Attitudes and motivation in teaching and learning English: A perception study at the HSC level

Abstract

This study investigates the symbiotic interplay between attitude and motivation in the context of teaching and learning English at the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) level. To delve into the impacts of attitudes and motivation on teaching and learning English, and to understand the associated issues for a solution, this mixed-methods study employed both qualitative and quantitative research approaches to corroborate the inferences and decisions. To collect data, this study surveyed 530 students and 28 teachers with structured questionnaires and interviewed 10 teachers. The data collected through stratified random sampling were analyzed using SPSS and MS Excel. This study revealed that most of the students and teachers had positive attitudes towards teaching and learning English, though some easily addressable negative attitudes were reported as well. The teachers and students had high motivation for English, with some exceptions related mainly to teachers’ job disaffection and students’ low exposure to a favorable learning environment. The findings of this study are supposed to help adopt the required policies to remove the causes of negative attitudes and low motivation for teaching and learning English effectively and substantially.