ijcrb.webs.

com

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

JULY 2012

VOL 4, NO 3

STUDY OF TEACHERS OPINION REGARDING TECHNIQUES TO INCREASE STUDENTS MOTIVATIONAL LEVEL DURING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AT PRIMARY LEVEL
Dr. Tayyaba Zarif13

Abstract The rational of the study is to take the opinion from the primary teachers regarding effective techniques by which students can be motivated or we can increase the motivational level of students especially during teaching of English at primary level. This is due to the fact that in our context English is not on the L1, in fact it is L3 and in some cases L4. For this purpose altogether 30 teachers were selected through purposive-random sampling from a sample of 10 private schools of Karachi selected with the help of convenient sampling. Information about opinion of teachers regarding effective motivational techniques was collected by using a simple tool. The collected data was analyzed with the help of percentage method. Analyzed data exposed that a number of techniques which can help teachers to motivate students during English language teaching include techniques such as role play, storytelling through games and good relation. Majority of teachers strongly agreed that through role play, storytelling, using games and good relation are very effective techniques for students motivation and according to their opinion, by using these techniques, students motivational level did increase. Almost all teachers strongly disagreed that students can be motivated through punishment. So it is necessary to enhance teachers professional capability in this regard through rigorous training /professional development so teachers develop and implant English language skills more effectively specially in our context where English is not first language. Keywords: Opinion, Techniques, Motivational level

13

Head of Education Department and Research Supervisor Newports Institute of Communications and Economics, Karachi Pakistan
COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

227

ijcrb.webs.com

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

JULY 2012

VOL 4, NO 3

1. Introduction & Literature Review The effectiveness of teaching in classroom can be more efficient by including the knowing that how students motivate for learning. To motivate students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) inside the class is usually a difficult task to achieve which include the multiplicity of psycho-sociological and linguistic factors. (Dornyei, 1998; 2010a),on the contrary, most of teachers of English plays a vital and important role for motivating the students to learning, which would paves the way to ease the understanding of learning process, whereas the motivation can be defined in many ways (Liuoliene & Metiuniene, 2006). Motivation energizes human behavior and provides the right direction in a significant dimension. (Dornyei, 1998, p. 117) For language learning (Gardner, 1985; Gardner et al. 2004; Lightbown & Spada, 1993),A large number of theories and philosophies provides the studies of the many variables that affects student motivation for learning the second language (L2) classroom. These variables have been review and withdraw on in examination of the views on foreign/ second language learning of learners and the teachers participates in this study. Research on L2 motivation (until the early 1990s) was influenced by Gardner (1983; 1985), Clement (1980) and their colleagues. L2 motivation has been influenced by the learner and their attitudes for the social perceptions of the L2 and the speakers of those languages, their interethnic contact and the resulting degree of linguistic self-confidence (Dornyei, 2001a). For example, Gardner (1985, p.6) reports that attitudes of students for a specific language group is been bounded to influence that how much successful the learner will incorporate with the aspects of that languages. This is true consideration that learning a foreign language is quite different from learning other subjects as like the language is been viewed as part of ones identity. Williams (1994) is of the view that learning of a foreign language includes a wide than normally learning skills or a system of rules, laws or a grammar. Motivation is the major concern for improvement of reading and consequently fostering literacy (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott &Wilkinson, 1985), however, one should follow the motivation policies to check that they help improve achievements of the students in the learned language (Dorneyi, 2001a). Using reading texts that students can understand is another motivating factor. It is the practice in some of the schools that teachers of English language reward the students for motivation for the learning of English language as suggested by Schunk(1983). Oldfather (1995) is of the view that use of extrinsic rewards for motivation of the academically frustrated students. Terrel and Rundulic (1996) is also of the view that rewarding the students on completion of a task enhance the self-esteem factor of the student, that ultimately increases motivation. The equivalency of education and location is similar for the motivation. Motivation is usually the most important factor that educators can target in order to improve learning (Olson, 1997). Motivation is referred as the course of action or process of motivating; the conditions to be the motivating; a motivating force, stimulus, or influence; incentive; drive; something (as per need or desire) which causes a person or student to act (Merriam-Webster, 1997); and the expenditure of effort to complete the results (DuBrin, 2008). Motivation of student is an essential and important element that is mandatory for quality education. How can we know that students have motivated? They pays attention, they begin

COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

228

ijcrb.webs.com

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

JULY 2012

VOL 4, NO 3

working on tasks immediately, they ask questions and volunteer answers, and they appear to be happy and eager (Palmer, 2007). Basically, very little if any learning can occurs until students have motivated on a concentrated basis. The five key factors impacting student motivation are: student, teacher, content, method/process, and environment. That is the ideal for students that should have many sources of motivation in their learning experience in each class. (Palmer, 2007; Debnath, 2005; DSouza and Maheshwari, 2010) (Olson, 1997) Also, use stories, personal examples, and language that engage the students and create rapport. Value and build relationship: Relationships are at the heart of teaching since it is an activity based on communication (MacGrath, 2005) Allowing students to select learning partners has been shown to improve their motivation to learn. Also, it is important to get students to accept the reasons why some aspects of the course are not negotiable. (Olson, 1997) Teachers should more emphasize on the integration between real life and school subjects, designed assignments, and experiments that use regular materials and the conditions, and the use of personal anecdotes. (Palmer, 2007) Keeping in view above it can be concluded that through different techniques students can be motivated so this study also seeks to inquire the opinion of teachers regarding techniques Increase Students Motivational level during English Language Teaching at Primary Level. 2. Research Questions This study addressed the following research questions: i. ii. iii. What are the possible factors that could motivate students in language learning? How can teachers teach English language at primary in a more student-centered manner? What are the teaching techniques that could motivate students to yield better learning outcomes 3. Objectives of the study 4. To find out different factors that influence motivational level of students in learning English language at primary level. To assist teachers in motivating the students towards English Language Learning through different effective teaching techniques. To develop a better understanding of English Language Learning in the context of Sindh.

Methodology:

Keeping in view the objectives of the study 10 private Schools were selected through convenient sampling and from these schools 30 most experience teachers who were teaching English to primary classes were selected (03 from each school) with the help of Random purposive sampling. For data collection simple tool with the statement regarding using of motivational techniques were used and teachers were requested to tick any one given option for each statement according to their degree of agreement .The collected data was analyzed by using percentage method.
COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

229

ijcrb.webs.com

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

5. Findings: Analysis of tool results is as under (in %) Responses % Strongly Agree agree 5 4 27% 17% 13% 30% 50% 60% 17% 27% 3% 37% 27% 23% 40% 23% 33% 27% 20% 27% 40% 7% 43% 33%

JULY 2012

VOL 4, NO 3

S#

Item/Techniques

Undecide d 3

Disagree 3

Strongly disagree 1 17% 13% 23% 10% 3% 7% 13% 10% 67% 7% 7%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Through Using pictures Through Using real material Through Using life examples Through Using hand material Through Using story telling Through Using role play Through Using puppets Through Using reward System Through Using punishment Through Using Incentives Through Using Colorful certificates Through Using games

23% 20% 13% 17% 10% 7% 33% 10% 3% 7% 17%

10% 10% 27% 10% 10% 7% 10% 13% 20% 7% 17%

43%

30%

17%

7%

3%

13 14

Through Using good relation Through Using text reading

40% 17%

33% 20%

17% 13%

7% 37%

3% 13%

COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

230

ijcrb.webs.com

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

Graphical Presentation of Results

JULY 2012

VOL 4, NO 3

COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

231

ijcrb.webs.com

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

6. Conclusions & Discussion

JULY 2012

VOL 4, NO 3

Results diagnosed in different direction, for asking the teaching practices through using pictures, the most of the teachers strongly agreed with 27% whereas, only 10% disagree but 17% strongly disagree on the option. Simultaneously, the other options also selected with negative views but 67% of the population strongly disagreed on teaching the English language to students through punishment because when teacher punished student, it affects their holistic development which is directly related to effective long term learning. 50% of the participants strongly agree for using the story telling techniques for increasing motivational level during teaching of English whereas 27% agreed. 60% of the participants strongly agree for using the role plays for teaching whereas only 20% agreed. Primary level students take interest in Story telling which directly enhanced their listening and speaking skills which have pivotal role in reading and writing skills. Almost 43% of the participants accept as true that using games for increasing motivational level during teaching of the English language would help for understanding and 30% are of the view that using games methodology while teaching English would motivate the students for learning other than their native language. Through different types of games teachers can motivate and develop students language skills by assigning different reading, writing and speaking tasks in the form of games.

7.

Recommendations and suggestions

Considering the results evaluated by knowing the views, Story Telling, Role Plays, Using Games and Good Relation are the motivational techniques which increase the motivational level of students for teaching English. These elements would motivate the students for enhancing the English language skills, which is not their mother tongue. On the contrary, the results reflects that punishment do not help to motivate students to enhanced language skills even its the affect reversely for development of English language skills. Teacher should be professionally trained about effective use of motivational techniques specially teaching of English language.

COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

232

ijcrb.webs.com

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

References

JULY 2012

VOL 4, NO 3

Anderson, R. C., Hiebert, E. H., Scott, J. A., & Wilkinson, L. A. (1985). Becoming a nation of readers. Washington: The National Institutes of Education. Debnath, S. C. (2005). College Student Motivation: An Interdisciplinary Approach to an Integrated Learning Systems Model. Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, 6(3), 168189. DuBrin, A. (2008). Essentials of Management, 8/E, South-Western. DSouza, K. A. and Maheshwari, S. K. (2010). Factors Influencing Student Performance in the Introductory Management Science Course. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 14(3), 99-120. Dornyei, Z., (2001a). Teaching and researching motivation. Essex: Longman Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books. Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. London: Arnold. Gardner, R. C. Masgoret, A.M., Tennant, J., & Mihic, L. (2004). Integrative motivation: Changes during a year-long intermediate level language course. Language Learning, 54(1), 1 34. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9922.2004.00247.x, http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1467-9922.2004.00247.x Merriam-Webster (1997). Merriam-Websters Dictionary, Houghton-Mifflin. MacGrath, M. (2005). Beyond Behaviour Management: Manage or Motivate? Education Review, 19(1), 57-64. Oldfather, P. (1995). Commentary: Whats needed to maintain and extend motivation for literacy in the middle grades.Journal of Reading, 38, 420 422. Oldfield, K. A. & McAlpine, J. M. (1995). Peer and self assessment at tertiary level an experiential report. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 20(10), 125 132. doi:10.1080/0260293950200113, http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/0260293950200113 Schunk, D. H. (1983). Reward contingencies and the development of childrens skills and selfefficacy. Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 511 518. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.75.4.511, http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1037/0022-0663.75.4.511 Terrell, S. & Rendulic, P. (1996). Using computer managed instructional software to increase motivation and achievement in elementary school children. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 28, 403 414.
COPY RIGHT 2012 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

233