Discovering the Factors Influencing Students' Perception of the Educational Environment in the Context of Foreign Language Training in a Technical Higher School

• Authors: Yulia Stukalina
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Introduction. One of the most challenging tasks for educators is to encourage students of a nonlinguistic institute to study languages. Traditionally, such institutions focus more on promoting the learning of special subjects. However, in the knowledge-based economy, multidisciplinary skills are of fundamental importance. To encourage language learning education managers provide the learning process participants with motivating educational environment.The Aim of the Study. To report the findings of the pilot study, which explores how students perceive different aspects of the educational environment in the context of language teaching and learning in a technical higher school.Materials and Methods. This paper aims to focus on a few essential factors that might have a significant impact on student motivation for studying languages. Information was gathered through the use of the student survey conducted in Transport and Telecommunication Institute; it was based on the structured questionnaire containing a few perception items in relation to foreign language training in a higher technical school.Results and Conclusions. In general, the results of the study show that the students assess all educational environment aspects identified in the survey as having a significant impact on language teaching and learning in a technical higher school. The results basically would imply that the factors students regard as the most important for supporting their studies in relation to language teaching and learning are those, which they directly associate with learning a language.

Keywords

EN

language teaching and learning; educational environment; student feedback; evaluation indicators

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Signum Temporis
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 69-75

Dates

published

2010-03-01

online

2011-10-20

Contributors

author

Yulia Stukalina

• University of Latvia, Latvia

References

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• Johnson, Ph., Buehring, A., Cassel, C., Symon, G. (2007) Defining Qualitative Management Research: an Empirical Investigation. An International Journal Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 23-42.
• List, D. Know Your Audience: chapter 3, part A, Principles of questionnaires: available from
• Wright, T. (1987) Roles of Teachers and Learners. UK: Oxford University Press, p. 117-118.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10195-011-0036-3