The effects of clickers on high school students’ self-efficacy and integrative motivation to learn and acquire a second language
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2016-03-30
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Towson University. Department of Educational Technology and Literacy
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Abstract
In today’s global community, the study of a second language (L2) is a necessity, and there are academic, cognitive, and cultural benefits of understanding an L2. Students in the U.S., when compared to students in many other countries, often lag far behind in their L2 capabilities, and there is a need to strengthen their L2 skills so they can compete within an international society. The use of technology has proven to enrich the L2 learning environment. Clickers are a technology that has been discovered to be a potentially helpful tool for transforming passive learning environments to active in which student participation and collaboration increase and student apathy decreases. This study examined the effects of the use of clickers on students’ integrative motivation and self-efficacy to learn and acquire an L2 in six Spanish classes at a medium-sized, Mid-Atlantic high school. A crossover design and two surveys were used to collect data. A linear mixed model with repeated measures for month and a random intercept effect for participants was used to analyze the data. The findings of this study revealed that, after participation in a learning experience with clickers and a traditional learning experience, students’ SE to learn and acquire an L2 slightly improved, whereas their integrative motivation to do so was not affected. Results suggested that other factors besides a particular technology use affect SE and integrative motivation and, in order to change them, a much broader kind of intervention is necessary.