Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice, Attributional Retraining in the Primary English as a Foreign Language Classroom

 

Introduction

Students’ motivation is an important concern in the area of education. By means of analyzing the factors behind motivational aspects in learning, some insight can be gained in order to improve the learning process and attitudes towards foreign language learning in young learners.

According to Chodkiewicz (2014) maladaptive styles, such as avoidance or surrender translate into poorer academic achievement. Attribution retraining is a psychological technique used to encourage adaptive attributions to foster self-esteem. Therefore, causal attribution processes are key to motivation (Mateucci, 2017).  Mateucci (2017) conducted an exploratory study to demonstrate and analyze the correlations between      Attributional Retraining (AR)  techniques and achievement goals in college students. Even though the findings of the study were inconclusive due to the size of the sample, some positive correlations have been evidenced between the application of AR techniques and the overall performance of students. 

Chodkiewicz and Boyle (2015) devised a program to enhance academic achievement and emotional well-being in students from 8 to 12 years, which is almost analogous to the second cycle of primary education in Argentina.   The aforementioned authors claim “that such (psychological) programs may be the missing link needed in our current education system to support both academic achievement and overall well-being among students” (Chodkiewicz & Boyle, 2015, p. 2).

There has not been enough research about self-handicapping attitudes and attribution retraining in our particular context. Much of the research above has been done in college settings or in foreign countries which is why there is a need to implement and evaluate an AR programme in EFL primary classrooms in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The aim  of this  study  is to put to test  AR programs on forty-nine fifth graders in order to draw preliminary conclusions on the effects of AR in learners’ ability to cope with failure and frustration within our particular context by means of answering the following research questions:

 

 

1. What is the effectiveness that attribution retraining has on EFL learners’ self-esteem and performance in the short term?

3. To what extent can attribution retraining help offset self-handicapping attitudes in very young learners?

 

Annotated bibliographies

 

 Chodkiewicz, A.R., & Boyle, C. (2014) Exploring the contribution of attribution retraining to student perceptions and the learning process. Educational Psychology in Practice: theory, research and practice in educational psychology, 30:1, 78-87, DOI: 10.1080/02667363.2014.880048

 

Aims to empower teaching practitioners to apply Attribution Retraining (AR) techniques in their classrooms. Briefly describes cognitive theory. Explores key factors in learner motivation. Provides a definition and examples for AR. Attempts to bridge the gap between AR as a psychological tool and its implementation in learning environments. Differentiates adaptive and maladaptive attributional styles. Proves that maladaptive styles translate into poorer academic achievement. Relates attributional styles to self-esteem, effort and performance. Offers a set of recommendations to encourage adaptive attributions such as feedback and modelling. Emphasizes the importance of a thorough understanding of AR to avoid encouraging maladaptive styles unwillingly. Enumerates examples of successful AR implementation cases. Discusses the usefulness of AR in large classroom settings. Concludes there is a need for systematic application of AR in the classroom together with thorough reports on the results of its implementation within educational settings. 

 

Matteucci, M. C. (2017). Attributional retraining and achievement goals: An exploratory study on theoretical and empirical relationship. European Review of Applied Psychology, 67(5), 279-289.

 

Defines attributional theory and attributional retraining. Describes the two phases of Attribution Retraining (AR): induction and consolidation. Analyses previous studies done in the field. Explains the achievement goals theory. States the methods for the study, participants, procedure and process. Measures and analyses correlations among demographics, achievements goals orientation and causal attributions. Discusses the results. Claims an influencing role of achievement goals on the adoption of adaptive vs maladaptive causal attributions. Partially supports the effectiveness of AR treatment to modify self-defeating attributions. Establishes the limitations of the study. Provides suggestions for further research.

 

 References

 

Chodkiewicz, A.R., & Boyle, C. (2014) Exploring the contribution of attribution retraining to student perceptions and the learning process. Educational Psychology in Practice: theory, research and practice in educational psychology, 30:1, 78-87, DOI: 10.1080/02667363.2014.880048

 

 

Chodkiewicz, A.R., & Boyle, C. (2015). Believing You Can is the First Step to Achieving: A CBT and Attribution Retraining Programme to Improve Self-Belief in Students aged 8-12. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

 

 

Matteucci, M. C. (2017). Attributional retraining and achievement goals: An exploratory study on theoretical and empirical relationship. European Review of Applied Psychology, 67(5), 279-289.