A Longitudinal Comparative Study on the Changes of Motivational Constructs and English Proficiency between Engineering Majoring Grade 10-12 Students and High School Students

本研究采用49个项目的问卷调查法，对10-12年级工科学生的动机结构及其随时间的变化进行了纵向研究。它通过一个开放式问题进一步探讨了动力不足的根源。调查结果如下：（1）英语学习者的英语学习动机在一年级和二年级之间比高中生下降得更明显;（2）英语学习者对英语的需求意识、兴趣和积极的学习态度之间存在负向交互作用;（3）缺乏成功的学习经历与兴趣/积极态度的下降有很强的相关性;（4）缺乏成功的学习经验是影响学习动机的主要因素，建议通过教学干预，使学生在没有威胁的学习环境中有机会看到自己的进步。

This longitudinal study investigated the motivational constructs of a group of engineering majoring Grade 10-12 students (EMSs) and their motivational changes over time, based on the result of a 49-item questionnaire survey. It further explored the source of demotivation by using an open-ended question. The findings are: (1) the motivation declined more significantly than high school students between the 1st year and the 2nd year for the EMSs; (2) their awareness of the need for English, interests, and positive attitudes towards learning English showed negative interactions with each other; (3) a strong correlation was observed between lack of successful learning experiences and decline in interests/positive attitudes; (4) lack of successful learning experiences turned out to be the most demotivating factor.It is suggested that an instructional intervention be implemented to ensure that the students have opportunities to see themselves advance in an unthreatened learning environment.