초등학생의 영어 학습 신념과 성취도 사이의 관계에 관한 연구

Abstract

Given today's situation that the importance of English learning is increasing day by day, we need to study beliefs about English learning among elementary school children, but most of previous studies have focused on secondary and tertiary students. Thus, this study purposed to examine the relationship between elementary school children's beliefs about English learning and their English achievement. Research questions on the theme of this research are as follows. First, what beliefs do elementary school children have about English learning? Second, what relationship is there between elementary school children's beliefs about English learning and their achievement in English? The subjects of this study were 144 6th graders at G Elementary School in Busan. The children's beliefs about English learning were surveyed using a questionnaire prepared by translating Horwitz (1987)'s Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) and revising it for the children's level. Data on the children's academic achievement were collected by averaging the scores of four midterm and final examinations in 2010. The findings of this study are as follows. First, from the results of analyzing answers to 35 questions in BALLI, elementary school children had positive beliefs related to six questions and negative beliefs related to two questions. Students showed a higher belief in three factors in BALLI. Second, there was a significant difference in beliefs about English learning between the high achievement group and the low achievement group. When the mean total score of the 35 questions in BALLI was compared between the two groups, the high group showed a higher score of belief and the significance of the difference was verified through t-test. In comparison by the five factors of belief, the high group showed a higher belief than the low group in four factors and the significance of the difference was verified through t-test. In addition, correlation analysis revealed that, eighteen questions and five factors on beliefs about English learning were in a positive correlation and one question was in a negative correlation with the students' English achievement. Multiple regressions analysis performed and four questions and two factors turned out to be the most predictive of English achievement. Specifically, the questions on beliefs about Future English skills (No. 5), The thought that writing and reading in English are easier than speaking and hearing in English (No. 34), Association between high English skills and good jobs (No. 29) and The thought that English should be learned in a English speaking country (No. 12) could explain English achievement. Among the belief's related factors, (1) Difficulty of Language Learning and (5) Motivation and Expectations could explain English achievement.