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Students’ Task-related Perceptions and Task Engagement in the ESL Classroom through Qualitative Lenses

Szabo, Anita M
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1406880509

Abstract Details

2014, EdD, University of Cincinnati, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Literacy and Second Language Studies.
The study investigated students’ task-related perceptions, motivation, and engagement at a college-level ESL language classroom. Informed by cognitive motivation theories that connect perceptions and behavior, the study explored students’ task perceptions from a motivational perspective. The study used qualitative methodology to counterbalance the dominance of deductive, quantitative research in the field and to examine students’ task-related perceptions, motivation, and engagement in the context of an actual language classroom. Data were collected from 10 student interviews, three focus group sessions, and 15 classroom observations during a period of three academic semesters. Data analysis was inductive, allowing themes and patterns to emerge from the data. In the final analysis, the emerging themes, patterns, and relationships were analyzed and contrasted with existing motivational frameworks. Results indicate that students tend to think about language learning tasks in terms of distinguishable categories. These categories are intricately connected to each other, to motivation, and to motivated behaviors in the classroom. Although the emerging patterns from the study are tentative and need further empirical confirmation, they could contribute to the work on conceptualizing task-motivation in the language learning classroom. The findings also inform classroom practice, confirming and complementing existing motivational strategies in the pedagogical literature.
Mary Benedetti, Ed.D. (Committee Chair)
Susan Watts Taffe, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Cathryn Crosby, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
James Koschoreck, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
140 p.
English As A Second Language
language learning; education; task; perceptions; engagement; motivation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Szabo, A. M. (2014). Students’ Task-related Perceptions and Task Engagement in the ESL Classroom through Qualitative Lenses [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1406880509

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Szabo, Anita. Students’ Task-related Perceptions and Task Engagement in the ESL Classroom through Qualitative Lenses. 2014. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1406880509.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Szabo, Anita. "Students’ Task-related Perceptions and Task Engagement in the ESL Classroom through Qualitative Lenses." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1406880509

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1406880509
352
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.