an investigation into factors affecting students motivation in learning english at quynh tho high school

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES NGUYEN THI HOA AN INVESTIGATION INTO FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS'''' MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH AT QUYNH THO HIGH SCHOOL

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

NGUYEN THI HOA

AN INVESTIGATION INTO FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS' MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH

AT QUYNH THO HIGH SCHOOL

MASTER THESIS

Thai Nguyen, June 2023

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

NGUYEN THI HOA

AN INVESTIGATION INTO FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS' MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH

AT QUYNH THO HIGH SCHOOL

Major: English teaching theories & methodologies Code: 8140111

MASTER THESIS

Thai Nguyen, June 2023

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

This thesis does not contain any information published elsewhere or entirely or partially taken from a thesis by which I met the requirements for or was awarded another degree or diploma, except for references specified within the text

There is no unauthorized use of another person's work in the thesis This thesis has not been submitted to another educational institution to confer a degree or diploma

Thai Nguyen, May 2023 Nguyen Thi Hoa

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I want to express my profound gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Cao Thuy Hong, for her insightful guidance and encouragement while I was conducting the research Her great expertise and gracious assistance allowed me to complete my studies

I also like to thank the English instructors and staff at the Thai Nguyen University of Education for their help, advice, and inspiration

Additionally, I want to express my gratitude to my family and friends for their love and support during this trip Without them, this journey would not have been possible

ABSTRACT

The research aimed to investigate the factors affecting students' motivation in learning English at Quynh Tho high school A quantitative survey research design was employed in the current study to (i) identify students’ current level of motivation for learning English, as well as (ii) discover the relationship between students’ motivation and their learning achievement Statistics collected from 120 students were used to answer three research questions Data collected from the questionnaires showed that (i) students generally have high motivation for learning English (mean

score ranging from 3.76 to 3.94); and of different types of motivation social motivation was the strongest (M=3.94; SD=1.125); (ii) there was a strong relationship

between students’ motivation and their achievement in English language learning (r=.828 to 907; p <0.01); and (iii) teacher factors (r = 909; p<0.01) were most influential on students’ motivation The study had important implications for schools, parents, and teachers

Keywords: motivation, motivation factors, learning English

LIST OF FIGURES vii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS viii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 5

1.2.1 Aims of the study 5

1.2.2 Objectives of the study 5

1.3 Research questions 5

1.4 Scope of the study 5

1.5 The significance of the study 6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 8

2.1 Definitions of Motivation 8

2.2 Sources of Motivation 9

2.2.1 Internal sources of motivation 9

2.2.2 External sources of motivation 11

2.3 Motivation in Foreign/ Second language learning 12

2.3.1 The importance of motivation in foreign and second language learning 13

2.3.2 Types of motivation in second language learning 15

2.3.3 Factors affecting students’ motivation in learning English 19

2.4 Previous studies on foreign language learning motivation in Vietnamese context 26

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 30

3.1 The setting of the study 30

3.2 Research design and research method 30

3.3 Research population and research sample 31

3.4 Data collection instrument 31

3.5 Method of data analysis 35

3.5 Summary 35

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 36

4.1 Students’ demographic information 36

4.2 Scale reliabilities 37

4.3 RQ1 What are students' current level of motivation for learning English? 41

4.4 RQ2 Are there any relationships between students’ motivation and their learning achievement? 43

4.5 RQ3 What are the factors that affect students' motivation for learning

English? 45

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 49

5.1 Summary of key findings 49

5.2 Recommendations 49

5.3 Limitations 55

REFERENCES 57

APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS 71

APPENDIX B: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS – TRANSLATED INTO VIETNAMESE 76

APPENDIX C - 13 STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE YOUR CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT 80

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation (Harter, 1981) 15 Table 4.1 Students’ demographic information 36 Table 4.2 Interpretation of Cronbach’s alpha value (George &

Mallery, 2003)

37

Table 4.3 Scale reliabilities of the questionnaire items 38 Table 4.4 Students’ current level of motivation for learning

Table 4.6: Correlations between students’ motivation and parental factors, teacher factors, and classroom features

45

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 The score spectrum of the 2022 national high school

graduation exam in the English subject (Source: Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo [MoET], 2022)

2

Figure 1.2 Test score ranking in the country (Vietnamnet, 2022) 3

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviations Meaning

SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale

According to Wikipedia, as of the 2000s around two billion people speak English in the English-speaking world, making it the language with the most native speakers and the third-largest speaker population Being fluent in English makes it easy for individuals to connect with each other, enjoy movies, music, culture, and anything else The English language is essential to daily lives because it facilitates communication among nations In addition, it is a universal language used in a wide range of contexts, including trade, diplomacy, education, the economy, society, and international commerce in general (Dung et al., 2021) In Vietnam, the demand for people who could communicate effectively in English has also witnessed a dramatic increase International organizations have cautioned that poor foreign language abilities may make it difficult for Vietnamese workers to fully integrate into the global labor market (Chung, 2022) The educational sector is also quickly responding

to the need

In response to the need, the new English teaching program was established in Vietnam for general education, and all third graders, seventy percent of sixth graders, and sixty percent of tenth graders followed the new program (10-year learning system) At general schools, it was anticipated that English would be taught to all students Regarding higher education, Vietnam set a goal that by 2020, 60% of intermediate schools would offer a two-year program, 100% of junior colleges would offer a three-year program, and by 2025, 90% of intermediate schools would be able to meet the third level of the Vietnamese six-scale, which rates English proficiency (Vietnamnet, 2016) However, according to statistics of the Ministry of Education and Training, English was the subject with the most candidates scoring below the average in the 2022 national high school graduation exam with 446,648 students, a rate of 51.56% This subject had 423 candidates with only 0 points The results of the analysis of the scores of the country's English high school graduation exam in 2022 showed that there were 866,196 candidates taking the English test, of which the

average score was 5.15 points, the median score was 4.8 points the score with the most candidates achieving is 3.8 points Number of candidates with score <= 1 was 423 (accounting for 0.05%)

Figure 1.1: The score spectrum of the 2022 national high school graduation exam in the English subject (Source: Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo [MoET], 2022)

Thai Binh province has made every effort to boost the quality of English teaching and learning by encouraging English teachers to participate in teacher’s training courses, organizing English extra-curriculum activities for students, etc., but the effectiveness of the current innovation is still limited In fact, in the national high school graduation exam in 2022, the province ranked 20th in term of test score in the country (figure 1.2)

Figure 1.2: Test score ranking in the country (Vietnamnet, 2022)

As a teacher at Quynh Tho High School, I realize that although the school has also made significant attempts by supporting English teachers to improve the standard of English teaching and learning, the results of students in national high

school graduation exam were not satisfactory In the school year 2021-2022, out of the total of 588 12th graders, only 388 students scored above 5 points (accounting for 55.8%) A rather small number of students (47 students- accounting for 8%) scored 8 or higher In overall, the score spectrum of Quynh Tho high school was 5.1, which

was lower than the national and Thai Binh’s one (5.15 points)

Actually, a wide range of research has demonstrated the strong link between learning motivation and academic success It has even been claimed that inspiring students to study is the most important factor in assisting with the enhancement of the quality of English teaching and learning (e.g., Ajomshoa & Sadighi, 2015; Deckers, 2010; Dung et al., 2021; Ekiz & Kulmetov, 2016) Despite the fact that syllabi, teaching strategies, teaching materials, evaluation techniques, teacher preparation, and students' learning all affect how well English is taught and learned, the most important aspect supporting this improvement is to motivate students According to Qin (2002), motivation has a significant impact on whether learning a second language is successful or unsuccessful since it can affect how frequently learning strategies are used, one's ability to learn with willpower, how well one sets goals, and how persistent one is in learning In other words, learning motivation affects students' autonomy in the classroom and defines their level of confidence in their capacity to overcome challenges The connection between motivation and learning success has been thoroughly studied, and research results have demonstrated that drive to learn a language is an essential component of successful learning (Quan, 2014) Learners who are highly driven can succeed in their academic endeavors, and the perception of academic achievement can help learners maintain their motivation From my own experience, despite having a slight advantage over teachers of other subjects in the school because our students recognize the value of English for their future academic and professional endeavors and frequently regard it as one of the most useful courses, I still find it difficult to inspire my students

Understanding the affordances of students' motivation for learning is crucial for developing effective motivational techniques Although some research has been

done to look at variables that can affect Vietnamese students' motivation to learn English, it is difficult to locate studies that looked into high school students' drive to learn the language This study is thus conducted with the aim of gaining a better understanding of students' motivation, particularly factors that affect their motivation to learn English

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study

1.2.1 Aims of the study

The study aims at investigating the factors affecting students' motivation in learning English at Quynh Tho high school

1.2.2 Objectives of the study

As previously stated, the primary goal of this study is to give an investigation into:

(i) the current level of motivation for learning English of high school students at a high school in the North of Vietnam and

(ii) the relationship between motivation and learning achievement, as well as (iii) the factors that may predict students’ English language learning motivation

Based on these findings, the study sought to suggest solutions to improve the students’ motivation to learn English

1.3 Research questions

The study's objectives attempt to address the following research questions: 1 What is students' current level of motivation for learning English?

2 Are there any relationships between students’ motivation and their learning achievement?

3 What are the factors that may affect students' motivation for learning English?

1.4 Scope of the study

This study focused only on high school students’ motivation in learning English Their motivation for learning in general or motivation for learning other

subjects was not considered

Besides, due to the limited time and scope of the study only students’ perspectives were considered Teachers’ views of what may be motivating to learners were not studied The study was conducted during the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year at Quynh Tho High School, Thai Binh Province

1.5 The significance of the study

It is anticipated that the results of this study will assist English teachers and administrators at Quynh Tho High School in developing plans to increase students' motivation by providing a better understanding of student motivation in learning English as well as the factors influencing that motivation

In addition, the author thinks that this study will be a helpful source of information for English teachers and other researchers who are interested in the same subject

1.6 Structure of the study

The thesis consists of five chapters as follows:

Chapter 1 - Introduction

This chapter introduces the thesis and its context, discussing its significance and highlighting its rationale, goals, objectives, methods, significance, and design

Chapter 2 - Literature review

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a critical analysis of the theoretical foundations upon which the thesis rests, with particular attention paid to the following areas: the various psychological perspectives on motivation in language learning; an overview of motivation in foreign and second language learning; the various types of motivation and the importance of motivation in these contexts; the factors that influence motivation and the traits of motivated language learners to learn

Chapter 3 - Methodology

Information about the study's participants, data collection tools, and methods are all presented in this chapter, which serves as a presentation of the research's

underlying methodology In this chapter, we also discuss the methodologies of data analysis and the background of teaching and studying English at Quynh Tho high school

Chapter 4 - Findings and discussion

The most significant results of the study are given and discussed in this section

Chapter 5– Conclusion and Recommendations

This chapter summarizes the research findings and discusses their potential implications for encouraging students to study the English language In this chapter, we also explore some potential directions for future study.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter provides a summary of some earlier research on what motivates language students It clarifies the conception of motivation, reviews different sources and types of motivation before focusing on motivation in second/ foreign language learning and factors that may affect students’ motivation when learning English as a second/ foreign language Current studies that have been conducted on Vietnamese learners’ motivation to learn English are also reviewed

2.1 Definitions of Motivation

"Motivation" is derived from the Latin phrase "moveo-movere," which literally means "to move" in English Thus, it might be seen as forces that influence the way we act Meanings of the word "motivation" that include but are not limited to longing, push, volition, wish, pressure, interest, aim, purpose, etc., (Svobodová, 2015) In scholarly articles, the term “motivation” has also been defined differently

According to Gardner (1985), there are four components to motivation: a goal, effortful action, a desire to achieve the goal, and positive attitudes toward the activity in question The objective serves as a stimulus for motivation, while the final three factors reveal individual variances in motivation According to Williams and Burden (1997), motivation is defined as cognitive and emotional stimulation that leads to a conscious decision to act and an extended period of mental or physical exertion According to this theory, from the initial spark of interest to the final choice to actually do the thing, motivation is absolutely necessary at every stage of the action-taking process, from maintaining the arousal state to keeping at it until the job is done It is clear from the aforementioned definitions that motivation is defined by its two

basic elements: an individual's desired objective and the effort made to reach that goal However, a variety of agents, including internal ones like interest, curiosity, and

want as well as external ones like rewards, other people, or socio-cultural impact, can motivate human action Furthermore, a number of agents typically determine our behavior rather than just one In the sections that follow, factors that have been identified as influential to students’ learning motivation will be reviewed

2.2 Sources of Motivation

Deckers (2010) makes a distinction between two fundamental types of motivation: internal motivation, which might come from biological or psychological factors (such as curiosity or hunger), and external motivation, which comes from rewards and objectives According to Deckers (2010), external motives such as rewards and goals drive people to take action while internal reasons pull them in the opposite direction In the sections that follow, these two primary sources of motivation will be clarified

2.2.1 Internal sources of motivation

Internal motivation can come from anything that happens on the inside, whether it be a change in one's physical or mental state, an emotional reaction, or anything else The biological factors that influence behavior are linked to the necessities of life The sensation of thirst, for instance, can prompt a person to go for a drink When we talk about "psychological attributes," we're referring to the ways in which we're driven by a desire to satisfy our own mental needs Decker (2010) argues that a person's value system and their need to feel a sense of belonging are the two most significant psychological factors in shaping that person's actions

According to Decker (2010), internal sources of motivation evolved over time as a result of shared human history However, some of them (such as attitudes and values) may develop as a result of a person's unique life experience These internal motivational factors are thought to be the most significant for a person's motivation

Needs

Since the process of motivation begins with an unmet need, it is crucial to define the term "needs" in depth Needs can be defined as what we require for a successful and fruitful existence, things essential to survival and personal growth

In general, needs can be divided into two groups The first group includes terms like intrinsic, physiological, or basic requirements Included in these needs for human survival are food, water, sleep, oxygen, sex, clothing, and shelter The second group is made up of secondary or acquired requirements, such as those for the mind

and spirit These needs emerge gradually and grow as a person matures and completes their schooling Each individual has a unique combination of needs that are always changing and form a special complex Age, gender, education, occupation, and all other factors affect how it is structured

Attitudes

Typically, attitudes develop as a result of meeting needs Positive attitudes are linked to the specific items that satiate the desire as well as the tools that enable us to do so On the other hand, negative attitudes arise from our interactions with those people or things that limit our ability to meet our requirements Attitudes, together with desires, are the two most important drivers of motivational intensity, which Gardner (1985) defines as the degree to which an individual strives to achieve a goal Undoubtedly, someone who approaches the task with a good attitude is more likely to succeed in meeting the target

Values

Values can be summed up as things we respect, appreciate, honor, and love, in addition to things that are required and useful for our lives Standards and aspirations that are primarily moral, social, and artistic are considered values According to Feather (1992), one type of motivation that encourages people to carry out the action they believe needs to be carried out is moral principles A person's values shape their perception of the value of certain goal objects and, by extension, their motivation to work toward those goals As a result, values play a significant role in a person's motivational framework Without a doubt, if the desired object is highly valued, motivation to reach the goal will be more intense

Interests

Another crucial component of a person's motivational system is interest It is a state of mind that takes into account concentrating on an object of interest, which can be an item, an event, or an action It is a long-term, good relationship between the person and this particular set of things or activities

2.2.2 External sources of motivation

Events and circumstances that are present in the environment are referred to as incentives and goals are considered external or environmental causes, according to Deckers (2010) It implies that these motivational factors are external to a person rather than inside It might be a reward, like getting a good grade, or a penalty, like having to do more homework A feeling of satisfaction and joy is produced by the reward that the activity itself might not Through a wide spectrum of human actions, external sources are exploited Goals and incentives are some of the sources Social motivations, results, or behaviors that can elicit a particular response are known as incentives As a result, incentives can be thought of as systems for motivation that stimulate one's exterior character Positive reinforcement ensures meeting a person's demands and is offered to satisfy those wants They entail the prognostication of successful outcomes For instance, a teacher may commend a student for doing their homework Recognition, rewards, tokens, and other commendable incentives may also be used in the educational setting Negative incentives, on the other hand, are controlled to stop an individual's undesirable conduct and so produce the desired outcomes Condemnation or punishment could be an unfavorable incentive A goal is something that a person desires to accomplish; the goal's eventual result determines how people behave The incentive is the purpose of the motive, claims Deckers (2010, p 2) It follows that when someone is hungry, they are doing so to fulfill a basic need for nourishment In this instance, food serves as the motivator, and satiation is the desired outcome of the motivated behavior

2.3 Motivation in Foreign/ Second language learning

Numerous research on motivation in learning foreign and second languages (L2) have been conducted over the years Researchers have attempted to explain the term "motivation" in these papers According to Keller (1984) (as referenced in Ellis,

1994), "interest" is one of the key factors in motivation and is defined as "a positive

response to a stimulus based on existing cognitive structures in such a way that learners' curiosity is aroused and sustained" However, the majority of studies on motivation in foreign and second language learning are influenced by Gardner

(1985), whose definition of motivation includes effort, plus desire to reach the

purpose of learning, and a positive attitude toward the language

Undoubtedly, motivation requires four elements: a goal, effortful action, a desire to achieve the goal, and positive attitudes toward learning the language, as Gardner points out In addition, Gardner (1985) distinguishes between integrative and instrumental orientations in motivation as well as between orientation and

motivation His definition of motivation is a student's actual effort toward learning and orientation is his or her reasons for learning the language

An integrative orientation describes a learner who actively seeks to immerse themselves in the culture of the target language An instrumental orientation

describes a person whose drive is primarily motivated by the pursuit of extrinsic rewards like grades, money, employment, etc

A student has an integrative approach toward the target language when they seek to fully immerse themselves in the culture of the language An instrumental orientation describes a person whose drive is primarily motivated by the pursuit of extrinsic rewards like grades, money, a career, etc

According to Littlewood (1984), motivation is the key element that determines whether a learner starts a task in the first place, how much effort he puts into it, and how long he perseveres This viewpoint offers another hypothesis on motivation It's

multifaceted, involving things like motivation, expectations of success, natural

inquisitiveness, the need for stimulation, seeking out novel experiences, and so on

He emphasizes the "highly complex construct" of motivation in addition to emphasizing the crucial role that motivation plays in learning a second language He also says that if a student is motivated, he will likely elect to take on a specific activity with the required amount of effort and time Most language learners are highly motivated by their desire and need to interact with others in a foreign language

Motivation in second language learning is a multifaceted phenomenon that

may be broken down into the communicative demands of individual students and

their perspectives on the second culture Motivation in second language learning can

be defined in a way that is comparable to what Lightbown and Spada (1999) have said They also argue that students will be more motivated to study a second language if they would be required to use it in a variety of social and professional contexts For their part, language students who have a positive impression of native speakers are more motivated to strike up conversations with them

However, this is not the case while studying French or English in Britain or Vietnam, where these languages are primarily used for communication with foreigners and have no set roles within the learner's community It has been hypothesized that in such situations, the learner is less likely to be motivated to pursue language study (Jafari, 2013) The learner does not see a clear communication need for it, which is why In a similar vein, if external pressure is the learner's only motivation for picking up a second language, he might not view learning positively overall, and as a result, he might have significant internal hurdles to learning

Because it incorporates so many interconnected aspects, including learners' interests, drive, desire, effort, and attitudes, motivation is obviously a very difficult subject to explain In this study, students’ motivation to learn English language would be viewed as thedesire, effort and positive attitudes to achieve the learning goal

2.3.1 The importance of motivation in foreign and second language learning

A person's capacity to learn a language is influenced by their level of motivation, which can change over time Numerous studies have shown that intrinsic drive is directly related to language learning achievement In contrast, Gardner and

Lambert (1972) and Lukmani (1972), and Niitsuma (1992) suggest that an instrumental orientation may be a crucial component in the success of English language learners in the Philippines, Bombay, and Japan Integrative motivation is crucial for students to succeed whether they are studying English or French in Canada or the United States Integrative motivation is also emphasized in motivating students when learning foreign languages in Radfar and Lengkanawati’s (2020) study The author mentioned identifying students' integrative motivation and gave suggestions to increase motivation for students through raising their interests in the culture of the target language, such as giving information about people and lifestyle, geography, literature of the English countries through visual and even organizing group sharing for learners who have been to English speaking countries

The rate and success of learning a second or foreign language in general, and learning a language in a classroom in particular, are significantly influenced by motivation (Kaboody, 2013) In addition to the importance that intelligence and linguistic prowess play in learning a second or foreign language, motivation is a crucial component in the successful study of language acquisition According to Xu, as reported in Anjomshoa, and Sadighi (2015), it is described as goal-directed and a combination of effort, a desire to attain the aim of language acquisition, and favorable attitudes about language acquisition

Attitude and motivational characteristics seem to influence the success of learning a second language, according to Gardner (1985) It is not accurate to say that an integrative drive is the only factor or reason that influences second-language proficiency

The relationship between learning achievement and motivation is interactive, as indicated by several research findings, and good learning can boost motivation According to Gardner and Smythe (1981), whether students enter the classroom motivated or develop it via classroom experience, there is a strong association between motivation and good learning Dornyei (2001) argues that motivation is what first gets someone started learning a second language and what keeps them going

through the long, difficult process of mastery In addition, every other aspect of learning a second language (L2) presupposes motivation Even students with low starting skills have a chance for success with the right kind of encouragement and a well-designed curriculum and instructive approach Furthermore, great motivation can compensate for substantial gaps in language skills and learning environments Gass and Selinker (2008) agreed, saying that a learner who is careful to set up several opportunities to acquire understandable material has a better chance of succeeding in second language learning settings A student who makes an attempt to memorize (even unconsciously) has a better chance of doing well in a second or even third language setting

2.3.2 Types of motivation in second language learning

Social motivation, integrative motivation, instrumental motivation, positive and negative motivation, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are all examples of distinct motivational subsystems They are motivational styles that L2 learning motivational theories typically recognize

2.3.2.1 Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

According to Harter (1981), there are five distinct aspects that make up motivation in the classroom, each of which is influenced by the intrinsic and extrinsic pole:

Table 2.1 Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation (Harter, 1981)

preference for challenge vs preference for easy work curiosity/interest vs pleasing teacher/getting grades independent mastery vs dependence on teacher in figuring

out the problems

independent judgement vs reliance on teacher’s judgement about

what to do

internal criteria for success vs external criteria for success

Intrinsic motivation

When someone is motivated internally rather than as a result of receiving external benefits like money or good grades, this is referred regarded as intrinsic motivation Motivation is derived from one's enjoyment of the activity at hand or from their sense of accomplishment after finishing it

For instance, someone with intrinsic motivation will love solving math equations Or someone with intrinsic motivation will work on a problem-solving project because the task of doing so will provide them joy In neither scenario is someone motivated to complete the assignment because it will result in a prize, remuneration, or, in the case of students, a grade

A student who is organically driven is eager and ready to study English; he does not require his teacher to inform him of the significance or universality of the language He is internally willing to choose English

Extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation describes our propensity to engage in behaviors in exchange for well-known external rewards, whether such incentives are material (like money) or psychological (like praise) Extrinsic motivation is the term for an activity motivated by benefits from outside sources, such as cash, fame, accolades, and

grades Unlike intrinsic motivation, which comes from within the person, this kind of motivation comes from outside the person When a student puts forth the effort to study something just for the sake of an exam or to please his parents or teacher, he may be extrinsically driven to learn English In truth, he is being forced to learn English rather than being naturally driven to do so

Teachers who are trying to figure out why students sometimes feel inspired and perform well In other situations, they completely lose their enthusiasm and may find it very beneficial to understand the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation For instance, a student whose major objective is to speak English fluently in order to interact with people from various nations would likely be highly driven on a worldwide scale Students' motivation to learn a grammatical rule in order to receive a good grade in school may decrease if they are not directly motivated to do so by the prospect of receiving the reward of a high grade or the acquisition of the rule's knowledge Nonetheless, students would appreciate engagement with the language in other contexts, such as through media On the other side, this theory may also help to explain why some students perform exceptionally well on tests and exams but have weak communication skills

2.3.2.2 Integrative and instrumental motivation

Theoretically, integrative and instrumental motivation must be distinguished since each comes from a distinct source and serves a different purpose in language learning, according to Gardner and Lambert's 1972 hypothesis Getting a job, reading a letter from a pen pal, or getting promoted are just a few examples of external goals that might serve as sources of instrumental motivation An individual's wish or desire to identify with the culture of language speakers is referred to as integral motivation Students strive to learn the language because they want to be able to comprehend and communicate in it, enabling them to interact with speakers of other languages and learn about other cultures in the process

Dörnyei (2005) describes integrative motivation as a complicated construct with three main components, each of which is further broken down into a number of

subcomponents, based on empirical research

(i) Integrativeness: comprising such factors as integrative attitude, motivation for language study, and views of the L2 community

(ii) Attitudes about the learning environment, particularly how one feels about one's L2 course and their teacher

Both sorts of motivation are quite specialized, so it is unlikely that the instructor in a classroom setting could use them to motivate students (Dörnyei, 2005) Therefore, it is assumed that the concept of integrative and instrumental motivation is independent of the teaching and learning environment in the classroom As Gardner (1985) points out, there are only a handful of ways a teacher can foster these two types of motivation in the classroom, such as by encouraging students to develop a favorable attitude toward the community that speaks the language, by having them learn about the distinctive customs, habits, and cultural background of the foreign nation, and by stressing the value of language proficiency for future employment

2.3.2.3 Positive and negative motivation

In her paper, Prince (2013) discusses how Applied Behaviour Analysis distinguishes between positive and negative motivation

After the intended behavior is carried out, a motivating or reinforcing stimulus is presented to the person, increasing the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future An attempt to achieve something might be characterized as positive motivation It creates an internal interest and is connected to a reward that is specifically the one desired A student receiving praise for meticulously completing their homework or receiving rewards for outstanding grades at the conclusion of the school year are both examples of positive motivation

When a specific stimulus—typically an aversive stimulus—is removed after a certain behavior is displayed, negative motivation results The removal or avoidance of the adverse consequence, such as emotional stress, increases the possibility that the particular behavior will occur again in the future If the negative impulse cannot be removed, it is referred to as a punishment; another potential source of incentive

2.3.2.4 Social motivation

An alternative form of motivation is social motivation An incentive or drive that results from sociocultural influences and steers behavior toward a particular goal is referred to as social motivation The representative of the group is a specific person Examples of this type of motivation include a sense of duty to finish tasks and reach objectives, as well as a dedication to doing so Dunning (2010) asserts that despite being secondary, learned, and acquired, the social drive has a huge impact on people's lives since its potency is on par with biological requirements

Svobodová (2015) measured the social motivation of students by how they were motivated by the people they respect and what other people think about English Because most people think that having a high education is vital and that having knowledge of the top language in the world is one of its qualifications, students also think that having knowledge of English is crucial in determining how motivated they are to learn Respect is another quality that society generally recognizes as beneficial Most people want to be respected, and having a solid command of the English language is one way to do so in today's culture Students are aware of this truth, and it partially inspires them to learn As can be inferred from the answers, students believe that being respected is more motivating than acting in a way that is deemed necessary by those they respect However, most students expressed a pretty indifferent attitude toward this element

2.3.3 Factors affecting students’ motivation in learning English 2.3.3.1 Teacher factors

As previously mentioned, teachers play an important part in many aspects of student learning Those that are most frequently mentioned include teachers’ performance and teacher’s personalities

a Teachers’ performance

Teachers’ performance can be demonstrated by their teaching techniques, feedback, grade assignment, and personalities

Teaching techniques

Teachers assist students in identifying with themselves, their interests, and their beliefs by allowing them to choose the subjects they want to study (Ferlazzo, 2015) By supporting their choices and interests, teachers help students build a sense of personal interest, participation, and ownership in their work, which increases motivation (Schuitema et al.; Stearns, 2013) Teachers may boost students' responsibility and involvement in the classroom by allowing them to select their own learning goals and objectives (Theobald, 2006) Studies on the nature of the relationship between students' perceptions of social support and autonomy support from their teachers and self-regulated learning and achievement (Schuitema et al., 2016) found a significant correlation between students' perceptions of their teachers' autonomy support and self-regulated learning Teachers that help their students take control of their lives, establish a personal interest in their work, and write the stories of their lives boost their students' motivation and desire to learn

Feedback

The teacher's responsibility to motivate students also includes providing feedback after each task and performance because it is an integral element of the learning process Praise, any relevant action or word, or silence can all be used as forms of feedback Goals, even important ones, can easily lose their salience and priority when there is no feedback, and they may finally wind up "on the shelf," according to Dörnyei (2001b)

Students are inspired to learn and acquire competence by their teachers' encouraging comments Feedback encourages students to take control of their education and boost their self-assurance (Bain, 2004; Ferlazzo, 2015) When professors compliment students on their efforts, they begin to believe that they can accomplish projects by putting in a lot of effort (Theobald, 2006; Ferlazzo, 2015) Williams and Burden (1997) make the argument that in order to boost learners' motivation for certain tasks, feedback should be more informative than controlling They go on to say that feedback should motivate students to advance to the next stage

of their growth by helping them to identify particular elements of their performance that are acceptable and that may be enhanced using a predetermined technique In the absence of this information, the feedback can have the exact opposite effect

Grades

Teachers utilize grades primarily for two reasons: to encourage students and to give them feedback on their growth and accomplishments (Quan, 2014) If it is not clear from the testing process, the grades should be accompanied by a description of what needs to be addressed in order for the feedback to be effective In the author's opinion, grades are strong motivators that drive students to study more regardless of whether they receive good grades or bad ones Grades can be thought of in terms of motivation as transient, situationally generated desires that generate tense energy to participate in behavior that can ease the tension (Reeve, 2001) According to Covington and Leornard (2001), grades are important since they reflect a student's academic performance Students are encouraged to continue with such successful activities and occasionally to try even harder by receiving excellent grades However, receiving poor grades can help students recognize that they need to put up more effort to advance their knowledge

Attitudes

The teachers, especially the attitudes that they have toward the students, have a direct impact on the learning motivation of the students Teachers' attitudes and behaviors would be positively impacted by their enthusiasm and support (Lee, 2019) However, a teacher's negative demeanor is more likely to make students lose interest in studying English (Li, 2022) Wubbels and Levy (1991) discovered that greater learning achievements and more positive attitudes toward learning could be observed when teachers were friendly and demonstrated understanding behaviors toward the learners; however, the effect was reversed when teachers displayed more uncertain, dissatisfied, and admonishing behavior

b Teachers’ personality

In addition to the teacher's support, Williams and Burden (1997) note that the

teacher's personality has a significant impact on the motivation of the students Since learners often have strong personal views about their teachers, how they see their professors and the interactions they have with them will have an impact on how motivated they are to study Unquestionably, student personalities, such as sensitivity, encouragement, sympathy, and enthusiasm, are always highly valued by teachers (Petsche, 2009), but beyond that, a positive relationship between the teacher and students is thought to be important for student cooperation Additionally highlighting the significance of a teacher's enthusiasm was Dörnyei (2001b) English teachers who demonstrate their enthusiasm for the language, emphasize the benefits of mastering it, make extensive use of authentic materials, value the cultures of English-speaking nations, and take pleasure in discussing them will undoubtedly have an impact on their student's ability to see the importance of learning the language

2.3.3.2 Parental factors

The first and most influential teachers for a child are typically their parents They start off by teaching their infant extremely basic concepts like their first words, colors, shapes, rhymes, etc Even though the parents may not be aware of it, the children initially experience the attitude of the parent toward learning This early exposure to the learning process may have an impact on how the child later views the necessity of learning Zeigler-Hill and Shackelford (2020) define parent–child relationship as a unique and influential relationship formed through interaction between parents and their children, which is essential to adolescents' physical and mental development It reduces adolescents' anxiety (Kerns & Brumariu, 2014), affects their moral behavior (Grusec et al., 2014), and increases their engagement (Malczyk & Lawson, 2017), which is conducive to their academic success Behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement are the three primary components of student engagement, which is an essential factor in learning (Fredricks et al., 2004; Archambault et al., 2009) Among them, behavioral engagement exemplifies the connotative character of student engagement (Newmann, 1992), which refers to

students' engagement in learning activities, including their efforts, attention, and perseverance (Skinner et al., 2008), which has become a research focus From the perspective of behavioral engagement, learning engagement is conceptualized as the active psychological state of students, which consists of three dimensions: vitality, absorption, and dedication (Schaufeli et al., 2002a; Christenson et al., 2012) Heatly and Votruba-Drzal (2019) report that the parent–child relationship is related to adolescents' learning engagement, in which learning motivation is a significant factor In addition, research has demonstrated that academic self-efficacy influences adolescents' learning engagement (Fan & Williams, 2010) However, the impact mechanism of the interrelated factors is ambiguous and requires further investigation According to Gardner (1985), parents' attitudes toward the language-speaking population can have an equally large effect on their children's motivation to study the language, in addition to their attitudes toward the benefit of studying the target language Pape (1999) argues that parents who are involved in their children's schooling have a profound and long-lasting effect on their children's interest in and aptitude for learning When parents are involved, both students' success and their conduct in class improve The author recognizes the importance of parental involvement and advises that schools make an effort to be friendlier to parents by hiring approachable educators and giving them a voice in school policymaking Frequently, the parent–child relationship influences the motivation to learn Parent– child relationships play an important role in learning motivation, as demonstrated by empirical research Chen et al (2018) have observed that the parent–child relationship has a significant impact on students' learning motivation Moreover, parental upbringing plays a significant influence on students' learning motivation (Cheung & Catherine, 2008) In particular, students who receive greater parental support are more likely to hold strong beliefs and orientations regarding learning engagement These pieces of evidence indicate that parent–child relationships can increase adolescents' motivation to learn

Learning motivation is also regarded as one of the most important factors

influencing student learning engagement (Guo, 2018) Despite the challenges and hazards of learning, students with a higher level of learning motivation are more likely to be engaged in their education Some researchers have demonstrated that learning motivation can help students develop high expectations that motivate them to engage in active learning (Eccles, 1983; Chen & Jang, 2010) According to the findings of other researchers (Martin, 2007; Wu et al., 2013), student's participation in the classroom is influenced by their motivation to learn, which in turn affects their learning engagement

2.3.3.3 Classroom features or environmental factors

Students' motivation is impacted by classroom characteristics or environmental factors in addition to parental and student-related factors (Ekiz & Kulmetov, 2016), 2016) These variables may include physical aspects of the environment, such as classroom size and desk placement, as well as scenarios, demographic variables, and technology teaching aids used in the classroom According to Bucholz and Sheffler (2009), a motivating learning environment is one where students feel accepted, trusted, and encouraged to take on opportunities and challenges, ask questions, and openly exchange ideas Students could learn in an enjoyable setting while also gaining social skills, information, and the ability to solve problems (Weimer, 2009) According to Stewart et al (1997), the physical environment is the first stage in establishing a setting conducive to learning The physical environment of a classroom is created by designating areas for specific activities, selecting and arranging furniture, arranging seating to facilitate learning, decorating areas for specific purposes, and organizing materials and areas for simple access (Stewart et al., 1997) If the physical environment of the classroom is not attractive and well-organized, it can have a negative impact on how teachers and students feel, think, and act (Stewart et al, 1997) The furniture should be arranged so that all materials are readily accessible and appropriate traffic patterns can be created Desks can be arranged in groups to create more space in a classroom for appropriate

traffic patterns This makes the room more accessible and aids students with disabilities because they can move or be moved around more easily (Landau, 2004) With the desks arranged in groups, teachers are also better able to monitor student behavior by navigating the classroom more readily Clustering the students' desks can also foster an environment where they feel secure working cooperatively and asking for assistance from their classmates

Along with the physical setting, a student's peers may also have an impact on how they feel about learning a language because they are more likely to enjoy it if their friends do According to Morgan (1986), a person's peers may have a greater impact on that person's beliefs and behavior than their parents in any particular situation, for whatever reason The importance of the learner's peer group is also highlighted by Brown (1994), who claims that attitudes are similar to aspects of the development of cognition and affect in humans, emerge in early childhood, and are influenced by attitudes of parents and peers, interactions with people who are different from one another in a variety of ways, and interrelated affective factors in the human experience These attitudes have an impact on one's perception of oneself, other people, and the culture in which one is currently living

Compared to other classifications, Dörnyei (2001a)'s is more precise and includes both motivation kinds and variables influencing students' motivation to study English Consequently, numerous academics have done so, including Svobodová (2015), Ekiz and Kulmetov (2016), etc Dörnyei (2001a)'s classifications served as the foundation for the current study's framework

2.4 Previous studies on foreign language learning motivation in Vietnamese context

Dung (2021) looked at the elements influencing motivation to learn English of 84 freshmen in the Faculty of Linguistics and Literature at Tay Do University Data were collected through survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews Findings from the study suggested that factors that encouraged freshmen to learn English were parental, environmental, teacher, and intrinsic (personal) influences

At Da Lat University, Long and Tuyen (2020) considered how motivated non-English majors were and what influenced their motivation to acquire EFL The study employed a mixed-method design with the use of both questionnaires and semi-structured interviews 5 English teachers and 150 students from the business, economics, and tourism departments took part in the research The research showed that all three types of student motivation—social, instrumental, and integrative— were quite strong Eight factors were identified as influencing students' motivation to learn EFL; these included classroom and textbook factors, student and parent factors, teacher personality and performance factors, teacher and student feedback, and student and peer factors

Nguyen and Habók (2021), based on the activity theory viewpoint, examines Vietnamese non-English majors' motivation to acquire English as a foreign language (EFL) 1,565 students who had taken at least one semester of university-level English were included as participants, and 13 of them took part in the semi-structured interviews Individual face-to-face interviews and five-point Likert scale motivation and desire surveys with 16 items were used to gather the data The participants were very motivated to learn English, according to the findings from the quantitative and qualitative strands A good future job, academic accomplishment, keeping effective communication with foreigners, enjoying oneself personally, and being affected by others were some of the sources of such motivation They also showed great motivational intensity to learn English and improve their language proficiency, in addition to being more inwardly (than externally) motivated Additionally, internal

motivation and motivational intensity were positively correlated, whereas external motivation and motivational intensity were negatively correlated

Tran (2007) analyzes how students in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) writing class in Vietnam think about motivation and learner identity At a university in central Vietnam, thirty English-major students participated in the study Students are more concerned with their intrinsic motivations, such as their interest, passion, and inspiration, which are linked to their personal and cultural needs in writing than they are with their extrinsic motivations, which appear to be linked to institutional needs, linguistic needs, and social needs in learning EFL writing However, relevant literature appears to place a lot of emphasis on these extrinsic motivations If they are truly driven, the students in this study demonstrate their ability to write autonomously, creatively, and passionately In contrast to how they appear to be merely mimicking the model and adopting certain preconceived conceptions in the routine stated with writing, this displays students as capable and prepared to write in a foreign language with a sense of authorship Writing in a foreign language involves students' own cognitive and affective processes embedded in their unrecognized needs, and this research suggests that decisions about the best teaching strategies and resources for writing in the study context should be based on a thorough interpretation of both outward indications or needs (which are primarily shaped by institutional demands and social expectations) and what is hidden deep within the acts of writing itself

Learners' demotivation can be affected by both external and internal causes, both of which Chong et al (2019) examine at length Several research has pointed to unsuitable teaching techniques and attitudes, low teaching quality, and instructor demotivation as major causes of student disinterest Learner-related effects, primarily coming from intrinsic difficulties like low self-esteem or poor self-worth, can also contribute to learner disengagement In terms of educational consequences, some ideas include providing students with coping techniques for self-regulation and enhancing teachers' professional development through the use of the 5Ts (Teacher,

Teaching Methodology, Text, Task, and Test) They also make recommendations for more research on demotivation, including older L2 learners and investigating less often utilized theories and research techniques

Rudnai (1996) and Dörnyei (1998) were two of the earliest researchers to try to understand the phenomenon of disinterest Rudnai (1996) uses interview guides that address demotivation on the language level, the learner level, and the learning scenario level to determine whether or not her participants had lost interest in English and, if so, why Rudnai found that the learners' competency and learning scenario levels were the most crucial factors missing from her study group Dörnyei (1998) used Hungary's formal framework Teachers or classmates noticed that these students lacked interest in their work The following nine demotivating factors were identified and discussed:

(a) teachers' personalities, commitments, competence, and teaching methods; (b) inadequate school facilities;

(c) students' diminished sense of self-confidence as a result of their own failures or lack of success;

(d) students' distaste for the foreign language (e) the obligatory requirement to study;

(f) the interference of another foreign language;

(g) students' attitudinal problems towards the L2 community; (h) attitudes of group members; and

(i) textbook

The first group, involving educators, received the most reports (40 percent) Muhonen (2004) looked into what demotivated students from attempting to learn English A challenge was given to 91 ninth-graders taking English at a Finnish comprehensive school Students were simply invited to share, in their own words, any school-related difficulties they had encountered that dampened their enthusiasm for English class The responses revealed the following demotivating factors: the instructor, the course materials, the student's personality, the school's setting, and the

student's outlook on English There were very little differences between males and girls in terms of demotivating variables

High school English classes may not inspire students to learn, according to research conducted by Kikuchi and Sakai (2001) The online survey has 112 people who were requested to fill it out They used a primary axis factor analysis to determine that (a) textbooks, (b) classroom conditions, (c) standardized test scores, (d) noncommunicative approaches, and (e) instructor qualifications and pedagogical philosophies all play a role A statistically significant split emerged between the five variables Inadequate school facilities were viewed as less demotivating than the other four variables by the participants, they concluded

Learner motivation and its effect on performance was studied by Rahman et al (2010) The subject matter was the English language (secondary English) One hundred high school juniors and seniors made up the study's sample The research showed that most students wanted to improve their English skills Students' levels of motivation were found to have a highly significant relationship with their academic performance Moreover, the research showed that the things that motivate people vary greatly depending on whether or not they identify as male or female However, the study did not identify any statistically significant differences between the sexes in terms of demotivating influences for learning English

In sum, motivation is significant to language acquisition, especially for second and foreign language learning There are different types of motivation (social, instrumental, or integrative motivation, etc.) and different factors that may affect an individual learners’ motivation to learn (i.e., parental factors, teacher's factors, and classroom features and environment) A number of studies have investigated motivations to learn English in the context of Vietnam recently However, there is still a lack of formal research to determine the factors affecting students' motivation at secondary level, which urged the writer to conduct a formal study into this matter.