Download pdf
Effects of Student Choice on Intrinsic Motivation and Language Proficiency in High School L2 Education
- 1 The University of Sydney
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This literature review investigates the impact of student choice on intrinsic motivation and language proficiency in high school second language (L2) classrooms. The study addresses the existing gap in comprehensive research regarding how the implementation of student autonomy influences these educational outcomes. A systematic review of empirical studies, teaching practices, and peer-reviewed articles was conducted. Relevant keywords were used to search journals from different academic databases. The identified studies were evaluated based on their methodology, relevance, and quality. This review finds that providing students with autonomy in selecting learning materials and activities could enhance their intrinsic motivation. Increased autonomy fosters greater interest, engagement, and enjoyment in learning. However, the impact of autonomy on language proficiency is mixed. Some studies demonstrate improved proficiency due to personalised learning experiences, while others indicate that excessive autonomy without adequate instructional support can hinder language development. The review highlights the necessity of balancing autonomy with teacher guidance and considers the developmental stage of high school students. While student autonomy in high school L2 classrooms generally increases intrinsic motivation, its impact on language proficiency necessitates carefully combining autonomy with appropriate instructional support. This review underscores the need for longitudinal research to better understand the long-term effects of autonomy on motivation and proficiency, the development of sophisticated tools for measuring intrinsic motivation, and the implementation of practical strategies for integrating student choice in educational practices.
Keywords
student choice, intrinsic motivation, language proficiency, second language learning, learner autonomy
[1]. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
[2]. Noels, K. A., Pelletier, L. G., Clément, R., & Vallerand, R. J. (2000). Why are you learning a second language? Motivational Orientations and Self‐Determination theory. Language Learning, 50(1), 57–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.00111
[3]. Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2009). A Person-in-Context Relational View of Emergent Motivation, Self and Identity. In Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self (Vol. 36). Multilingual Matters.
[4]. Johansen, M. O., Eliassen, S., & Jeno, L. M. (2023). "Why is this relevant for me?": increasing content relevance enhances student motivation and vitality. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1184804. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1184804
[5]. Davis, W. S. (2018). What makes a learning experience intrinsically motivating for American high school language learners? Journal of Pedagogical Research, 2(3), 167–180.
[6]. Proctor, C. P., Silverman, R. D., & Jones, R. L. (2021). Centering language and student voice in multilingual literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 75(3), 255–267. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2051
[7]. REEVE, J. (2009). Why teachers adopt a controlling motivating style toward students and how they can become more autonomy supportive. Educational Psychologist, 44(3), 159–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520903028990
[8]. Marzuki, M., Indrawati, I., & H, I. Y. (2023). Teachers’ challenges in Promoting learner Autonomy. Pioneer, 15(1), 119. https://doi.org/10.36841/pioneer.v15i1.2853
[9]. Benson, P. (2013). Teaching and Researching: Autonomy in Language Learning. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315833767
[10]. Bloemert, J., Paran, A., & Jansen, E. (2020). Connecting students and researchers: The secondary school student’s Voice in Foreign Language Education Research. Cambridge Journal of Education, 50(4), 429–449
[11]. Pfeifer, J. H., & Berkman, E. T. (2018). The Development of Self and Identity in Adolescence: Neural Evidence and Implications for a Value-Based Choice Perspective on Motivated Behavior. Child development perspectives, 12(3), 158–164. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12279
[12]. LITTLE, D. (2007). The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Perspectives on the Making of Supranational Language Education Policy. The Modern Language Journal (Boulder, Colo.), 91(4), 645–655. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2007.00627_2.x
[13]. Dörnyei, Z., MacIntyre, P. D., & Henry, A. (2015). Motivational dynamics in language learning. Multilingual Matters Limited.
[14]. Ushioda, E. (2009). 11. A Person-in-Context Relational View of Emergent Motivation, Self and Identity. In Multilingual Matters eBooks (pp. 215–228). https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847691293-012
[15]. Benson, P., & Reinders, H. (2011). Beyond the language classroom. Palgrave Macmillan.
[16]. Basri, F. (2020). Factors influencing learner autonomy and autonomy support in a faculty of education. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(2), 270–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1798921
[17]. Lantolf, J. P., & Thorne, S. L. (2006). Sociocultural Theory and He Genesis of Second Language Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[18]. Sutton, J., & Austin, Z. (2015). Qualitative Research: Data Collection, Analysis, and Management. The Canadian journal of hospital pharmacy, 68(3), 226–231. https://doi.org/10.4212/cjhp.v68i3.1456
[19]. Ma, Q. (2021). The Role of Teacher Autonomy Support on Students' Academic Engagement and Resilience. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 778581. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.778581
[20]. Muth, J., & Lüftenegger, M. (2024). Associations between Autonomy-Supportive Teaching, the Use of Non-Academic ICTs, and Student Motivation in English Language Learning. Sustainability, 16(3), 1337. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031337
[21]. Ciani, K. D., Middleton, M. J., Summers, J. J., & Sheldon, K. M. (2010). Buffering against performance classroom goal structures: The importance of autonomy support and classroom community. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 35(1), 88–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2009.11.001
[22]. Lazarides, R., Rohowski, S., Ohlemann, S., & Ittel, A. (2015). The role of classroom characteristics for students’ motivation and career exploration. Educational Psychology, 36(5), 992–1008. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2015.1093608
[23]. Jones, J. (2020). Innovations in learning: Design enhances engagement. Childhood Education, 96(1), 58–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2020.1707540
Cite this article
Hou,Y. (2024). Effects of Student Choice on Intrinsic Motivation and Language Proficiency in High School L2 Education. Communications in Humanities Research,46,117-122.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
Disclaimer/Publisher's Note
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
About volume
Volume title: Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies
© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who
publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this
series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published
version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial
publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and
during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See
Open access policy for details).