MOTIVATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN TURKISH EFL PREP CLASSES BY GENDER AND ACADEMIC YEAR

Özet

This research examined the English language learning motivation of B1-level Turkish preparatory class students. The research also looked at whether there was any difference in motivational level based on gender or academic year. The participants were 103 university students who were in a university English preparatory program. Participants were consisted of first-year and second-year (repeat) students. The quantitative data were collected by using Gardner’s Attitude and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to check normality, and it was not met. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to examine gender and years of studying English in the preparatory program. The results revealed that students showed a moderately high motivational level for learning English. There were moderately positive attitudes shown by both male and female students, though male learners identified as being significantly more motivated than female students. Female learners identified as having a slightly higher desire to learn English, As for academic year, second-year students reported higher scores in 'desire', but more than half of the differences were not statistically significant. Overall, the study provided evidence that motivation, while present, differs according to subgroup. The study suggests that English instruction in Turkish preparatory programs needs to consider learners’ emotional needs as well as offer support for sustained effort with more personal and collective awareness. Finally, the results also point to implications for curriculum, course and classroom practices.