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Learning a foreign language is considered as a source of enrichment for knowledge and a contribution to international understanding (Shannon, 1 989). Moreover, learning a foreign language frees the learner from the restrains and barriers one feels because of the limitations of his language. Knowing one language only means that a persons outlook will be unrealistic, naive and incomplete (Atlas, 1976). Therefore, learning any foreign language is very important, but when it comes to English it becomes more important because nearly all the placement in technology and means of communication are published in this language.
It is obvious that many educational authorities all over the world show a great interest in English to the degree that it is introduced as a compulsory subject at schools and a medium of instruction in many departments in various universities. Rivers (1983) group the objectives of teaching a foreign language into five classes 1 . To develop the students intellectual power through foreign study. 2. To increased the students personal culture through the study of the literature and philosophy to which engage is the key. 3. To increase the students understanding of how language functions. . To teach the student to read the foreign language with comprehension. 5. To provide students with skills this will enable him to communicate orally and to some degree in writing with people of other nationalities. In the light of the outlined objectives, learning a foreign language facilitates ready and perfect communication upon which understanding relies Still, and in spite of the serious efforts, the objectives of teaching English have not been accomplished, especially when the impotence of the learner is considered (AAA-Omar, 1 982, Shakier, 1980, Mustache, 1977).
This poor achievement drew the educators attention because they attach a great deal of importance to it for the following reasons 1 . Achievement is a predictor for the learners future life. 2. It determines the students progress in a certain program. 3. The level of student achievement reflects the degree of attainment of the goals set by educational institutions. 4. It determines the learners motivation since success leads to success and high spirits. Due to this special status given to achievement, researchers in education have been tempted to investigate factors affecting it.
Therefore the researcher believes that shedding light on some of these factors may help in finding a solution to this problem and in upgrading the level of students achievement. Bell (1972) claims that the variables most directly related to students achievement are Socio-economic status of the family and the socio- economic background of the other students in the particular school whereas Bloom (1976) believes that achievement is affected by interest, attitudes, self concepts and mental health.
Being convinced in the influence of such rabbles on achievement, the present researcher has chosen four variables to be the core of his research study. In fact, he will investigate the contribution of these independent variables to the defendant variables, which is students achievement in English. The variable the researcher had chosen is the students study habits. Statement of the Problem Students low achievement in English is a challenging phenomenon which has a negative effect on teaching and learning process. Mostly, University English majors, and after their graduation, will seek different jobs mainly in the educational field .
Hence, various sections of the society will be affected in a way or another by such graduates. However, most teachers and educators are generally dissatisfied with student level of achievement in English. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the reasons and factors which may have a direct influence on English Majors achievement at ISIS-Sat. Maria Campus. The researchers -being students at US-Sat. Maria and having relations with both students and lecturers there, used to hear comments and sufferings now and then about the problems they encounter while teaching and learning English.
This was the major cause for conducting this study. Anyway, the problem of this study can be stated through the following question 1. What are the different study habits of English majors in US-Sat. Maria Hypothesis This study will investigate the following alternate hypotheses tested at 0. 05 level of significance There are different study habits of English majors in US-Sat. Maria. Significance of the Study The significance of the study stems from the following Students. It will determine the relative effect of their study habits.
They could ascertain further their weaknesses and there factors which will inhibit them to be an achiever and successful. Teachers, Lecturers and Curriculum Designers. Since English plays an effective role in the economic and political life, a study which investigates the factors that influence the current situation of the English program at the compulsory cycle is necessary. They will find out which part of the curricula is to be strengthened or changed. They could generate more ideas as to increase the quality of education. Parents.
It could also help parents to deal with the learners problem in a proper way. Scope and Delimitation’s This search limits to the English majors students currently enrolled in Panamanian State university in all year levels. This may have an effect on the generalizations of the study and its findings. However, its findings, or some portion and extent Of it may still hold true to other schools possessing the same characteristics or adhering to the same educational vision, mission, objectives, and curricula of the studies of Panamanian State University.
Definition of Terms The following terms are defined carefully by researchers for the better understanding of the readers. Achievement. It is defined as the attainment of the specific goals of a subject matter (Bell, 1972). Emotionality. It refers to the psychological arousal and upset as heart racing and upset stomach (Shannon, 1989). Worry. It refers to the cognitive concern about performance and consequences of failure (Shannon. 1989). Delay Avoidance. AD It indicates promptness in completing academic assignments, lack of procrastination and freedom of wasteful delay (Shank nag, 1989).
Work Methods. WHOM In this study these methods refer to the use of effective study procedures, efficiency in doing academic assignment and how to study various skills. The researchers definition). Educational Acceptance (EAI) This deals with the learners approval of educational objectives, practices and requirements (Shannon, 1989). Teacher Approval. This indicates learners opinion of teachers and their classroom behaviors and methods. (Shannon, 1989). Study Habits. For this study they refer to certain study strategies including paraphrasing note taking and summarizing (Torchbearers definition).
Test Anxiety For this study it means the state of students being worried, frightened, uncertain before and while performing exams (The researchers definition). Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE STUDIES This chapter reviews scorn of the studies related to each variable under separate headings. Study Habits and Achievement Since the sass a wide variety of research has been conducted to improve study skills. These include various strategies such as paraphrasing, note-taking, summarizing and mapping. These strategies have been examined by many Arab and foreign studies. AAA-Allahabad 1976 AAA-Salem, 1988 Houston, 1987 Ralph and Charles, 1980). AAA-Allahabad (1976) investigated the relationship between the study habits and attitudes of Jordanian University students on one hand and the dents academic achievement on the other. The sample consisted of (625) first year students distributed among five faculties. The results showed a positive and statistically significant correlation between performance and measures of academic achievement. Houses (1979) conduct a study to investigate the relationship between study habits and academic achievement.
The scale used to measure study habits was a translated version of Gilbert Wrens Habits Inventory. The scale of achievement used in this study was the average of the students in the General Secondary Certificate Exam. The ample consisted of (1208) students in the third academic secondary class. The results showed that there was no sign efficient difference between the mean scores of males and females on the inventory. Houston (1987) studied the predictive validity of study habits for first semester undergraduates.
The sample consisted of (30) males and (52) females at Rutgers University in New Jersey. The results showed significant correlation between the academic variables on one hand and the study skills Inventory variable on the other. Al- Salem (1990) investigated the relationship between study habits and academic achievement of community college students in Jordan. The subjects were (80) science majors and (120) literary majors. A T-test was used to investigate the differences between the mean scores of study habits of high achieving students and those of low-achieving students.
In addition, the literary stream students showed higher mean scores on the inventory than the science-stream students showed higher mean scores on the inventory than the science-stream students. High- achieving literary stream students also surpassed significant high- achieving science stream students. Collins (1995) conducted a study whose sample consisted of (23) students from University of Newcastle who had not. The results showed that bridging programs can enhance student performance, inculcate study habits and improve confidence.
Wesley (1997) studied the effects of ability high school achievement and procrastinators behavior on college performance. Subjects were (194) women and (54) men. Ability was personalized by total scholastic Aptitude Test Score, achievement by average grade earned in high school and procrastination by score on the procrastination Assessment Score. It was explained by ability and high school achievement in predicting college grade point average. Results showed that procrastination does account for a significant portion of variance in college grades beyond that explained by ability and high school grades.
For men high school achievement was the strongest predictor of college performance. But for women, ability was the strongest predictor. Ingenious (2001) administer a study to investigate the antecedent correlates of library anxiety. The following factors were considered gender, age, native language, year of study academic achievement rouser load number of earned credit hours employment the library Anxiety scale. Data indicate that students with the highest levels of library anxiety tended to be male, undergraduate who do not speak English as their native language, have high level of academic achievement.
Norton (2002) investigated the relationship between test preparation and academic performance on a performance on a high school graduation test using data from the 1995 -96 Louisiana Graduation Exist Examination (GEE). Test preparation was measured based on students responses concerning whether they prepared well for the test or not. Academic performance was measured through live subjects English language Arts, Mathematics, written composition, Science, and Social studies. Each subject was examined based on two test uses students passing status and students scaled scores.
A series of chi square tests were used for each subject to examine the relationship between test preparation and passing status. In addition, Pearson correlation analysis was used for each subject to examine the relationship between test preparation and scaled scores. Results showed that there is a significant relationship between preparation and academic performance. Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the methodology that will be use in the conduct of this study and will include the discussion of research design, samplings, respondents, data gathering and statistical instrument used.
Research Design A research design used for this study was structured survey questionnaire. This was considered appropriate for this research as it enables the collection and analysis of data from respondents considered to be the exact representation of entire group. Samplings independents English Majors Students who are enrolled during the current school year at Panamanian State University which is comprised 5 percent of the total population will be the sample size of the study. The sample population is 50 taken the total from all the English MajorsstudentsofPangasinan Stateliness’s.
Thenceforth studentsofthetotalpopulationwillbearrangedalphabeticallyand according to year levels. Simple stratified random method, proportionate to size will be done based on the random numbers generated by Maintain oracle. Names will then be picked up and these will be included in the sample population. Research Settings The study will be conducted inside the English Laboratory n Panamanian State university Santa Maria, Campus Santa Maria Panamanian. Data Gathering The researchers will ask permission from the dean of the school to allow the English majors students to answer the questionnaire.
The answering of the questionnaire will be done in the Speech Laboratory Room. Answered questionnaires then will gather responses coded and will be subjected to the appropriate statistical computation for reliability. These students name will then be deleted from the list of the total population so as not to include them again in the selection of the sample population. Instruments use One major instrument is to be used to obtain relevant data for study A 44-item 4-point liker scale type questionnaire was developed.