An Investigation of Motivated Learning Strategy Use for EFL Learners in a WebQuest Class - A Case of University of Technology in Central Taiwan

• Main Authors: Shin-yi Liao, 廖欣怡
• Other Authors: Po-yi Hung
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/30116885416655479328

碩士 === 朝陽科技大學 === 應用外語研究所 === 99 === The purpose of the current study was to investigate the learning strategies used, and the motivation in a specific WebQuest environment for English as Foreign Language learners. The relationship between the learning strategies used and the motivation was examined. Moreover, the predictions in the motivated learning strategies used will be explored. In addition, the perspectives on learning in this WebQuest environment were demonstrated in this study. The procedure of the course design was based on WebQuest (Dodge, 1995) and the standard criteria for choosing a suitable website for teaching was based on Learning Object Review Instrument (Nesbit & Belfer, 2007) as a rubric. A total of 56 college students, majoring in Applied Foreign Languages at the University of Technology in central Taiwan, participated voluntarily in the study during their second semester of the school year. On the one hand, the main instrument of the quantitative approach was, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (adapted from Pintrich, 1991). The results of the questionnaire were analyzed and discussed by descriptive statistics, Pearson‟s correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression. On the other hand, the perspectives of learning during the completion of the task of The Zimmer Twins project were described in the study. The major findings of the study are summarized as follows. Firstly, English majors at college level used the critical thinking strategy more often and the effort strategy was the least used learning strategy during the task completion in a WebQuest environment. Secondly, there was a positive correlation between learning strategies used and learning motivation. Thirdly, a number of motivated learning strategies were found with significant differences. Fourthly, 83.14% of the students held positive attitudes on learning in a WebQuest environment. Finally, in the motivated strategies for learning of WebQuest, some pedagogical implications and suggestions were provided to technology instructors for further research.