The Effect of Autonomy-Supportive Teaching on Chinese Architectural Higher Vocational Non-English Majored Students’ Intrinsic Motivation and Oral English Achievement

Abstract

Purpose: The development of higher vocational education in China has received significant attention in terms of promoting the practical application of oral English skills among higher vocational students in the globalised technical industry. This is achieved by enhancing intrinsic motivation. The self-determination theory (SDT) was used to investigate how autonomy-supportive teaching (AST) and traditional teacher-oriented teaching (TOT) affected the motivation and English-speaking skills of students who were not majoring in English at a Chinese architectural higher vocational college. A quantitative approach was employed for data analysis. Method: A sample of 40 students undergoing AST and another sample of 40 students receiving TOT were randomly selected from the first grade of the building construction major in this college. The pre-test and post-test were administered at the start and conclusion of the semester for comparative analysis. Two participant groups completed an oral English test and responded to the Speaking Motivation Scale (SMS). The collected data was processed using SPSS 26. Findings: The intervention's comprehensive scaffolding led to statistical results showing that the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of intrinsic motivation and oral English achievement. Implications for Research and Practice: The study's findings highlight the superior effectiveness of AST over TOT in the specific context of this research.