Data Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation for the pilot study
Collection
During the fall of 1989, students were asked to complete a survey to investigate 15 variables regarding attitude, motivation, and associative factors, such as, frequency of contact with Spanish outside of the classroom.
The pilot study questioned the grouping of attitudes into the traditional dichotomy of instrumental and integrative orientations. The survey instrument consisted of fill-ins and multiple choice questions, which solicited demographic information, as well as Likert scale items, open ended questions, and semantic differential items, all of which solicited information on attitudes and motivation.
Analysis
The data were analyzed by use of a correlation statistical technique to describe and measure
the degree of association between variables or sets of variables.
Interpretation
The frequency of contact with Spanish outside the classroom correlated positively with self-report of grade (.360) and an integrative attitude (.485); the number of years a student had studied Spanish correlated positively with attitude
about the language (.374), but not attitude about Spanish-speakers (.212). Attitude about Spanish-speakers correlated significantly with attitudes toward foreign language study (.536), the Spanish language (.545), and the orientation variables:
integrative (.532), instrumental (.591), requirement (-.533), and hostility (-.431). Attitude about Spanish-speakers did not correlate positively with the variable BORDER, which dealt with contact with Spanish outside the classroom.
The SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL (reaction) variable did not correlate with any other variable.
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