Abstract
This study investigated how on-task behavior of EFL learners is associated with their partner’s and their own motivational dispositions during a communicative task. A total of 114 university students were randomly assigned to pairs and engaged in a decision-making task. Learners’ on-task behavior was measured by counting the total number of English words produced and turns taken during the task (i.e., task engagement variables). Their motivational dispositions during the task were measured using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Cluster analysis was performed to classify learners into high motivation and low motivation learners. Correlation analyses were used to examine the relationships between their trait and state motivational variables and on-task behavior. The results showed that for both high motivation and low motivation learners, state motivational variables correlated with their task engagement variables. The result also demonstrated that only when highly motivated learners were paired with highly motivated learners, task engagement significantly and positively correlated with their partners’ motivational dispositions. This study concluded that for successful completion of an interactive task, a partner plays a significant role only for highly motivated learners, and spontaneous scaffolding is not expected to happen between learners with different levels of motivation.
