One day..in the Railway Campus, UOA. (thanx 4 sending me e interview transcript as remembrance..my friend)

UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
EDUC 223
ATTRIBUTION (PROJECT DUE MAY 2005)

Interviewer:
Hello, good morning, Miss SSY and how are you today?

SSY:
Hello, good morning, Ms.?. Alhamdulillah (thanks God), I’m totally in a great health condition and I hope the same goes to you too.

Interviewer:
InsyaAllah (by God’s permission), thank you. First of all, I would like to thanks you for giving me permission to interview you ..plus recording this session this morning.

SSY:
You’re welcome. My pleasure and I’m more than happy with it, lillah (sincerely).

Interviewer:
Thanks again. Oh, yah, SSY, it is important for me to let you know that the chief reason for this interview is to help me to complete my Educational Psychology assignment on “how people think about their performances while studying” ; in other words making analysis of the attributions a person makes for their success and failure in study. And your real name will not be identified in my report; you’ll remain anonymous.

SSY:
Yes (nodding indicate agreement and understand).

Interviewer:
Before we move further, would you mind to introduce or describe a little bit about yourself..perhaps about your age, what course are you taking,.. and etc.

SSY:
Sure. I’m S..S..Y. I’m now doing my second year of degree in B.ED TESOL course. I’m the eldest of five siblings..and I’m like the chip of the old block since both of my parents are educators..the same postI am going to be in a few years time. I am 21 years old.

Interviewer:
Hmm..the eldest..a great responsibility must be lying ahead..on your shoulder. But, I know you can do it. Shall we proceed with the interview now?

SSY:
Yes, of course. Let’s begin..

Interviewer:
Alright..SSY, I want you to think to of something related to your studies in which you did really well recently. It might me you got a better grade than expected for a test or assignment, or that you were praised by a teacher. And how did you feel about what happened?

SSY:
Okay, it was my latest assignment which is ESOL 201A. I managed to score 14/15. It was unexpected result since I have not been practising writing an academic essay after such a great time. I felt so great and ..it was not easy for me to describe in words how greatful I am about it.

Interviewer:
14/15, oh my..that was one point close to full marks. Congratulations,my friend! What a great surprise..though you haven’t being practicing for such a long time but you managed to get such great score! May I know what leads you to did so well?

SSY:
Personally, I think the BEST explanation for my success in this testis my own will. My inner strength..my thirst of gaining success..my self realization..that as the eldest child I must portray a good example to my siblings..and I don’t want to disappoint my parents, instead I want to make them proud of me as their first daughter.Plus..my inner voice..sort of internal motivation..that drives me on..to attribute my success in any field I venture in. Basically,everything is due to my own’s effort..yeah emm..i am really sure with it.

Interviewer:
Wow! Great effort and strong will power! That’s good.

SSY:
Thanks. Oh, yah..by the way I did create my own words of motivation..voices from my heart that function like a pillar to every single things I do.

Interviewer:
That’s interesting..voices from your heart..inner drives..translated into words.. do you interpret it in a form of song, stories, or poems?

SSY:
Sort of a poem..kind of..would you like to know it? Shall I ?

Interviewer:
Of course I am. I would love to..tell me more about it..

SSY:
Well, it goes like this..sincerely expressed from my heart..my own words motivation.. whispers of success that I always coin to myself, SSY..“Reach high; For stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep; For every dream preceedes the goal. SSY..some people are paralyzed by their own thoughts. They accept limitations by saying ;“This is all I can do”. SSY, search yourself for hidden dreams; And set your goals on stars up high;For you, SSY are greater than what you think YOU ARE!

Interviewer:
MasyaAllah (Oh My God! So GREAT!). That was fantabulous! I am really proud of you. Keep it up! SSY, are there any other reasons that you might have done so well?

SSY:
Well…thus far..the first thing on my mind is I want to do the best ..I want to be…if possible to…be outstanding in class, and i can’t deny tha teachers/lecturers do play important roles in leading me to this success..erm..because my ESOL lectures…they are so motherly, they are like mothers to us..they are also experts in their field of teaching..expertises who really knows on how to deal with students insuch effective and creative ways. They manage to make the whole class to pay full focus to their teaching throughout the whole session and the best of all she always praises me whenever I got correct answer in class.

Interviewer:
Do you mean teachers’s feedback? And how does this affect your future studies?

SSY:
Yes, correct. Their sincere feedbacks towards every single of my correct response in class. Those praises really embark my spirit like a sort of motivation…from the day onwards I want …my hunger of praises gradually increase.. but of course not the unsincere ones, but the sincere ones. Therefore I have to struggle very hard to get sincere praises from teacher. But…no matter whatever form they are..i strongly believe that everything will finally relies back on me, I’m.. as the person herself..even with tons/ mountains of praises befallen me..but if it does not comes together with self actualization.. realization…that success..REMINDING.. what i do today is important because I am paying a day of my life for it... What I accomplish must be worthwhile because the price is high....cause.. MY family wants ME to do well in everything (e.g. good grades and good health)....and... MY family don’t want ME to rush through and simply pass and know nothing. ...hhh....In the hope that I will have a good qualification so that I can have a bright future. MY STRONG WILL POWER TO SUCCESS!

Interviewer:
Congratulations..you seem to have..full confidence in yourself. Okey, next.. I want you to think of something related to your study in which you did not do so well recently. It might be that you got a worse grade than expected for an assignment or test, or you were criticized by a teacher for example. And just like the prior question..may I know why do you think you didn’t do so well? And how did you feel about what happened?

SSY:
Emmm…may I take the most significant example from my schooling experience instead of here?

Interviewer:
Yes, of course as long as you feel comfortable with it.

SSY:
Thank you. Well..it was regarding my add maths subject (additional mathematics). I scored a ‘C’ in my final year examination. And it did really made me felt bad and totally frustrated with myself. It was quite unpredictable..because as far as I could remember..i managed to answer all of the required questions..perhaps I might lose marks on my calculations’s steps..furthermore..getting correct steps in calculating..cost more marks..for each correct steps.. ..than getting a single correct answer (2marks) in add math. One may get between 1 to 2 marks for each steps..thus if there’s 4 steps towards getting the right answer..one can easily obtain 8 points. And for this coincidence..i didn’t think that it is due to lack of struggle..i did put endless effort on it..i bought lots of reference and exercise books plus attending tuition class for it once a week…hmm..may be I am weak at analyzing numerical questions..truely since I was in school..at one state…I finally realize that I’m a linguist not a mathematicians..i perfom really well in fields associated with language compare to numericals/maths..

Interviewer:
SSY, did you find add maths difficult? Or is there any other reasons or factors that might cause you to did not perform so well in it?

SSY:
No. I can’t say that add maths is a difficult subject because if others can get good scores for the subject..indicating that it is not a difficult subject at all..i should be able to do it too. But, in my opinion, the most important thing of all is on how people regard or perceive it..their mind setting towards the subject. Perhaps, as a result of setting my mind that I am a linguist not a mathematicians .... slowly affect my achievement in this subject.Yeah…. everything falls back on me..i don’t think there’s any other factor contributing to it…my internal motivation.

Interviewer:
How might this affect your future studies?

SSY:
Emmm…I will keep saying that I am a linguist. I don’t want to think of mathematics anymore. How did it affect me? Well…it’s the end of everything. It was the final exam. And after all..after schooling.. I choose to pursue my studies in Bachelor of Education – Teaching English to Speakers Other Languages (B.ed TESOL). A course..which I could say almost 90% does not involve mathematics at all but LANGUAGE.But bear in mind that this does not mean I HATE ADD MATHs..i won’t..every singlE created things/field of knowledge has it own significants or use in any man’s life..it was just that for this moment..i am more toward linguistic fields..who knows in years to come my interest might goes to Mathematics.Wallahu’alam (Only God knows everything).

Interviewer:
Okey, SSY, thanks God, I obtained lots of useful information from you.Thank you very much for your sincere cooperation to me along this interviewing session. May God repay your kindness and sincerity by leaps and bounds. Forgive me for any inconveniences, my friend. Good Luck in all your endeavours! Set your goal and strike for it. Surround yourself with those who believe you and will help you achieve your goals. Remember that SUCCESS covers a multitude of blunders. You will
be successful, I just know it. InsyaAllah! (by God’s permission).

SSY:
You are welcome. The same goes to you too! All the best for your assignment. Assalamu’alaikum (peace be upon you)

Interviewer:
Wa’alaikumussalam (peace be upon you too).


**Short notes:
• THE REAL NAME- remain anonymous
• The italicized words are Islamic or Arabic phrases and those in brackets are the translations of it.