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Motivational strategies in the secondary school EFL classroom: The case of Ecuador

Abstract:

This contribution reports on a study of the motivational strategies used in the English as a foreign language classroom in Ecuador. The sample consisted of secondary school teachers (N=80) and students (N=350) who were recruited randomly. Using a mixed-methods approach – a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview – the results revealed an interesting picture of motivational strategies. Specifically, the findings disclosed that the teachers used six categories of motivational strategies in their pedagogical practice. The degree of utilisation of each category varied from high to low. The most frequent category was Displaying Appropriate Teacher Behaviours, whereas the least common was Promoting Learner Autonomy. Of the six categories used by the teachers, the three that students found most motivating were Creating a Friendly Classroom Atmosphere and a Cohesive Learner Group, Selecting and Presenting Instructional Activities and Displaying Appropriate Teacher Behaviours. The study also revealed that the students wished to be exposed to more diverse motivational strategies, especially those from the Promoting Learner Autonomy, Encouraging Positive Self-evaluation and Making Learning Stimulating and Attractive categories. The teachers agreed with the students’ choices; yet their preferences for motivational strategy categories were sequenced differently.