Attitudes, Motivation, and Second Language Learning: A Meta–Analysis of Studies Conducted by Gardner and Associates

Abstract

This meta-analysis investigates the relationship of second language achievement to five attitude/motivation variables from Gardner's socioeducational model: integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, motivation, integrative orientation, and instrumental orientation. These relationships were examined in studies conducted by Gardner and associates using the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery and various measures of second language achievement including self-ratings, objective tests, and grades. In total, the meta-analysis examined 75 independent samples involving 10,489 individuals. Two additional variables, availability of the language in the community and age level of the students, were examined to assess their moderating effects on the relationships. The results clearly demonstrate that the correlations between achievement and motivation are Preparation of this article was facilitated by a doctoral fellowship (752-uniformly higher than those between achievement and integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, integrative orientation, or instrumental orientation, and that the best estimates of the population correlations are greater than 0. Neither availability nor age had clear moderating effects.One avenue of research on the role of motivation in second language acquisition is that conducted by R. C. Gardner and associates. This research is driven by Gardner's (1985aGardner's ( , 2000 socioeducational model of second language acquisition and generally makes use of the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) to measure the major components of the model. In the socioeducational model, a distinction is made between two classes of attitudes, integrativeness and attitudes toward the learning situation, and a third component, motivation. The model proposes that integrativeness and attitudes toward the learning situation are two correlated variables that support the individual's motivation to learn a second language, but that motivation is responsible for achievement in the second language. This conceptualization implies that integrativeness and attitudes toward the learning situation are related to achievement in the second language, but that their effect is indirect, acting through motivation.There are a number of hypotheses raised in the literature about the relations of attitudes, motivation, and orientations to achievement in the second language (see, for

Receptive vocabulary knowledge and motivation in CLIL and EFL

“…Many authors have found a positive correlation between motivation and foreign language attainment (e.g., Schmidt and Watanabe, 2001;Masgoret and Gardner, 2003;Csizér and Dörnyei, 2005;Bernaus and Gardner, 2008;Yu and Watkins, 2008). This type of studies have examined the relationship between types of motivation and foreign language learning by paying attention to variables such as age or gender.…”

Language Learning Motivation among Malaysian Pre-University Students

“…A number of studies including those carried out by Gardner and his colleagues have argued that language learning motivation is a key factor of successful language learning (see e.g. Masgoret and Gardner (2003) for more reviews of this literature). Accordingly, motivated students would be more eager and enthusiastic to devote the time required to language learning.…”

“…Gardner and Lambert have established the most commonly used framework for understanding the different attitudes and motivation that language learners typically have. Gardner's (1985) particular, quite narrow, use of the term motivation has required clarification, which Masgoret and Gardner (2003) provided by distinguishing between orientations and motivation. Masgoret and Gardner have contended that motivation is mainly goal-directed behavior, revealed in a variety of more specific behaviors and cognitions that serve as the manifestations of motivation.…”

Crossing the bridge: foreign language students’ reciprocal images in (inter)cultural mediation between Portugal and Turkey

“…Dörnyei, 2003;Masgoret & Gardner, 2003), the Turkish group shows a clear tendency to present mainly pragmatic and instrumental reasons to learn Portuguese, whereas the Portuguese group shows a tendency to present mainly integrative and affective reasons to learn Turkish (see Table 3). …”