1.2 Organization of the Thesis
The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One briefly introduces research background, purpose of the investigation. In Chapter Two, literature review are presented including the definitions of motivation; the classification of motivation; motivational intensity; main theories of motivation and previous studies on motivation. Chapter Three describes research methodology which introduces research questions, research design of the survey and data collection and analysis. Chapter Four reports the statistical results of questionnaire and discussions. The final Chapter is to summarize the major findings of the study, and provide the implications for English teaching and learning. Meanwhile, the limitations of the study are noted and some suggestions are given for further research.
2 Literature Review
2.1 Definitions of Motivation
Motivation, a psychological term, has been used in both educational and research contexts frequently. The concept of motivation consists of many different factors such as a need, interest or a desire to achieve, which will differ in different situations and also be subject to external influences like parents and examinations. Although motivation has been explored for over a century, there is still little agreement on the exact meaning of its concept. The term bears various kinds of interpretations.
Keller (1983) once summarized that "motivation refers to the choices people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach or avoid, and the degree of effort they will exert in that respect". 非英语专业研究生英语学习动机及动机强度的调查研究(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_9229.html