Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

Turkish EFL Learners’ Attributions for Success and Failure in Speaking English

Year 2017, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 39 - 47, 15.12.2017

Abstract

This study aims to investigate Turkish EFL learners’
attributions for success and failure in speaking English, and to find out
whether gender and department variables exert any impact on their attributions.
The attributions were analyzed and compared in terms of the four dimensions:
locus of causality, external control, stability and personal control. The data
were gathered through Causal Dimensions Scale adapted to Turkish by Koçyiğit
(2011). The sample consisted of 104 tertiary EFL students studying
one-year-long English in the preparatory program of a state university.
Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the emergent data as well as
independent samples T-tests and ANOVA to test significance between/among the
variables. The results indicated that personal controllability and internal
reasons—a lot more apparent in attributions for success than for failure
though—were the two leading factors which were ascribed to both success and
failure in speaking English. In addition, the students’ attributions for
failure tended to be less stable and more externally controllable in comparison
to success. The gender variable had no significant effect on attributions for success
and failure. With reference to the department variable, a significant
difference was observed not in the attributions for success but those for
failure, and only between English language teaching and Civil aviation
management departments, in terms of locus of causality dimension.

References

  • Banks, M., & Woolfson, L. (2008). Why do students think they fail? The relationship between attributions and academic self- perceptions. British Journal of Special Education, 35(1), 49-56.Basturk, S., & Yavuz, I. (2010). Investigating causal attributions of success and failure on mathematics instructions of students in Turkish high schools. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 1940-1943.Besimoğlu, S., Serdar, H., & Yavuz, Ş. (2010). Exploring students’ attributions for their successes and failures in English language learning. Hasan Ali Yücel Journal of Education Faculty, 7(2), 75-89.Coşkun, A. (2016). Causes of the 'I can understand English but I can't speak' syndrome in Turkey. i-Manager's Journal on English Language Teaching, 6(3).Ellis, R. (2008). The study of second language acquisition (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Erten, İ. H. (2015). Age related gender differences in causal attributions of Turkish learners of English as a foreign language. ELT Research Journal, 4(2), 129-146.Försterling, F. (2001) Attribution: An Introduction to theories, research, and applications. Psychology Press: Hove.Genç, G. (2016). Attributions to success and failure in English language learning: The effects of gender, age and perceived success. European Journal of Education Studies, 2(12), 25-43.Gobel, P., & Mori, S. (2007). Success and failure in the EFL classroom: Exploring students’ attributional beliefs in language learning. EUROSLA yearbook, 7(1), 149-169.Graham, S. (1991). A review of attribution theory in achievement contexts. Educational Psychology Review, 3(1), 5-39.Heider, F. (1958). The psychology of interpersonal relations. NewYork: Wiley.Hsieh, P. H. P., & Schallert, D. L. (2008). Implications from self-efficacy and attribution theories for an understanding of undergraduates’ motivation in a foreign language course. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33(4), 513-532.Koçyiğit, M. (2011). Causal attributions and learning styles of university students. Unpublished MA thesis. Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar.Lei, L., & Qin, X. (2009). An empirical study of success and failure attributions of EFL learners at the tertiary level in China. Asian EFL Journal, 11(3), 29-51.Lian, X. (2012). An empirical study on causal attribution regarding listening achievement of Chinese English majors. Contemporary English Teaching and Learning in Non-English-Speaking Countries, 1(1), 23-46.Mahpudilah, S. N. A. (2016). The attribution on students’ speaking anxiety in EFL classroom. Journal of English and Education, 4(2), 101-114.Mali, Y. (2015). Students’ attributions on their English speaking enhancement. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 32-43.Mcauley, E., Duncan, T. E., & Russell, D. W. (1992). Measuring causal attributions: The revised causal dimension scale (CDSII). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 18(5), 566-573.Mohammadi, A., & Sharififar, M. (2016). Attributions for success and failure: Gender and language proficiency differences among Iranian EFL learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 6(3), 518-524.Pishghadam, R., & Zabihi, R. (2011). Foreign language attributions and achievement in foreign language classes. International Journal of Linguistics, 3(1), 1-11.Sambo, A., & Mohammed, A. I. (2015). Relationships of causal attributions and academic attainment among colleges of education students in north-western Nigeria. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(13), 187-191.Satıcılar, U. (2006). An investigation into the achievement attributions of English language learners in different grades. MA thesis. Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale.Setiawan, K. M. (2017). Attributions of successful EFL learners in an Indonesian higher education context. Doctoral dissertation. Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris.Simms, A. P. (2014). The relationship between teachers’ causal attributions for student problem behavior and teachers’ intervention preferences. Doctoral dissertation. Kent State University.Sorić, I., & Ančić, J. (2008). Learning strategies and causal attributions in second language learning. Review of psychology, 15(1-2), 17-26.Suwanarak, K., & Phothongsunan, S. (2008). Attributions of high achieving Thai university students perceiving themselves as failures in English usage. 8th Annual South East Asian Association for Institutional Research (SEAAIR) Conference Proceedings, 4-6 November 2008, pp. 587-599.Taşkıran, A. (2010). Exploring EFL students’ causal attributions of perceived success and failure in language learning process. Unpublished MA thesis, Anadolu University.Taşkıran, A., & Aydın, B. (2017). EFL learners’ causal attributions and dimensionality styles for perceived success and failure. Anadolu University Journal of Social Sciences, 17(2), 11-26.Thang, S. M., Gobel, P., Nor, N. F. M., & Suppiah, V. L. (2011). Students’ attributions for success and failure in the learning of English as a second language: A comparison of undergraduates from six public universities in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 19(2), 459-474.Tse, L. (2000). Student perceptions of foreign language study: A qualitative analysis of foreign language autobiographies. The Modern Language Journal, 82(1), 69-84.Weiner, B. (Ed). (1972) Attribution: Perceiving the causes of behavior. Morristown, N.J.: General Learning Press.Weiner, B. (1986). An Attributional theory of emotion and motivation. New York: Springer-Verlag.Weiner, B. (1994). Integrating social and personal theories of achievement striving. Review ofEducational Research, 64(4), 557-573.Weiner, B. (2006). Social motivation, justice, and the moral emotions: An attributional approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Williams, M., & Burden, R. (1999). Students’ developing conceptions of themselves as language learners. Modern Language Journal, 83(2), 193-201.Williams, M., Burden, R., Poulet, G., & Maun, I. (2004). Learners’ perceptions of their successes and failures in foreign language learning. Language Learning Journal, 30(1), 19-29.Yang, Y., & Montgomery, D. (2011). Behind cultural competence: The role of causal attribution in multicultural teacher education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(9), 1-21.Yapıcı, Ş., & Koçyiğit, M. (2012). Causal attributions of university students. The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 5(2), 349-368.Yilmaz, C. (2012). An investigation into Turkish EFL students' attributions in reading comprehension. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(5), 823-828.Zohri, A. (2011). Causal attributions for failure and the effect of gender among Moroccan EFL university learners. English Language Teaching, 4(4), 130.
Year 2017, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 39 - 47, 15.12.2017

Abstract

References

  • Banks, M., & Woolfson, L. (2008). Why do students think they fail? The relationship between attributions and academic self- perceptions. British Journal of Special Education, 35(1), 49-56.Basturk, S., & Yavuz, I. (2010). Investigating causal attributions of success and failure on mathematics instructions of students in Turkish high schools. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 1940-1943.Besimoğlu, S., Serdar, H., & Yavuz, Ş. (2010). Exploring students’ attributions for their successes and failures in English language learning. Hasan Ali Yücel Journal of Education Faculty, 7(2), 75-89.Coşkun, A. (2016). Causes of the 'I can understand English but I can't speak' syndrome in Turkey. i-Manager's Journal on English Language Teaching, 6(3).Ellis, R. (2008). The study of second language acquisition (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Erten, İ. H. (2015). Age related gender differences in causal attributions of Turkish learners of English as a foreign language. ELT Research Journal, 4(2), 129-146.Försterling, F. (2001) Attribution: An Introduction to theories, research, and applications. Psychology Press: Hove.Genç, G. (2016). Attributions to success and failure in English language learning: The effects of gender, age and perceived success. European Journal of Education Studies, 2(12), 25-43.Gobel, P., & Mori, S. (2007). Success and failure in the EFL classroom: Exploring students’ attributional beliefs in language learning. EUROSLA yearbook, 7(1), 149-169.Graham, S. (1991). A review of attribution theory in achievement contexts. Educational Psychology Review, 3(1), 5-39.Heider, F. (1958). The psychology of interpersonal relations. NewYork: Wiley.Hsieh, P. H. P., & Schallert, D. L. (2008). Implications from self-efficacy and attribution theories for an understanding of undergraduates’ motivation in a foreign language course. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33(4), 513-532.Koçyiğit, M. (2011). Causal attributions and learning styles of university students. Unpublished MA thesis. Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar.Lei, L., & Qin, X. (2009). An empirical study of success and failure attributions of EFL learners at the tertiary level in China. Asian EFL Journal, 11(3), 29-51.Lian, X. (2012). An empirical study on causal attribution regarding listening achievement of Chinese English majors. Contemporary English Teaching and Learning in Non-English-Speaking Countries, 1(1), 23-46.Mahpudilah, S. N. A. (2016). The attribution on students’ speaking anxiety in EFL classroom. Journal of English and Education, 4(2), 101-114.Mali, Y. (2015). Students’ attributions on their English speaking enhancement. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 32-43.Mcauley, E., Duncan, T. E., & Russell, D. W. (1992). Measuring causal attributions: The revised causal dimension scale (CDSII). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 18(5), 566-573.Mohammadi, A., & Sharififar, M. (2016). Attributions for success and failure: Gender and language proficiency differences among Iranian EFL learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 6(3), 518-524.Pishghadam, R., & Zabihi, R. (2011). Foreign language attributions and achievement in foreign language classes. International Journal of Linguistics, 3(1), 1-11.Sambo, A., & Mohammed, A. I. (2015). Relationships of causal attributions and academic attainment among colleges of education students in north-western Nigeria. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(13), 187-191.Satıcılar, U. (2006). An investigation into the achievement attributions of English language learners in different grades. MA thesis. Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale.Setiawan, K. M. (2017). Attributions of successful EFL learners in an Indonesian higher education context. Doctoral dissertation. Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris.Simms, A. P. (2014). The relationship between teachers’ causal attributions for student problem behavior and teachers’ intervention preferences. Doctoral dissertation. Kent State University.Sorić, I., & Ančić, J. (2008). Learning strategies and causal attributions in second language learning. Review of psychology, 15(1-2), 17-26.Suwanarak, K., & Phothongsunan, S. (2008). Attributions of high achieving Thai university students perceiving themselves as failures in English usage. 8th Annual South East Asian Association for Institutional Research (SEAAIR) Conference Proceedings, 4-6 November 2008, pp. 587-599.Taşkıran, A. (2010). Exploring EFL students’ causal attributions of perceived success and failure in language learning process. Unpublished MA thesis, Anadolu University.Taşkıran, A., & Aydın, B. (2017). EFL learners’ causal attributions and dimensionality styles for perceived success and failure. Anadolu University Journal of Social Sciences, 17(2), 11-26.Thang, S. M., Gobel, P., Nor, N. F. M., & Suppiah, V. L. (2011). Students’ attributions for success and failure in the learning of English as a second language: A comparison of undergraduates from six public universities in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 19(2), 459-474.Tse, L. (2000). Student perceptions of foreign language study: A qualitative analysis of foreign language autobiographies. The Modern Language Journal, 82(1), 69-84.Weiner, B. (Ed). (1972) Attribution: Perceiving the causes of behavior. Morristown, N.J.: General Learning Press.Weiner, B. (1986). An Attributional theory of emotion and motivation. New York: Springer-Verlag.Weiner, B. (1994). Integrating social and personal theories of achievement striving. Review ofEducational Research, 64(4), 557-573.Weiner, B. (2006). Social motivation, justice, and the moral emotions: An attributional approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Williams, M., & Burden, R. (1999). Students’ developing conceptions of themselves as language learners. Modern Language Journal, 83(2), 193-201.Williams, M., Burden, R., Poulet, G., & Maun, I. (2004). Learners’ perceptions of their successes and failures in foreign language learning. Language Learning Journal, 30(1), 19-29.Yang, Y., & Montgomery, D. (2011). Behind cultural competence: The role of causal attribution in multicultural teacher education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(9), 1-21.Yapıcı, Ş., & Koçyiğit, M. (2012). Causal attributions of university students. The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 5(2), 349-368.Yilmaz, C. (2012). An investigation into Turkish EFL students' attributions in reading comprehension. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(5), 823-828.Zohri, A. (2011). Causal attributions for failure and the effect of gender among Moroccan EFL university learners. English Language Teaching, 4(4), 130.
There are 1 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Yusuf Demir

Publication Date December 15, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2017 Volume: 4 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Demir, Y. (2017). Turkish EFL Learners’ Attributions for Success and Failure in Speaking English. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 4(2), 39-47.

133171332113318  2351823524 13319 13327 13323  13322


13325

Bu eser Creative Commons Atıf-GayriTicari-Türetilemez 4.0 Uluslararası Lisansı ile lisanslanmıştır.

IJCER (International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research) ISSN: 2148-3868