Author Description

Motivation is an important affective factor in second/foreign language learning (Dörnyei, 1990; Gardner, 1985). While considerable studies have examined students' motivation in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, a majority of them focused on university students and adult learners (Boo et al., 2015; Butler, 2015b; Jin et al., 2014; Lamb, 2017; Xu & Case, 2015). This study addresses the gaps in previous research and focuses on upper elementary (Grade 6) English learners in China. First, this study developed and examined the psychometric properties of a motivation survey for upper elementary English learners in China. Furthermore, this study investigated the effects of three motivational factors- perceived parental influence, perceived peer influence, and English learning experience-on English achievement. A first version of the motivation survey was designed and piloted among 493 Grade 6 students from four public schools (school A, school B, school C, school D) that are located in different socioeconomic areas in an economically and socioculturally less developed city in China. Data from the pilot study were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Based on the results of EFA, the first version of the motivation survey was revised. Another sample of participants (N=657) was recruited from Grade 6 classrooms in four public schools (school A with different classrooms from the pilot study, school E, school F, school G) in the same city. Schools B, C, D share similar characteristics as schools E, F, and G. These participants completed the revised version of the motivation survey. Their English scores from the school district level achievement tests in Grade 5 and Grade 6 were collected as a measure of foreign language achievement. Factor analyses across the three samples identified that Ideal L2 self, Ought-to L2 self, English learning experience, parent-oriented motivation, and peer-oriented motivation were five unique and correlated factors. In addit