This study investigated the impact of several affective, cognitive, and demographic entering characteristics of students and their experiences of the psychosocial, instructional and managerial, physical, and course-related materials aspects of the classroom environment in accounting for three language learning outcomes / class participation, study habits, and English achievement. The subjects of the study (N = 519) were the preparatory class students of various departments of Erciyes University in Kayseri who received a one-year English instruction at Erciyes University School of Foreign Languages (EUSFL) during the academic year 2001-2002.
In line with the &ldquo / Input-Context-Outcome&rdquo / research framework of the study, the data were gathered from the students through self-report questionnaires and school records prior to (Input-entering student characteristics variables), during (Context- classroom environment variables), and at the end (Outcome) of the specified instructional period (one-semester), which were subjected to various applications of Multivariate Linear Regression procedures.
The findings indicated different patterns of relationships depending on the type of outcome assessed with significant predictors from both input and context classes. In descending order of effect size, the significant predictors of class participation were teacher supportiveness, involvement, satisfaction with course materials, speaking anxiety, self-concept, task orientation and organization, effort, student cohesiveness, physical conditions, overall academic achievement, and previous exposure, which altogether accounted for 74 % of the variance in students&rsquo / levels of class participation. The amount of variance accounted for study habits was 40 %, with involvement, overall academic achievement, self-concept, student residence, and gender emerging as significant predictors. As for the English achievement criterion, overall academic achievement, teacher supportiveness, self-concept, involvement, satisfaction with course materials, previous exposure, and student residence were significant predictors which accounted for 56 % of the overall variance. The findings are discussed in light of relevant theory and empirical research and suggestions are made for pedagogical practices and further research directions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:METU/oai:etd.lib.metu.edu.tr:http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/2/12605478/index.pdf |
| Date | 01 September 2004 |
| Creators | Atbas, Emil E. |
| Contributors | Aksu, Meral |
| Publisher | METU |
| Source Sets | Middle East Technical Univ. |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Ph.D. Thesis |
| Format | text/pdf |
| Rights | To liberate the content for public access |
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