The Effects of Using a Guidance Activity Package to Enhance Positive Attitude towards Learning English of High School Students in Private English Language School in Nan Province

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) compare students' attitudes toward learning English before and after implementing a guidance activity package and 2) compare the attitudes toward learning English between students who participated in the guidance activities and those who received conventional English instruction. This research employed an experimental design, utilizing both experimental and control groups with pre-test and post-test measurements. The population consisted of 300 high school students enrolled in a private English language school in Nan Province. A total of 65 students were recruited from the population. First, a pilot study was conducted with 25 students to validate the research instruments and ensure their reliability; these students were not included in the main experiment. Subsequently, 40 distinct students participated in the main study. Using simple random sampling, these participants were assigned to either the experimental group (n=20) or the control group (n=20). The research tools included: 1) an attitude toward English learning assessment, 2) a guidance activity package designed to enhance positive attitudes toward learning English, and 3) conventional English instruction. The statistical methods employed for data analysis included the mean and standard deviation, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the Mann-Whitney U test.
Research findings revealed that: 1) after participating in the guidance activity package, the experimental group showed a statistically significant increase in positive attitudes toward learning English at the .05 level; and 2) post-intervention, the experimental group exhibited significantly more positive attitudes toward English language learning than the control group with statistical significance at the .05 level.