The effects of production-oriented approach in enhancing Chinese university learners' directed motivational currents and English writing

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of the Production-Oriented Approach (POA) in enhancing university students’ directed motivational currents (DMCs) and English academic writing proficiency within China’s Sino-foreign cooperative education programs. It addresses two key challenges faced by Chinese students: low motivation for learning English and limited writing skills. Underpinned by the pragmatic paradigm, the study employed a mixed-data design, involving two purposively recruited groups: a control group (CG) receiving regular instruction and an experimental group (EG) taught using the POA. Quantitative data were collected through a DMCs questionnaire and an English writing test, both administered before and after the study. In the qualitative phase, data from the EG were gathered via classroom observations, teacher logs, and interviews during and after the intervention. The findings revealed the POA significantly improved students’ DMCs, especially goal/vision orientation, participant ownership, positive emotional engagement, and a salient facilitative structure. Additionally, the EG showed substantial improvement in English writing skills, including task response, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy. A strong correlation between motivation and writing proficiency emerged in the EG after the intervention, which was not observed in the CG or before the intervention. Qualitative data revealed students valued the POA for encouraging interactive learning and connecting classroom activities to real-world relevance. Despite concerns about increased workload, students viewed the POA positively, believing it improved their motivation and writing skills. The study provides recommendations for effectively applying the POA, such as maintaining goal-oriented learning, fostering a motivating environment, pacing instruction appropriately, and integrating examination preparation. These findings offer valuable insights for educators seeking to enhance student motivation and writing proficiency through the POA by combining goal-oriented tasks, real-world relevance, continuous assessment, and iterative revision processes. The study also suggests further research into the broader application of the POA in higher education and other cultural contexts.