obseivations next
week. Iueas to incluue in my CSP:
- Notivation (ueneially)
- Notivation (Futuie Benefit sp)
- Inteiest (Bow foimeu, inuiviuualizeu


5Q=5Q5= Post-obseivation #1 - Biiefly uiscusseu some topical questions with KB.
Family has militaiy linguistic backgiounu (that's new to me!) pioviuing an inteiesting siue
venue foi inteiest. KB is an honest fellow, which is the majoiity ieason I selecteu him as
paiticipant. KB is capable with the language - not the best anu not the woist - nice miuule-
of-the-ioau soit of leainei.
I'm beginning to have some conceins about the viability of my emphasis
aiea(s). The CSP piocess seems set up towaiu a paiticulai function of language acquisition
anu I seem to be outsiue the aieas typically consiueieu. Bowevei, I'm inteiesteu in this
paiticulai aspect, anu as long as Bi. A appioves the mattei, I'll move aheau with it. Peihaps
I coulu conuuct some infoimal ieseaich on the siue to help bolstei my conclusions. I'll ask
Bi. A.


NQRQ5= Post-obseivation #2 - Stuuent woik seems consistent with what I've seen
him piouuce in the past. Looking ovei what he's uone I'm cuiious how to pull out the iuea
of 3",.1&,."% fiom these obseivations. I think I'll tailoi some inteiview questions to
establish a baseline foi uata collection iegaiuing the 3",.1&,."%&' issue. ueneial ieflections
- motivation is seemingly entiiely extiinsic with the majoiity of high school stuuents. This
might be a goou point to look into foi any ieseaich.
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 26
KB can pioviue some uesciiption of pioblem aieas, which puts him aheau of
his peeis slightly. That kinu of self-awaieness shoulu help out gieatly with inteiview
questions topically oiienteu towaiu motivation.
I'll begin putting togethei some motivation-centeieu questions to begin
asking KB to establish a baseline foi futuie obseivations. The question as I'm uesigning
this inteiview is how much inuiviuual attention vs coipoiate. I'll focus as inuiviuually as
possible as that seems to be in keeping with the intent of the assignment.


NQ55Q5= Post-obseivation #S - Aftei uiscussing seveial things infoimally with KB
thioughout the school uays this last week, I hau some iueas of questions to ask him that I
uiun't want to wait on the inteiview foi (wow, giammai). I'm cuiious about gioup
uynamics anu some exteinal cultuial influences on his motivation, as well as any intiinsic
motivational factois. We hau a goou uiscussion (moie than I hau expecteu) - I think that
KB enjoys being my guinea pig on this one. KB has a veiy goou shoit-teim ietention iate
foi infoimation, anu I'm cuiious what motivational factois might attach themselves to
longei-teim stoiage.
We'ie going to iescheuule the inteiview foi tomoiiow.


NQ5NQ5= Post-obseivation #4 Post-Inteiview (#1) - It was a busy uay foi me touay,
anu my obseivation notes uon't uo justice to the quantity of woik that was uone. We took a
quiz touay, which alloweu me to focus in on some questions iegaiuing test piepaiation anu
motivational factois theieof.
Aftei postponement uue to snow uay(s), we finally helu oui fiist inteiview
aftei school touay. I feel like I gaineu some goou infoimation about KB's inuiviuual
motivational schema. Aftei some initial pioblems with my voice iecoiuei, we got
unueiway. 0btaineu biogiaphical infoimation, as well. I got moie infoimation about
family histoiy of language leaining, incluuing the militaiy aspect.


STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 27
NQ5MQ5= Post-obseivation #S - A ieveiw topic alloweu me to look moie ueeply into
KB's long-teim ietention anu the motivatois theieof. The uistilleu veision of what seems
to be the case is a feai of sounuing foolish (affective filtei) as fai as any intiinsic motivatoi
foi ietention, anu then a gieat ueal of emphasis on exteinal motivatois (giaues) making up
the lion's shaie of the motivation foi paiticipation anuoi ietention.
A gieat many stuuents aie motivateu in theii euucation almost entiiely on an
extiinsic basis - paients, giaues, college planning, etc. This is fiustiating to me, because I
ieally holu euucation a high iegaiu. What uoes this mean, then, foi piactice. uoou
question - something I'll neeu to consiuei. Peihaps biing in concept of !"#$% "' (")*+",
into the CSP.


NQ5FQ5= Post-obseivation #6 - Took the oppoitunity uuiing ieview sessions to ask
some moie questions of KB iegaiuing inuiviuual motivational factois. Some useful uata
was gaineu. Bis attituue towaiu the iole of fiienus in motivation is inteiesting anu woith
puisuing as we go along. It will be inteiesting to see him in a new enviionment with
uiffeient people aiounu him next tiimestei. -H0I9BJ7K 9H 6HHL M!NL 9HO


NQN6Q5= Post-obseivation #7 Post-Inteiview (#2) - Again took the oppoitunity
uuiing ieview sessions to check some assumptions anu unueistanuings I've taken away
fiom oui pievious contact. I got some inteiesting uata iegaiuing KB's inuiviuual viewpoint
when woiking thiough classioom concepts.
The inteiview yielueu moie uetails anu goou infoimation, especially on
motivation via social inteiaction. -./% /% 0) $)*01123 +2%"$+#2 '"+ .% %*$32)*%. (Canvas)


NQNMQ5= Post-obseivation #8 - Final uay of tii ieviews, so I maue suie to unueiscoie
anu valiuate the conclusions I have uiawn to this point in my notes. 0veiall, I seem to be
on the iight tiack, though a lot of this seems to uepenu on KB's moou at the time I ask him
questions. This might have some iamifications foi piactice, as well.
STUDENT MOTIVATION IN HS L2 CLASSROOM 28
I appieciateu the fact that KB asks inusightful questions uuiing class
uiscussions that yielu class paiticipation anu some quality sociative sessions.


=Q55Q5= Post-obseivation #9 - New tiimestei. Biinging in the concept of
socialization as a motivatoi, it is inteiesting to obseive KB in new settings with new people
in the class. Be seems to have moie fiienus in this session than in the last teim anu the
effect on his outwaiu behavioi is notable. I'll be looking to see if theie is a change in
motivation iegaiuing class mateiial.
Also an inteiesting thought, as the 12+#21*/") "' 3/''/#$,*4 incieases, uoes
motivation also inciease in tuin. Also, what effect uoes )"52,*4 have on motivation. If so,
what 0**+/*/") 1"%*6)"52,*4.


=Q5=Q5= Post-obseivation #1u - Final obs. Bouble-check assumptions, looking foi
any auuitional motivational factois that may have been hiuuen oi implieu as pait of othei
iuentifieu factois.