Teacher motivation and demotivation in foreign language learning classrooms

Abstract

Although insufficient importance has been given to teacher motivation in the literature, there has recently been a growing interest in and recognition of it. This paper aims to define motivation and demotivation in teachers and, in turn, to find out what is the real motivation and way of thinking of today's teachers. Another aim is to give visibility to teachers, their thoughts and opinions in the same way that the situation and emotions of their pupils have been given importance throughout history. To begin with, in the introduction the concept motivation is defined, one of the most important theories of motivation is explained, and the terms of L2 motivational self-system (L2MSS) and vision are clarified. Then the topic is narrowed down to teacher motivation and it is explained how teachers can acquire their ideal teaching self and creative tension. Subsequently, demotivation is defined, the main demotivating factors are mentioned, their common fear of failure is described, the importance of hope in their vision is highlighted and it is demonstrated that well treated adversities can be helpful. A study was conducted to find out how teachers construct their image of the ideal future teacher, to examine how their past experiences have affected them and to verify if they really feel oppressed by the demands and constraints of the current education system. With this objective in mind, six teachers were interviewed and after coding all the interviews, each of the conversations was subjected to a detailed analysis. The results show that most of the times their desired image of the future teacher selves and their everyday reality are different, that each experience affects each teacher individually and that several teachers have lost their hope and will to innovate. The paper concludes by stressing the importance of motivation and retaining hope in teachers’ daily teaching, as well as emphasizing the usefulness of asking for help and encouraging them to do so, in whatever way they feel most comfortable.