UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES' MOTIVATION AND PERCEPTION

TOWARDS

ENGLISH EDUCATION

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

EDUCATION IN

PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF MASTER OF EDUCATION IN ENGLISH

SUBMITTED BY:

DAMODAR NEUPANE

GRAMIN ADARSHA MULTIPLE CAMPUS

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

TRIBHUWAN UNIVERSITY

October, 2020
UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES' MOTIVATION AND PERCEPTION

TOWARDS

ENGLISH EDUCATION

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

EDUCATION IN

PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF MASTER OF EDUCATION IN ENGLISH

SUBMITTED BY:

DAMODAR NEUPANE

EXAM SYMBOL NO: 73284003

TU REGISTRATION NO: 9-2-0284-0329-2013

GRAMIN ADARSHA MULTIPLE CAMPUS

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

TRIBHUWAN UNIVERSITY

THESIS VIVA DATE: 13th Ashwin, 2077 B.S. (29th September, 2020 A.D.)

SUBMISSION DATE: 9th Chaitra, 2076 B.S. (22nd March, 2020 A.D.)
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this thesis is original and has been

prepared exclusively for the academic purpose.
I am responsible for any issues concerning ethical
considerations and plagiarism.

----------------------------------------
Damodar Neupane
21st Ashwin, 2077 B.S. (7th October, 2020 A.D.)
 RECOMMENDATION FOR ACCEPTANCE

This is to certify that Mr. Damodar Neupane has prepared this thesis entitled
"University Undergraduates' Motivation and Perception towards English
Education" under my guidance and supervision.

I recommend this thesis for acceptance.

-----------------------------

Mr. Lila Nath Paudel

Thesis Supervisor

Lecturer

Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus

Tarkeshwor, Kathmandu.

5th Ashwin, 2077 B.S. (21st September, 2020 A.D.)

 RECOMMENDATION FOR EVALUATION

This thesis has been recommended for evaluation from the following Research Guidance
Committee:

Dr. Shiva Ram Pandey

Lecturer and Head

------------------------------

Department of English Education (Chairperson)

Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus

Tarkeshwor, Kathmandu

Mr. Lila Nath Paudel (Supervisor)

Lecturer
------------------------------

Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus (Member)

Tarkeshwor, Kathmandu.

Mr. Upendra Ghimire

Lecturer
-------------------------------

Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus (Member)

Tarkeshwor, Kathmandu.

13th Baisakh, 2077 B.S. (25th April, 2020 A.D.)

 EVALUATION AND APPROVAL

This thesis has been evaluated and approved by the following Thesis Evaluation and
Approval Committee:

Dr. Shiva Ram Pandey

Lecturer and Head -----------------------------

Department of English Education (Chairperson)

Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus

Tarkeshwor, Kathmandu

Dr. Purna Bahadur Kadel

Associate Professor ----------------------------

Department of English Education (Expert)

Tribhuwan University

Kritipur, Kathmandu

Mr. Lila Nath Paudel (Supervisor)

Lecturer -------------------------------

Department of English Education (Member)

Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus

Tarkeshwor, Kathmandu

Date: 13th Ashoj, 2077 B.S. (29th September, 2020 A.D.)

 DEDICATION

Affectionately Dedicated

To

Those Who Cared, Inspired, and Taught Me

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my thesis supervisor Mr.
Lila Nath Paudel, lecturer of Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus who academically
parented me and provided with a lot of valuable suggestions, encouragement and
consistent guidance during my research and report writing. This thesis would not have
been completed without his supervision.

From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank Dr. Shiv Ram Pandey, Lecturer and
Head, Department of English Education, Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus, Tarkeshwor,
Kathmandu. Likewise, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my external
supervisor Dr. Purna Bahadur Kadel. I extend my sincere gratitude to Mr. Upendra
Ghimire, Mr.Karna Bahadur Rana, Mr. Arjun Basnet, Mr. Krishna Shiwakoti, Mr.
Deepak Bhattarai and Mr. Kiran Ram Ranjitkar for providing me with academic
support during the academic years. Similarly, I extend my sincere thanks to all my
academic parents and other members of Gramin Adarsha Multiple Campus for their
inspirations and valuable suggestions during their lectures.

I am extremely thankful with all the respondents, campus chief, campus administration
and lecturers of the sampled campuses for their co-operation to shape this study.

I am indebted to my caring mother and father for devoting their entire life for my study
and overall progress. Similarly, I would like to express my special thanks to my brother,
Mr. Ramji Neupane for his guardianship, my cousin Mr. Sijan Bajagain, Mr. Shyam
Neupane and KTM Season Polyclinic, Machhapokhari, Kathmandu for their financial
and technical support to my study.

Damodar Neupane
 ABSTRACT

The present study entitled "University Undergraduates' Motivation and Perceptions

towards English Education" aims to discover the motives of university undergraduates
towards English education and to identify their perceptions about English education. To
conduct research, mixed-method was followed. This study was carried out using primary
sources of data. To fulfil this research, opinions of 184 university undergraduates from
two constituent and five affiliated campuses at TU; one from each province, were taken.
Non-random sampling procedures were applied to select the respondents. A set of
questionnaire close and open-ended was administered as a tool for data collection. The
quantitative data were analysed and interpreted using simple statistical tools like
percentage and presented with the help of table and pie-chart and qualitative data were
analysed and interpreted dividing them into various codes and themes. The result of this
study shows that university undergraduates were motivated both intrinsically and
extrinsically and the amount of intrinsic motivation is higher than extrinsic motivation.
The perceptions of university undergraduates is that English language is the most
important language for today's generation and English education is the best faculty of
learning English.

This study incorporates of five chapters. The first chapter includes background of the
study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, significance
of the study, delimitation of the study and operational definitions of the key terms. The
second chapter deals with the review of theoretical literature, review of empirical
literature, criticism of previous study, implication of the review and conceptual
framework. Chapter three consists of research design, data collection techniques and
procedures, data analysis and interpretation procedures, and ethical considerations.
Chapter four comprises results and interpretations of the data. Chapter five includes
findings, conclusions and recommendations the study.
 Table of Contents
Declaration……………………………….……………………………………………………….….i
Recommendation for Acceptance…………………………………………………………………ii
Recommendation for Evaluation…………………………………………………...…………….iii
Evaluation and Approval………………………………………………………………………….iv
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………………...v
Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………………….....vi
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………..vii
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………...…………………….viii
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………….……………….xi
List of Charts…………………………………………………………..………..…….....xiii
List of Abbreviations………………………………………………………….……………….....xiv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION…..…………………………….………………1-4

1.1 Background of the Study...………………………………………………………….…1

1.2 Statement of the Problem………..……………………………………………...……..2
1.3 Objectives of the Study……………..………………………………………...……….3
1.4 Research Questions……………………….…………………………………….……..3
1.5 Significance of the Study…………………………….…...………………….………..3
1.6 Delimitation of the Study ……………………………….………………….…..…….4
1.7 Operational Definitions of the Key Terms…………………………...…………….....4

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE AND

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWOR…………......…………………5-17

2.1 Defining Motivation and Perception…………………………………….…………….5

2.2 Theories of SLA Motivation and Types of Motivation……………………….……....6
2.2.1 Social Psychological Model of SLL and Types of Motivation in SPM……....6
2.2.2 Self-determination Theory and Types of Motivation in SDT………….……..7
2.2.3 Theories of the Motivational Self – System…………………………….…...11
 2.2.4 Socio-educational Model of SLA……………………………………….….11
2.3 Review of the Empirical Literature…………….…………………….…….……….12
2.4 Criticism of Previous Research………………………….……….………….…...…14
2.5 Implication of the Review…………………………………….…………….....……14
2.6 Conceptual Framework………………………………………….……….....….……17

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY………..………………...18-21

3.1 Research Design………………………………………………………………………18

3.2 Sampling Procedure………………………………………………………………..…18
3.3 Sources of Data……………………………………………………………………….19
3.4 Data Collection Tools………………………………………………………………...19
3.5 Data Collection Techniques and Procedures………………………………………....20
3.6 Data Analysis and Interpretation Procedures…………………………………………20
3.7 Ethical Considerations……………………………………….……………………….21

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS…....22-

59

4.1 Results…………………………………….……….…………………..……………..22
4.1.1 Analysis and Interpretation of Data Collected Through Close-ended Questions.
…………………………………………………………………….22
4.1.1.1English Education for Employment…………………………………….22
4.1.1.2 English Education for Further Study and University Award..……........27
4.1.1.3 English Education for Entertainment…………..………………………30
4.1.1.4English Education for Social Dignity and Parental Issues……….….….34
4.1.1.5 English Education for Linguistic Proficiency…………….…………....37
4.1.1.6 English Education for Global and Cultural Reasons………….………..42
4.1.1.7 English Education for Personal Interest and Pedagogical Concern...….45
4.1.2 Analysis and Interpretation of Data Collected through Open-ended
Questions……………………………………………………………………..50
4.1.2.1University Undergraduate's Perception about English Education..….....50
 4.1.2.2 Reason Behind Joining English Education……………………...……..51
4.1.2.3 Personal Interest of Joining English Education………………………..51
4.1.2.4 External Factors of Joining English Education………………………..52
4.1.3 Analysis Interpretation of Data through Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational
Perspectives…………………………………………………………..………53
4.1.3.1 Intrinsic Motivation of Joining English Education……………….……53
4.1.3.2 Extrinsic Motivation of Joining English Education…………………....57

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS………………...….60-66

5.1 Findings…………………………….…………………………………….…………...60
5.1.1 Findings Related to University Undergraduates' Motivation towards English
Education…………..……………………………….………….………….…60
5.1.2 Findings Related to University Undergraduates' Perception towards English
Education…..………………………………………………………………...61
5.2 Conclusions….……………………………………………………………………......62
5.3 Recommendations………………………………………………………………….....65
5.3.1 Policy Related Recommendations……………………………………….…..65
5.3.2 Practice Related Recommendations.…………………………………...........66
5.3.3 Further Research Related Recommendations………..………….…..............66

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES
LISTS OF TABLES

Table 1: Name of the visited campuses and the number of the samples 18

Table 2: I want to be an English Teacher. 23

Table 3: I want to be a language translator. 24

Table 4: It can help me in my profession. 25

Table 5: I want to fly for abroad study. 27

Table 6: I want to receive university award in English Education. 28

Table 7: I want to know the history of English language and literature. 30

Table 8: I like various genres of English literature. 31

Table 9: I want to enjoy creative writing in English language. 32

Table 10: My parents want me to join English education. 34

Table 11: I want to be prestigious among my friends. 35

Table 12: I want my English proficiency be increased. 37

Table 13: I want to speak English like native speaker. 38

Table 14: I want to pass English related exams; viz: IELTS/TOEFL/PTE. 39

Table 15: I want to understand the language of international media and sports. 40

Table 16: I want to understand and appreciate English culture. 42

Table 17: English is a global language. 43

Table 18: I am good at learning English. 45

Table 19: I hope that we have more English lessons in English Education. 46
Table 20: I want to actively participate in activities to see how good I am in ELT
pedagogy. 47

Table 21: I am really interested in English Education. 48

Table 22: Statements Related to Intrinsic Motivation towards joining English

Education 53

Table 23: Statements Related to Extrinsic Motivation towards joining English

Education 57
 LISTS OF PIE-CHARTS

Pie-Chart 1: English Education for Employment 26

Pie-Chart 2: English Education for Further Study and University Award 29

Pie-Chart 3: English Education for Entertainment 33

Pie-Chart 4: English Education for Social Dignity and Parental Issues 36

Pie-Chart 5: English Education for Linguistic Proficiency 40

Pie-Chart 6: English Education for Global and Cultural Reasons 44

Pie-Chart 7: English Education for Personal Interest and Pedagogical Concern 49

Pie-chart-8 Intrinsic Motivation of Joining English Education 56

Pie-chart-9 Extrinsic Motivation of Joining English Education 59

 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
SLA: Second Language Acquisition
SPM: Social Psychological Model
SDT: Self-Determination Theory
SEM: Socio-Educational Model
ELT: English Language Teaching
IM: Intrinsic Motivation
ESL: English as Second Language
EFL: English as Foreign Language
i.e.: For Example
ELL: English Language Learner
ESP: English for Specific Purpose
TU: Tribhuwan University
L2: Second Language
OIT: Organismic Integrative Theory
CET: Cognitive Evaluation Theory
Viz: Namely
R₁: Respondent First
R₂: Respondent Second
R₃: Respondent Third
R₄: Respondent Fourth
R₅: Respondent Fifth