Choice Theory and L2 Learners’ Engagement, Satisfaction, and Performance

The current study sought to explore the effect of instruction primarily informed by choice theory on the engagement, performance, and satisfaction of EFL students in school settings. Central to choice theory is the claim that all human behaviors are rooted in choices primarily driven by internal instincts and five basic psychological needs, namely survival, freedom, power, love belonging, and  fun. To conduct the present study, 159 Iranian male students of English were randomly split into an experimental and a control group. The experimental group was exposed to the choice theory skills program, whereas the control group experienced routine classroom activities over a semester. A questionnaire with four dimensions was used to quantify participants' degree of engagement; a battery of tests developed by the school board of examiners was administered to check their academic performance; and a questionnaire with five criteria assessed their satisfaction with the program. The engagement of the two groups was compared through an independent samples t-test, their satisfaction with the program was checked through a second independent samples t-test, and their performance scores were analyzed through one mixed between-within-subjects ANOVA. Indices obtained for engagement, satisfaction, and performance showed that students who received activities in congruence with their internal instincts had significantly better indices of engagement, better academic performance, and higher indices of satisfaction with the experiment. Based on the results obtained choice theory is recommended to be integrated into instructional materials.