Motivation of female students learning English as a foreign language at Qassim University.

Abstract

The researcher investigated, through quantitative surveys, the types of motivation influencing 75 Female Saudi undergraduate university students to learn English in the Physical Therapy program of Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Knowing what motivates these students would have important implications for how they are taught. The types of motivation discussed and measured were based on RC Gardner’s (1985) integrative/instrumental and Deci and Ryan’s (2000) intrinsic/extrinsic theories. The surveys incorporated Likert-style, 5 point scale, to gain insight into how much students were motivated by different types of motivation. Participants were seventy-five female students, aged 19 to 23, studying Physical Therapy in the medical department of Qassim University. Although the average scores for each type of motivation being tested were similar, the results showed that these students were primarily motivated by instrumental and intrinsic types of motivation. A discussion of the most motivating reasons to study English for each type of motivation are included, as well as the single least motivating. A description of the implications on the results for teachers of these students was included. Recommendations to increase instrumental motivations included designing classes that would be useful for students’ future lives and careers, and implementing technology into the classroom. Recommendations to increase intrinsic motivation included using student-centered learning strategies, learning more about student interests, and using a variety of teaching methods to engage students.