Luận văn thạc sĩ Luật học: Nghiên cứu các yếu tố tạo động lực cho sinh viên chuyên ngành Tiếng Anh trường Đại học Luật Hà Nội trong giờ học viết

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors motivating English major students at Hanoi Law University in writing lessons, and to examine the extent these factors have on their wr

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI THU PHUONG

443011

H

GRADUATION PAPER

Hanoi-2023

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI THU PHUONG

443011

SUPERVISOR Dong Hoang Minh, MA.

Hanoi-2023

I hereby state that I: Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, 4430, being a candidate for the

degree of Bachelor of Arts accept the requirements of the University relating

to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the

library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in

the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in

accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for thecare, loan or reproduction of the paper

Supervisor Student

(Signature) (Signature)

Dong Hoang Minh Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong

April 4" , 2023

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and respect to

my supervisor, Mr Dong Hoang Minh, MA, for his constructive guidance,continued support, and invaluable scientific advice throughout the conduct ofthis research Thanks to his kindness and encouragement, I was able toovercome all my academic and non-academic challenges

My special thanks go to all the lecturers and staff of the Faculty of LegalEnglish, Hanoi Law University, for their invaluable knowledge, guidance and

support throughout my four years of study in the university

I would also like to thank our Legal English students in Course 46 fortheir tremendous assistance in collecting the data to complete this research

Finally, my genuine thanks go to my family and friends for their supportand strong encouragement to me during the study

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors motivating English

major students at Hanoi Law University in writing lessons, and to examine

the extent these factors have on their writing performance The study employs

both quantitative and qualitative methods to achieve its goals The studyparticipants were 100 sophomores (K46) majoring in Legal English at Hanoi

Law University During the research process, the participants were given asurvey questionnaire which included statements related to the factors thatmotivate them to learn writing lessons Five students were then randomlyselected from the participants to conduct interviews, which provided theresearcher with qualitative data The data collected from these two methodswere analyzed to identify the factors that motivate students in writing lessons.The research results indicate that students are motivated to learn to write by

factors related to students, teachers, learning environment, and course books

and content These factors are of great significance to both students andteachers in terms of teaching and learning writing lessons

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1.1.1 Definitions of motivation in the Context of Writing skills 6

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1.2 Factors promoting students’ motivation in writing lessons 12

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students at Hanoi Law University in writing lessons 39

B.2.1 StUAONIS’ fACIOTS ẽnẽne.e 39

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3.2.3 Learning ENvirOnimen ni 41

3.2.4 Course Dooks ANd COHÍCHÍ vn 42

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CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS che 44

4.1 Recommendations for English major students in writing lessons 44

4.2 Recommendations for English teachers to teach better in writingU01 5 45

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1 Summary of the main findings 5 1S +ssisseeerreeree 48

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 1 Gender ratio of K46 English majors at Hanoi Law University

Figure 2 English proficiency levels of K46 English majors at Hanoi Law

University

Table 1 Factors motivating English-majored students concerning themselves

Table 2 Factors motivating English-majored students concerning teachers

Table 3 Factors motivating English-majored students concerning learningenvironment

Table 4 Factors motivating English-majored students concerning course

books and content

1 Rationale for the study

English is an international language that is receiving great attention in

the world in the context of globalization today When learning English, you

need to hone the four skills of reading, listening, writing, and speaking Whenlearning a language, writing is usually the last skill to learn and also the mostdifficult skill for learners

Learning to write is the most vital skill for students in obtaining alanguage that helps students activate their thinking and communicateeffectively Grabe and Kaplan (1996) said that writing is a vital and viable

means of self-expression, communication, and information Walsh (2010)

also thinks that writing is an important skill because it is a skill that is widelyused in university and work environments If a student does not know how to

express their ideas in writing, they will not be able to communicate well with

professors, employers, friends, or anyone else Therefore, students need tolearn writing lessons According to Rhalmi (2021), “A writing lesson involvestraining learners to develop writing skills” Understanding the importance ofwriting skills, almost all universities and colleges teach English writing as acompulsory subject for graduation In particular, Hanoi Law University is one

of the universities that has been teaching writing lessons for students majoring

in legal English However, students often find writing lessons challengingbecause it requires more concentration, cognition, and attention Grami (2010)argued that writing is a difficult skill to learn or teach because it is not asimple cognitive activity Rather, it is thought to be a complex mental productthat requires “careful thought, discipline, and concentration” On the otherhand, Setyowati, Sukmawan, and Latief (2017) found that students were notinterested in writing lessons One of the most important reasons is that

teachers often just “give and collect” without paying much attention to

teaching students how to approach the problem and the steps to fulfill the

requirements of the test Acquiring a foreign language is not really easy,especially in writing lessons Writing is not easy for most students, especially

non-native speakers It is more difficult for students from different cultural,

educational, and linguistic backgrounds Hence, students struggle to solve thedifficulty of writing English, but they cannot do well They lose their courage

and motivation (Thesen, 1997) According to Casanave (2004), writing is a

social practice that requires reading and engaging with other writers

Therefore, as can be seen from the above statement, writing is not a solitary

task but requires the interaction and reaction of writers with other writtendocuments and other writers In addition, learners need to take their teachersand peers to improve their writing practice However, writing remains achallenging cognitive task because it requires critical thinking Teachers cantherefore take on many responsibilities to instill in learners the spontaneous

motivation to accomplish this important task

Consequently, to get the learner to think when they learn writing lessons,motivation plays an important role We must identify the primary purpose oflearning or, in other words, create the motivation that helps us to conquer and

overcome the challenges of the written lessons Alderman (1999) said that

encouraging students to work on writing tasks is key to improving theirwriting skills, besides, purpose orientation increases motivation If studentsare properly motivated, they will feel more motivated during writing lessons.Therefore, it is important to be clear about the motivating factors that will notonly make the learning process easier but also make it more enjoyable forstudents Of course, writing is not easy, but it is less difficult than manystudents and their teachers imagine (Brookes & Grundy, 2006)

The author of this graduation thesis is aware of the paramountimportance of writing lessons for improving students’ writing skills inuniversity and finding out what motivates learners, and how these factors will

have a heavy impact on students in learning written lessons To fill thisresearch gap, the author has created a comprehensive and systematic study

that seeks to shed light on these concerns Through careful analysis andexploration of the existing literature, as well as the author’s own empiricalresearch, this project aspires to contribute to a deeper understanding of thefactors that motivate English major students to take written lessons By doing

so, it is hoped that this study will provide valuable insights into what

motivates students to learn more effectively, help them stay motivated and

overcome challenges when learning to write so that learning will become

more interesting The topic is named “A study on factors motivating Englishmajor students at Hanoi Law University in writing lessons ”

2 Aims of the study

The purpose of the study investigates the factors that motivate English

major students at Hanoi Law University to learn in writing lesson In addition,the study is to determine motivating factors affect English major students.Moreover, some recommendations will also be given for students to developmotivation in learning and for teachers to apply more effective methods inteaching writing lessons

3 Research questions

The following research questions addressed in this study are:

(1) What are the factors that motivate learning writing lessons from theperspective of students?

(2) To what extent do the motivating factors affect English majorstudents at Hanoi Law University in writing lessons?

4 Scope of the study

Because of the limitations of time and other related factors, this study

focuses on investigating and indicating the level of the common motivating

factors in writing lessons of English major students in classes at Hanoi Law

University Furthermore, this study was limited and addressed only students

of course 46 Questionnaire, and interview were data gathering tools

5 Significance of the study

The findings of this study were hypothesized to have the followingvalues

First, the study is going to be a reference material for English major

students of Hanoi Law University wishing to explore the factors that motivate

them to study writing in English classes in their research In addition, it maybenefit the English language teachers by indicating factors that motivated the

learners towards the writing lessons Finally, it could develop the learner’sperspective on the role of motivation towards practicing the writing skills in

their lessons

6 Organization of the study

This study consists of three main parts: Introduction, the development,

and Conclusion

The Introduction is divided into Rationale, Aims, Research questions,Scope, Significance, and Organization of the study

The Development includes four chapters

Chapter 1 is Literature Review that sets the theoretical background forthe study and reviews some of the previous studies

Chapter 2 is Methodology which provides the information aboutparticipants, data collection and data analysis

Chapter 3 is Results and Discussion which describes and analyzes the

results of the data collected, and discusses some findings on this research

Chapter 4 is Recommendations that will provides useful suggestions

based on the research’s key findings

The Conclusion will summarize the main findings, have someimplications, limitations and suggestions for further research.

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents a review of relevant literature and scholarlyexperiences related to learner motivation in writing lessons The chapter

defines motivation in the context of writing skills Different types ofmotivation, the role of motivation in learning writing are also discussed.Following that, the factors that promote students’ motivation in writinglessons are clarified Finally, some previous research regarding factorsmotivating English major students in writing lessons is reviewed

1.1 Motivation

1.1.1 Definitions of motivation in the Context of Writing skills

Writing is a cognitive process that involves various mental operations.Writing is divided into three stages: construction, transformation, and

execution according to Anderson’s (1985) model of language production,

which can be used for both speaking and writing in a second language

Construction is the process by which a writer prepares the content of what he

or she is going to write, using techniques like mind mapping, outlining, andbrainstorming While composition and revision involve the application ofprinciples to change intended meanings into the shape of a message,execution refers to the actual writing process Some studies have shown those

second-language writers use many of the techniques they use for writing in

their original language to help them when writing in a second language(Edelsky, 1982; Lay, 1982; Zamel, 1985), while several researchers haveemphasized the relationship between first and second-language writing(Raimes, 1985) Krapels (1990), in a review of research on the second-language writing process, concluded that the inability to write in a secondlanguage is more often caused by an inability to compose than by a loss oflinguistic ability in his review of the literature on the subject Similarly to this,

Friedlander (1990) asserts that students who do not have effective writing

strategies in their first language will not be able to translate those strategies

into their second language Additionally, writing is a process that includes

several key steps: thinking, planning, drafting, writing, editing, and final

writing (Kurfiss, 1988) The idea for planning is created during the thinking

step Outlining and brainstorming are the primary tasks in the planning stage,

but the initial writing is done proficiently and freely, whereas organizing anddeveloping the ideas are done in the writing stage The language’s mechanics,

semantics, and syntactic errors are fixed during the revising process The

neatly written output can then be produced (Lay, 1982)

Motivation influences learning outcomes and can be viewed as one ofthe key concepts in the process of language research For this reason, a largeamount of research has been conducted, leading to the idea and definition ofmotivation When they define the same concept, they all place a distinctemphasis on different activities and processes First of all, the term motivation

is simply understood as something that encourages you to take action

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “motivation is the need or reason for

doing something” Boundless Psychology showed more clearly that

“Motivation describes the desires or needs that direct behavior towards a

goal It is an urge to behave or act in a way that will satisfy certainconditions, such as wishes, desires, or goals” S Sibanda (2015) brieflydefined “Motivation is the invisible hand that controls all activities of peopleand organisms” Motivation is a condition that activates and sustainsbehavior toward a goal It is essential for lifelong learning and achievement inboth informal and formal learning settings For example, motivated childrentend to work harder, persevere longer, achieve better learning outcomes, andperform better on standardized achievement tests than other children(Pintrich, 2003)

On the other hand, Keaveney (1995) defines motivation as the energy

that inspires excitement, direction, and persistence in action One can seefrom Keaveney’s definition that students need to be motivated to become

fully involved in writing activities Another crucial element from this

definition that can be contextualized is that the arousal, direction, and

persistence of writing skill-practicing behavior that depends on energizing

force should be critically applied to the practice of writing skills to improve

the skill Another influential scholar is Cherry (2022) who defined motivation

as the force that initiates, guides, and sustains goal-oriented behavior The

underlying forces of motivation can be biological, social, emotional, or

cognitive This suggests that when learners are intentionally “focused” on

their potential to become good writers, they actively “enthusiastically” guide

and practice their writing tasks According to Curzon (1990), motivation isthe internal state or circumstance that causes behavior to be focused on aparticular objective From this, it follows logically that learning requires aninternal drive toward the desired outcome displayed through a specificbehavior Thus, in order to write effectively, students should be motivated topractice writing assignments Curzon’s description, however, ignores theimportant factors that can cause motivation to start or stop On the other hand,the definition still emphasizes how crucial motivation is to achieving anyparticular objective, such as being constantly involved in writing practices oractivities

However, the definitions below arose out of common consciousness, asthey are plainly quoted from various physiology textbooks Motivation,therefore, is an internal state or condition that activates or stimulates behaviorand serves to give direction to behavior In light of the current research, itfollows that the learner’s internal state of energizing is essential for initiative(enthusiasm) and courageous practicing of the writing skills

1.1.2 Different types of motivation

Researchers classify motivation for learning English in many different

ways It mainly falls into his three categories: integrative and instrumentalmotivation by Gardner and Lambert (1985), long-term and short-term

motivation by Crookes and Schmidt (1991), and intrinsic and extrinsicmotivation by Deci and Ryan (2000).

According to Canadian social psychologists Gardner and Lambert(1985), learning motivation is divided into integrative motivation andinstrumental motivation Integrative motivation refers to the desire to learn alanguage in order to become part of a new culture or community, to

understand and communicate with the people who speak that language It

arises out of a positive attitude towards the target language and its culture, and

a desire to establish social relationships within that culture Instrumental

motivation, on the other hand, refers to the desire to learn a language forpragmatic reasons, such as finding a better job, passing an exam, or being able

to read and understand official documents in that language It is driven by

external factors that are not directly related to the language or its culture Bothforms of motivation can be effective in different contexts and for differentlearners However, language learners who are motivated by integrative

reasons are often more successful in achieving a high level of proficiency and

maintaining their interest in the language over time, because they see it as ameans of personal growth and social connection, rather than just as a tool for

a particular task

Crookes and Schmidt (1991) proposed a distinction between short-termand long-term motivation in their model of second language acquisition.Short-term motivation is a component of long-term motivation It refers to theimmediate factors that influence a learner’s motivation, such as the desire topass an exam, to impress others, or simply to feel good about oneself Thesefactors are typically more tangible and visible, and their effects are feltrelatively quickly In contrast, long-term motivation refers to the moreenduring factors that sustain a learner’s motivation over a longer period oftime These factors are often less tangible and less immediately obvious, andtheir effects are typically less immediate Examples of long-term motivation

might include a desire to integrate into a new culture, to pursue a career that

requires knowledge of a second language, or to deepen one’s understanding of

another culture Crookes and Schmidt argue that both short-term and

long-term motivation are important for second language acquisition Short-long-term

motivation can provide the initial impetus to begin learning a language, whilelong-term motivation sustains the learner’s commitment over the long haul

Deci and Ryan (2000) are both psychologists who put forth the

Selfdetermination theory, which explains that there are two types of motivation

-intrinsic and extrinsic Both types of motivation are important in learning

writing lessons Intrinsic motivation refers to the internal drive or desire toperform an activity because it is inherently rewarding or meaningful Learnerswho are driven by intrinsic motivation will be confident and excited to

dedicate themselves to the learning process For example, the pleasure and

satisfaction derived from writing creatively or expressing oneself throughwriting In writing lessons, intrinsic motivation can be fostered by providing

opportunities for students to choose their own writing topics or allowing them

to explore their own unique ideas

In contrast, extrinsic motivation refers to performing an activity to attain

an external reward or avoid punishment For example, a student may studyhard for a test to receive a good grade and avoid failing In writing lessons,extrinsic motivation can be fostered by providing positive feedback orrecognizing student achievements, or by setting benchmarks or deadlines.Extrinsic motivation is encouraged by external factors, such as significant

others and feedback As Kohn (1993) explains, “Incentives, a version of what

psychologists call extrinsic motivators, do not alter the attitudes that underline

our behavior They do not create an enduring commitment to any value or

action Rather, incentives merely and temporarily change what we do.”Moreover, Self-determination theory suggests that in order to transform fromextrinsic to intrinsic motivation, three basic psychological needs must be met,

namely autonomy (the need to approve and be the source of one”s behavior),competence (through the need to interact positively with the environment) and

relatedness (such as the need to perceive oneself attached to others and

supported by others) Extrinsic motivation helps students become driven and

competitive, while intrinsic motivation supports seeking knowledge for itsown sake In the last few years, the topic of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

has raised a lot of interest in learning English (Oletié, 2014)

Ryan and Deci (2000) argue that intrinsic motivation is more effective

than extrinsic motivation because it leads to greater engagement, interest, and

persistence They also suggest that extrinsic motivation can actuallyundermine intrinsic motivation when overused Thus, a combination ofintrinsic and extrinsic motivation can be effective in promoting studentlearning in writing While intrinsic motivation helps to foster studentengagement and creativity, extrinsic motivation can provide students with

tangible rewards or incentives to help them stay motivated and focused on

their writing goals

1.1.3 The roles of motivation in learning writing

Motivation plays a crucial role in learning writing lessons Writing can

be a challenging task, and it requires a lot of effort and practice to improve.Motivation is what drives students to learn and practice writing consistently,even when faced with difficult or uninspiring writing assignments Motivatedstudents are likely to learn more effectively and even more quickly than lessmotivated students In particular learning writing lessons, less motivatedstudents are likely to lose their attention, misbehave and cause disciplineproblems On the contrary, students who are more highly motivated willparticipate actively and pay more attention to a certain learning task oractivity Apart from the role that intellectual capacity and language aptitudeplay in a second or foreign language learning (Gardner & Lambert, 1972),motivation is a main factor in the successful study of language acquisition

In addition, motivation is an issue worthy to investigate because it has agreat number of implications for how to support language learners to be moresuccessful And motivation is the answer that researchers and teachers make

effort to create when referring to an efficient language learning environment

Most teachers and researchers have widely accepted that motivation is one ofthe key factors which affect the rate and success of second language learning

Ultimately, motivation is essential for learning writing lessons because ithelps students stay engaged and focused on their goals, even when faced with

challenges or setbacks By staying motivated, students can develop the skills

they need to become confident and effective writers Furthermore, motivationcan help learners set and achieve goals, manage their time effectively, seekfeedback and take constructive criticism, and enjoy the learning process

1.2 Factors promoting students’ motivation in writing lessons

1.2.1 Students’ factors

In today’s world, access to education is becoming increasingly important

for individuals to succeed in their personal and professional lives It is notenough to simply have access to education, however Students must also

possess the ability and interest to engage with the material in order to trulybenefit from it As noted by Lei (2010), students who are motivatedextrinsically - that is, by external factors such as rewards or punishments - are

at a greater risk of performing lower academically than those who aremotivated intrinsically, by an internal desire to learn and improve Thishighlights the importance of fostering intrinsic motivation in students,particularly in the context of writing skills practice classes One way topromote intrinsic motivation is to encourage learners to find pleasure in thelearning process itself This might involve providing opportunities for

students to explore topics that interest them, or to engage in interactive and

collaborative learning activities By doing so, students are more likely to feel

a sense of ownership over their own learning, and to be motivated to continue

developing their skills in the long term Students’ attitudes and perceptions

towards writing can significantly impact their motivation to learn and improve

their writing skills It is important to recognize that writing is not just a skill,

but also a process involving creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving

One possible reason why students may have a negative attitude towardswriting is that they have not been given enough opportunities to express

themselves and develop their own writing voice In some cases, they may

have been taught a rigid set of rules and formats, which can stifle theircreativity and make writing seem like a chore On the other hand, studentswho view writing as a meaningful and enjoyable activity are more likely to bemotivated to improve and hone their skills Teachers can help foster this

positive attitude by providing students with opportunities to write about topics

they are interested in and giving them feedback that is both constructive andencouraging Furthermore, McGlynn (2008), Fulton and Turner (2008)

emphasize that overall academic motivation is influenced by several factors,

including the reason for preferring the school, the likelihood of finding a jobafter graduation, the order of preference, future expectations, thedistinctiveness of testing and measuring activities, the desire to complete alevel of education, attitudes toward the teacher and peer group, income level,classroom appropriateness, and adequacy of the classrooms

Maslow (1943) suggested that student engagement in learning can be

inspired by considering the hierarchy of needs According to this theory, if astudent is hungry or thirsty, it can be more challenging for them to focus onlearning Hence, it is crucial to ensure that the basic physiological needs ofstudents are met before expecting them to engage in learning activities.Another critical factor that can impact learning motivation is the perceived

well-being of learners For example, if a student has had a disagreement with

someone before class, it may significantly impact their perception andmotivation to learn Therefore, it is important to create a positive learning

environment that promotes the being of learners In other words,

well-being or life satisfaction refers to the degree to which a student is content with

their life This includes their pleasure in daily activities, perceived health,financial security, the fit between their desired and achieved goals, mood, andself-concept A student’s level of well-being can significantly impact theirmotivation to learn, and hence, it is crucial to promote the well-being of

learners to enhance their engagement in learning activities

Thus, these well-being factors must be extrapolated into the classroom in

order to improve satisfaction with the learning experience and in turn

performance Emergent motivation arises from the connection between workand personal expression, exploration, and sustained creativity Thismotivation is unique to each student and arises from what they perceive assignificant and meaningful To foster emergent motivation, educators shoulddesign a variety of learning experiences that can overcome individualdifferences in student inputs This approach can lead to uniformly high levels

of perceived personal effectiveness, ability to apply course materials, andsatisfaction with both course results and the educational process (Lengnick-Hall and Sanders, 2017)

According to Richardson and Abraham (2009), conscientious studentsmay do better in academic tasks because of differences in achievementmotivation capacity This means that students who are more motivated toachieve good grades or to learn the material may perform better than thosewho lack motivation In the context of an English language class, it isimportant for students to feel motivated to practice writing tasks in order toimprove their skills One way to achieve this is by setting achievable goalsand providing positive reinforcement for progress Nonis and Hudson (2010)emphasize that having a sufficient amount of time and good study habits areboth salient factors for better motivation The researcher understands that thelearning strategy in relation to time can significantly influence learners’

motivation towards practicing writing skills A comprehensive and easily

understandable long-range educational plan can reduce learners’ anxiety and

enhance their motivation, as noted by Dedmond (2009)

1.2.2 Teachers’ factors

1.2.2.1 The method of teaching

Teachers play a crucial role in promoting motivational qualities amongtheir students Students are more motivated by teachers they like than those

they dislike (Montalvo, 1998) However, education is not a personality

contest The role of teachers has shifted from being knowledge dispensers tomanaging students’ learning and the learning environment Therefore,

teachers must be empowered to exercise professional judgment in theclassroom to achieve clearly expressed goals Weinstein (2010) argues that ateacher’s knowledge of the subject matter and their motivational level haveimmense effects on student motivation Additionally, a teacher’s languageproficiency, ability to disengage stress, awareness that students are not bad

but in the process of development, and sense of humor are all important skills

(Whistler, 1992)

According to Shulman (1987), effective teaching of a specific subjectrequires a particular kind of knowledge called pedagogical content knowledge

(PCK) PCK involves blending content and pedagogy to understand how

particular topics, problems, or issues are organized, represented, and adapted

to the diverse interests and abilities of learners for instruction Alderman

(1999) suggests two basic approaches to cultivating motivation in theclassroom: creating a classroom structure and institutional method, and

helping students develop self-regulation tools To implement these

approaches, teachers can encourage learners to embrace technology, conveygenuine care for their students, help each student feel special, assist studentsoutside of the classroom even at odd hours, discuss contemporary issues, anddevelop guided tasks

Motivation can be enhanced by the teacher’s approach to teachingwriting Creating a positive and supportive classroom environment that

encourages students to take risks and learn from mistakes is one effective way

to do this According to Bayraktar’s research (2015), an effective teaching

and learning atmosphere in a classroom can be achieved through the teacher’suse of methods, techniques, tools, and materials in the relevant teaching field,which has an important effect on student motivation Mendes (2003) alsoemphasized that an effective classroom environment that enhances student

motivation should be sufficient for the teaching methods and techniques of

the educators Using exciting and unique teaching techniques during trainingcan better engage students in the lesson and motivate them for success(Bolkan and Goodboy, 2010)

Therefore, teachers should vary the activities, tasks, and materials they

use in the classroom to avoid demotivation and increase students’ interest

levels (Trong Tuan, 2012) In addition, teachers should know how to givetests that are motivating to students by ensuring that they are based on course

objectives Test-taking instructions, terminology, layout, and item choiceshould not be ambiguous, confusing, illogical, unclear, imprecise, or poorlydesigned (Trugman, 2007) Constructive and motivating feedback can also be

provided to help students see the progress they are making and encouragethem to continue working hard

1.2.2.2 Teachers’ attitude towards the writing lesson

Olson (1997) highlights that almost everything teachers do in theclassroom has a motivational influence on students Therefore, Englishlanguage teachers in particular must be careful with classroom activities toavoid demotivating learners Moreover, when a teacher is enthusiastic about a

topic, students will be more likely to believe that the topic has value for them

(Palmer, 2007) Dornyei (2001) identified teacher behaviors, teacherenthusiasm, and good relationships with students as factors affecting students’

motivation When teachers help learners develop an internal sense of controland feelings of effectiveness in task completion, learners are more likely to

become motivated to learn (C Fen Ng and P Kiat Ng, 2015)

In addition, the teacher’s attitude is a significant factor affecting students

because teacher enthusiasm serves as a positive external catalyst thatfacilitates student interest and curiosity to learn (Qin Zhang, 2014) It follows

that a motivated teacher is crucial in keeping students motivated Building a

professional relationship with learners and valuing it is one of the

super-scoping motivating qualities of professional teachers Relationships are at the

heart of teaching, which is an activity based on communication (MacGrath,2005) Empathy can help to establish a trusting relationship (MacGrath,2005) Therefore, when facilitating the practice of writing skills, languageteachers should feel empathy towards their learners, which can boost therelationship and create a motivated classroom atmosphere

from parental and student-related factors, classroom features or environmental

factors also affect students’ motivation” A creative and stimulating

atmosphere will encourage creativity and inspire students to explore theirimaginations through writing With the same thought, Dorman, Aldridge, andFraser (2006) agreed that students learn better when they perceive thelearning atmosphere to be positive and supportive A positive atmosphere is

one in which students feel like they belong, that they can trust others, and that

they are encouraged to face challenges, take risks, and ask questions.(Bucholz & Sheffler, 2009) It also promotes students to freely express their

ideas and thoughts Such an environment provides students with relevant

content, clear learning objectives and feedback, chances to develop socialskills, and strategies to help them thrive (Weimer, 2009).

Environmental factors really affect learners’ motivation in learning In

contrast, if the classroom is overcrowded and there is not enough light, it

demotivates students because it makes studying difficult due to difficultcircumstances (Trong Tuan, 2012) Students’ anxiety caused by a tense

classroom climate, according to Mac Intyre and Young (1999), was one of the

most potent factors undermining learning effectiveness and second-language

motivation From this perspective, it is simple to demonstrate that if the

learning environment is not conducive to acquiring new information or skills,learners will struggle to maintain their interests Finally, by creating abeneficial environment with purposeful rules, students are motivated to do theright thing and assist one another

1.2.4 Course books and Content

At the least, contents must be accurate, timely relevant to real life,variety of tasks, experience involves both creative and critical thinking, etc.(Olson, 1997; Legg and Wilson, 2009; Palmer, 2007) When it is said thatlearning content is accurate, it means that the content should be reasonable;

besides, it should be compatible with the real experiences of the learners

Also, it could be motivating if it encourages the creation or production

Course books are also important in learning writing lessons If the contents

and course books provide a clear and structured approach to teaching writing,which makes it easier for students to understand the concepts and techniques

involved This helps to motivate students as they feel confident in their ability

to master the skills being taught If a range of interesting and engaging writingtasks challenge students’ abilities and enable them to develop their skills indifferent contexts, it can help to keep students motivated as they are exposed

to new and exciting writing challenges However in my point of view, if thelearning task is very difficult, it might decrease the motivation of the learners

Thus, the course books and contents should not be too difficult or too easybecause it can cause students a demotivated in lessons Overall, content and

course books are effective tools for motivating students in writing lessons by

providing clear structure, varied tasks, and real-world relevance

1.3 Previous research regarding factors motivating English majorstudents in writing lessons

One of the previous research related to this topic is “Factors Influencing

the Acquisition of Writing Skills” published by M Dhanya and C Alamelu in

2019, which aimed to identify the various factors that affect the acquisition of

writing skills among students The researchers conducted a literature reviewand analyzed studies related to the development of writing skills Theysampled 20 teachers and 80 students from Arts and Science Colleges in SouthChennai, Tamil Nadu, India The participants were administered aquestionnaire and asked to respond appropriately The study identified severalfactors that influence the acquisition of writing skills, including a positivestudent-teacher relationship, classroom environment, intrinsic learnermotivation, and positive feedback systems These factors have varying

degrees of influence on learning writing The study highlighted the

importance of teaching methods such as explicit instruction and modeling inimproving writing skills, as well as the need to provide adequate feedback and

support to students The article also discussed the impact of writing tasks and

activities, language proficiency, motivation, and cultural differences onwriting skill development The research concluded that the acquisition ofwriting skills is a complex process involving multiple factors, and effectiveteaching strategies and interventions can significantly enhance students’writing abilities

Subsequently, the research named “The effect of motivation on

Jordanian 10th grade students’ writing skill in English” by AreeJ Al-Shourafa

(2016) addressed the topic of the effect of motivation on English writing skills

among Jordanian 10th grade students during the second semester of

2011-2012 The study aimed to explore the relationship between motivation and

writing skills among students in the Al-karak Directorate of Education, and

how different types of motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, can affect their

academic performance To conduct the study, the researcher selected astratified random sample of (198) male and female students from Alkarak

secondary school for boys and Alkarak secondary school for girls The

researcher developed a comprehensive questionnaire to collect data from the

participants, ensuring the reliability and validity of the instrument The studyfound that students who had higher levels of intrinsic motivation achieved

better grades and higher levels of academic performance than those withlower levels of motivation Furthermore, the study revealed that extrinsicmotivation, such as rewards or punishments, could have a positive impact on

students’ performance, but only when combined with intrinsic motivation.Therefore, the study suggests that teachers and schools should focus on

fostering intrinsic motivation in students to improve their academicperformance In conclusion, this research highlights the importance ofmotivation in enhancing students’ writing skills, and provides valuable

insights for educators to develop effective teaching strategies that promote

intrinsic motivation among students

The final is the research on “Students’ motivation in learning to writeacademic writing” by Subhan (2017) The study aims to identify the factorsthat motivate students to write, the challenges they face, and the strategies

they use in academic writing The study collected data from 110

undergraduate students from various academic disciplines using aquestionnaire that measured their motivation to learn academic writing Thefindings reveal that students’ motivations in learning to write academicwriting include personal goals, future career prospects, and academicadvancement This indicates that students recognize the importance of

academic writing skills in their future careers and academic pursuits.

However, the study also highlights the challenges that students face in

learning to write academic writing, including cultural differences, language

barriers, and lack of self-confidence These challenges can impact students’

motivation to learn and succeed in academic writing, and may require targetedinterventions to address The study also sheds light on the strategies that

students use in academic writing These strategies include reading academic

literature, seeking help from others, and practicing writing repeatedly This

indicates that students are actively engaged in developing their writing skillsand seeking ways to improve Overall, the study provides useful insights into

the diverse motivations, challenges, and strategies in academic writing Theseinsights can aid educators in developing effective pedagogical approaches that

foster students’ academic writing skills By understanding the factors thatmotivate students to write, educators can create learning environments thatare conducive to student success By addressing the challenges that studentsface, educators can provide targeted support that meets the needs of all

learners And by encouraging the use of effective writing strategies, educators

can help students develop the skills they need to succeed in their academic

and professional pursuits

Based on the aforementioned evidence, it is clear that both intrinsic andextrinsic motivation have a significant impact on students Several studieshave identified various factors that motivate English learners to improve theirwriting skills However, no study has investigated the factors motivatingEnglish major students in their writing lessons at Hanoi Law University

in writing lessons Different approaches and views to motivation in thecontext of writing are then clearly elucidated Finally, some previous research

on factors motivating English major students in writing lessons is mentioned

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents and discusses the methodology of the research,which includes participants of the study, data collection and data analysis

2.1 Participants of the study

In this study, data is mainly collected from questionnaires answered by

100 second-year Legal English students (K46) of Hanoi Law University, thenthe researcher will choose 5 randomly selected students to conduct interviews

with their consent The students speak Vietnamese as their mother tongue and

English is considered as their foreign language The selection of respondents

followed a recommendation by Merriam (1988), in which contributors werechosen based on their ability to provide insights into the research subject

Long (2005) also suggested that students are the most obvious and crucialchoice when it comes to gathering information, and that they are often the

only source of respondents The decision to consider K46 students as a datasource was due to the fact that they are studying English language andwriting, which is a mandatory subject in their curriculum As they are still in

the process of learning to write, they have the opportunity to be exposed towriting lessons in class, which allows them to better understand theirmotivations for learning, and the extent to which those factors motivate them

2.1.1 Students’ gender ratio

According to the data provided, it appears that the majority of students in

K46 at Hanoi Law University are female, with a percentage of 62% whilemale students only make up 33% This information suggests that there is asignificant gender disparity within the student population at Hanoi LawUniversity Additionally, it is worth noting that a small percentage ofstudents, 5% identified as a gender other than male or female

2.1.2 Students’ English proficiency levels

m Intermediate - B1

= Upper Intermediate - B2

= Advanced - C1 Proficient - C2

Figure 2 English proficiency levels of K46 English majors at Hanoi Law

University

The chart shows the proportion of English proficiency levels of K46English majors at Hanoi Law University It is clear that Upper Intermediatewas the most common choice among K46 students, which stood at 51% whilethe opposite was true for Proficient (only 2%) In addition, there was an equal

proportion of students choosing Intermediate and Advanced with 26% and

21%, respectively Overall, the current English proficient levels of K46students are quite high and relatively equal

2.2 Data collection

The main objective of this study was to identify the multitude of factors

that motivate students towards writing lessons In order to achieve this goal,

the researcher employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative modes

of inquiry

2.2.1 Questionnaire

The questionnaires consist of 20 statements that were formed based on

the research questions We extracted probable related factors from theresearch questions and used them to form the statements The questionnaires

were designed based on research papers related to the factors that motivate

students to learn to write The questionnaire was divided into two sections.The first part included background information about the students, and thesecond part included Likert-scale questions to determine the factorsmotivating students in writing lessons To make the information easy to

understand, the second part was divided into four titles: Students’ Factors,

Teachers’ Factors, Learning Environment, and Course Books and Content

The Students’ Factors part dealt with the attitudes and perceptions of thestudents, personal interests and goals during writing lessons The Teachers’Factors part had statements about teachers’ ability to use teaching methodsand their behavior towards learners to help them become motivated learners

In the Learning Environment part, statements focused on environmental

features The Course Books and Content part had statements about the

classroom materials and content of writing lessons

All of the statements were given to the participants to mark from 1(Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree) The questions were sent to 100students in course 46 and collected online The participants were informed ofthe purpose of the research and that their information would be keptconfidential, anonymous, and voluntary This helped to diminish researchers’

bias Confidentiality was ensured by using fictional names, and integrity was

upheld in dealing with participants and data The questionnaires werecollected upon completion

2.2.2 Interview

For the interview, eight questions were designed to gather more

opinions, detailed understanding, and perspectives from students about the

factors that influence their writing, as well as their experiences when learning

to write The interview was conducted one-on-one via video conferencingplatform with five randomly selected students During the interview, the

researcher recorded the interviewees’ responses on paper

2.3 Data analysis

In order to answer the basic research questions stated in Introduction, the

data which were gathered through questionnaire and interview were analyzed.The data which were collected through questionnaires were organized and

analyzed by using quantitative method The data and information gathered

from the questionnaires were summarized and analyzed by using statistical

tool Google Form, which were used for the quantitative data Here the data

were organized in tables based on their features to acquire the holistic picture

Generally, the two categories of data gathered on the characteristics ofsubjects under study were integrated, rigorously interpreted to create a holisticpicture of the findings In other words, the qualitative data were summarizedand included in the analysis to supplement and clarify the quantitative data

2.4 Summary

This chapter presents the methodology of the study Concepts included

in this chapter are participants of the study, data collection of questionnaire

and interview, data analysis, respectively

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this chapter, the factors motivating English major students in writing

lessons are analyzed from the result of questionnaires and interview Then, in

the discussion section, there will be a classification for the research questionswhich has been raised before

3.1 Results of questionnaire and interview

4 I feel excited about

getting new knowledge 1% 10% 19% 44% 26%and information in

learn writing lessons in

the classroom with the

purpose of getting high

scores.

5% 21% 55% 19%

7 I feel contented and

have a great

motivation to learn the 1% 5% 14% 47% 33%

next writing lesson

when I can easily and

9 I did well in writing

because I realized that 2% 13% 2% 43% 15%

my dream job requires

good English writing

skills

Table 1 Factors motivating English-majored students concerning themselves

Based on the table, there are nine statements that indicate internal factors

in learners, such as students’ perceptions and attitudes when learning to write

in class

As illustrated in the table, 81% of the students answered “strongly agree”and “agree” with the idea of statement 1, which was 62% of the studentshigher than that of “neutral” No one chose “disagree” or “strongly disagree”’.Therefore, it was concluded that sophomores majoring in English weremotivated to learn writing lessons due to their positive attitude and perceptiontowards the subject

In response to statement 2, 6% of students selected “disagree” while 4%firmly disagreed The percentage of students who selected “agree” (about40%) and “strongly agree” (19%) was higher than that of students whodisagreed 31% chose “neutral” During interviews with several students, it

was found that confidence plays a significant role in their writing Student A

expressed that when she has an idea and knows how to express it, her

creativity is boosted, leading to stronger interest in writing This is consistent

with the views of Student E, who mentioned that he is more likely to be