Research News

Examining group effects on motivation in English as second language classes

Collaborative work in project-based learning

Motivation of English as second language learners is largely impacted by the environment, an Osaka Metropolitan University researcher finds.

Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University

Project-based learning (PBL), which improves skills through various challenges, is a technique utilized in foreign language and general education classes. Though group work in PBL is actively carried out, the impact of the environment and team size on the motivation to learn has not been fully examined. Further, individual factors, such as language ability, can affect motivation, but it is not clear what effect group work has on these differences.

Therefore, Associate Professor Mitsuko Tanaka at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Sustainable System Sciences examined the impact of a PBL group work environment on student motivation using 154 university students who had taken an English as a second language class. Separated into 50 groups ranging from three to five members, the students were tasked with topic-based projects and presentations. At the end of the semester, a questionnaire that analyzed gender, group size, and individual factors, including learner beliefs and competence, was distributed to assess the group work environment.

The results of the analysis showed that there was no effect due to the size of the group, but there was a significant difference depending on the group work environment and individual factors. In addition, it was also found that if the group work environment is good, motivation tends to increase regardless of such factors.

“This research has shown that appropriate environmental preparation is essential for the success of project-based learning,” stated Professor Tanaka. “I believe these findings can be an important guideline for educational practitioners to recognize the importance of the group work environment in PBL.”

The findings were published in System.

Funding

The preparation of this article was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number JP17K02993).

Paper information

Journal: System
Title: Impact of group work environment and size on L2 motivation in project-based learning
DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2025.103621
Authors:  Mitsuko Tanaka
Published: 15 February 2025
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103621

Contact

Mitsuko Tanaka
Graduate School of Sustainable System Sciences
Email: mtanaka[at] omu.ac.jp

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