Table 2.
Validity and reliability data of the ATLE survey (N = 616).
| Dimensions, items and descriptive statistics | Factor loadings |
|---|---|
| Surface motive (SM) | |
| Factor 1: aim for qualification (AQ), mean = 3.72, S.D. = 0.67, Cronbach alpha = 0.89 | |
| AQ-1 Learning English can help me find an ideal job in the future, whether I like it or not. | 0.73 |
| AQ-2 I want to get good grades in English learning so that I can find a good job in the future. | 0.73 |
| AQ-3 I want to do well in English learning so that my family and teachers can be happy. | 0.65 |
| AQ-4 I will try to learn English well in order to enter university. | 0.74 |
| AQ-5 Even if I don't like English classes, I will still work hard to get good grades. | 0.73 |
| Factor 2: fear of failure (FF), mean = 3.47, S.D. = 0.78, Cronbach alpha = 0.91 | |
| FF-1 When I don't do well in the English exam, I will worry about my performance in the next exam. | 0.71 |
| FF-2 Although I work hard to prepare for the English exam, I still worry about not doing well in the exam. | 0.80 |
| FF-3 I will worry that my performance in English class does not meet the teacher's expectations. | 0.73 |
| FF-4 I'm still afraid of learning English although I try to relax. | 0.75 |
| FF-5 Whenever I take an English test, I always worry that I don't do well. | 0.83 |
| FF-6 Whenever I take an English test, I feel nervous and afraid. | 0.78 |
| Deep motive (DM) | |
| Factor 3: intrinsic interest and commitment to work (II-CW), mean = 3.48, S.D. = 0.70, Cronbach alpha = 0.95 | |
| II-CW-1 When learning English, I often feel very happy and satisfied. | 0.78 |
| II-CW-2 When learning English, I am always interested in the content. | 0.78 |
| II-CW-3 Learning English is very interesting, so I will study English very hard. | 0.79 |
| II-CW-4 I am always looking forward to having English classes. | 0.77 |
| II-CW-5 I like what the teacher teaches in English class now. | 0.69 |
| II-CW-6 The learning content in English textbooks is very attractive. | 0.73 |
| II-CW-7 I will spend my spare time studying the contents related to English courses on my own. | 0.71 |
| II-CW-8 Before having an English class, I always have a lot of questions in my mind. | 0.73 |
| II-CW-9 Even when I take other courses, I still have English-related content in my mind. | 0.65 |
| II-CW-10 I like to work hard to study English and sum up, which will make me feel very successful. | 0.72 |
| II-CW-11 I will seriously complete the exercises in the textbook even if it is not required. | 0.68 |
| Surface strategy (SS) | |
| Factor 4: minimizing scope of study (MSS), mean = 3.11, S.D. = 0.80, Cronbach alpha = 0.91 | |
| MSS-1 When learning English, I won't pay attention to what is unrelated to the exams. | 0.77 |
| MSS-2 I will reduce the time of English learning as long as I can cope with the exam. | 0.83 |
| MSS-3 There are too many contents to learn in high school. I will treat them differently and will not spend too much time and energy on English learning. | 0.84 |
| MSS-4 English learning involves many contents, so I won't be too familiar with of each unit. | 0.87 |
| MSS-5 I hope that the teacher can draw out the key points of the exam so that I can prepare for the exam. | 0.64 |
| MSS-6 If the scope of the English test is too wide, I will choose to give up or just do the simple part. | 0.73 |
| Factor 5: memorization (Mem), mean = 2.87, S.D. = 0.909, Cronbach alpha = 0.90 | |
| Mem-1 The best way to score high in English exams is to memorize the answers of exercises. | 0.76 |
| Mem-2 As long as I memorize the important contents in the English textbook, I can get high marks in most exams even if I don't understand them. | 0.74 |
| Mem-3 I will pay special attention to memorizing, especially the possible part of English exams. | 0.58 |
| Mem-4 To score high in the English exams, memorizing is more important than understanding. | 0.75 |
| Deep strategy (DS) | |
| Factor 6: relating ideas and understanding (RI-Und), mean = 3.63, S.D. = 0.68, Cronbach alpha = 0.96 | |
| RI-Und-1 When learning English, I will try to relate what I have learned with other units or subjects. | 0.73 |
| RI-Und-2 When learning English, I like to relate some scattered learning contents together. | 0.75 |
| RI-Und-3 When learning English, I will try to find out the connections among what I have learned. | 0.79 |
| RI-Und-4 When learning new contents in English textbooks, I will relate them with what I have learned. | 0.78 |
| RI-Und-5 I will relate my previous knowledge to help me finish my English homework. | 0.78 |
| RI-Und-6 When preparing for exams, I will relate what the teacher has said with my review materials. | 0.75 |
| RI-Und-7 When learning new English words, I will consider the application situations of these words. | 0.77 |
| RI-Und-8 When learning English, I will try to understand the teacher's lecture as much as possible. | 0.78 |
| RI-Und-9 When I read English textbooks, I will try to understand the meaning behind these contents. | 0.73 |
Overall alpha = 0.96, total variance explained = 75.63%.