MOTIVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Abstract

In recent decades, numerous studies have been conducted examining the role of motivation as one of the most significant factors in second language learning (Csizér & Dörnyei, 2005; Dörnyei, 1998, 2005; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011; Gardner, 1985; Medved Krajnović, 2010; Mihaljević Djigunović, 1998; Violić-Koprivec & Maslek, 2022) and pointing out a correlation between motivation and achievement in language learning (Alamer & Alrabai, 2023; Alamer et al., 2025; Dewaele & Ergün, 2020; Dörnyei, 2005; Gardner, 1985; Mihaljević Djigunović, 1998; Ödemiș & Uslu, 2014; Violić-Koprivec & Maslek, 2021). One of the most widely used theoretical models in these studies is the socio-educational model developed by Gardner and McIntyre (1993), which categorizes individual differences into cognitive and affective factors, defining motivation as one of the important affective factors. In the following period, Gardner introduced a new conceptualization that integrates three components: motivation to learn the language, integrativeness—which reflects a positive attitude toward the language and its speakers—and attitudes toward the language learning context (Gardner, 2005). However, in 2005, Dörnyei reinterpreted Gardner’s concept of integrativeness and proposed a new motivational construct, the L2 Motivational Self-System (L2MSS). This shift gave rise to new research approaches that explore the dynamic development of motivation for learning a foreign language, while situating motivation, identity, and language within sociocultural and sociopolitical contexts. This study is based on the idea of conducting a comparative analysis of three foreign languages taught within a specific formal socio-educational setting and situated within a distinct sociopolitical context. The aim of the study was to examine the level of motivation for learning English, German, and Spanish among secondary school students in Croatia (N = 284), who learn these languages in a formal educational setting. The research employed a questionnaire designed to assess students’ attitudes and motivation, originally developed in Hungary and validated for the study conducted in Croatia by Mihaljević Djigunović and Bagarić (2007). The findings indicate medium to high levels of motivation for learning German (M = 3.19) and Spanish (M = 3.58), and a high level of motivation for learning English (M = 4.14). The study also investigated whether there are differences in students’ achievement in language learning with reference to the language being learned. Results show that students learning English achieved the highest grades, followed by those learning Spanish. Students learning German demonstrated the lowest language achievement (the lowest grades), and this difference was found to be statistically significant in comparison to the English and Spanish language groups. For all three language groups, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between motivation and final grades. These findings provide educators and researchers with a better understanding of how motivation influences the process of foreign language acquisition and may contribute to students’ language learning achievement. As the study focuses on three foreign languages that are among the most commonly taught within the Croatian educational context, the findings may have pedagogical implications for everyday teaching practice.