Ebbs and Flows: A Longitudinal Study of an English Language Instructor’s Motivation to Learn Korean

Native English speaking language teachers who live and work in various parts of the world often express a desire to learn the language of their host country. Without sustained levels of motivation, however, their desires are unlikely to be realized. This article reports the findings of a longitudinal case study of an American English language instructor working at a South Korean university. It examines the factors that impacted her motivation to learn Korean, and explores the ebbs and flows that characterized her motivation over a one-year period. Findings revealed that while the participant did express a desire to learn Korean and formulated learning goals, the action necessary to achieve these goals did not occur. This article draws on the L2 Motivational Self System and the Process Model of L2 Motivation to provide a dual theoretical perspective on the findings.     

How do student and classroom characteristics affect attitude toward mathematics? A multivariate multilevel analysis

This study investigated the effects of student and classroom characteristics on math self-confidence, perceived usefulness, and enjoyment of mathematics as multiple outcomes. A sample of 7th-grade students from 78 classes of 49 schools was studied. The data were collected using, among other instruments, an attitude questionnaire. The results of the multivariate multilevel analysis showed that the variance of the 3 indicators was situated mostly at the student level, and that the indicators correlated strongly at the class level. Higher prior mathematics achievement and positive parental beliefs and attitudes were significant predictors of higher scores across the 3 indicators. Each of the baseline indicators was significantly associated with its corresponding final indicator. At the classroom level, classroom assessment was significantly associated with less endorsement of all 3 indicators, higher levels of classroom modeling with greater endorsement of perceived usefulness of mathematics, and classroom questioning with greater enjoyment of mathematics.