Differences between VUS and Trí Việt Students’ View of Motivation... Through conversations in class, I found out that teenagers’ motivation to learn in Vietnamese USA Society VUS and Trí
Nguồn Gốc Ý Thức
Thuộc Tính Phản Ánh Của Vật Chất và Sự Ra Đời Của Ý Thức
Phản ánh là đặc tính chung của mọi dạng vật chất, thể hiện ở khả năng giữ lại và tái hiện những đặc điểm của hệ thống vật chất này trong hệ thống vật chất khác khi chúng tác động qua lại với nhau Nói cách khác, phản ánh cho phép vật chất lưu trữ và sao chép các đặc điểm cốt lõi của nhau trong quá trình tương tác, giúp mô tả và hiểu sâu hơn về cấu trúc, quá trình biến đổi và động lực của vật chất khi đối mặt với các tác động từ môi trường.
Trong quá trình tiến hóa của thế giới vật chất, các thuộc tính phản ánh của nó phát triển từ thấp đến cao và từ đơn giản đến phức tạp Ý thức được xem là hình thức phản ánh cao nhất của thế giới vật chất, là một dạng thuộc tính của vật chất được tổ chức cao trong não người, phản ánh thế giới khách quan lên bộ óc con người.
Vai Trò Của Lao Động và Ngôn Ngữ Trong Hình thành và phát triển của ý thức
Based on my experience as a teaching assistant at a language center in Ho Chi Minh City, I found that teenagers’ motivation to learn languages often diverges from teachers’ expectations and what the literature suggests A compelling example is that students requested Korean videos during breaks, showing interest in languages beyond English even when English learning is convenient Through class conversations, I learned that teenage motivation to learn at the Vietnamese USA Society (VUS) and Trí Việt is particularly revealing, which inspired me to pursue research into their motivational drivers.
Research Aims
The main aim of this research is to investigate teenagers at VUS and Trí Việt language center’s learning motivation Following are sub-aims of the research:
To find out the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation;
To find out the differences in motivation between teenagers in VUS and teenagers in Trí Việt language center.
Research Questions
Research question 1: What are the factors that influence EFL teenagers’ motivation for learning English at language centers?
Research question 2: Are there significant differences among the factors that influence EFL teenagers’ motivation for studying English?
Research question 3: Are there significant differences in motivation between teenagers in VUS and teenagers in Trí Việt language center?
Significance of the Study
This study investigates teenagers’ learning motivation to advance understanding of student motivation within Vietnamese practice at VUS and Trí Việt, with an emphasis on second language teaching By exploring how student expectations align with or diverge from teachers’ interpretations of their needs, the research seeks to inform and improve current teaching practices at VUS and Trí Việt In doing so, it aims to bridge gaps between learner needs and instructional approaches, ultimately contributing to the Vietnamese educational system.
Limitations of the Study
Because the study was conducted over a short period and relied on convenience sampling, its limitations are substantial The small, non-random sample and the occurrence of unreliable questionnaire responses diminish the reliability and limit the generalizability of the findings Nevertheless, the research contributes to understanding teenagers' motivation, though its conclusions should be interpreted with caution given these methodological constraints.
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis follows a five-chapter structure, beginning with an Introduction that outlines the research background, objectives, research questions, and significance; Chapter 2, the Literature Review, surveys empirical studies and key theoretical frameworks; Chapter 3, the Methodology, explains the data collection and data analysis methods used; Chapter 4, Findings and Discussions, presents and interprets the study results; and Chapter 5, Conclusion and Recommendations, restates the research aims and offers actionable recommendations.
Chapter Summary
This chapter serves as the thesis introduction, outlining the study’s background, the problems that prompted the research, and the aims and questions guiding the investigation, along with the study’s significance and limitations It opens with a background section that surveys the existing literature on learning motivation, situating the current work within prior findings and gaps It then presents the problems that led to conducting the research and explains how these challenges shape the study’s approach The chapter continues with the clearly stated research aims and research questions, and concludes by discussing the study’s significance for theory and practice as well as its limitations.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition of Motivation
Motivation is a central concept in psychology with several definitions It can be understood as the reason you want to act and as the driving force that spurs vigorous effort to learn or accomplish tasks More precisely, motivation describes how strongly you choose which goals to pursue and how much effort you devote to pursuing them.
In education, motivation centers on capturing a child’s attention and curiosity and channeling their energy toward learning, a process that drives engagement and learning outcomes (Lumsden) Motivation strongly affects students’ learning capacity (Budden, 2003) and is a key factor in determining the quality of learning involvement and commitment to the learning process (Administrator, 2010) When students are unmotivated, they may remain inattentive throughout a lesson, whereas motivated students tend to perform better (Schunk, Pintrich).
& Meece, 2008) Motivation plays an important role in education.
In second language learning, motivation is linked to engagement in valued endeavors, including the desire to belong to multiple communities Researchers have re-theorized motivation by tying it to self and identity, focusing on how identity goals shape and are shaped by motivational processes They identify two factors that contribute to and are shaped by situated motivation: long-term developmental processes and individual trajectories of motivation and identity The emphasis on these developmental trajectories highlights socialization's role in promoting motivation, since identity grows and changes in response to encouragement and pressure from culture, socializers, peers, and other significant others within one’s social circle (Brophy, 2009).
Theories of Motivation
Numerous theories of motivation have been proposed over the past decades There emerged three different perspectives following motivation’s schools of thoughts, which are behavioristic, cognitive and constructivist perspectives.
In behaviorism, motivation is defined as “the anticipation of reinforcement” (Brown, 2000) External forces such as parents, teachers, peers, educational requirements, and job specifications are viewed as the primary drivers of motivation, shaping learners’ behavior in this framework (Brown, 2007) Accordingly, learners are said to pursue goals mainly to receive external rewards rather than for intrinsic satisfaction (Brown, 2000).
This perspective emphasizes the individual’s decision Motivation is viewed as
Motivation arises from the choices people make about which experiences or goals to pursue or avoid and how much effort they will exert toward them (Keller, 1983) Santrock (2009) further suggests that people's thoughts guide their motivation, shaping what they decide to chase Cognitive psychology identifies six core needs that drive decision-making: exploration, manipulation, activity, stimulation, knowledge, and ego enhancement (Ausubel, 1968).
From a constructivist perspective, motivation emerges from the dynamic interplay between social contexts and individual choice Constructivist theory posits that motivation is shaped by both our interactions with others and our own self-determination While people are driven by diverse motives that guide their actions in unique ways, every behavior unfolds within a broader cultural and social milieu.
Brown (2007) argued that learning a foreign language requires a combination of all three levels of motivation He presents a framework of three views of motivation, summarized in Table 1 as Brown’s representation of motivation, which illustrates how personal interest, situational factors, and overarching goals interact to drive learners’ effort, persistence, and eventual success in language acquisition.
Anticipation of reward Driven by basic human Social context needs (exploration, manipulation, etc.) Community
Desire to receive positive reinforcement
Degree of effort Social status expended
Security of groupExternal, individual Internal, individual Internal, interactive forces in control forces in control forces in control
Types of Motivation
The other way to examined motivation is to divide it into two types based on the reasons or goals rising to actions, which are intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation (Deci, & Ryan, 1985).
Intrinsic motivation is defined as the reason why people perform activities for satisfaction or pleasure (Brown, 2007) In other words, intrinsic motivation is the internal motivation to do something for its own sake (Santrock, 2009) It occurs when people act without external rewards (Coon, & Mitterer, 2010) Intrinsic motivation energizes the individual’s behaviors and interest for activities (deCharm, 1968) Intrinsically motivated behaviors, as Brown (2007) believed, aim to bring certain internal rewarding such as feelings of competence and self- determination.
Extrinsic motivation is the external drive to act in order to obtain an outcome, such as rewards, graduation, passing a test, or avoiding penalties (Santrock, 2009) In this view, students are motivated to learn for reasons outside the task itself, driven by external incentives like rewards and punishments (Lumsden) Consequently, this type of motivation is strongly shaped by these external incentives rather than internal interest (Santrock, 2009).
Motivating Teenagers
Motivation has traditionally been viewed as an individual variable, placing learner individuality at the core of motivation theories (Garol Murray, Xuesong Gao, & Terry Lamb, 2011) As Ushioda (2009) argues, motivation theories must address these individual differences among learners Since different types of learners bring different motives to the learning process, recognizing and accommodating these diverse motivations is essential for effective learning across contexts.
Motivating teenagers and young adults to learn is a central challenge teachers face (Malinchak, 2011) A teen’s learning motivation is shaped by their evolving value system, with many adolescents citing friends, freedom, and fun as key drivers (Guilford, 2011) To spark and sustain engagement, they need to feel connected to peers and others, which strengthens their motivation to learn (May, 2014).
Numerous studies on motivation have been conducted in the field of second language acquisition Although some research directly investigates the motives of second language learners, these studies often concentrate on learners’ perceptions and attitudes toward their own motivation rather than the deeper drivers themselves The following synopsis summarizes the literature by organizing studies according to (a) subjects, (b) objectives, and (c) data collected, providing a concise, SEO-friendly overview for researchers and practitioners.
Previous studies have encompassed learners across the educational spectrum—primary, secondary, high school, and university students—from diverse regions worldwide Participant counts varied considerably, from as few as 17 (Leslie, 2010) to as many as 591 (Juriševič; Pižorn, 2013), with the majority of participants being university students.
Second, the objectives of those studies are to investigate students’ perception and attitude toward external factors which affect their learning motivation (Zainal, Shahrani, Yatim, Rahman, Rahmat, & Latih, 2011), (Simmons, 2014), (Giota,
Across studies from 2001 to 2013, researchers explore how to measure levels of motivation, how teaching programs influence motivation, and the factors that affect student engagement; notable contributions include Tsuda (2003), Djigunović (2012), and Navarro-Villarroel (2011) on motivation measurement and program comparison, Stegmann (2013) on evaluating teaching programs, Saeed & Zyngier (2012) on the influence of motivation, Dislen (2013) on reasons why students are unmotivated, and Carlton & Winsler offering practical tips to motivate students.
1998), (Crow, 2009), (Kusurka, Croiset, & Catte, 2011), (Leslie, 2010), (Paxton,
Third, the data in prior studies is collected from surveys, interviews, students’ assignments, and students’ journals The main information collected is students’ feelings, belief, and test scores.
Existing research has advanced our understanding of motivation, but it largely overlooks the learning motivation of teenagers from middle- and upper-class families Additionally, prior studies tend to explain teenage learning motivation primarily through behaviorist theories Few studies examine teenage learning motivation from cognitive and constructivist perspectives, and those explanations are often unclear regarding the underlying motives.
Chapter Summary
This chapter presents the motivation theories and the summary of related studies. The first part is the definition of motivation The second part is
METHODOLOGY
Quantitative
To achieve the research objectives, this study employed a quantitative approach using surveys as the data-collection instrument, chosen for its clear advantage in rapidly gathering large volumes of data in a short period (Mitchell & Jolley, 2012) The accompanying figure illustrates the steps involved in this quantitative research process.
Questionnaire Data Collection Data Analysis
Instrument Construction
Questionnaire development involves a multi-step process, including conducting pilot interviews, extracting insights from empirical studies, selecting and adapting items, translating the instrument into Vietnamese, and validating its content After these steps are completed, the official questionnaire, consisting of 26 items, was created (Appendix A).
Following pilot interviews, the questionnaire items were drawn from Brown’s representation of motivation (Brown, 2007) Three constructs—“Internal, Individual forces in control,” “Social context,” and “Degree of effort expended”—were identified but not included in the questionnaire because they are not practical to assess with teenagers A limitation of Brown’s model is that it offers a conceptual framework without directly linked items or explicit explanations, so these constructs were interpreted through other psychological theories The rest of this section explains the research items used in this study.
Questionnaire items were drawn from prior studies and aligned with Brown's constructs, with contextual adjustments to fit this research setting All items are positively worded except one that originally stated "The teacher seems emotionally cold to me." To facilitate coding and data analysis, this item was recoded to a positive form: "The teacher does not seem emotionally cold to me."
Views of Questionnaire motivation constructs
D es ir et or ec ei ve po si ti ve re in fo rc em en t A nt ic ip at io n of r ew ar ds
I am keenly aware of the Using Learner goals I have for getting Controlled good grades Progress-Based
I am strongly motivated Motivation by the recognition I can and Achievement of earn from my family, friends, or teachers At-Risk Students in
I am strongly motivated Online Learning by the grades I can earn.
My teachers have Increasing Teacher multiple Approvals and strategies/systems in Student Positive place to acknowledge Behaviors in the appropriate behavior Classroom
My teachers’ instruction actively engaged students in observable ways
My teachers provide more frequent acknowledgement for appropriate behaviors than inappropriate behavior
I want to meet my peers Turkish Young who can speak English Language Learners’
I learn English to go fo rce sin co nt ro l
English abroad. ind ivi du al
I want to visit countries as a native language. where English is spoken
I want to answer the questions asked in
Cognitive development is driven by basic human needs, including exploration and manipulation, which shape how students engage with course content A well-designed curriculum supports this drive by providing meaningful opportunities for inquiry and hands-on practice, accelerating knowledge construction As students expand their understanding, their perceived service quality—encompassing clarity of instruction, timely feedback, and accessible learning resources—significantly influences motivation and satisfaction In turn, higher perceived service quality enhances engagement and academic outcomes, creating a positive loop between course design, student knowledge growth, and the overall learning experience.
Classroom equipped with satisfaction, loyalty teaching aids and motivation in
Campus environment is Indian universities convenient for study Development of
HiEduQual Teachers treat students in equal manner
I get many chances to Effects of extrinsic show my talents in class and intrinsic motivation on
I feel very competent when using English participation in
I often feel confident contest when using English in the language center A perspective of
Social status self-determination theory
Security of group forces incontro l
The teacher does not An evaluation of seem emotionally cold to the construct of me earned security in adolescents:
The teacher spoke to me in a warm and friendly Evidence from an voice inpatient sample
The teacher appeared to understand my problems and worries
I make friendship with other students
I do favor for this class
The reason I participate Effects of extrinsic in this crowdsourcing and intrinsic contest is because of motivation on what it stands for, participation in i.e its values crowdsourcing contest
I have a strong sense of belonging towards the A perspective of
If the values of the language center were different, I would not choose it
The questionnaire items were created based on five points Likert scale with numerical value from one to five for each degree of agreement ranging from (1)
Participants answered a survey using a five-point Likert scale to indicate their level of agreement with each item: 1 for Totally disagree, 2 for Disagree, 3 for Partly agree, 4 for Agree, and 5 for Totally agree Each respondent selected the number that matched their position on every item The responses were then transformed into numerical values and analyzed with descriptive statistics to summarize the data.
Building on items from well-published studies, the questionnaire was translated from English into Vietnamese Before the survey began, the draft questionnaires were reviewed by three lecturers and a group of seven English-major students to assess the content suitability and linguistic clarity Based on their feedback, only item one required translation adjustment, changing the wording from "I like studying English at Tri Viet / VUS because of the achievements I can attain" to "I like studying English at Tri Viet / VUS because Tri Viet / VUS ensures I can achieve high academic performance," as suggested by one lecturer.
Population and Sampling
This study focuses on students learning English at two language centers, VUS and Trí Việt Detailed demographic information about these learners is not available because VUS records were not consistently maintained over time, making an exact count impossible The sample comprises 50 students from VUS and 88 students from Trí Việt The centers differ in their target populations: VUS aims at high-class families, while Trí Việt serves middle-class families, illustrating distinct student profiles and program emphases.
Convenience sampling was chosen as the only feasible approach because obtaining permission to survey teenagers in language centers involves complex bureaucratic hurdles Given the three-month study window, this sampling method enables rapid data collection and ensures a sufficient sample size for subsequent data analysis.
Subjects
This study looks at 138 teenagers aged 12 to 16 who attend the VUS and Trí Việt language centers They select these centers to pursue extra English classes outside their compulsory school curricula Because English is a required subject in their schools, these students enroll in additional language programs to improve their English proficiency.
Data Collection
Initially, data collection was planned at VUS, but disagreements among managers halted the survey, leaving only 55 completed questionnaires from VUS.
Data collection began with a meeting of Hoa Sen University staff responsible for linking students with businesses to identify suitable language centers for the survey A consent form, signed by the Head of the Hoa Sen University Department of Language and Cultural Studies, was then sent to the managers of the language centers to obtain permission to conduct the survey (Appendix B) After permission was granted, the survey commenced.
May 7 th to May 10 th , 2017 150 questionnaires were given to participants and it took them about 10 to 15 minutes to complete all the items After the survey finished, 145 questionnaires were responded but only 138 can be used for the data analysis.
Data Analysis
After data was collected, SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version
22 was used as a tool to analyze data with the purpose to calculate the reliability, and the mean scores for constructs and items to answer the research questions.
Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization was used to identify clusters of items The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure was computed across 11 rounds to remove items with factor loadings below 0.60 After eliminating items 21, 18, 10, 24, 5, 6, 4, 13, 12, and 11, the final KMO value reached 0.757, indicating sampling adequacy for each factor Bartlett’s test of Sphericity was significant (p < 0.05), showing that the correlation matrix differs from the identity matrix All remaining items loaded above 0.60. -**Support Pollinations.AI:** -🌸 **Ad** 🌸Powered by Pollinations.AI free text APIs [Support our mission](https://pollinations.ai/redirect/kofi) to keep AI accessible for everyone.
The data collected was then reconstructed based on the test results presented in table 3, as following.
No Items Items content Construct
1 I am keenly aware of the goals I have Anticipation of rewards for getting good grades
2 I am strongly motivated by the recognition I can earn from my family, friends, or teachers
3 I am strongly motivated by the grades I can earn.
7 I want to meet my peers who can External, individual forces speak English in control
8 I learn English to go abroad
9 I want to visit countries where
English is spoken as a native language
14 Teachers treats students in equal Self-concept manner
15 I get many chances to show off my talents in class
16 I feel very competent when participating in crowdsourcing contests via crowdsourcing systems
17 I often feel confident when using the crowdsourcing systems to solve the problems
19 The teacher spoke to me in a warm and friendly voice
20 The teacher appeared to understand my problems and worries
23 I do favor for this class
25 I have a strong sense of belonging Community towards the crowdsourcing community (friends, family)
26 If the values of the crowdsourcing project were different, I would not be as attached to it.
Item 1, 2, 3,7,8,9,22,23,25, and 26 are still belong to their original theoretical constructs However, item 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 20 are merged into one construct self-concept, which is adopted from (Manning, 2007).
Self-concept is the perceived competence or adequacy in academic and nonacademic domains It develops through students’ experiences and interpretations of their environment, with evaluations by significant others, reinforcing feedback, and personal attributions shaping how they view their abilities and behavior (Manning, 2007; Shavelson, Hubner, & Stanton, 1976).
Descriptive statistics were employed to provide an overview of the survey items and to address the study’s research questions This analysis identified which aspects of teenagers’ intrinsic and extrinsic learning motivation were most and least evident, comparing outcomes across the two language centers.
To address the second research question about differences between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, the researchers conducted a one-sample t-test for each motivation type, comparing its sample mean to the hypothesized population mean of 3 This approach, as described by George Morgan, Nancy Leech, Gene Gloeckner, and Karen Barrett (2004), tests whether the observed motivation scores significantly depart from the neutral benchmark of 3 A significant deviation from 3 would indicate a difference from the hypothesized mean and, consequently, a distinct level of extrinsic or intrinsic motivation within the sample; if the difference is not significant, there is no evidence that either motivation type differs from the hypothesized mean.
An independent samples t-test was conducted to examine potential differences between two independent groups of students in overall motivation as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, following the approach of Morgan, Leech, Gloeckner, and Barrett (2004) However, due to a limitation in the sample size of VUS students, the observed differences were not statistically significant.
Chapter Summary
This chapter is organized into six sections that collectively describe the study’s methodology, the construction of the research instrument, the research population and sampling, the subjects, the data collection process, and the data analysis plan The first section provides an overview of the methodological approach used to conduct the study The second section details the development and validation of the research instrument The third section outlines the research population and sampling strategy, including the sampling framework and inclusion criteria The fourth section describes the subjects who participated in the study and their characteristics The fifth section explains the data collection process, procedures, and instruments used to gather data The final section presents the data analysis plan, including factor analysis, descriptive statistics, a one-sample t-test, and an independent t-test to examine hypotheses and relationships.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
Teenagers’ Learning Motivation
Table 4 summarizes the questionnaire responses from two student groups and highlights differences in group size Among the respondents, 88 were Trí Việt students (63.8%) and 50 were VUS students (36.2%), indicating unequal participation between the Trí Việt and VUS groups.
2 Internal, interactive forces in control 4.0
4 External, individual forces in control 3.83
Table 6 provides an overview of teenagers’ motivating factors, highlighting that self-concept-related drivers (M=4.1) and internal, control-oriented forces (M=4.0) have the strongest influence This finding reflects how adolescents' sense of self and their interactions with peers and others shape their motivation Ultimately, these core factors directly affect academic performance, making self-concept and peer dynamics central considerations for strategies to support teen learning.
1 I am strongly motivated by the grades I can earn 4.18
2 I want to visit countries where English is spoken as a native language 3.96
3 I am keenly aware of the goals I have for getting good grades 3.91
4 I want to meet my peers who can speak English 3.85
5 I am strongly motivated by the recognition I can earn from my family, friends, or teachers 3.82
6 I learn English to go abroad 3.73
Table 7 presents students’ extrinsic motivation The results indicated that teenagers are highly motivated by external factors (all the mean scores are above
3.5) There are three factors shared the highest mean scores, which are graded they can earn (M=4.18), the wish to visit spoken English countries (M=3.96), and the goal for getting good grades (M=3.91).
Grades are the main driver of motivation for many teenagers, a conclusion drawn from surveys conducted at language centers where students attend extra-curricular English classes In these language centers, learners arrive with personal goals and a clear desire to improve, and for many of them, higher grades serve as a concrete measure of progress The focus on grades influences study routines, class participation, and overall engagement in language learning beyond the regular curriculum Understanding this dynamic helps educators tailor instruction to support students as they strive to enhance their English proficiency and academic performance.
Item 25 captures the most visionary goal participants could imagine Although peer and family factors did not yield the top mean scores, they still played an important role, with mean scores staying high and ranging from 3.73 to 3.85.
1 The teacher spoke to me in a warm and friendly voice 4.26
2 The teacher appeared to understand my problems and worries 4.18
3 The teacher treats students in equal manner 4.17
4 I feel very competent when using English 4.07
6 I get many chances to show my talents in class 3.99
7 I do favor for this class 3.96
8 I often feel confident when using English in the language center 3.93
9 If the valu es of the language center were different, I would not choose it 3.34
10 I have a strong sense of belonging towards the English community 2.96 (friends, family)
Table 8 illustrates teenagers’ intrinsic motivation for learning, highlighting the factors with the highest mean scores The top five motivators are the teacher’s voice (M=4.26), the teacher’s sympathy (M=4.18), the teacher’s manner (M=4.17), self-competence (M=4.07), and familiar friends.
This study is somehow supporting study results of Crow (2008), which stated that
“Interacting with others is often a component of intrinsically motivating,
In collectivist contexts such as Vietnam, the teacher is the focal point of the classroom, and the interaction between teacher and students is the most influential factor in motivating learning Accordingly, the variables related to teacher interaction show the highest mean scores Intrinsic motivation among teenagers is linked to their self-concept Interestingly, sense of belonging to a community has little impact on motivation, with a mean of 2.96 A plausible explanation is that teenagers’ English learning at language centers may reflect parental choices rather than their own, given their financial dependence on parents This result supports the view that parental influence can shape language-learning motivation in such settings.
Santrock (2009) argues that parents influence their children's peer worlds in several ways Consequently, although friendship-related factors can boost student performance, they are rarely at the forefront of educational priorities.
Differences between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
Table 9: One-Sample t-test statistics
Table 10: One-Sample t-test test
T df Sig (2-tailed) Difference Lower Upper
A one sample t-test with hypothesized mean score at 3 was conducted to find out whether students are differently motivated by intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation were each compared with a hypothesized population mean of 5 The sample means were 3.89 for extrinsic motivation and 3.88 for intrinsic motivation, and both differences from 5 were statistically significant (p < 0.001) Moreover, the confidence intervals for these mean differences do not include zero, confirming a significant departure from the hypothesized population mean for both forms of motivation.
Contrary to expectations, this study found no significant difference between teenagers’ extrinsic and intrinsic motivation The mean scores were 3.89 for extrinsic motivation and 3.88 for intrinsic motivation, indicating that students are simultaneously motivated by both types This result aligns with Saeed and Zyngier (2012), who showed that in-class engagement arises from a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, with these motivational forces supporting each other and remaining inseparable.
Explaining this result is challenging, and the explanation may stem from the selected sample Students at the two language centers could differ in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation due to external conditions, yet because they share similar teenage characteristics, they identify motives in a similar way As a result, the average scores for intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are nearly the same.
Differences between VUS and Trí Việt Students’ View of Motivation 28 4.4 Chapter Summary
Table 12: Levene’s Test for Equality of Variances and t-test for Equality of Means
Levene’s Test for Equality t-test for Equality of Means of Variances
Sig Mean Std Error Difference
F Sig t df (2-tailed) Difference Difference Lower Upper
The Independent t-test was conducted to check whether students in two groups different in learning motivation.
The first table, Group Statistics, reports descriptive statistics for two groups of students, Trí Việt and VUS, separately Across the three paired comparisons, the mean scores differ, indicating variation that warrants a formal test Therefore, the t-test results shown in the next table are needed to determine whether these differences are statistically significant and to provide a rigorous comparison between the two groups.
The second table provides two statistical tests, which are the Levene’s Test for Equality of Variances and the t-test for Equality of Means In both three cases, Levene’s F is not statistically significant (Sig>.05), which means the assumption is not violated and the Equal variances assumed results are used for the t-test and related statistics.
Because of the limitation in sample selection, the t in both three cases is not statistically significant (p>.05) However, there are differences in learning motivation as suggested by the general mean scores of two groups of students It can be seen that VUS students have the higher level of motivation in general and extrinsic motivation in specific, compared to Trí Việt students As socioeconomic status is an important factor that affect students’ academic achievement, the result can be explained using the price students have to pay for their studying (Bornstein,
According to Bradley (2003), studying English at VUS is substantially more expensive than at Trí Việt, which drives higher motivation to learn among VUS students and makes extrinsic rewards—the financial prizes for high performance—more influential for them Consequently, VUS students exhibit higher overall motivation and stronger extrinsic motivation compared with Trí Việt students In contrast, intrinsic motivation is higher among students at Trí Việt language center This difference can be partly attributed to socioeconomic status: since Trí Việt does not offer financially valuable rewards, students may rely more on intrinsic motives to learn effectively.
This chapter reports the results of the data analysis conducted to answer the study’s research questions It outlines respondent profiles, identifies and categorizes motivating factors, and contrasts intrinsic and extrinsic motivation It also compares the views of motivation held by VUS and Trí Việt students, highlighting key differences in emphasis and interpretation between the two groups The findings show how intrinsic and extrinsic factors differently shape motivation and reveal distinct, group-specific patterns in motivation between VUS and Trí Việt students.
CONCLUSION
Conclusion
This study investigates teenagers’ motivation to learn English, examining both intrinsic and extrinsic factors Descriptive statistics show self-concept–related motivation at M = 4.1 and internal, controllable forces at M = 4.0 as the strongest drivers, followed by anticipation of rewards at M = 3.97 and external, individual control at M = 3.83, with the community factor lagging at M = 3.15 The findings reveal a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic motives, including extrinsic motives such as possible grades earned (M = 4.18), highlighting the varied motivational landscape among adolescents learning English.
English-speaking countries (mean 9.6), getting good grades (mean 3.91), recognition earned (mean 3.82), and going abroad (mean 3.73) emerged as key outcome indicators, while students’ intrinsic motives were shaped by the teacher’s warm and friendly voice (mean 4.26), the teacher’s sympathy (mean 4.18), the teacher’s fair and equal treatment of students (mean 4.17), the competence in using English (mean 4.07), the comfort of familiar friends (mean 4.04), opportunities to show off (mean 3.99), and the feeling of being favored in class (mean 3.96).
The first sub-aim of the research was to examine whether intrinsic motivation differs from extrinsic motivation A one-sample t-test indicated there was no difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, suggesting that, in this study, the two motivational constructs were not statistically distinct.
The study’s second sub-aim was to compare VUS and Trí Việt students’ views of motivation An independent t-test revealed extrinsic motivation with a mean of 3.97, while students at the Trí Việt language center showed a higher level of intrinsic motivation, with a mean of 3.9.
Implications
To enhance teaching and learning quality for teenagers, this study offers practical implications for administrators and English teachers at VUS and Trí Việt Language Centers The implications outline actionable steps to strengthen curriculum design, improve classroom practices, refine assessment strategies, and support ongoing teacher professional development, all aimed at engaging adolescent learners and boosting language outcomes Implementing these recommendations can help VUS and Trí Việt create a more effective, student-centered learning environment for teens.
5.2.1 For VUS and Trí Việt administrators
To attract the students, administrators should consider their needs, their wishes when choosing a language center to study Concerning the students’ needs, this research suggested some implications.
Administrators should create a welcoming, convenient English-speaking environment outside the classroom to give teenagers regular opportunities to practice Not only teachers but all staff should speak English with students, turning everyday interactions into real-time language practice This approach makes English learning more dynamic by applying classroom knowledge in practical, immersive contexts and helping students build fluency through consistent exposure.
Administrators should design the course content to include practical life skills and cultural knowledge that align with students’ goals of visiting English-speaking countries and pursuing study-abroad opportunities When teens realize that the material they’re learning directly supports achieving these goals, their motivation tends to increase.
Schools should organize activities outside the classroom to help teenagers interact and get to know their peers For adolescents, friendships influence their attitudes and academic success, as noted by Thompson & Goodmalimn (2009) and Santrock (2009) Therefore, implementing outside-classroom activities to foster closer peer relationships is recommended.
5.2.2 For English teachers in VUS and Trí Việt language center
To motivate students to learn, teachers should establish a warm, close relationship with their teenage learners A strong rapport helps educators understand students’ needs and challenges, enabling them to tailor teaching methods that address those issues and engage learners more effectively.
An important implication for teachers is to create opportunities for teenagers to experience the satisfaction of earning good grades and achieving success For Vietnamese teenagers, strong grades can boost self-esteem and self-confidence, which in turn enhances in-class performance However, these efforts should be applied carefully to avoid cultivating overconfidence.
Limitations and Recommendations for Further Studies
Although the research was conducted with strong enthusiasm, limitations are hardly avoid.
One major limitation of this study is the sample selection The participants were teenagers studying English at language centers, and obtaining survey permission from both the language centers’ managers and the students’ parents proved difficult As a result, the sample was very small, which undermined the statistical significance of the findings Future research focusing on adolescents should anticipate potential obstacles in securing consent to ensure larger and more representative samples.
Another limitation of the study was the presence of unreliable responses, which compromised data integrity and the reliability of the results During data collection, some teenagers discussed the survey questions with friends and even selected answers for fun, influencing the findings Consequently, while the results may reflect certain real-world tendencies, they cannot be generalized to a broader population.
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Chúng tôi mời bạn tham gia khảo sát động cơ học tập tại Trung tâm Anh ngữ Trí Việt (VUS) Mọi câu trả lời và thông tin cá nhân của bạn đều được bảo mật tuyệt đối, giúp bạn an tâm chia sẻ quan điểm và đóng góp ý kiến để nâng cao chất lượng giảng dạy và trải nghiệm học tập tại VUS Khảo sát nhằm tìm hiểu động lực học tập của học viên, từ đó cải thiện chương trình giảng dạy, phương pháp học và môi trường tại trung tâm Cảm ơn bạn đã dành thời gian tham gia và hỗ trợ chúng tôi hoàn thiện dịch vụ.
Xin vui lòng đánh dấu vào ô đúng nhất với mức độ đồng ý của bạn:
Tôi thích học tiếng Anh ở Trí 1 2 3 4 5
Hoàn Không Có Đồng ý Hoàn toàn đồng ý phần toàn không đồng ý đồng ý đồng ý
1 Trí Việt/VUS bảo đảm tôi có thể đạt thành tích cao trong học tập
2 Muốn được sự công nhận của gia đình, bạn
3 Muốn đạt được điểm tốt ở trường chính khóa
4 Thầy/cô có phần thưởng phù hợp với mức độ cố gắng của tôi
5 Thầy/cô lồng ghép trò chơi với hoạt động bình thường của bài học
6 Thầy/cô hay khen và động viên tôi
7 Tôi muốn có bạn bè là những người có khả năng nói tiếng Anh
8 Tôi muốn đi du học
9 Tôi muốn đi du lịch ở các nước nói tiếng Anh
10 Tôi muốn có cơ hội nói tiếng Anh với giáo viên nước ngoài
11 Chương trình học giúp tôi phát triển kiến thức khác ngoài tiếng Anh
12 Dụng cụ giáo viên sử dụng để giảng dạy mới lạ (sticky ball,
13 Môi trường học tập thuận lợi cho việc học (cơ sở vật chất)
14 Thầy/cô không thiên vị học viên
15 Thầy/ cô tạo điều kiện cho tôi thể hiện bản thân trong lớp
16 Tôi cảm thấy khả năng tiếng Anh của tôi tăng
17 Tôi cảm thấy tự tin khi sử dụng tiếng Anh ở trung tâm
18 Thầy/cô ít nghiêm khắc
19 Thầy/cô nói chuyện với tôi một cách thân thiện
20 Thầy/cô hiểu, thông cảm cho những vấn đề mà tôi gặp phải
21 Tôi kết bạn với những bạn cùng học trong lớp
22 Tôi biết những bạn học chung
23 Tôi được bạn bè yêu mến
24 Trí Việt/VUS giúp tôi thể hiện "đẳng cấp" với các bạn ở trường phổ thông
25 Vì bạn bè tôi quen biết đều học tiếng Anh ở Trí Việt/VUS
26 Vì tôi sẽ mang đến niềm tự hào cho người thân (vì thương hiệu nổi tiếng của Trí Việt/VUS)
APPENDIX B THƯ XIN PHÉP ĐƯỢC THU THẬP MẪU NGHIÊN CỨU
Kính gửi: Thầy, Cô phụ trách đơn vị
Em là Phạm Thụy Ý Nhi, sinh viên ngành Giảng dạy tiếng Anh, ngành Ngôn ngữ Anh tại đại học Hoa Sen Hiện em đang làm đề tài nghiên cứu tốt nghiệp cho năm học 2016-2017 có tựa đề Động cơ học tập tiếng Anh của học sinh ở lứa tuổi vị thành niên Qua thư này, em xin phép quí Thầy/Cô cho phép được thu thập mẫu tại đơn vị mà quí Thầy/Cô quản lý để phục vụ cho đề tài nghiên cứu và trình bày các nội dung liên quan một cách chi tiết, nhằm đảm bảo phạm vi, phương pháp và mục tiêu nghiên cứu được thực hiện đúng quy định.
Qua quan sát khi làm trợ giảng tại một trung tâm Anh ngữ ở thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, em nhận thấy động cơ học tập tiếng Anh của học sinh ở lứa tuổi vị thành niên khác với suy nghĩ của các giảng viên mà em có dịp tiếp cận Ví dụ, khi các giảng viên cho xem các đoạn video ca nhạc bằng tiếng Anh trong giờ giải lao, các học sinh trẻ lại đề nghị chiếu phim ca nhạc Hàn Quốc, cho thấy sự khác biệt giữa mong muốn của học viên và quan điểm của giảng viên Sự khác biệt này đã thu hút sự chú ý của em và đặt câu hỏi về cách điều chỉnh nội dung và phương pháp giảng dạy cho phù hợp hơn với nhu cầu thực tế của học viên Qua một cuộc phỏng vấn thử với học viên, em phát hiện động cơ học tập tiếng Anh của nhóm này có nhiều điểm rất thú vị, từ việc vừa muốn cải thiện khả năng ngôn ngữ vừa tìm kiếm sự kết nối với các nội dung phổ biến ngoài giờ học Những phát hiện này gợi ý các hướng tối ưu hóa nội dung giảng dạy và lựa chọn tài liệu phù hợp tại trung tâm Anh ngữ để tăng động lực và hiệu quả cho học sinh vị thành niên.
Thực tế này là động lực khiến em nghiên cứu thêm các tài liệu liên quan Kết quả cho thấy chưa có nhiều tác giả nghiên cứu động lực học tập tiếng Anh của học sinh ở lứa tuổi vị thành niên – đặc biệt là ở bối cảnh các trung tâm Anh ngữ quốc tế tại Việt Nam Các cách giải thích động lực học tập hiện hành thường dựa trên lý thuyết hành vi, tuy nhiên các lý thuyết động lực học tập mới được hình thành gần đây có liên quan tới tâm lý học nhận thức, mở ra cách tiếp cận mới đối với động lực của học viên.
Trong khuôn khổ nghiên cứu, em tập trung vào hai trường phái: tâm lý học nhận thức (cognitive psychology) và tâm lý học theo thuyết xây dựng (constructivist psychology) Những lý thuyết này chưa được nghiên cứu nhiều ở khía cạnh thực tiễn trong môi trường văn hóa Việt Nam Đây cũng là lý do và nội dung chính của nghiên cứu mà em hướng tới: hệ thống hóa cơ sở lý thuyết, phân tích bối cảnh Việt Nam và đề xuất khung ứng dụng hai trường phái này vào giáo dục và đời sống, nhằm nâng cao nhận thức và kỹ năng của người học theo đặc trưng văn hóa Việt Nên nghiên cứu sẽ tập trung khảo sát, thu thập dữ liệu thực tế và đề xuất các phương án thực tiễn phù hợp với đặc điểm Việt Nam.
Đối tượng học viên trẻ tuổi mà em quan tâm nằm trong nhóm từ 12 đến 16 tuổi tại một số trung tâm Anh ngữ quốc tế Em sẽ mời các học sinh thuộc lứa tuổi này trả lời bảng hỏi gồm 26 câu hỏi nhỏ, được thiết kế dựa trên các lý thuyết đề cập ở trên Dữ liệu từ bảng hỏi sẽ giúp hiểu rõ hơn nhu cầu và thói quen học tập tiếng Anh ở độ tuổi tiểu-teen, từ đó tối ưu hóa nội dung chương trình giảng dạy và trải nghiệm tại các trung tâm Anh ngữ quốc tế.
Động cơ học tập tiếng Anh là yếu tố quyết định sự tiến bộ và thành công của học viên tại các trung tâm Anh ngữ Nghiên cứu cho thấy khi động lực được nhận diện và được củng cố bằng các chiến lược giảng dạy linh hoạt cùng môi trường học tập tích cực, người học sẽ duy trì động lực học tập và tham gia tích cực dài lâu Kết quả của nghiên cứu này sẽ là thông tin bổ ích cho các trung tâm Anh ngữ, giúp họ điều chỉnh chương trình giảng dạy và phương pháp quản lý lớp học để duy trì động lực học tập ở trung tâm của mình lâu dài hơn Các yếu tố then chốt như mục tiêu học tập rõ ràng, phản hồi kịp thời, kết nối giữa học viên và giảng viên, và sự hỗ trợ từ gia đình có thể tăng cường động lực và hiệu quả học tiếng Anh Bằng việc áp dụng các điều chỉnh dựa trên kết quả nghiên cứu, các trung tâm có thể nâng cao sự gắn kết của học viên và mang lại trải nghiệm học tập bền vững.
Em xin cam kết tuân thủ đầy đủ các ràng buộc và quy định về đạo đức nghiên cứu do Đại học Hoa Sen ban hành Câu trả lời và thông tin của các em sẽ được sử dụng duy nhất cho mục đích nghiên cứu và được bảo mật tuyệt đối Kết quả của bài nghiên cứu chỉ phục vụ cho mục đích khoa học.
Qua các trình bày của em, em hy vọng nhận được sự hỗ trợ của quý Thầy/Cô để nghiên cứu của em có thể đóng góp một phần nhỏ vào sự nghiệp giáo dục ở Việt Nam Sự đồng hành của quý thầy cô sẽ giúp định hình phương pháp nghiên cứu, tăng tính ứng dụng thực tiễn và kết nối kết quả với các chương trình đào tạo, trường học và cộng đồng giáo dục, từ đó nâng cao chất lượng giảng dạy, cải thiện kết quả học tập và góp phần vào sự phát triển lâu dài của nền giáo dục Việt Nam.
Xin quí Thầy/Cô ghi nhận lòng biết ơn của em.
TS Nguyễn Thu Hương Phạm Thụy Ý Nhi