Does Gender Matter? Motivation and Learning EFL:
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33806/ijaes2000.23.1.2Keywords:
English as a Foreign Language (EFL), gender, integrated/instrumental, intrinsic/extrinsic, motivation, Saudi ArabiaAbstract
Motivation is one of the most determining factors for the acquisition of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) with gender a key factor. This quantitative research focuses on gender, motivation, and EFL learning in Saudi Arabia. An adapted version of the Motivation and Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ) was used in March 2021 at two Eastern Province public secondary schools. Data were collected from 169 students (aged 16–18). The final sample frame (N=100) comprised a quota sample of 50 males and 50 females. Descriptive analytics affirmed that overall motivation to learn EFL was quite high (female M = 4.06; male M = 3.79). Extrinsic and instrumental motivation prevailed overall with intrinsic and integrative motivation highest for female respondents. Gendered differences were not significant at p< .005 (Asymp. Sig. = .772). Recommendations include (a) research to address contradictory results (level/type of motivation and gender influence) and (b) the mediating effect of attitude and (c) focused efforts to ensure intrinsic motivation in EFL education.
References
Abdilah, Hassan and Raqib Chowdhury. (2013). ‘Gender and motivation: A case study of Iraqi immigrants in Melbourn’. Conference of the International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 6(1), 231-239.
Al-Awaid, Salmeen. (2018). ‘Teaching strategies in EFL environment in the secondary schools in the KSA: Evaluation and remedies’. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 9(2), 50-58. doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.9n.2p.50
Aldosari, Hamad. (2014). ‘The entwined effects of attitude, motivation and gender on EFL learning: A correlation study’. Studies in Literature and Language, 8(1), 1-5. doi:10.3968/j.sll.1923156320140801.4183
Alharbi, Yousef. (2019). ‘A review of the current status of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education in Saudi Arabia’. Global Journal of Education and Training, 2(1). http://www.gjetonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/vol2-Issue1-Paper1.pdf
Al-Harthy, Said. (2017). ‘English language motivation between gender and cultures’. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 7(2), 123-132. doi:10.5901/jesr.2017.v7n2p123
Allen, Mike. (2018). ‘Measures of central tendency’. In M. Allen (ed.), SAGE Encyclopaedia of Communication Research Methods. 951-953. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483381411.n332
Al-ma’shy, A. A. (2011). Causes of EFL speaking weakness in Saudi secondary schools in Al-Gunfuthah city. Unpublished Master’s thesis. King Saud University, Riyadh.
Alrabai, Fakieh. (2015). ‘The influence of teachers’ anxiety-reducing strategies on learners’ foreign language anxiety’. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 9(2), 163-190. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2014.890203
Alrabai, Fakieh. (2016). ‘Factors underlying low achievement of Saudi EFL learners’. International Journal of English Linguistics, 6(3), 21-27. doi:10.5539/ijel.v6n3p21
Alrabai, Fakieh. (2018). ‘Learning English in Saudi Arabia’. In C. Moskovsky & M. Picard (Eds.), English as a foreign language in Saudi Arabia, 102-119. Routledge.
Alzhrani, Nesreen and Miriam Alkubaidi. (2020). ‘Causes of paradigm shift from EFL to ESL in higher education in Saudi Arabia’. International Journal of Education, 12(4), 38-47.
doi:10.5296/ije.v12i4.17652
Azad, K. (2008, March 14). ‘How to analyze data using the average’. Better Explained. https://betterexplained.com/articles/how-to-analyze-data-using-the-average/
Bećirović, Senad. (2017). ‘The relationship between gender, motivation and achievement in learning English as a Foreign Language’. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 6(2), 210-202.
doi:10.13187/ejced.2017.2.210
Cahyono, Bambang and Titik Rahayu. (2020). ‘EFL students’ motivation in writing, writing proficiency, and gender’. TEFLIN Journal, 31(2), 162-180.
http://dx.doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v31i2/162-180
Daif-Allah, Ayman and Fahad Aljumah. (2020). ‘Differences in motivation to learning English among Saudi university students’. English Language Teaching, 13(2), 63-74.
Dörnyei, Zoltan. (1990). ‘Conceptualizing motivation in foreign-language learning’. Language Learning, 40(1), 45-78. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1990.tb00954.x
Dörnyei, Zoltan and Istivan Otto. (1998). ‘Motivation in action: A process model of L2 motivation’. Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 4, 43-69.
Dunsmore, Linda. (2019, May 25). ‘Teaching ESL vs. EFL: What’s the difference’? ITTT Blog. https://www.teflcourse.net/blog/teaching-esl-vs-efl-whats-the-difference-ittt-tefl-blog/
Fandiño, Fredy, Luz Muñoz and Angela Velandia. (2019).’ Motivation and E-learning English as a foreign language: A qualitative study’. Heliyon, 5, Article e02394.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02394
Freed, Alice. (1995). ‘Language and gender’. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 15, 3-22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190500002580
Gardner, Robert and Wallace Lambert. (2014). ‘Attitudes and motivation in second language learning’. In Bilingualism, multiculturalism, and second language learning 63-84. Psychology Press.
Hamouda, Arafat. (2013). ‘An exploration of causes of Saudi students’ reluctance to participate in the English language classroom’. International Journal of English Language Education, 1(1), 17-34. doi:10.5296/ijele.v1i1.2652
Khan, Intakhab. (2011). ‘Learning difficulties in English: Di¬agnosis and pedagogy in Saudi Arabia’. International Research Journal, 2(7) 1248-1257.
Khazaie, Zeinab and Zahrah Mesbah. (2014). ‘The relationship between extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation and strategic use of language of Iranian intermediate EFL learners’. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(1), 99-109. doi:10.4304/tpls.4.1.99-109
Khong, Hou-Keat, Nurul Hassan and Norasrani Ramli. (2017). ‘Motivation and gender differences in learning Spanish as a foreign language in a Malaysia n technical university’. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction (MJLI), 14 (2), 59-83.
Vision 2030. (2022). Saudi Vision 2030. https://www.vision2030.gov.sa
Kubi, Reuben Appiah. (2019). The influence of gender on attitudes and motivation towards learning English as a second language: A case of Ghanaian senior secondary school students. Master’s thesis, University of Bergen. Bergen Open Research Archive. https://bora.uib.no/boraxmlui/bitstream/handle/1956/21126/MASTER-S-THESIS.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
McGregor, Sue. (2018). Understanding and evaluating research. SAGE.
Öztürk, Gokan and Nurdan Gürbüz. (2013). ‘The impact of gender on foreign language speaking anxiety and motivation’. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 70, 654-665. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.01.106
Parangan, Betsy and Junette Buslon. (2020). ‘The construct of gender and ethnicity in language proficiency of post-colonial ESL learners’. TESOL International Journal, 15(1), 86-92.
Said, M. M. and Sukardi Weda. (2018). ‘English language anxiety and its impacts on students’ oral communication among Indonesian students: A case study at Tadulako University and Universitas Negeri Makassar’. TESOL International Journal, 13(3), 21-30.
Salehpour, Golamreza and Ali Roohani. (2020). ‘Relationship between intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and L2 speaking skill among Iranian male and female EFL learners’. Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature, 13(1), 43-59. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/jtl3.803
Salem, Nada. (2006). The role of motivation, gender and language learning strategies in EFL proficiency. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. American University of Beirut, Lebanon. http://www.nadasisland.com/salem-thesis-TEFL-2006.pdf
Salikin, Hairus, Saidna Bin-Tahir, Reni Kusumaningputri and DianYuliandari. (2017). ‘The Indonesian EFL learners' motivation in reading’. English Language Teaching, 10(5), 81-90. doi: 10.5539/elt.v10n5p81
Tulu, Geberew. (2014). ‘Boys' and girls' attribution of performance in learning English as a foreign language: The case of Adama high school in Ethiopia’. Educational Research and Reviews, 2(3), 2197-2211. doi:10.5897/ERR2013.1624
Vanderick, Stephanie. (2000). ‘The need for more research on female language learners in the classroom’. Temple University Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 7, 11-25.
Xiong, Xin. (2010). ‘A comparative study of boys' and girls' English study difference’. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 1(3), 309-312. doi:10.4304/jltr.1.3.309-312
