Motivation, trait anxiety and hope, and their relationship to academic achievement of Spanish foreign language learners: A case study in Secondary Education

Abstract

This study investigates the current levels, relationship, and predictive value of motivation, trait anxiety, and hope on the English performance of secondary school students. We employed a quantitative methodology and an ex post-facto design. The sample consisted of 85 adolescent students (54.1% female, 45.9% male), enrolled in a public high school in Granada, Spain, who were assessed in motivation, trait anxiety, hope, and academic performance. The results show average values in all the evaluated variables; significant gender differences, favouring females, in competence and control goals, worthy future, and trait anxiety; significant relationships between academic performance in English and the variables hope, competence and control goals, worthy future, punishment avoidance, and interest in the subject; and the predictive nature of punishment avoidance and worthy future on academic performance in English as an L2. The data are discussed and evaluated for their implications for future research and improvements in educational practice.