The relationship of emotions, motivation and language learning autonomy:

Abstract

The investigation of contextual variations in the role of individual difference variables is one of the most important research aims in foreign language pedagogy, especially in teaching environments where there are fluctuations in teaching efficiency. Thus, in our study we aimed 1) to show the ways various emotions, motivational variables, and self-efficacy beliefs relate to language learning autonomy; and 2) to explore the extent to which these influences are context independent, that is, equally important across schools. To achieve these aims, we designed a nation-wide quantitative study in Hungary that included students (N = 1,152) from 11 secondary schools across the country through systematic quota sampling. The scales included in our standardized questionnaire were analysed with multivariate statistical techniques. Our analysis focused on school-level differences, and the main results show that, concerning learner autonomy, the only association that seems to be significant across each school is students' motivation, while the role of the other scales is limited to some of the schools. Based on our results, we suggest implications for teachers and researchers alike.