強制性標準化測驗對大學生外語學習動機之影響

Abstract

近年來許多大學制定英語能力畢業門檻，規定大學生必須在畢業前通過英語能力檢定考試，這項政策的目的似乎在於激勵學生學習英語，然而，施行效果有待研究進一步釐清。本研究旨在探討台灣大學生如何看待英語能力畢業門檻，以及他們對強制性英語測驗的重視程度如何影響其外語學習動機和考試表現。另外，我們亦探討三項重要的外語學習動機概念之間的關係。 實驗參與者來自國立交通大學共三百一十九位大一學生。實驗進行前、後測，共收集了四項資料：考試動機 (對英語能力檢定考試重視程度)、英語學習自我效能、英語學習內在動機、及英語學習動機強度 (學英語所付出的時間與精力)。此外，學生亦分享對英語能力畢業門檻的看法，及準備英語能力檢定考試的態度與方法。 研究發現：(一) 本研究參與者的考試動機不強，亦即學生對校方要求的英文能力檢定考試重視程度不高。即便如此，我們發現考試動機仍與英語學習自我效能、英語學習內在動機、及英語學習動機強度呈現低度的相關性。(二) 學生的英語學習自我效能、英語學習內在動機及英語學習動機強度與他們的考試表現呈正相關，由此可推論，英語學習自我效能與內在動機較高的學生，通常會花較多時間及精力學習英文，呈現在此次強制性標準化測驗結果的學業表現通常也較優秀。(三) 無論考前考後，學生的英語學習自我效能、英語學習內在動機、及英語學習動機強度皆具正向相關性，這代表三者相互影響，自我效能越高，內在動機越強、付出的努力越多。(四) 考試前後，不同組別的大學生在外語學習動機的變化上呈現不同結果。考試動機較強的學生考試過後付出的努力明顯減少；考試動機較弱的學生考試過後自我效能反而較高。(五) 雖然半數以上的學生認為英語能力畢業門檻有助於英語能力的提升，然而只有三分之一的學生在考前有準備考試。綜合上述五點，本研究提出結論與建議，以作為教師改善教學及提升學生外語學習動機之參考。

Over recent years, more and more universities in Taiwan set graduation thresholds, regulating that college students pass certain levels of standardized English proficiency tests before graduation. Students are expected to be motivated to maintain or enhance their English ability through such policies. However, the real effects remain unclear. The present study, based on expectancy-value theory, aimed to investigate how college students perceived English proficiency tests they were required to take, how perceived levels of importance of examinations exerted influences on students’ L2 learning motivation and academic performance as operationalized in GEPT scores, and the reciprocal relationships among three facets of L2 learning motivation. A total of 319 first-year college students in National Chiao Tung University was recruited in this study. They were given two sets of questionnaires, which measured their perceptions towards the compulsory standardized examination (test motivation) and L2 learning motivation, including self-efficacy beliefs, intrinsic value and motivational intensity. Besides, students were encouraged to express their opinions towards graduation thresholds and share their experiences about ways to prepare for and attitudes to deal with a compulsory standardized examination. The statistical methods of correlation and within-subject t-tests were applied to analyze the collected data. The following results were found. First, our participants were not very motivated towards the compulsory standardized examination undertaken. However, their test motivation was still slightly correlated with self-efficacy beliefs, intrinsic value and motivational intensity. Second, students who had higher self-efficacy beliefs and intrinsic value were usually those who spent more effort in the subject of English and those who performed better academically. Third, self-efficacy beliefs, intrinsic value and motivational intensity were positively correlated with one another both before and after the examination, suggesting that the higher self-efficacy beliefs one has in learning English, the higher intrinsic motivation one owns and the more effort he or she puts forth. Fourth, the two groups of students with higher and lower test motivation differed in the changes of their L2 learning motivation. Students with higher test motivation obviously spent less effort after the examination; those who had lower test motivation had higher self-efficacy beliefs after the examination. Fifth, only one-third of our participants prepared for this required examination even though most of them thought the compulsory standardized examination was beneficial to enhancing their English proficiency. Finally, implications are drawn to provide suggestions to policy makers and classroom teachers on how students’ motivation could be maintained while the graduation threshold policy is enforced.