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

• Main Author: Pack, Herbert Philip
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1979
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/7699/; https://research.library.mun.ca/7699/1/Pack_HerbertPhilip.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/7699/3/Pack_HerbertPhilip.pdf

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 ...