A STUDY OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH AT A TUTORIAL SCHOOL

Abstract

This study aims at investigating Thai senior high school students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in learning English at a tutorial school and exploring factors affecting the students’ English learning motivation. The data were collected by using a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The questionnaire results revealed that the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in learning English at a tutorial school was at a moderate level ( = 2.51-3.50). The intrinsic motivation stating that 'Desire to be good at English' showed the highest mean score ( = 4.41) while ‘Be interested in the Native Speaker culture’ showed the lowest ( = 2.82). The extrinsic motivation stating that ‘Gain an edge in terms of choosing a career and reach a higher income in the future’ showed the highest mean score ( = 4.18) while ‘Expect some rewards from parents if the English achievement test score is better’ showed the lowest ( = 2.09). The interview results indicated six factors to some extent affected the Thai senior high school students’ motivation in learning English at a tutorial school: future careers, further study at university level, English learning achievement, famous people who are proficient in English, a tutorial school’s image, and parents' expectation. The findings of this study provide useful information for further development of English curriculum and English teaching practices to be more efficient and relevant to the students’ motivation.