The Comparison of Language Learning Motivation of the Senior High

School Learners Who Learn English at Both Formal School and Cram
School and Those Who only Learn at Formal School

S0641012, 呂惟馨

I. Rationale
 Language Learning Motivation
1. In the process oriented period, Williams and Burden developed a model
of language learning motivation which includes two types of
motivation, internal and external. (Lindy Woodrow, 2017)
2. ‘… learning motivation has a significant impact on learning attitude
and learning well-being.’ (Lo & Lin, 2020)

 Cram School
1. 69.2% Taiwanese parents send their children to cram school to learn
improve their English ability. (Agency, C.N., 2018)
2. ‘The intrinsic motivation has a higher impact than extrinsic
motivation … The cram school’s program is not a part of formal
education systems. People go there more because they need to learn
English from inside.’ (Lo & Lin, 2020)
3. In order to help their children enter a higher-ranked school, many
Taiwanese parents decide to ‘send their children to cram schools for
extra instruction if they can afford it.’ (Chou & Yuan, 2011)
4. ‘ …the special educational context of cram schools might guide
students develop certain conceptions of learning, thus leading to
particular study and motivational approaches.’ (Tsai & Kuo, 2007)

II. Study Purpose

1. The gap of the difficulty of English courses in junior high school and senior
high school are large. For example, the required amount of the vocabulary
the students need to memorize in the two stages are different. Junior high
school students only need to memorize 2000 words, but senior high school
students need to memorize at least 4500 words in Taiwan.
2. The first point may influence students’ language learning motivation if the
students’ English ability is not reinforced by cram school teachers and
cannot endure the large gap of the difficulty of English courses after starting
their English courses in senior high school.
3. ‘For future studies, a bigger sample size is suggested in order to increase
 sample variety and decrease systematic error.’ (Lo & Lin, 2020)

III. Study Questions

1. What is the language learning motivation of the students who only learn
English at formal school? Why?
2. What is the language learning motivation of the students who learn English
at both formal school and cram school? Why?
3. How do the time the students pay on cram school learning influence the
students’ language learning motivation?

IV. Methodology
1. The type of the survey:
cross-sectional survey

2. Participants:
a. Population:
‧The senior high school students in Taiwan

b. Sample:
‧ Age: senior high school students (grade 10-12)
‧ Number: 600
‧ School: ordinary senior high school around Taiwan main island

c. Stratification:
‧ 2 populations
(1) The senior high school students who learn English only from
their formal school
(2) The senior high school students who learn English from both
their formal school and their cram school
‧ 4 main geographical regions in Taiwan main island
(1) Northern Taiwan (Taipei City/ New Taipei City/ Taoyuan
City/ Yilan County/Hsinchu County)
(2) Central Taiwan (Taichung City/ Miaoli County/ Changhua
County/ Nantou County)
(3) Southern Taiwan (Tainan City/ Kaohsiung City/ Chiayi County/
Pingtung County)
(4) Eastern Taiwan (Taitung County/ Hualien County)
‧ 2 types of institution
(1) public ordinary senior high school
(2) private ordinary senior high school
3. Instrument
a. Questionnaire:
‧ A five-point Likert scale developed by ERDOĞAN and TUNAZ
from Hitit University in Turkey
(1) 18 items
(2) ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘I don’t know’, ‘disagree’, ‘totally
disagree’
(3) topic: the type of English learners’ motivation (internal and
external)
‧ deleted items:
‘2. In my opinion English teacher should always speak in
English…….’
‘5. My English teacher should correct my mistakes……’
‧ New items:
(1) based on the English educational environment in Taiwan
(2) based on the formal senior high school and cram school context
in Taiwan
‧ Translated version
(1) Chinese version

b. Pilot test:
‧ Sample: 90 senior high school students
‧ Eliminate or rewrite the questionnaires which are not suitable
‧ Count the Cronbach Alpha value to make sure the questionnaires is
reliable enough
‧ Predictive validity

4. Data collection and analysis

a. Sampling procedures:
(1) A random sampling and a single sampling
(There are many stratifications that should be considered.)
(2) A multistage sampling (a cluster sampling)

b. The tool of data collection:

(1) Participants (cooperating schools and teachers) finding: email,
advertisement, phone and social media
(2) Cooperating permission: email, phone and social media
(3) Data Collection:
‧ email
 ‧ Send the questionnaires to the students’ teachers
→Ss answer the questionnaire in class
‧ 10 mins on average
‧ the teachers help to collect the answers and send back to the
author

c. Data analysis:
a. Microsoft Excel
b. SPSS 20
c. Content and construct validity
d. Reliability: internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha)

V. Reference
Agency, C.N. Taiwan Children’s English Education Survey Report” Released!
Spending Money and Time on Tuition Is the Child’s English Learning Really
Effective?
https://www.cna.com.tw/postwrite/Detail/234512.aspx#.XxlPn54zZPb.

Chenjin (Julia) Yu & Zoltan Dornyei (2014). Language Learning Motivation

in China: Results of a Large-Scale Stratified Survey. Applied Linguistics
2016, 37(4), 495-519. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amu046

Chin-Chung Tsai & Pi-Chu Kuo (2007). Cram School Students’ Conceptions of
Learning and Learning Science in Taiwan. International Journal of Science
Education, 30(3), 353-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690701191425

Chih-Fong Lo & Chin-Huang Lin (2020). The Impact of English Learning

Motivation and Attitude on Well-Being: Cram School Students in Taiwan.
Future Internet 2020, Vol. 131, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi12080131

Chuing Prudence Chou & James K. S. Yuan (2011). Buxiban in Taiwan. The
Newsletter, Vol. 56, 15. https://www.iias.asia/sites/default/files/nwl_article/
2019-05/IIAS_NL56_15_0.pdf

ERDOĞAN, E., & TUNAZ, M. (2012). Determining External and Internal

Demotivating Factors among Young Learners at Pozantı Regional Primary
Boarding School. Frontiers of Language and Teaching, Vol. 3, 147-160

Lindy Woodraw (2017). Motivation in Language Learning. Springer

International Pyblishing Switzerland 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-
319-40956_16