Bài thi Phương pháp Nghiên cứu khoa học

Assignment requirements Name: Class: Subject: Research Methodology Topic: An investigation into the motivation of non-native English speaking employees working for foreign companies in Ho Chi Minh city to upgrade their English level as L2 adult learners CONTENT I Rationale It is interesting to note that adult learning theories have been largely absent from mainstream research into L2 motivation, despite a great proportion of L2 learners being adults While the key theoretical models and frameworks in L2 motivation research are not age-specific, they have been chiefly validated by studies conducted with learners in schools and universities This literature review argues that adult motivation to learn and participate in learning presents characteristics worth investigating and bringing into the broader scholarly debate on L2 motivation II Aim of the study The aim of this research was to explore the motivation of adult course and, more specifically, to uncover the factors which the participants perceived as key in shaping and sustaining their motivation during a nine-month period Although a study of this kind was never designed to identify correlations between motivational variables and retention rates, it was believed that it might help to shed light on the factors contributing to the completion of a beginner FL course by adult learners when others fail to so III Research questions Following on from the research aim, the study set out to address three main questions: How adult L1-English learners view their motivation during a beginner‟s FL course? What factors they perceive to be motivationally significant at different stages of the course and overall? In their view, how the above account for their completion of the course and for their wish to carry on learning the language? The above research questions encapsulate what Mason (2002) describes as “the intellectual puzzle” (p.19) which, in my case, developed during a ten year period of teaching Italian in adult and higher education The puzzle began to emerge as a series of simple questions, which many reflexive teachers of adults are likely to ask themselves at some point: What makes adult language learners tick? What is it that drives some to return week after week when so many drop out, particularly in the early stages of learning a language? Seeking clarity in the L2 motivation research literature led, instead, to further questions and problematizing For instance, could existing L2 motivation theories explain the dynamics of FL learning motivation in adults? How did foreign language motivation differ from second language motivation? In terms of a comprehensive theory, would Gardner‟s concept of integrativeness be relevant to my students or would Dörnyei‟s L2 Motivational Self-system be more widely applicable? Should the answer be found in the cognitive, in the affective domain or elsewhere altogether? It soon became apparent that it would be beyond the scope of this research to explore a large number of issues in any depth Nevertheless, the fundamental question of what generates and, above all, sustains the motivation of adults on a FL beginners‟ course from their perspective, has remained the central focus of this study In formulating aims and questions, care was taken to avoid variable and causative relationships, which research of this type cannot attempt to make Instead, the study set out to describe, explore and ultimately interpret and understand the participants‟ stories and experiences The next sections discuss the choices of research paradigm, research type and tradition employed by the study IV Scope of the study In order to select participants for the pilot study, an invitation letter was sent via email to 50 English major and non-English Vietnamese employees (aged between 17 and 21 years), inviting them to take part in the survey questionnaire and focus groups A total of 13 students (7 English major and non-English major) who agreed to take part in the pilot study were selected, as it is recommended that the translated survey instruments need to be piloted with a group of between three to ten people who are as close to the future participants as possible (Beauford, Nagashima, & Wu, 2011) This group of participants had similar characteristics to the participants of Studies and in that they are Vietnamese, fell within the same age range (aged from17-21 years), and were studying English Most importantly, they were able to comment on the wording of the translated scales After completion of the questionnaires, these participants also took part in the focus groups Litosseliti (2003) postulates that a focus group can be conducted with between three and ten people For the purposes of the focus group in the pilot study, English major students were allocated in one group and non-English major students were asked to work in another group V Methods of Study Development of Research Paradigms in L2 Motivation Research Locating this Research Program as Mixed Methods Research This present research used mixed methods to answer five research questions: RQ1 What types of motivation English major and nonEnglish major students report when they are learning English in higher education in Vietnam? RQ2 What are the similarities and differences in motivation between English major and non-English major students? RQ3 What are the similarities and differences in their levels of motivational intensity, autonomy, competence and relatedness between English major and non-English major students? RQ4 What are the relationships between motivation and motivational intensity, autonomy, competence and relatedness for English major and non-English major students? RQ5 In what ways lecturers, peers and parents influence Vietnamese students’ motivation to learn English? VI Tentative Design of the Study Stage Participant Data Collection Purposes Procedure of s Data s Instruments Collection Pilot Thirteen 21-item Study Vietnames Language To pilot the Translated translated questionnaire e emploees Learning questionnaire in was who were Orientation order to ensure administered working in Scale- Intrinsic the equivalence to employees Ho Chi Motivation, of the translated Discussions Minh City Extrinsic questionnaire and with Motivation and the original employees Amotivation about the questionnaire Subscales wording of (LLOS ̶ IEA) the (Noels et al., questionnaire 2000) were 10-item conducted Motivational Intensity Scale (Gardner, 2010) 12-item Basic Psychological To pilot the Needs Scale interview (Carreira, 2012) procedure in order to refine Semi-structured the focus group questions (focus questions Guided questions used in the groups focus groups were asked and refined for later use in Study Study 422 21-item To identify the Online second- Language types of questionnaire year Learning motivation was sent to reported by empolyees employees Orientation Scale- Intrinsic employees Motivation, To explore the Extrinsic similarities and Motivation and differences in Amotivation types of and Subscales levels of (LLOS ̶ IEA) motivation (Noels et al., between 2000) employess 10-item To investigate the Motivational differences in the Intensity Scale level of (Gardner, 2010) motivational 12-item Basic intensity, self- Psychological perceptions of autonomy, Needs Scale (Carreira, 2012) competence and relatedness between employees To examine the relationships between different types of motivation and motivational intensity, 10 autonomy, competence and relatedness Study 36 Semi-structured To explore why Before each employees focus group employees were focus group who studying English began questions completed and if they the differed in their were asked to questionna motivation to ire were learn English (to written asked to verify the finding response to a take part in in Study 1) number of two focus To explore questions groups (six employees’ which were employees perceptions of further in each how parents, discussed in 11 participants provide a focus teachers and the focus group) peers influence group their motivation Guided questions were asked to facilitate focus group discussions Focus groups were conducted in Vietnamese The Pilot Study had two objectives: (1) to pilot the translated questionnaires and (2) to pilot the focus group questions As the participants of the program of research were employees, the questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese The translated questionnaire was piloted with a small number of participants in order to get their feedback on accuracy, clarity and cultural 12 appropriateness of all items in the translated questionnaire The issues relating to instrument translation, participant selection and the procedure of the pilot study are discussed later in this chapter Study sought to answer RQs ̶ In order to address these research questions, a questionnaire made of three measures was employed as the data collection instruments A detailed explanation of each measure used in Study occurs later in this chapter Study aimed to provide more explanation for RQ1, RQ2, and explored perceived influences that their lecturers, peers and parents have on their motivation, which addresses RQ Study collected qualitative data by means of focus groups and students’ written responses to a number of questions The original qualitative data were in Vietnamese, which were then translated to English for analysis VII Outline of Literature Review Chapter 1: Introduction Overview 13 Globalisation and English Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in Vietnam Chapter 2: The Broader Context of Vietnam Overview Vietnam: The Land, History, People and Culture Chapter 3: Motivation to Learn a Second Language Chapter 4: Research Design Chapter 5: Study Chapter 5: Study VIII References Richards, J C (2005) Communicative language teaching today Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Rigby, C S., Deci, E L., Patrick, B C., & Ryan, R M (1992) Beyond the intrinsic- extrinsic dichotomy: Self-determination in motivation and learning Motivation and Emotion, 16, 165-185 doi: 10.1007/BF00991650 Ronnås, P., & Sjưberg, Ư (1991) Economic reform in Vietnam: Dismantling the centrally planned economy The Journal of 14 Communist Studies and Transition Politics, 7(1), 7-19 doi: 10.1080/13523279108415069 Ruesch, A., Bown, J., & Dewey, D P (2012) Student and teacher perceptions of motivational strategies in the foreign language classroom Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 6(1), 15-27 doi:10.1080/17501229.2011.562510 Ryan, R M (Ed.) (1991) The nature of the self in autonomy and relatedness New York: Springer Ryan, R M., & Connell, J P (1989) Perceived locus of causality and internalization: examining reasons for acting in two domains Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(5), 749-762 doi: 10.1037/0022- 3514.57.5.749 15 ... has remained the central focus of this study In formulating aims and questions, care was taken to avoid variable and causative relationships, which research of this type cannot attempt to make... (Beauford, Nagashima, & Wu, 2011) This group of participants had similar characteristics to the participants of Studies and in that they are Vietnamese, fell within the same age range (aged from17-21... Study Development of Research Paradigms in L2 Motivation Research Locating this Research Program as Mixed Methods Research This present research used mixed methods to answer five research questions: