The relationship pattern between English prep school students' academic achievement and their academic motivation, anxiety and attitudes

The aim of this study is to determine the predictive and explanatory relationship between the academic achievement of university students and their motivation, anxiety and attitudes. 631 students formed the study group. In order to determine the students' motivation, 'Academic Motivation Scale'; to find out their anxiety level 'Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale' and for their attitudes 'Questionnaire on Attitudes towards English' was applied. The students' grades in the autumn term were taken into account as indicators for the academic achievement. The data gained through the research were analyzed by using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 22.0 software program through Structural Equation Model (SEM). At the end of the research, the model which was first suggested for the test was analyzed, tested and verified after some modifications suitable with indexes. The results indicated that there was a negative and significant relationship between attitudes towards English and foreign language classroom anxiety; extrinsic motivation and foreign language classroom anxiety; and intrinsic motivation and foreign language classroom anxiety levels. On the other hand, it was found out that, there was a positive and significant relationship between students' attitudes towards English and intrinsic motivation; their extrinsic motivation and attitudes towards English and their intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation levels. In addition, unlike foreign language classroom anxiety levels, students' attitudes towards English and their intrinsic motivation levels have a significant power to predict academic achievement. In the light of the findings, the relationship pattern between English prep school students' academic achievement and their motivation, anxiety and attitudes was suggested as a model.