Abstract:

Motivation is a concept used to explain behavior. It is assumed that motivation are the needs, wants, interests, or desires that drive us in a certain direction. After extensive observations of behavior in schools, social groups, organizations etc., varieties of motivational models were constructed. Following these models, numerous experiments were conducted in order to come up with acceptable theories of motivation. However, the concept and its models and theories are still in controversy. Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985) is one of the motivational theories which focuses on the differences between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.

In language education, motivation is considered “one of the key factors that influence the rate and success of second/foreign language (L2) learning” (Dornyei, 2009) and there has been much research and discussion on the nature of learning motivation and how it affects learning process and outcomes. The aim of this paper is to examine how SDT and its related theories can explain learning outcomes in L2 classrooms. The focus will be not only on the subtypes of intrinsic motivation, i.e., intrinsic-knowledge, intrinsic-accomplishment, and intrinsic-stimulation (Noels et. al., 2000) but also on those of external motivation, and their links with L2 performances.

Participants of this study were 112 undergraduates studying EFL (English as a foreign language) in Japan. Their motivation for EFL learning was assessed using a questionnaire with Hayashi’s (2004) scale guided by SDT and a 5-point Likert scale. To assess the participants’ learning outcomes, a listening discrimination test for intonation patterns was devised and conducted. Results of the questionnaire and the test were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 21.0.

Descriptive statistics showed 1) that amotivation was the lowest (M=1.50, SE=.08), 2) that identified regulation was the highest of extrinsic motivation (M=4.46, SE=.08), and 3) that intrinsic-accomplishment was the highest (M=4.22, SE= .08) of intrinsic motivation. Interestingly, Pearson’s correlation tests indicated 1) that any type of intrinsic motivation was not significantly correlated with the test scores and 2) that externally regulated motivation had a significant negative correlation with the test scores ( r = -.219, n = 112, p = .02). Finally, linear regression analyses were conducted to predict the learning outcomes based on different forms of motivation. As the overall participants had high intrinsic motivation, Relative Autonomy Index (RAI) was calculated and the participants with 80 or higher RAI were excluded from the following analyses. A significant model emerged, F (4, 48) = 2.689, p =.042 with an R square of .183, using the enter method. In this model, intrinsic-stimulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation were included; however, only intrinsic-stimulation (b=-.345) and introjected regulation (b=.393) were significant.

An implication of this study is the possibility that the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation cannot always be of service in predicting L2 learning performances. Intrinsic orientation driven by the enjoyment and excitement experienced by L2 learners could have a negative impact on learning process and on learning performances.

Keywords:

Extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, language education, self-determination theory.