The Effect of a Mindset Intervention on Saudi Undergraduates' Language Learning Motivation
Abstract
A number of studies have been conducted to improve learners’ motivation to learn a foreign
language in the Saudi context. However, most of these studies were based on various
motivational strategies to boost learner’ motivation rather target their core beliefs about
themselves and their abilities in learning another language. The current study aims to achieve
this by adopting Dweck’s Implicit Theories (Mindsets). Research on mindset showed how
students with a tendency towards a growth mindset, are more motivated, set more learning goals
and are more likely to react in a mastery way. On the contrary, those with a tendency towards a
fixed mindset, have more performance goals and are more likely to react in a helpless manner
which in turn decrease their motivation. However, there is lack of research on the mindset theory
with regards to language learning and this is the first mindset intervention study focusing
specifically on language learning.
The current study aims to examine the effectiveness of a mindset intervention on Saudi
university L2 learners’ mindset beliefs and motivation. It seeks to explore whether a language
mindset intervention would promote growth mindset beliefs among language learners and in turn
improve their motivational characteristics. More specifically, it aims to find out whether
adopting more growth mindset beliefs in language learning would promote a higher level of
motivation, more mastery responses in failure situations, orientation towards learning rather than
performance goals and process rather than person attributions.
A quasi-experimental design is implemented in this study which consist of two groups: the
experimental group that receives the intervention (N=103) and the control group that attends
regular classes (N=113). A mixed method approach is used in collecting data in which both
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questionnaire surveys with follow-up interviews are used in two phases to examine the
immediate and delayed effect of the intervention. Results for one-way ANCOVA of the
immediate post-intervention test reveal a significant difference in learners’ language mindset
beliefs, attitudes toward learning English, L2 motivational intensity, goal orientation and
responses to failure situations between the two groups.
This is supported by the results of repeated measures ANOVA showing a significant positive
effect of the intervention on the same scales among the experimental group only, which is also
supported in results of the first phase of the interviews. The positive effects of the intervention
did not last in the longer-term (two months later), but the second phase of the qualitative data
revealed that the majority of interview respondents had retained new beliefs, remained growth
oriented and motivated, held positive attitudes, and reacted in a mastery manner. The findings
indicate that language mindset interventions could be effective in altering learners’ language
mindset beliefs and L2 motivation but need to be recurrent in order to have a more lasting effect.