An investigation into the motivation and attitudes of Japanese students toward learning English: A case of elementary and junior high school students

Abstract

Abstract Given the importance of academic motivation, numerous inquiries have scrutinized the antecedents of this psycho-emotional variable in various educational environments. Nonetheless, the role of students’ attitudes in their academic motivation has remained elusive. Put simply, it is unclear whether students’ attitudes can make positive changes in their learning motivation. To bridge this gap, the present investigation explored Japanese students’ attitudes towards learning English. The research also examined the interplay between attitudes and academic motivation from Japanese students’ perspectives. In doing so, a closed-ended survey was given to 417 elementary and high school students. Following that, some interview sessions were conducted with a sample of elementary and high school teachers. The study outcomes disclosed that almost all participants had positive attitudes toward learning English. The results also demonstrated that Japanese students perceived personal attitudes to be highly influential in learning motivation. The outcomes of the present research may enrich the existing literature on the association between personal attitudes and learning motivation. The outcomes of this investigation may be beneficial and illuminating for school principals and language teachers. The findings would notably expand their knowledge about the predictors of academic motivation in language education environments.

Keywords

• Academic motivation
• Academic attitudes
• Elementary students
• High school students
• Japan