The Use of Inspirational English Learning Activities to Improve English Achievement, Engagement, and Motivation Among Grade 5 Students at St. Joseph Ayutthaya School Thailand

Abstract

Background and Aims: Engaged learning in English is important in primary education, as young learners benefit from supportive and motivating classroom environments. This study developed and implemented inspirational English learning activities and evaluated their effectiveness in improving Grade 5 students’ English achievement, engagement, and motivation.

Methodology: A one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was used with 19 Grade 5 students at St. Joseph Ayutthaya School, Thailand. The intervention consisted of eight lesson plans over eight weeks (16 instructional periods) incorporating praise, encouragement, games, storytelling, collaborative tasks, and student choice. Data were collected using an English achievement test and questionnaires measuring engagement and motivation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test, and the paired-samples t-test.

Results: Three experts rated the instructional activities as highly appropriate for classroom implementation (M = 4.63, SD = 0.20). Students’ English achievement increased from pretest (M = 21.74) to posttest (M = 34.74). Engagement and motivation scores also increased from moderate to very good levels after the intervention. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences between pretest and posttest results.

Conclusion: Inspirational English learning activities were associated with improvements in students’ English achievement, engagement, and motivation. These findings suggest that motivational and student-centered instructional strategies may enhance English learning experiences among primary learners in the Thai context.