Investigating L2 Learning Motivation of Japanese University Students: Self-determination Theory and its Applications

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26370705
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Seisen University. (2017); Juntendo University (2014-2016)
• Principal Investigator: Agawa Toshie 清泉女子大学, 付置研究所, 准教授 (90409805)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: L2 動機づけ / 自己決定理論 / 教育的介入 / SEM / 面接調査 / 質問紙調査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project, based on SDT, achieved three major goals. First, it used an interview study to investigate Agawa and Takeuchi’s (2016) results further, which quantitatively examined the validity evidence of SDT in the Japanese EFL context. Second, based on the interview study, a new questionnaire was developed to measure Japanese university students’ L2 motivation. Some evidence of the new instrument’s validity and reliability was presented. Third, a pedagogical intervention based on SDT was implemented in an EFL course at a Japanese university, and its effectiveness was measured using the newly developed questionnaire. The results of this project show that (a) SDT is applicable in the Japanese EFL setting, (b) pedagogical interventions based on SDT are effective for improving Japanese university learners’ L2 motivation, and (c) the newly developed questionnaire is sensitive to measuring changes in Japanese university learners’ L2 motivation.

Free Research Field

外国語学習者の動機づけ