A study of factors affecting enrollment in French in the Senior high school: a comparison of variables of sex, achievement, attitude and motivation of two groups of grade ten students

Pack, Herbert Philip (1979) A study of factors affecting enrollment in French in the Senior high school: a comparison of variables of sex, achievement, attitude and motivation of two groups of grade ten students. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

In light of the current decline in French enrollment in Newfoundland high schools, the purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between a student’s attitudes and his decision to take French or to drop it when given a choice. The variables of sex, achievement and parental encouragement were also examined in relationship to a student’s decision. -- The study took the form of a survey conducted through a written questionnaire. From the Grade 10 population of 636 students in the Avalon North Integrated School District a random sample of 200 students was selected. One hundred of the students were currently enrolled in a French course and the remaining 100 students had chosen not to take French in Grade 10. -- The responses of the two groups of students on the questionnaire were analyzed and compared to determine whether a significant relationship existed between a student’s decision to take French and the variables of sex, achievement, parental encouragement, motivational orientation, attitude towards French people, attitude toward the French course, and attitude toward learning French as a second language. -- The data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed by means of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The t-test for differences between means and the chi-square test of independence were used to compare the responses of the two groups. -- The major findings of the study revealed that there was not a significant relationship between the variables of attitudes toward the French people or motivational orientation and a student’s decision to take French. However, significant relationships were found to exist between the variables of sex, achievement, parental encouragement and attitudes toward learning French. A descriptive analysis also suggested that a student’s attitude toward the French course and French class may affect his decision as to whether or not he takes French. -- The findings suggested that the problem of declining enrollments in French courses is related more to academic problems rather than to social or political factors. Thus, attempts to curb the decline should be focused on the improvement of student attitudes in the area of the French course, the class, the teacher and toward learning French in general.

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