Investigating grit levels of preparatory school students learning English as a foreign language

Grit has recently gained attention among researchers studying second language acquisition as one of the individual difference variables. This study investigated the grit levels of preparatory school university students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The main objective is to determine whether factors, such as gender, age, academic department, English proficiency level and preparatory exam results led to different grit levels and to find out some of the prominent factors that affect their grit. The study population consisted of students from two state universities during the 2023-2024 spring semester, with a sample of 330 students (172 males, 158 females). In addition to quantitative data collected via questionnaires, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 students, transcribed, and analyzed. These interviews explored factors influencing grit, specific events impacting students' grit, and coping strategies. The Persistence Scale (Mutlu, 2017) was employed to gather data on the students' grit levels. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 23 software. No significant differences were observed for gender, age, proficiency scores, or department. However, significant differences were found for the duration of English education and English proficiency levels. Those with longer English education and higher proficiency (B2) exhibited higher grit. The qualitative findings from the study indicated that teacher support, interest in English media, and a supportive learning environment significantly enhanced students' grit in learning English. Conversely, factors such as personal challenges, peer influence, limited access and resources, and fear of failure were identified as major negative influences.