A comparative study of novice and experienced EFL teachers’ remotivational strategies: Ecological systems and Self-determination theories in perspective

Subject Areas : Curriculum Design and Development

Hadis Sadr Alavian ¹ , Hasssan Asadollahfam ² , Mohammadhossein Yousefi ³

1 - Department of English Language, Bonab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran
2 - Department of English Language, Bonab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran
3 - Department of English Language, Bonab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bonab. Iran

Received: 2024-02-28 Accepted : 2024-06-15 Published : 2024-06-30

Keywords: Ecological Systems Theory (EST), Motivation, Remotivational Strategies, Self-determination Theory (SDT), Teaching Experience,

Abstract :

This study, drawing on a dual theoretical standpoint constituting ecological systems theory (EST) and self-determination theory (SDT), compared Iranian novice and experienced EFL teachers’ remotivational strategies. The participants, selected based on convenience sampling technique, comprised two equal 32-member groups of novice and experienced EFL teachers teaching different proficiency levels at six language institutes. To gather data, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results of thematic data analysis indicated that novice and experienced teachers were approximately similar in terms of the emerging theme instances situated within the integrative SDT/EST framework. Nonetheless, novice and experienced teachers were markedly different concerning the number of theme instances for each SDT facet positioned in the EST layers. Moreover, the results of Chi-square test demonstrated significant differences between novice and experienced teachers in terms of the number of themes existing in the SDT/EST frame. The results, enhancing teacher educators’ understanding of the similarities and disparities between novice and experienced teachers’ perceptions of remotivational strategies, can provide teachers and teacher educators with awareness concerning how remotivational strategies are nested across multiple systems while simultaneously being informed by a certain motivation-specific theory.

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