Análisis actitudinal hacia la gramáticarevisión crítica y perspectivas de futuro

Abstract

This Ph.D. thesis aims to understand student attitudes and their feelings toward learning and using grammar in compulsory secondary school. This work was started primarily due to a set of evidences about the lack of motivation of students in studying this discipline, as well as the limited proficiency in grammar skills. The contribution of this Ph.D. thesis is twofold. First, a research procedure was created in order to gather an approximate idea of the overall situation in the classroom. Second, a new methodological proposal was developed to improve not only relationships grammar teacher - students, scorings and adquired knowledge, but also to reduce the relevant rate of early leaving in compulsory school, thanks to the consideration of psychological and personal characteristics of students into the educational loop. In order to carry out this research work, three evaluation instruments (a life history, a questionnaire and an interview) were specifically designed to examine and evaluate students' motivations and beliefs towards teaching and learning the mother tongue grammar. Besides, a set of grammar activities was proposed for self-assessment of their skills to solve them. The sample under analysis includes 61 students who were enrolled in fourth year of the compulsory secondary school (academic year 2015-2016) at the Colegio Marista "La Sagrada Familia" in Cartagena, Spain. In this work it has been evidenced that the teacher's training, his behavior in the classroom and corresponding relationships with students are factors that significantly influence students, affecting their perception of grammar. From students' answers across all instruments, it becomes clear that the development of a positive attitude towards the subject of Language is associated to the level of entertainment in the classroom.