Motivation in English Language Learning: A Study on Preparatory School Students at Universities

<p>This study aimed to investigate the role of<br>motivation in English language learning,<br>taking into consideration age groups and<br>genders, and shed light on their effects.<br>Additionally, this study attempted to<br>determine whether the type of high school<br>they attended and the current university they<br>were enrolled in (public or private) had<br>influence on students’ internal and external<br>motivation. The study was conducted at<br>foundation and public universities in Ankara,<br>with a total of 212 student participants.<br>Among the participants, 108 were studying at<br>private universities, and 104 were studying at<br>public universities’ preparatory schools. The<br>students were at least at the pre-Intermediate<br>level in the preparatory schools of their<br>universities. The participants’ ages ranged<br>from 18-40, with an average age of 29, and<br>there were 103 males and 108 females.<br>Language Learning Orientations Scale (Noels<br>et al. 2003) was used to measure students’<br>motivation type. The Social Sciences<br>Statistics Program was used for result<br>analysis, and the validity was assessed<br>through Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient<br>(Cronbach, 1951). The results indicated no<br>significant difference between genders and<br>age groups, while differences were observed<br>based on the type of high school they<br>graduated and university they were currently<br>studying at. </p>