Abstract:

Creating classroom environments that are enjoyable for students and support their learning can be challenging for instructors. This paper reports on an action study in which researchers at a university in Japan explored ways to implement experimental Task-based Language Learning (TBLL) practices with iPads for improving students’ motivation in studying English. Action research generally involves inquiring into one's own practice through a process of self- monitoring that generally includes entering a cycle of planning, acting, observing and reflecting on an issue or problem in order to improve practice. The problem that we address in this study is our low-performing students’ attitude toward English learning. In order to get them interested and engaged more in the English language, Self-Determination Theory (SDT) was applied to the classroom tasks (Deci & Ryan, 1985). According to SDT, fundamental psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are the basis for self-motivation. The need for competence is concerned with the psychological needs to experience confidence in one’s abilities and the capacity to affect outcomes. The need to feel autonomy is defined as an inherent desire to act with a sense of choice and volition. Moreover, the need for relatedness involves the need to experience connectedness with others and to have supportive relationships (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Our practice included a lot of tasks where students could work collaboratively and decide how they would complete them. The tasks were also designed for students to use and expand their own present strengths and to learn new skills. In this paper, we introduce our designed tasks using iPad applications called Educreation and Pages. Both applications cater to more strengths and multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983) in students by expanding resources. On the basis of findings of pre- and post-questionnaires on motivation and the researchers’ observations, it can be claimed that our designed tasks with iPads helped students increase their motivation in studying English. Moreover they encouraged students, who had previously been primarily passive and receptive, to engage in the English language by themselves.

Keywords:

Motivation, Self-Determination Theory, Task-based Language Learning, iPad.