Factors Affecting the Attitude of School Students Towards English Learning: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Abstract

Students’ attitudes toward learning English are influenced by a variety of factors including the learning environment, teachers’ teaching methods, available teaching-learning materials, parental influence, community involvement, and peer groups. This study investigated how these factors interact and determine attitudes of high school students of Assam towards English learning. The sample size of the study was 355. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used as an analytical approach with SmartPLS 4.0. The results confirmed that the model is reliable and valid. Teachers’ teaching methods, teaching-learning materials, and peer influence were found to greatly affect the students’ attitudes toward learning English positively; whereas the learning environment, parental, and community influence did not have a significant direct effect. Learning environment and teaching-learning materials were positive predictors of teaching methods. The teaching methods, in turn, mediated the effect of teaching-learning materials and the learning environment on students’ attitudes. The findings underscore that effective pedagogy and sufficient learning resources are central to enhancing students’ engagement and attitudes toward English. Strengthening classroom practices and facilitating access to quality material may go a long way toward addressing learning constraints in schools. In future studies, long-term effects and other contextual variables might be considered that affect attitudes toward English learning