THE IMPACTS OF TEACHER SUPPORTIVE MOTIVATIONAL DISCOURSE INTERVENTION ON LANGUAGE ACHIEVEMENT: MASTERY- VS PERFORMANCE-AVOIDANT EAP LEARNERS
Downloads
This interventional study examines whether the language achievement of mastery-avoidant and performance-avoidant English for Academic Purposes (henceforth EAP) students can be improved through the teacher supportive motivational discourse (TSMD). This study also explores how the students perceive the effects of this discourse on their language achievement. To this end, we purposively selected 99 EAP students, of whom we placed 31 students in a control group, and the rest, mastery-avoidant (henceforth MAV) and performance-avoidant (henceforth PAV) participants, into two equal intervention groups. Then, we assessed both groups’ L2 achievement using an achievement test (the end-of-semester test prepared based on the EAP book) before and after a ten-week intervention. To understand the perceptions of the students about the intervention, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 students who were purposively selected based on their willingness to participate. Out of the 20 students, 10 were purposively chosen to reflect on key episodes related to TSMD and explain the reason behind their actions. Statistical analysis (non-parametric ANCOVA) carried out in the quantitative phase revealed that in comparison to the control group, the intervention group’s achievement was significantly higher. However, the differences between both intervention groups were slight. Content analysis in the qualitative phase also showed that the intervention effect on students’ achievement was mediated by learners’ autonomy and willingness to communicate (henceforth WTC). The implications of this intervention for enhancing teachers’ performance and students’ learning are discussed.
Downloads
Ahmadi, R., & Hasani, M. (2018). Capturing student voice on TEFL syllabus design: Agenticity of pedagogical dialogue negotiation. Cogent Education, 5(1), 1522780. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2018.1522780
Alrabai, F. (2016). The effects of teachers’ in-class motivational intervention on learners’ EFL achievement. Applied linguistics, 37(3), 307-333. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amu021
Alemi, M., Daftarifard, P., & Pashmforoosh, R. (2011). The impact of language anxiety and language proficiency on WTC in EFL context. Cross-Cultural Communication, 7(3), 150-166. https://doi:10.3968/j.ccc.1923670020110703.152
Ames, C., & Archer, J. (1988). Achievement goals in the classroom: Students' learning strategies and motivation processes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(3), 260-267. https://doi:10.1037/0022-0663.80.3.260
Amin, E. (2013). Investigating foreign language anxiety among Iranian university students of English language teaching and English literature (Master's thesis). Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, Cyprus.
Atai, M. R. (2002). EAP methodology revisited: A genre-based reading comprehension course for the Iranian Students of Dentistry. Indian journal of applied linguistics, 28(1), 77-90.
Atai, M. R. & O. Nazari (2011). Exploring reading comprehension needs of Iranian EAP students of health information management: A triangulated perspective. System, 39(1), 30-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2011.01.015
Atai, M., Babaii, E., Lotfi Gaskaree, B. (2017). Investigating the processes and means involved in EAP teacher learning: a sociocultural analysis of in-service teachers' experience as they professionally learn. Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 6(1), 103-125. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.24763187.2017.6.1.7.3
Atkinson, J. W. (1957). Motivational determinants of risk-taking behavior. Psychological Review, 64, 359-372. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0043445
Barron, K. E., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2001). Achievement goals and optimal motivation: Testing multiple goal models. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 706-722. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.80.5.706
Behafarin, S. R., & Mahdavi, K. (2010). Assessing reading comprehension strategies under three learning conditions. Journal of Language and Translation, 1(1), 63-72. https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.20088590.2010.1.1.6.4
Bernaus, M., & Gardner, R. C. (2008). Teacher motivation strategies, student perceptions, student motivation, and English achievement. The Modern Language Journal, 92(3), 387-401. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2008.00753.x
Bokan-Smith, K. E. (2015). A Mixed Methods Study of Motivational Teaching Strategies in the ESL Classroom in Australia [Doctoral dissertation, University of Sydney]. Retrieved from https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/15547
Cheng, H.-F., & Dörnyei, Z. (2007). The use of motivational strategies in language instruction: The case of EFL teaching in Taiwan. International Journal of Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 153-174. https://doi.org/10.2167/illt048.0
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (5th ed.). Routledge Falmer https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203224342
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Darmanto (2020). The roles of a Native English Speaker Teacher (NEST) on the students' motivation in learning English: A case study at SMAN 2 Sumbawa Besar. TESOL International, 15(1),93-99. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1257211
Dörnyei, Z. (2001) Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667343
Dörnyei, Z., & Csizér, K. (1998). Ten commandments for motivating language learners: results of an empirical study. Language Teaching Research, 2(3), 203-229. https://doi.org/10.1177/136216889800200303
Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and researching motivation (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.
Elliot, A. J. (1999). Approach and avoidance motivation and achievement goals. Educational Psychologist, 34(3), 169-189. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3403_3
Elliot, A. J., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (1996). Approach and avoidance achievement goals and intrinsic motivation: A mediational analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(3), 461-475. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.70.3.461
Elliot, A. J., & Murayama, K. (2008). On the measurement of achievement goals: Critique, illustration, and application. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(3), 613-628. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.3.613
Elliott, E. S., & Dweck, C. S. (1988). Goals: An approach to motivation and achievement. Journal of personality and social psychology, 54(1), 5-12. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.1.5
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Gaibani, A., & Elmenfi, F. (2014). The role of gender in influencing public speaking anxiety. British Journal of English Linguistics, 2(3), 7-13. http://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol7no3.35
Gertsakis, N., Kroustallaki, D., & Sideridis, G. D. (2021). How do classroom goal structures matter? The impact on grammar achievement, perceived autonomy support, flow, and affect. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 9(2), 172-188. http://doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2019.1694111
Ghodrati, M., Ashraf, H., & Motallebzadeh, Kh. (2014). Improvement of Iranian EFL learners’ autonomy through task-based speaking activities. International Journal of Multidisciplinary and Current Research, 1(2).1002-1008. http://ijmcr.com
Guilloteaux, M.-J. (2013). Motivational strategies for the language classroom: Perceptions of Korean secondary school English teachers. System, 41(1), 3-14. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2012.12.002
Guilloteaux, M. J., & Dörnyei, Z. (2008). Motivating language learners: A classroom‐oriented investigation of the effects of motivational strategies on student motivation. TESOL Quarterly, 42(1), 55-77. http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2008.tb00207.x
Harackiewicz, J. M., Barron, K. E., Pintrich, P. R., Elliot, A. J., & Thrash, T. M. (2002). Revision of achievement goal theory: Necessary and illuminating. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(3), 638-645. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.94.3.638
Hedayati, Z. (2019). A Comparative study on the sources of anxiety among elementary EFL learners in public schools and language institutes in Iran [Unpublished Master’s thesis, lamic Azad University of Damavand, Iran].
Hosseini, A., & Shokrpour, N. (2019). Exploring motivating factors among Iranian medical and nursing EAP language learners. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 6(1), 1634324. http://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2019.1634324
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative health research, 15(9), 1277-1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Hsu, L. (2010). The impact of perceived teachers’ nonverbal immediacy on students’ motivation for learning English. Asian EFL Journal, 12(4), 188-204.
Huang, C. (2012). Discriminant and criterion-related validity of achievement goals in predicting academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(1), 48-73. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026223
Hulleman, C. S., & Barron, K. E. (2016). Motivation interventions in education: Bridging theory, research, and practice. In L. Corno & E. M. Anderman (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 160–171). Routledge.
Jafari Pazoki, S., & Alemi, M. (2020). Engineering students’ motivation to learn technical English in EAP courses: Investigating Iranian teachers’ and students’ perceptions. RELC Journal, 51(2), 212-226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688218811371
Kaplan, A., Middleton, M. J., Urdan, T., & Midgley, C. (2002). Achievement goals and goal structures. In C. Midgley (Ed.), Goals, goal structures, and patterns of adaptive learning (pp. 21-53). Routledge.
Labov, W. (1972). Sociolinguistic patterns. University of Pennsylvania
Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500004528
Lamb, M. (2019). Motivational teaching strategies. In M. Lamb, K. Csizér, A. Henry, & S. Ryan (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of motivation for language learning (pp. 287-305). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28380-3
Lamb, M., & Wedell, M. (2015). Cultural contrasts and commonalities in inspiring language teaching. Language Teaching Research, 19(2), 207-224. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168814541716
Lee, M., & Bong, M. (2019). Relevance of goal theories to language learning research. System, 86, 102-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2019.102122
Lee, T. S., & Lin, S. Y. (2019). English teachers’ uses of motivational strategies beyond an established framework. Educational Research, 61(4), 451-468. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2019.1677170
Lee, T. S., & Lin, S. Y. (2015). A preliminary study of the use of L2 motivational strategies in a business English course. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 17(3), 38-58. https://www.elejournals.com/asian-efl-journal/the-asian-efl-journal-quarterly-september-2015/
Lüftenegger, M., Schober, B., van de Schoot, R., Wagner, P., Finsterwald, M., & Spiel, C. (2012). Lifelong learning as a goal–Do autonomy and self-regulation in school result in well-prepared pupils? Learning and Instruction, 22(1), 27-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2011.06.001
Malik, M. A., Bibi, S., Fatima, G., Muhammad, M., Akhter, S., & Safder, M. (2013). Students' motivational goals and their perceptions about teachers' motivational practices at the university level. Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 11(1), 78-83 https://gcu.edu.pk/pages/gcupress/pjscp/volumes/pjscp20131-12.pdf
Mauludin, L. A. (2021). Students’ perceptions of the most and the least motivating teaching strategies in ESP classes. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 9(1), 139-157. https://doi.org/10.30466/ijltr.2021.120980
Meece, J. L., Anderman, E. M., & Anderman, L. H. (2006). Classroom goal structure, student motivation, and academic achievement. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 487-503. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070258
Middleton, M. J., & Midgley, C. (1997). Avoiding the demonstration of lack of ability: An underexplored aspect of goal theory. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(4), 710-718. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.89.4.710.
Midgley, C., & Urdan, T. (2001). Academic self-handicapping and achievement goals: A further examination. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 26(1), 61-75. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.2000.1041
Mohammadian, T. (2013). The effect of shyness on Iranian EFL learners' language learning motivation and willingness to communicate. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(11), 2036-2045. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.3.11.2036-2045
Moslemi, F., Moinzadeh, A., & Dabaghi, A. (2011). ESP needs analysis of Iranian MA students: A case study of the University of Isfahan. English Language Teaching, 4(4), 121-129. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v4n4p121
Papi, M., & Abdollahzadeh, E. (2012). Teacher motivational practice, student motivation, and possible L2 selves: An examination in the Iranian EFL context. Language Learning, 62(2), 571-594. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2011.00632.x
Patrick, H. (2004). Re-examining classroom mastery goal structure. In P. R. Pintrich & M. L. Maehr (Eds.), Advances in motivation, volume 13: Motivating students, improving schools: The legacy of Carol Midgley (pp. 233–263). Elsevier JAI Press https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-7423(03)13009-9
Pintrich, P.R. (2000). Multiple goals, multiple pathways: The role of goal orientation in learning and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 544-555. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.92.3.544
Poondej, C., & Lerdpornkulrat, T. (2016). Relationship between motivational goal orientations, perceptions of general education classroom learning environment, and deep approaches to learning. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 37(2), 100-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kjss.2015.01.001
Ruesch, A., Bown, J., & Dewey, D. P. (2012). Student and teacher perceptions of motivational strategies in the foreign language classroom. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 6(1), 15-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2011.562510
Sideridis, G. D. (2008). The regulation of affect, anxiety, and stressful arousal from adopting mastery‐avoidance goal orientations. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 24(1), 55-69. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1160
Syafnan., Ritonga, M., Nasution, E. S., & Lubis, F. S. (2021). EFL learners’ motivation and achievement: A study in the use of technology-enabled EIP at Madrasah Tsanawiyah. TESOL International Journal, 16(3), 49-65. http://repo.uinsyahada.ac.id/id/eprint/875
Tavakoli, M., & Tavakol, M. (2018). Problematizing EAP education in Iran: A critical ethnographic study of educational, political, and sociocultural roots. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 31(2018), 28-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2017.12.007
Tavakoli, M., Yaghoubinejad, H., & Zarrinabadi, N. (2018). Using motivational strategies in L2 classrooms: Does culture have a role? Current Psychology, 37(3), 477-487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9523-2
Turner, J. C., & Meyer, D. K. (2004). A classroom perspective on the principle of moderate challenge in Mathematics. The Journal of Educational Research, 97(6), 311-318. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.97.6.311-318
Turner, J. C., Meyer, D. K., Midgley, C., & Patrick, H. (2003). Teacher discourse and sixth graders' reported affect and achievement behaviors in two high-mastery/high-performance mathematics classrooms. The Elementary School Journal, 103(4), 357-382. https://doi.org/10.1086/499731
Turner, J. C., Midgley, C., Meyer, D. K., Gheen, M., Anderman, E. M., Kang, Y., & Patrick, H. (2002). The classroom environment and students' reports of avoidance strategies in mathematics: A multimethod study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(1), 88–106. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.94.1.88
Turner, J. E., Li, B., & Wei, M. (2021). Exploring effects of culture on students' achievement motives and goals, self-efficacy, and willingness for public performances: The case of Chinese students' speaking English in class. Learning and Individual Differences, 85, 101943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2020.101943
Urdan, T., Ryan, A. M., Anderman, E. M., & Gheen, M. H. (2002). Goals, goal structures, and avoidance behaviors. C. Midgley (Ed.), Goals, goal structures, and patterns of adaptive learning (pp. 55-84). Routledge.
Williams, M., & Burden, R. L. (1997). Psychology for language teachers: A social constructivist approach. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33298.99526
Wong, R. M. (2014). An investigation of strategies for student motivation in the Chinese EFL context. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 8(2), 132-154. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2013.777449
Yang, Z., & Sanchez, H. S. (2021). Teachers’ pedagogical intentions while using motivational strategies. ELT Journal, 76(4), 508-518. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccab070
Copyright (c) 2025 Elham Sadat Mirian, Esmaeel Ali Salimi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
