The paper titled "Using the Motivation and Engagement Wheel to Examine the Interplay Between Learner Engagement, Motivation, Year Level, and Academic Achievement in an EFL Tertiary Context" focuses on understanding how different dimensions of learner motivation and engagement impact academic achievement among female undergraduate English-major students in Saudi Arabia. The primary research question explores the extent to which students' engagement and motivation levels correlate with their academic performance, specifically their GPA, and how these levels change as students progress through their academic years.
The purpose of the study is to employ Martin's Motivation and Engagement Wheel (MEW) framework and the associated Motivation and Engagement Scale for University/College (MES-UC) to assess the motivational and engagement typologies of these students. The study seeks to determine how various factors within the MEW framework influence students' academic achievement and to identify any significant variations in motivation and engagement across different academic year levels.
The research methodology involved surveying 456 female undergraduate students majoring in English at a public university in Saudi Arabia. The participants completed the Arabic version of the MES-UC, which was analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM). The study also utilized ANOVA and cluster analysis to explore the relationships between academic year level, motivation, engagement, and academic achievement.
Key findings reveal that positive motivation and engagement were more prevalent among students than negative motivation and engagement. However, the study found a significant decline in both positive motivation and engagement as students progressed to higher academic levels. The research also identified four distinct student typologies based on their motivation and engagement patterns, ranging from highly motivated and engaged students to highly demotivated and disengaged students. A notable finding is that students in their first and second years of study displayed higher levels of motivation and engagement compared to those in their third and fourth years, and this was strongly correlated with better academic performance.
The study concludes that the MEW framework is effective in identifying student engagement and motivation typologies and provides valuable insights for designing interventions to enhance student motivation and engagement. The findings suggest that educational institutions should focus on early identification of disengaged students and implement targeted interventions to maintain high levels of engagement and motivation throughout students' academic careers. The study also highlights the importance of fostering a supportive learning environment that addresses the challenges faced by students as they progress through their studies.