Browsing by Subject "Task"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Open Access
The impact of choice provision on students' affective engagement in tasks : a flow analysis
(2005) Alperer, Selin
This study was designed to investigate the impact of choice on students’ affective engagement in 19 tasks in an EFL classroom. The choice provision techniques for the tasks included student-generated choice, teacher-assigned choice and no choice. The study was conducted with one group of 26 students who were taking the English 102 course offered at Middle East Technical University (METU). Data was collected using a survey of student affective engagement completed immediately after each task. Individual student means were used to investigate the motivational potential of tasks, and the number of participants in flow and apathy for each task. Data was further analyzed using ANOVA tests for choice and interactional pattern, a MANOVA test for the impact of choice, interactional pattern, and their mediating effect on the three flow dimensions, and t-tests for English proficiency and gender. The analyses indicated that both choice and interactional pattern significantly contributed to students’ affective engagement in tasks, but that interactional pattern played a more important role. Results showed that provision of choice did produce a significant positive difference in affective engagement compared to no choice, but that there was no distinction between student-generated and teacher-assigned choice. The findings also showed that an interactional pattern of group work produced significantly better results, followed by individual work, and a negative trend for whole-class interaction. A MANOVA test showed that while choice had a significant effect on task control and task appeal, interactional pattern showed a significant effect for all three flow dimensions, including focused attention. Moreover, the findings revealed a significant interaction effect between choice and interactional pattern for students’ perceptions of task appeal. Lastly, it was concluded from t-test results that neither English proficiency, nor gender significantly related to affective engagement in tasks.
Open Access
Investigating tasks in the EFL textbooks in the Turkish Anatolian high school context
(2022-09) Demirkaya, Öznur
This study was an attempt to investigate tasks in four English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks designed by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) and studied in the Anatolian high schools in Turkey in the 2020-2021 education year. Specifically, the study sought to identify task characteristics the activities possess, determine task types, and explore task complexity dimensions in the selected textbooks. The study also aimed to compare and contrast the grade levels with one another regarding these issues. In line with the research purposes, three checklists were generated, drawing from relevant frameworks for task characteristics (Ellis, 2011; Ellis & Shintani, 2014), task types (Ellis, 2003, 2011) and task complexity dimensions (Robinson, 2001a, 2001b, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015; Skehan & Foster, 2001). Then, the activities in the textbooks were analysed through content analysis. The results demonstrated that only a small part of the activities in the textbooks qualify for a task, most of them failing to satisfy the “gap” and “outcome” criteria of taskness as defined by Ellis (2009, p. 223) and Ellis and Shintani (2014, p. 135). The findings related to the task types revealed that the sequencing of the task types across the grade levels, and therefore, proficiency levels, is not in line with the recommendations by Ellis (2020). Similarly, no systematic progression from simple to complex tasks as prescribed in the SSARC model by Robinson (2015) was detected within the textbooks. Implications of the study can be considered for practice and further research on task-based language teaching.
Open Access
The role of task design in students'L2 speech production
(2006) Özpınar, Pınar
The main objective of the present study is to investigate the impact of different task types with different task features – a decision making task, a problem solving task and a role play with planning time – have upon eight L2 learners’ oral performance, in terms of accuracy, fluency, and complexity at Preparatory School of Celal Bayar University. The data gathered by audio recording, were submitted to both qualitative and quantitative analysis by the researcher. In order to measure accuracy, fluency and complexity, three different criteria were decided on. Errors per a hundred words, the number of self-corrections and target-like use of plurals were used as measures of accuracy. The number of repetitions, reformulations and false starts were used in order to measure fluency. Lastly, complexity was measured by using amount of subordination, frequency of conjunctions and hypothesizing statements. In terms of quantitative data, the numerical data obtained from transcriptions were computed as frequencies and percentages. Results revealed that task 1, a decision making task (a convergent task) whose topic was not familiar to the students and no planning time was given to the participants , yielded more complex speech. Task 2 , a problem solving task (a convergent task) with a specific problem and in which the topic was familiar to the students , on the other hand, fostered more accurate speech. Task 3, a role play in which the participants were given 10 minutes planning time, yielded more fluent speech. Findings revealed the existence of two trade-offs operating in the participants’ speech samples. The first trade-off is that between accuracy and complexity, whereas the second trade-off is that between fluency and complexity. The results from the present study may call teachers’attention to the value of the design of oral task, so that teachers can evaluate learners’ oral production successfully.
Open Access
Teachers' perceptions of motivational strategy use and the motivational characteristics of tasks
(2003) Yücel, Hüseyin
This thesis investigates the motivational strategy practices of teachers working in Muğla University's preparatory school and their attitudes towards motivational strategies. It also looks at the teachers' perceptions of motivational characteristics of tasks. Questionnaires and interviews were employed to collect data from 33 participants, all of whom were English teachers in the preparatory school. Five of questionnaire participants were interviewed. Data obtained from the questionnaires were analysed quantitatively, and categorisation was employed to analyse the interview data. Analyses of data revealed that the teachers working in the preparatory school use motivational strategies to a great extent in their teaching and they have strong positive attitudes towards these motivational strategies. A comparison of the use of and attitude toward motivational strategies revealed both close matches and significant differences. Another important finding of the study was that the teachers reported nine characteristics which they believe make tasks motivating. In terms of using some motivational strategies the teachers do what they believe they should do. On the other hand, the teachers cannot use some strategies as often as they believe they should because they are overburdened and short of time because of a tightly scheduled curriculum. Curriculum reform is recommended to enable the teachers to do what they believe they should to motivate students effectively. Such reform will need to take into consideration the perceived motivational characteristics of tasks when decisions are made about the materials to be used in the program.