The predictiveness of attitude and motivation on achievement in ESP: The mediating role of anxiety

Authors

Abstract

The study investigated the mediating role of anxiety in the predictiveness of attitude and motivation on achievement in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context/vocational English course. A total of 424 students studying at a faculty of tourism at a state university in Turkey participated in the study. Data were collected using attitude, motivation and anxiety scales. Achievement (vocational English course scores) is obtained from student responses. Data were analysed using an IBM SPSS 20 with Hayes (2013)’s PROCESS macro. Bootstrapped confidence intervals were generated to test the indirect effect of anxiety on the effect of attitude and motivation on achievement. The results showed that there was a significant positive relationship between attitude and motivation, between attitude and achievement, and between motivation and achievement. A significant negative relationship was found between anxiety and attitude, motivation and achievement. The results also revealed that attitude predicted achievement positively and anxiety negatively; and that anxiety predicted achievement negatively. Anxiety partially mediated the predictiveness of attitude on achievement. The study found out that motivation predicted achievement positively and anxiety negatively. Anxiety partially mediated the predictiveness of motivation on achievement. Overall, in order to increase achievement, attitude and motivation levels of students should be increased and anxiety levels should be reduced as much as possible. Keywords: Attitude; motivation; anxiety; achievement; English for Specific Purposes (ESP); vocational English course.

Author Biography

Selda Özer, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli Üniversity

Dr. Selda Özer majored in English Language Teaching and got her B.A. degree from Hacettepe University. She received her M.A. degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Erciyes University and her PhD degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Necmettin Erbakan University. She is currently a lecturer and teaches English at School of Foreign Languages, Nevsehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Turkey. She worked as a teacher of English at a governmental primary school in Ankara from 2002 to 2004. She is interested in curriculum and instruction, English language teaching, specifically teaching English for Specific Purposes.

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Published

2020-09-07

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Vol. 12 No. 2 (2020): International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction

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