Learned Helplessness of Secondary-School Students Learning English During Covid-19 Distance Education: a Research Report

Abstract

Objectives of the research: This article presents a diagnosis of the learned helplessness experienced by secondary-school students learning English remotely during the 2021 lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives are to (1) show the level of learned helplessness of secondary-school students learning English, (2) investigate the relationship between foreign language learning strategies and the learned helplessness of secondary-school students, and (3) determine the relationship between the level of learned helplessness and the use of private tutoring by secondary-school students. Research methods: The study was conducted via a written diagnostic survey. It also employed the School Helplessness Scale by B. Ciżkowicz (2009) and the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) by R. Oxford (1990). A short description of the context of the issue: The aim of the text is to answer the following research questions: What is the level of learned helplessness of secondary-school students? Is there a relationship between foreign language learning strategies and the learned helplessness of secondary-school students? Does the use of private tutoring differentiate the level of learned helplessness of secondary-school students? Research findings: The results demonstrate a significant negative correlation between learned helplessness and the use of memory, cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies. The average score of learned helplessness was 2.54, which indicates that the respondents usually felt the symptoms of it.  An analysis of the results for the three deficits revealed that the motivational deficit made the greatest contribution to learned helplessness. The students who had hired a private tutor in English had a lower level of learned helplessness and cognitive deficit. Conclusions and/or recommendations: The research findings lead to several recommendations for educational practice in the context of foreign language learning: using new, effective pedagogical approaches to keep learners motivated—including elements of strategy training or social and emotional learning (SEL)—arranging remedial teaching, and promoting teachers’ professional development.