Enhancing Student Self-Study Attitude and Activity with Motivational Techniques

• Main Authors: Kent Rhoads, Jonathan deHaan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kanda University of International Studies 2013-09-01
• Series: Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal
• Subjects: Japanese university; self-access learning; motivation; attitude; self-study
• Online Access: http://sisaljournal.org/archives/sep13/rhoads_dehaan

Research has shown that students will exhibit a positive attitude towards self-study, but that they will often fail to complete self-study activities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate positive instructor interactions and motivation of students to complete self- study activities and students’ attitudes towards self-study. Six English instructors at the University of Shizuoka created a one-semester self-access study log for use in the university self-access language laboratory in order to find out how many students would complete the log. One of the six instructors applied motivational techniques in the classroom in an effort to engender greater student self-study. Later a questionnaire was administered to 465 student participants to determine their self-study attitudes and activities. The data collected from the questionnaire and the high participation in the self- study activities suggest the positive impact the motivational actions employed by the instructor had on his students' attitudes towards self-study activities.