Narges Sardabi; Mehrnoosh Kia; Amir ghajarieh
Abstract
AbstractEnhancing young learners’ motivation has often been a primary concern in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Adopting a self-determination perspective, this study attempted to examine the impact of teacher's motivational strategies on young EFL learners' basic psychological needs ...
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AbstractEnhancing young learners’ motivation has often been a primary concern in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Adopting a self-determination perspective, this study attempted to examine the impact of teacher's motivational strategies on young EFL learners' basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The present research employed a mixed-methods design using data from questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and reflective journals. A total of 30 EFL young learners were selected and assigned to two classes, an experimental group in which the implementation of motivational strategies was studied and a control group. Four motivational strategies namely generating initial motivation, creating the basic motivational conditions, encouraging positive self-evaluation, and maintaining and protecting motivation were instructed in the experimental group. At the end of the treatment, all the participants filled out two questionnaires: The Student Questionnaire on Motivational Strategies Effectiveness and The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale. Also, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the young learners of the experimental group. The results revealed that motivational strategies impacted young learners' basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness positively. Additionally, the qualitative data from the interviews and reflective journals shed more light on the young learners’ autonomy, competence, and their relatedness. Findings have implications for EFL teachers and materials designers.
Mahzad Keyvanloo; Mohammad Reza Amirian; Marjan Vosoughi; reza Bagheri Nevisi
Abstract
The main purpose of the study was to explore the connection between teachers' critical thinking, autonomy, and their teaching experience among public and private English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. In addition, the differences between the two main contexts of English language learning (public ...
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The main purpose of the study was to explore the connection between teachers' critical thinking, autonomy, and their teaching experience among public and private English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. In addition, the differences between the two main contexts of English language learning (public and private contexts) were scrutinized vis a vis teachers' critical thinking and their autonomy. Two different groups of EFL private language institute teachers and EFL high school teachers were selected from two major cities in Khorasan Razavi, Iran. As the results of Path Analysis indicated, all subfactors of EFL teachers' critical thinking (analysis, evaluation, inference, inductive reasoning) except deductive reasoning were positive significant predictors of their autonomy. Additionally, the experience was a positive significant predictor of their autonomy. Furthermore, among five sub-factors of EFL teachers' critical thinking, four subfactors were predicted by experience including analysis, inference, inductive reasoning, and deductive reasoning. However, the experience did not predict evaluation. Also, the results of the Pearson correlation indicated that critical thinking was positively associated with autonomy with a moderate connection, and positively and weakly with experience. Furthermore, the results of the t-test for independent samples indicated that there was a significant difference between the two different contexts in the level of autonomy with private EFL teachers being more autonomous than public EFL teachers. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between the two types of context in critical thinking.
