Learning Experience as a Factor of Motivation in Lower-Secondary School in Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

This research focusses on the analysis of learning experience. Together with the other factors of motivational structure: Intrinsic motivation, Personal goals, Attractivity of foreign language community, and Worries about learning, it creates motivational profile of foreign language (FL) learners. The analysis is based on the theoretical concept of foreign language motivational self-system by Dörnyei. The research aim was to find out the perception of learning experience and the level of its dependence on the category of the Associations with the expression “German” in the selected categories. Moreover, it was to find out the differences in perception of learning experience, motivational structure, and the length of foreign language studying. The research sample consisted of German FL learners from six different lower-secondary schools within Slovakia. Motivational Structure Questionnaire was used as a research tool to obtain the research data. The data were processed by the selected quantitative and qualitative research methods. The research results supported ambivalence of learning experience. The statistical significance was found in the two categories: the category of Negative emotions related to the category negative perception of educational situation, and the category of German speaking countries related to the higher level of motivation in the factor of learning experience. Furthermore, significant relations were found between the factor of learning experience and the factors of the ideal self of the motivational structure and the length of studying a foreign language. The results in the qualitative part of the research opened up a possible intervention steps towards foreign language motivation reinforcement. Keywords: foreign language, learning experience, motivation in education, qualitative research methods, quantitative research methods.

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