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Exploring the Emotional Well-bei=
ng of
Spanish Students: The Impact of Online Learning on Motivation
<= o:p>
Explorando el bienestar emocional de los estudiantes =
de
español: el impacto del aprendizaje en línea en la
motivación
Andrea Iturbe Zúñiga
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
andreait@ucm.=
es
ABSTRACT
This =
study
investigates the impact of online versus in-person learning environments on=
the
motivation of beginning-level Spanish students. Using a modified
Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB), data were collected from 18 studen=
ts
enrolled in a 15-week Basic Spanish Skills course. Quantitative analysis
revealed a clear preference for in-person classes, with students reporting
greater enjoyment, engagement, and motivation compared to online sessions,
which were described as less stimulating and less enjoyable. The
teacher’s role in fostering a supportive, engaging classroom environm=
ent
was found to significantly enhance student motivation. These findings
underscore the importance of addressing emotional and motivational challeng=
es
in online education to promote equitable and effective learning experiences=
.
Keywords: online learning, motivat=
ion,
L2 learning, SFL
Este estudio investi=
ga
el impacto de los entornos de aprendizaje en línea frente a los
presenciales en la motivación del alumnado de una clase de
español. Utilizando una versión modificada del Attitude/Motivation Test =
Battery (AMTB), se recopilaron datos de 18 estudiantes
inscritos en un curso de español para principiantes de 15 semanas. El
análisis cuantitativo reveló una clara preferencia por las cl=
ases
presenciales, con el estudiantado informando mayor disfrute,
participación y motivación en comparación con las sesi=
ones
en línea, que muchos describieron como menos estimulantes y agradabl=
es.
El papel del profesorado en la creación de un entorno de aula de apo=
yo y
motivador resultó ser clave para aumentar la motivación de lo=
s estudiantes.
Estos hallazgos subrayan la importancia de abordar los desafíos
emocionales y motivacionales en la educación en línea para
promover experiencias de aprendizaje equitativas y efectivas.
Palabras clave:
aprendizaje en línea, motivación, aprendizaje de segundas len=
guas,
SFL
1. INTRODUCTION
The u=
se of
technology to enhance learning is gaining ground worldwide, reducing the
temporal and spatial problems associated with in-person learning. Alth=
ough
distance learning has been around for a long time, since 2020 and in respon=
se
to the situation created by the COVID-19 virus, different platforms have be=
en
used for the classes to be carried out virtually. During the pandemic, lang=
uage
course instructors found in these tools a great help to continue teaching f=
rom
home, which in addition to allowing students to keep up with their education
with certain normality, also adapted well in terms of communication between
students and teachers. Courses continue to be delivered online even after t=
he
pandemic, and introducing students to online platforms has and continues to=
be
a challenging task. How online learning affects students remains an importa=
nt
area of research that ought to be addressed.
In order to understand what the wo=
rd
“online” encompasses in terms of teaching it is important to
understand the differences in the terminology that is used to describe the =
use
of technology in the classroom. Bates (2005) pointed out that the terms
“online learning” and “e-learning” are used
interchangeably but made the distinction that “e-learning” can
encompass any form of technology, such as digital whiteboards, offline soft=
ware
or mobile apps that function without Internet access, whereas “online
learning” refers specifically to using the Internet in the educational
process, as is the case with virtual classrooms carried out in platforms su=
ch
as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. It can be said that “online learning̶=
1;
has its roots in distance education, since the Internet is necessary to sus=
tain
lessons. In this way, the term “fully online” is used by Bates
(2005, p. 9) to distinguish distance courses where students must have acces=
s to
an Internet device to be able to undertake the entire course. There are many
definitions of “online learning,” reflecting the wide diversity=
in
terms of the practices and technologies that are in use regarding the Inter=
net.
Ally (2008) defined it in the following way:
the use of the
Internet to access materials; to interact with the content, instructor, and
other learners; and to obtain support during the learning process, in order=
to
acquire knowledge, to construct personal meaning, and to grow from the lear=
ning
experience (Ally, 2008, p. 7).
In th=
is
article, the term “online learning” will be used to encompass t=
he
definition offered by Ally while incorporating the distinction used by Bate=
s.
Therefore, online learning is taken to be a form of distance education medi=
ated
by technological tools where learners are geographically separated from the=
ir
institution.
Many =
authors
have reiterated the potential benefits of online learning. Plaisance (2018)
explained that this mode of instruction could be delivered synchronously or
asynchronously. The synchronous mode enables real-time communication between
teachers and learners (Plaisance, 2018) through applications such as Skype,
Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. This context has been specifically
relevant in terms of language learning, which requires dedication in terms =
of
time. Online learning allows learners to learn a second language (L2) in a
virtual environment at their own pace and time (Akcaoglu & Lee, 2016)
especially in the context of the asynchronous mode. Many seemed to find the
asynchronous online classroom very useful, mainly due to the flexibility th=
at
it offers.
Howev=
er,
virtual lessons have also proven problematic for different reasons. Mondol =
and
Mohiuddin’s (2020) study concerning online learning during the pandem=
ic
in Bangladesh reported that their participants faced various learning
difficulties, mainly because of weak Internet connectivity at home and the
unavailability of supporting devices. The teaching-learning process being
interrupted by these difficulties resulted in a motivation swing that arous=
ed
anxiety symptoms in students. Furthermore, teachers’ limited ability =
to
check learners’ understanding through visual signs even in a synchron=
ous
mode of instruction can lead to learners’ misconceptions being prolon=
ged,
unless they independently study further or are willing to ask questions in =
class
(Plaisance, 2018). Hence, unless carried out mindfully, online learning cou=
ld
lead to possible learners’ disconnection and disengagement (Plaisance,
2018).
Some =
studies
regarding students’ attitudes towards online learning during the pand=
emic
have proven that student’s feelings towards education are indeed affe=
cted
by the online context (e.g., Coman et al., 2020; Evişen et al., 2020).
According to the previously mentioned studies, affective factors seem to be=
the
main aspects affected by the mode of instruction. Emotionally driven agents,
such as motivation, have generated a considerable amount of research and us=
ed
to be a focus of interest even before the pandemic started.
Motiv=
ation,
in simple terms, is the stimulus that pushes students to initiate and susta=
in
the L2 process (Dörnyei, 2005). In practice, teachers and learners
normally use motivation to explain “what causes success and failure in
learning” (Guilloteaux & Dörnyei, 2008, p.55). Motivation can
influence what we learn, how we learn and when we choose to learn (Schunk &=
amp;
Usher, 2012). Spolsky (1990) affirms that motivated students are likely to
learn more information more quickly than students who are less motivated, as
well as to participate actively and pay more attention to tasks or activiti=
es.
Consequently, many researchers have been concerned with the question of how=
to
increase motivation in the classroom, with considerable research dedicated =
to
L2 acquisition and its relationship with motivation itself and with the
implementation of several motivational techniques, most of them signaling a
positive correlation with learning (Masgoret & Gardner, 2003; Guillotea=
ux
& Dörnyei, 2008).
Given=
the
important and reciprocal relationship between motivation and learning, this
affective factor has been actively researched across a wide range of
traditional educational settings (Schunk et al., 2014). However, studies th=
at
explore motivation in an online context are rather limited in number and sc=
ope,
and even less in the context of L2 online learning, even though physical
condition has been long considered a factor that affects learner’s
motivation (Harmer, 1991). What is noticeable is that higher dropout rates =
are
associated with online courses compared with face-to-face ones (Park &
Choi, 2009), with poor motivation as a decisive factor contributing to this.
These results point to the need to reconsider motivation in online learning
contexts as an important factor to study.
As has been mentioned before, how
motivation might affect education has been given attention to for decades.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic led many around the world to use online
platforms to continue with education, and some have maintained online learn=
ing
even as pandemic-related restrictions have disappeared. Many institutions a=
re
still coping with online classes nowadays, and how the virtual situation
affects motivation is an area that has received little attention so far,
specifically when concerning ISLA. Therefore, this project aims to examine =
how
motivation is affected by the online language teaching context. This study =
will
add to previous literature in one primary way: it will collect studentsR=
17;
perceptions in an L2 classroom, adding information to research on affective
factors in language learning online settings.
2.&n=
bsp;
OBJECTIVES
AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study aims to explore the
motivation of students a in Spanish as a foreign language class. More
specifically, the present study examines whether there are any differences =
in
students’ experience of motivation in the online synchronous versus t=
he
in-person setting. The following research questions were created to address
these issues.
1. Do students
experience less motivation during online synchronous language classes than =
in
the in-person setting?
2. What factors=
do
students identify with motivation?
Resea=
rch on
motivation and online learning has produced diverse results, but in the fie=
ld
of second language acquisition (SLA) it consistently highlights the central
role of the teacher, the learning environment, and the opportunities for
interaction. An early study (Ushida, 2005) showed that in L2 online courses,
students tended to have relatively high anxiety levels at the beginning of =
the
semester due to their lack of familiarity with the online learning environm=
ent,
but their levels of motivation were relatively positive and stable during t=
he
course. Findings also show that teacher attitudes can shape a unique class
culture that can indeed affect students’ motivation towards studying =
the
L2 in the online context, which reinforces the critical role of the teacher=
in
online education. Moreover, the author concluded that some students could
benefit from the flexibility of the online course, while at the same time n=
ot
all students learn how to manage their own learning when online, and this c=
an
create low levels of motivation.
The
theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) (Ryan &
Deci, 2000) has been widely applied to online contexts. SDT argues that all
humans have an intrinsic need to be self-determining or autonomous, as well=
as
competent and connected to their environment. SDT focuses primarily on inte=
rnal
sources of motivation such as a need to gain knowledge or independence.
According to this theory, people need to feel the following to achieve
psychological growth: autonomy (people need to feel in contro=
l of
their own behaviors and goals), competence (people need to gain mast=
ery
of tasks and learn different skills) and connection or relatedness
Compa=
risons
between online and face-to-face instruction (Mullen & Tallent-Runnels,
2006) revealed that students perceived classroom environments and
instructors’ support and demands differently. This finding reinforces the notion=
that
motivation theories developed for traditional SLA settings cannot simply be
transferred to online settings, because the characteristics of the learning
environment, such as flexibility, accessibility,
CMC (=
Computer
Mediated Communication), and the dynamics of student differ considerably.
=
Several
studies have examined how online learners’ motivation may be shaped by
interactional opportunities with both peers and instructor. While some rese=
arch
found that online students can exhibit higher intrinsic motivation than the=
ir
face-to-face peers (Wighting et al., 2008), others highlighted that the lac=
k of
in-person interaction was a motivational drawback (Knowles & Kerkman,
2007). Later work emphasized the importance of teacher enthusiasm and warmt=
h as
a central driver for motivation in the online context (Selvi, 2010). In
SLA-specific research, Dimas (2024) found that learners in a flipped Spanish
course manifested a clear preference for the teacher explicitly explaining
grammar concepts in the in-person classroom, pointing to the lack of teacher
clarification when using the e-learning materials as a detrimental for their
language learning experience. Lastly, research focused on instructional
activities in the SLA online classroom (Yoshida et al., 2014) has pointed to
the need to create authentic, meaningful, culturally and task-based interac=
tion
to enhance students’ intrinsic motivation.
Resea=
rchers
have also turned their attention to motivation in the online learning
environment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly due to the imp=
act
that the shift to online instruction seemed to have on students. While most
studies suggested stable or even slightly increased motivation when students
found online tasks engaging (Pasion et al., 2020; Konecki, 2020), others
reported that online education had an impact on students’ motivation,
especially when students perceived a lack of opportunities for authentic
interaction. Research on self-directed learning (SDL) also gained importanc=
e,
since L2 learners were required to assume greater autonomy in online classes
(Subekti, 2021). Others noted that motivation tended to decline over time d=
ue
to reduced social interaction and a weaker sense of community (Ozer &
Badem, 2022; Esra & Sevilen, 2021). Teacher perspectives highlighted bo=
th
the potential and limitations of distance education for motivating L2 learn=
ers,
with challenges such as connectivity, workload, and reduced human interacti=
on
(Aldossary & Altalhab, 2022).
Howev=
er, some
studies also found that there was a positive effect of interaction through =
the
electronic platform on students’ motivation to learn during the pande=
mic.
Almaleki et al. (2022) pointed to the fact that learning through the electr=
onic
platform allowed students to use their skills and interests usefully, and t=
hat
it was more “attractive and more enjoyable for them” (Almaleki =
et
al., 2021, p.10) than face-to-face classes. Case studies (Xhaferi &
Xhaferri, 2022) reported that EFL students remained more intrinsically
motivated than extrinsically, provided that teachers supported interaction
through quizzes, discussions and presentations. Some studies even found that
online classes reduced anxiety, influencing motivation positively (Jiang et
al., 2023).
More =
recent
research has expanded motivational constructs in SLA online contexts. Sun &=
amp;
Mu (2023) demonstrated that learners’ ideal self (the learner’s
vision of themselves as successful L2 users in the future) and L2 grit
(persistence and sustained effort to learn the language), which are conside=
red
significant motivation drivers, predicted satisfaction in online English
learning, with self-efficacy (a student’s belief in their own ability=
to
successfully carry out a task) mediating this relationship. Other studies h=
ave
emphasized the role of gamification (borrowing the mechanics of games for
educational activities) in increasing online language learners’
motivation and outcomes (Shen et al., 2024). Recent studies continue to
underline the significance of teacher-student relationships and interactive
methodologies as well. For example, flipped learning approaches in online
English language teaching (Ünal et al., 2024) have been associated with
increased motivation and satisfaction, while strong teacher-student
relationships have been shown to enhance intrinsic and extrinsic motivation=
in
virtual environments (Akram & Li, 2024). However, research also stresses
that motivation is highly contextual and multifaceted (Hartnett et al., 201=
1),
and therefore online and face-to-face SLA contexts cannot be treated the sa=
me.
Given the substantial number of
students who have been and still are engaged in online or remote language
learning, it is important to consider how motivation in this context is rel=
ated
to the learning experience. While research on SLA in the online language
classroom is abundant, the same cannot be said about research on motivation=
in
the online setting, which is rather scarce. Moreover, the research that has
been conducted in SLA about online learning during the pandemic is also
limited, and that conducted prior to the pandemic seems to center on learne=
rs
who elected to take their language courses online. During the pandemic, many
students have been forced into remote learning, and their experience of low
motivation may have originated from a lack of agency in the selection of th=
eir
learning environment. Therefore, results of new research may vary, as the
online setting has become a choice again. Due to these factors, more resear=
ch
is needed to determine how affective factors are influenced by the context =
in
which education takes place, which will be the focus of the present study. =
The participants of this study were 18 L2
Spanish students in a medium-size public university in the United States, 10
female and 8 male students. The students were enrolled in a beginning-level
Spanish as a foreign language course that was primarily taught in-person, b=
ut
that also had an online synchronous component. Many of the students were ta=
king
the course to fulfill a language requirement, not because they were plannin=
g to
major or minor in Spanish or studying the language for personal reasons.
The Basic Spanish Skills course of the
present study is the first introductory course for beginning students of
Spanish at this university. Students who enroll in this four-credit hour co=
urse
are not expected to have prior knowledge of the language. The course is
delivered in fifty-minute lessons, four days a week during one semester.
Students learn Spanish for a total of fifteen weeks (60 hours per term). Du=
ring
the first week of the semester, four hours of instruction were obligatorily
taught in the online synchronous format using the video-conferencing platfo=
rm
Zoom due to measures taken by the university to prevent the spread of COVID=
-19
at the time when the number of cases were high in the local community.
Moreover, for the purpose of the present study, a total of eight classes du=
ring
two consecutive weeks towards the middle of the semester were also taught in
the online synchronous format using the video-conferencing platform Zoom.
This course was taught through Contras=
eña,
an online platform where students are presented with all the learning resou=
rces
necessary for the course. Students were expected to be able to convey basic
personal meaning and engage in very simple conversations about personal or
daily topics. The emphasis of this course was to develop oral skills in
Spanish. Therefore, exposure to meaningful input and encouraging output
exchange between students was considered of central importance. This
“flipped classroom” approach was maintained during the three we=
eks
of online teaching created for the current study.
4.3.=
Data
collection procedures
The approach taken in this study is
quantitative. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire online
through the platform Qualtrics, a web-based survey platform where
questionnaires can be created and shared and the data collected can be stat=
istically
analyzed. The survey was administered towards the middle of the semester,
immediately after the online synchronous instruction had concluded.
Participants were given time in class to fill out the questionnaires and co=
uld
take as much time as they needed to complete them. In addition, when answer=
ing
the questionnaires, participants were asked to think specifically about the
three weeks of the course that were taught in the synchronous online format
when they responded to the questions querying them about motivation in the
online setting, and to think about the rest of the course when answering the
questions related to the in-person setting.
To measure motivation, students answered a
questionnaire adapted by the researcher from the Attitude/Motivation Test
Battery (AMTB) (Gardner, 1985). The AMBT is still considered the only
published standardized test of foreign or second language learning motivati=
on.
The original questionnaire includes a total of 104 items. In each case,
individuals are presented with the item followed by the seven alternatives:
strongly agree, moderately agree, slightly agree, neutral, slightly disagre=
e,
moderately disagree, strongly disagree. Higher scores on each statement
correspond to greater agreement with each statement. The original AMTB had a
maximum score of 70 and a minimum score of 0. A higher score indicated high=
er
levels of motivation. The original AMTB explores language learning in six m=
ain
areas: Integrativeness, Attitude Toward Learning Situation, Motivation,
Language Anxiety, Parental Encouragement, and Instrumental Orientation. The=
se
variables can be divided in several sub-variables: attitudes towards
socio-cultural background, interests in foreign languages, attitudes towards
learning the specific language, motivational intensity, desire to learn the
language, teacher evaluation, teacher inspiration, teacher competence, teac=
her
rapport, course difficulty, course utility and course interest.
The first part of the questionnaire aimed=
to
collect students’ desires, attitudes, and motivation in a more general
fashion. Its goal was to collect information to understand student’s
feelings about a number of items prior to a more in-depth survey regarding
specific factors related to motivation. It is composed of six statements an=
d a
scale of 0 to 100 that the students had to rate. Depending on the item, the
scale fluctuates between labels: very low (0) –very high (100), weak =
(0)–
strong (100), or unfavorable (0)–favorable (100).
The second part of the questionnaire was
concerned with student’s feelings regarding their Spanish course. This
part of the questionnaire is used to gather knowledge on more specific
motivational aspects that were present or absent in the Spanish course
depending on the mode of the course, and focuses on motivational intensity,
desire to learn Spanish, attitudes towards learning Spanish and attitudes
towards the teacher and curriculum. Students were asked to select an option=
for
each statement according to the amount of agreement or disagreement with th=
at
item, in a scale from “strongly disagree” to “strongly
agree”.
Since the present study aimed to investig=
ate
motivation in relation to the context in which the L2 teaching takes place,
items regarding integrativeness, instrumental orientation, and parental
encouragement were not included in the instrument used in this study. Only
those items that referred to factors that are subject to the educational
setting were considered useful, and therefore only four major sections were
maintained in the adapted AMTB employed in this study: Motivational Intensi=
ty
(i.e., how much effort people reportedly expend in learning the language),
Desire to Learn Spanish (i.e., how much enjoyment people report feeling when
they learn the language), Attitudes Towards Learning Spanish (i.e., how much
personal investment in succeeding in the language people claim for themselv=
es)
and Attitudes Towards the Teacher (i.e., how much the role of the teacher
affects the student’s learning experience). The instrument adapted for
the present study consists of 32 items with the same seven response options=
in
the original AMBT to determine students’ level of agreement with each
item statement. Additionally, the questionnaire items were modified to focu=
s on
Spanish as the target language and the setting where students learn, includ=
ing
both face-to-face and online instruction. The language of the items was also
simplified to make them more meaningful and contextually relevant for the
participants.
4.4.=
Data
analysis procedures
The a=
nswers
were analyzed quantitatively to determine if students reported experiencing
less motivation during the online class sessions than in the in-person
sessions. Some of the items of the questionnaire were comparative, targeting
specific features and asking about them in both settings, online and
face-to-face. The researcher compared the percentages of the participants w=
ho
agreed or disagreed with these comparative items to determine which setting=
was
less motivating and what factors they identified as motivating or demotivat=
ing
in each setting.
The results from the first section of the
motivation questionnaire, which focuses on students’ desires and
attitudes more generally, are shown in Table 1. The highest score was given=
to the
attitude towards the teacher, which the students situated at 97.88 out of 1=
00,
meaning that the students expressed a considerably positive view of the
teacher. Although not negative, the lowest scores were given to interest in
learning a foreign language in general, situated at 65.29 in the scale, and
their desire to learn the Spanish language specifically, positioned at 65.5=
9.
However, attitudes were somewhat higher in favorability than desire, since
their attitude towards learning the Spanish language was placed at 74.29, a=
nd
their attitude towards the Spanish course at 75.71.
|
My =
interest
in foreign languages is |
65.=
29 |
|
My =
desire
to learn Spanish is |
65.=
29 |
|
My =
attitude
toward learning Spanish is |
74.=
29 |
|
My =
attitude
toward my Spanish teacher
is =
; |
97.=
88 |
|
My =
attitude
toward my Spanish course is |
75.=
71 |
|
My
motivation to learn Spanish is |
68.=
94 |
Table 1. First part of motivation
questionnaire
As described above, the second part of the
questionnaire is concerned with students’ feelings regarding their
Spanish course. The results of the responses to this portion of the
questionnaire are presented in Table 2 and Table 3 below. As shown in Table=
3,
questions 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25 of the motivati=
on
questionnaire were used to gather data about students’ level of
motivation in the physical classroom. In contrast, questions 2, 4, 6, 8, 11=
, 13,
16, 18, 10, 22, 24, and 26 asked students about their motivation in the onl=
ine
language class, as shown in Table 4. For the sake of presentation, the
categories were collapsed into “Agree” and “Disagree̶=
1;.
|
Questions |
Agree |
Disagree |
|
1.&=
nbsp; I
have a strong desire to go to my in-person Spanish class. |
88.=
24% |
11.=
76% |
|
3. =
I feel
like the Spanish class is really a waste of time. |
11.=
76% |
88.=
24% |
|
5. =
Studying
Spanish is not enjoyable. |
11.=
76% |
88.=
24% |
|
7.&=
nbsp; I
don´t think my Spanish teacher is very
good. &n=
bsp; |
0%<= o:p> |
100=
% |
|
9.&=
nbsp; I
would rather spend more time in the online Spanish class instead of
in-person. |
26.=
41% |
73.=
59% |
|
10.=
I
think my Spanish class is boring. |
5.8=
8% |
94.=
12% |
|
12.=
I enjoy
the activities of our Spanish class much more in-person than online. =
; |
76.=
47% |
23.=
53% |
|
14.=
My
Spanish teacher has a more dynamic and interesting teaching style when
in-person. |
100=
% |
0%<= o:p> |
|
17.=
When I
have a problem understanding something in my Spanish class, I prefer being
in-person to ask my teacher for
help. &n=
bsp; |
94.=
12% |
5.8=
8% |
|
19.=
I
think that learning Spanish is dull. |
5.8=
8% |
94.=
12% |
|
21.=
I look
forward to the time I spend in Spanish in-person
class. |
88.=
24% |
11.=
76% |
|
23.=
I
have a hard time thinking of anything positive about my Spanish class. |
0%<= o:p> |
100=
% |
|
25.=
Spanish
is one of my favorite in-person courses. |
95.=
12% |
5.8=
8% |
Table 2. Motivation in the in-person
classroom
|
Questions |
Agree |
Disagree |
|
2. =
I have a
strong desire to go to my online Spanish class. |
58.=
83% |
41.=
17% |
|
4. =
I feel
like the Spanish class online is really a waste of time. |
23.=
53% |
76,=
47% |
|
6. =
Studying
Spanish online is not enjoyable. |
41.=
49% |
58.=
81% |
|
8.&=
nbsp; I
don’t think my Spanish teacher is very good when the class is
online. =
|
0%<= o:p> |
100=
% |
|
9.&=
nbsp; I
would rather spend more time in the online Spanish class instead of
in-person. |
26.=
41% |
73.=
59% |
|
11.=
I
think my Spanish class online is boring. |
41.=
17% |
58,=
83% |
|
13.=
I enjoy
the activities of our Spanish class much more online than in-person. |
23.=
53% |
76.=
47% |
|
15.=
My Spanish teacher has a more dynamic and interesting teaching style when
online. |
35.=
59% |
64.=
71% |
|
16.=
When I
have a problem understanding something in my Spanish class, I prefer the
online version to ask my teacher for
help. |
23.=
53% |
76.=
47% |
|
18.=
Being
online has made me lose desire to know
Spanish. |
35.=
29% |
64.=
71% |
|
19.=
I think
that learning Spanish online is dull. &nb=
sp; |
47.=
06% |
52.=
95% |
|
22.=
I look
forward to the time I spend in Spanish online class. |
41.=
17% |
58.=
83% |
|
24.=
I
have a hard time thinking of anything positive about my online Spanish
class. &=
nbsp; |
17.=
64% |
82.=
36% |
|
26.=
Spanish
is one of my favorite online courses. |
52.=
95% |
47.=
05% |
Table 3. Motivation in the online classro=
om
The results of this second part of the
questionnaire indicate a clear distinction between the levels of motivation=
in
the in-person classroom and in the online course. Students indicated a stro=
nger
desire to attend in-person classes (88.23%) in comparison to attending the
online sessions (58.83%). The majority of students (73.59%) did not agree w=
ith
the item: “I would rather spend more time in the online Spanish class
instead of in-person”, and a similarly high percentage agreed that th=
ey
enjoyed the activities of the Spanish class much more in-person than online
(76.47%). More than half of the participants (64.71%) asserted that being
online made them lose desire to learn Spanish. When asked about
their attitude regarding attending the class, 88.24% of the students looked
forward to the time they spend in the Spanish in-person course. However, th=
is
percentage dropped substantially when asked about the online setting, when =
only
41.17% agreed with the fact that they looked forward to going to class. 47.=
06%
of the participants thought that learning in the online setting was dull, w=
hich
is a high percentage compared to those who considered that learning Spanish
in-person was dull, only 5.88%. When asked about the instructor, all studen=
ts
thought that the Spanish teacher had a more dynamic and interesting teaching
style when in-person. In the same way, not one of the 18 participants of the
study thought that learning Spanish was boring, but when asked about learni=
ng
Spanish online, 41.17% thought it was. Another feature that was considered =
in
previous research as having an influence on students’ motivation is
asking the instructor for help. The great majority of participants (94.12%)
preferred being physically in front of the teacher to ask questions when th=
ey
did not understand something in Spanish. Finally, 95.12% of students
agreed that Spanish was one of their favorite in-person courses, a percenta=
ge
that dropped when they were asked the same question but about the online cl=
ass,
an item with which 52.95% of students agreed.
As a
conclusion, it can be said that the features of the online lessons decreased
students’ motivation, affecting their attitudes towards the teacher,
their interest in the course and learning activities, and their desire to
attend the lessons.
The discussion of results will a=
ddress
the two research questions of this study: (Q1) whether students experience =
less
motivation in online synchronous language classes compared to in-person, and
(Q2) what factors students associate with motivation.
According to previous literature on
motivation and online learning, students’ attitudes towards the course
can be affected by the mode of instruction. Some researchers have found a
positive impact of the online setting on student’s motivation, (Almal=
eki
et al. 2021; Konecki, 2020) while some others have found a detrimental effe=
ct
(Aldossari & Altaihab, 2022; Esra & Sevilen, 2021; Ozer & Badem,
2022). The current study has found several factors of the online classes th=
at
have negatively impacted the motivation of the participants.
When analyzing motivation in the online
setting, the role of the teacher has been found to be pivotal. Consistent w=
ith
previous research such as Ushida (2005) and Selvi (2010), responses to the
items related to “Teacher Competence” in the motivation
questionnaire showed a positive attitude towards the instructor. Since the
totality of students disagreed with the item “I don´t think my
Spanish teacher is very good when the class is online”, it could be s=
aid
that instructor evaluation was positive. However, a 100% of the participants
also agreed that the teacher had a more dynamic and interesting teaching st=
yle
when the class took place in-person, which pointed to the instructor´s
competence online as a source of demotivation for the students.
Previous researchers, such as Mullen and
Tallent-Runnels (2006), Aldossari and Altaihab (2022) and Esra and Sevilen
(2022) identified boredom as a potential problem for maintaining online
students' motivation, mentioning the need for enjoyment to sustain
self-determination. This perspective aligns with the current study, since a
sizable number of students (47.17%) thought that learning Spanish online was
boring or dull, a high number when compared to the same question asked about
the in-person class, to which only 5.88% agreed. In this sense, it can be s=
aid
that the online context affects course evaluation. However, only a 23.53% of
the students in this study believed the Spanish online class was a waste of
time, indicating that, even though it might be less motivating than in-pers=
on,
the course material was still found relevant for their education.
Even though research has indicated that t=
he
online context affects students’ perceptions of the course, their des=
ire
to attend class does not seem to be affected by the online context. While
previous research has sometimes reported consistent or even higher motivati=
on
in online contexts (Aldossari & Altaihab, 2022; Muslimin & Harintan=
a,
2020), the results of the current study were not in line with previous
findings. 73.59% of the students would have preferred to spend more time in
in-person classes. Moreover, a considerable difference was found in the lev=
el
of desire to attend the Spanish class: 83% presented a strong desire to be
present in the online sessions, while 88.23% reported a strong interest to
attend class when it was held in-person.
Some distance education instructors are
concerned about involving various interesting teaching and learning materia=
ls,
precisely with the purpose of engaging students. Previous research has
emphasized that visually attractive materials sustain motivation online
(Aldossari & Altalhab’s, 2022; Konecki, 2020; Almaleki et al., 20=
21).
Having this in mind, the results of the present study might point to the la=
ck
of rich online activities during the online sessions, since 76.47% of
participants agreed that they enjoyed the Spanish learning activities much =
more
when they took place in-person.
Communication in the online classroom can=
be
disturbed by the lack of face-to-face interaction (Kaisar & Chowdhury,
2020; Valizadeh, 2021). This can be considered a crucial factor when it aff=
ects
the interaction between teacher and student, especially when a problem aris=
es.
However, previous research has not found the online context to be a problem=
atic
environment to ask for help (Aldossari & Altaihab, 2022; Esra &
Sevilen, 2022). However, results of the current study show that 94.12% of s=
tudents
preferred being in-person to ask the teacher for help when they have issues,
while only 23.53% preferred the online setting, aligning with the results of
previous studies and showing that the in-person setting is considered less
threatening for students to present their problems to the instructor.
Preferences for the in-person mode of
instruction seem to be consistent across research (Aldossari & Altalhab,
2022; Bataineh & Mayyas, 2017) In the present study, a clear preference
towards the in-person lessons can be identified. 95.12% of the participants
thought that Spanish was one of their favorite in-person courses, while this
percentage decreased when asked about the online version, with only 52.95% =
of
the participants in favor. Overall, the findings point to a decline in
motivation during online sessions, with 35.29% of students reporting a loss=
of
desire to learn Spanish due to the shift to online classes, which indicates=
a
clear decrease in motivation brought by the virtual lessons and a preference
toward the face-to-face educational context.
Taken together, the results of this study
underscore the centrality of the teacher’s role, the need for engaging
instructional materials, and the pivotal importance of face-to-face interac=
tion
to sustain student motivation when learning a foreign language.
7. =
LIMITATIONS
The main aim of the present study was to
assess the factors that affect the motivation of students in a hybrid Spani=
sh
as a second language university course. Certain limitations were identified=
.
First,
the sample size was very limited (n=3D18). This restricts the generalizabil=
ity of
the results. However, the study can be regarded as a pilot, needing future
research with larger samples to achieve more significant findings. In addit=
ion,
it is worth noting that the participants of this study did not choose to ta=
ke
the Spanish course freely, since it was a degree requirement. This fact lim=
its
the applicability of the findings to other contexts. The course itself was =
also
originally designed as an in-person class, and only three weeks were taught
online. Students were not aware of this when enrolling, which may have
influenced their levels of motivation. Moreover, not all students attended =
the
same number of sessions during the online period, and this different exposu=
re
to the hybrid mode may have varied their motivation as well.
Another limitation is related to the role=
of
the researcher as both teacher and investigator, which may have influenced
students’ responses due to possible concerns about their grades and
relationship with the instructor. Furthermore, other variables such as gend=
er,
which were not included in the study, might have affected the results as we=
ll.
The design of the questionnaire also pres=
ents
limitations. The fact that the questionnaire was adapted from several sourc=
es
without testing for reliability means that the validity of the results is
uncertain compared to standardized tools. Moreover, the absence of open-end=
ed
questions or interviews with participants limits the depth of the insights =
that
could be obtained. Finally, the grouping of seven alternatives into two
categories when presenting the results might have reduced the precision of =
the
instrument.
Final=
ly,
including teachers’ perspectives could enrich future studies. In this
case, the opinions of instructors reported in previous research were useful=
in
interpreting results. Gathering data directly from teachers would provide a
more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing motivation in
hybrid language learning contexts.
Online instruction brings with it numerous
alterations in education. This research gathers some of the main factors
affecting the motivation of language students enrolled in a Spanish for
beginners’ course at university level students’ motivation and =
the
factors affecting it were analyzed. Motivation was also impacted by the onl=
ine
mode of instruction, since students reported being less motivated in that
context than in the in-person setting.
This study has highlighted the relevance =
of
the role of the teacher in online instruction. Many participants agreed that
the teacher did not present an interesting or dynamic style when compared to
the in-person lessons. Some others thought that learning Spanish online was
more boring or dull than in-person and reported losing desire to learn Span=
ish
due to the incorporation of online lessons in the course. For these reasons,
the creation of attractive, interactive, and visually appealing learning ma=
terials
should be considered a priority for online instructors.
Moreover, the in-person setting was selec=
ted
by participants in the study as the more suitable environment to ask the
instructor for help in case of misunderstanding. Many students might decide=
to
remain silent when a question arises in the online setting. In order to pre=
vent
students from hesitating to ask questions, it would be advisable for
instructors to provide more time for queries before and after each online
activity, or to emphasize the availability of office hours for those studen=
ts
who might not venture to ask their questions directly during class time.
Enabling students to work on instructional activities in pairs or small gro=
ups
can also be a solution for this issue. Students might be less hesitant to a=
sk
for the instructor’s help in front of a smaller number of people. Las=
tly,
dedicating a brief section at the end of the class period for questions or =
can
be a solution for those who might want to ask for help without interrupting=
the
pace of the lesson.
With =
these
improvements, a healthy environment in which a full learning process can be
forged would be achieved. By prioritizing motivational strategies and
addressing the diverse needs of learners, educators can inspire a genuine
passion for language learning. This would not only enhance academic outcomes
but also equip individuals with the cultural and communicative skills neces=
sary
to thrive in an interconnected world.
9. =
PE=
DAGOGICAL
IMPLICATIONS
Results found i=
n the
present study contribute to the understanding of how online second language
instruction can affect motivation in students. It can inform instructors and
course designers in terms of practical implications, which will be discussed
below.
First=
, this
study highlights the relevance of the teacher’s role in online
instruction. Students perceived the teacher’s style as more dynamic a=
nd
engaging in person, suggesting that teacher presence and delivery of the cl=
ass
need to be carefully adapted for the online environment. Institutions should
provide training and support for instructors in the use of digital tools and
multimedia resources which can replicate the immediacy and energy of the
physical classroom.
Secon= d, students’ desire to learn Spanish was significantly lower than their positive attitudes towards the teacher or the course. While the relationship between teachers and students is a key motivational driver, it has proven t= o be insufficient to sustain motivation. Teachers should design tasks that conne= ct the language to the student, for example through culturally rich content. Online learning should be reimagined to take advantage of unique affordances such as collaborative writing tools, gamified tasks, or virtual exchanges rather than be treated as an inferior version of face-to-face instruction.<= o:p>
Third,
students’ selected in-person settings as mo=
re
suitable to ask the instructor for help in case of misunderstanding.
Instructors should provide more time for queries before and after each onli=
ne
activity and enable students to work on instructional activities in pairs or
small groups. Additionally, offering anonymous channels (e.g., Google
Forms, Mentimeter, Kahoot) might help hesitant students.
Taken
together, these findings emphasize the pivotal role of the teacher, the
importance of interactive and student-centered tasks, and the necessity of
addressing affective factors in online language learning. By adapting
pedagogical strategies to sustain motivation, instructors can create a more
engaging and supportive environment for students.
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