The effect of Chinese EFL students’ learning motivation on learning outcomes within a blended learning environment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ learning motivation and learning outcomes in a blended learning environment. A questionnaire was administered to 960 EFL students, and 10 of them participated in an interview. Following a series of analyses on the data collected through the questionnaire, consisting of exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive analysis, and correlation analysis, a structural relationship model that integrated learning motivation and learning outcomes was developed and tested. The results reveal that both intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation have a positive relationship with learning outcomes within a blended learning environment, both of which are conducive to improving students’ English linguistic competence and facilitating their psychological development of English learning. Moreover, intrinsic motivation is more important than extrinsic motivation. In intrinsic motivation, intrinsic interest in English and the intrinsic goal of understanding English culture are the two most important motives. Based on these results, implications and recommendations for future research are provided.   Implications for practice or policy: Foreign language educators should consider the stimulation of students' learning motivation as the main task in blended courses. Foreign language educators should pay more attention to the development of students’ intrinsic motivation than extrinsic motivation to produce more favourable learning outcomes in blended courses. Foreign language educators should focus on developing students’ intrinsic interest in foreign language and culture in terms of the cultivation of students’ intrinsic motivation in blended courses.