Task-Based Learning and Achievement Motivation among Sixth-Grade EFL Students in Neiva

Abstract

This study addressed the research question: What was the impact of a Task-Based Learning (TBL) pedagogical intervention on the achievement motivation of sixth grade students at ÁngelMaría Paredes Public School in Neiva, Colombia? The general objective was to evaluate the impact of an intervention, supported by three specific aims: (a) To diagnose the initial levels and characteristics of achievement motivation prior to the TBL implementation, (b) To monitor students’ engagement and task performance, including collaborative work, during the teaching sequence, and (c) To assess post-intervention changes using both quantitative and qualitative measures. To this end, a mixed-methods design was employed; quantitative data were collected via a ten-item Likert questionnaire administered before and after the intervention, complemented by structured classroom observations and student artifacts. Quantitatively, the group mean shifted from 3.57 to 3.46, and the paired samples t-test did not indicate a statistically significant effect on achievement motivation (p > 0.05). However, qualitative analysis revealed consistent increases in situational interest, active participation, and communicative risk-taking during authentic, collaborative tasks. Based on triangulated evidence, it was concluded that TBL reliably elicited situational engagement and enhanced opportunities for peer interaction; nevertheless, it was proposed that longer interventions and explicit scaffolding in self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies were required to consolidate sustained persistence and measurable gains in achievement motivation. Furthermore, pedagogical implications for low-resource EFL classrooms were discussed, and recommendations for longitudinal and comparative follow-up studies were advanced