Mai Sri Lena, Marianne Nikolov
This study examined how young learners’ (YLs’) views of teachers’, peers’, and parents’ roles influence their motivation and task engagement in learning English, as well as their parents’ perspectives on their children’s motivation and task engagement, using a quantitative cross-sectional design. The study draws on self-determination theory, social cognitive theory, YLs’ language learning motivation, and task engagement. Data from surveys were analyzed using structural equation modeling with IBM SPSS AMOS Version 26. The sample included 598 YLs and their parents from Indonesian elementary schools. The model examines direct and indirect effects of four independent variables (YLs’ and parents’ perceptions of teachers’, peers’, and parents’ roles) on a dependent variable (task engagement) with a mediator (motivation). The model fit was adequate (Chi-Square = 67.452, CMIN/DF = 3.895, RMSEA = 0.07, RMR = 0.014, CFI = 0.934, and TLI = 0.976). Both children’s and parents’ perceptions positively influenced children’s motivation and engagement. Motivation significantly influenced task engagement and mediated the impact of children’s and parents’ views on it. The findings recommend engaging parents, encouraging peer collaboration, and training teachers to build a supportive environment for young English learners. © 2025 by the authors.
Doctoral School of Education, University of Szeged, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary; Department of Elementary School Teacher Education, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, 25171, Indonesia; Institute of English Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, H-7624, Hungary
