Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of L2 Motivational Strategies: A Situated Analysis in a Japanese EFL Context

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Asian Journal of English Language Teaching ›› 2024, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (1) : 9-36.

Research Articles

Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of L2 Motivational Strategies: A Situated Analysis in a Japanese EFL Context

Daisuke KAWAMITSU¹, Osamu TAKEUCHI²

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Abstract

In an investigation of students and teachers of various languages, Ruesch and colleagues (2012) discovered that the two groups held different perceptions regarding the effectiveness of motivational strategies (MSs). However, consid- ering learning environment significantly influences MSs (Dörnyei, 2001), situ- ating students and teachers in a more specific environment is recommended when comparing their perceptions. This study examines the perceptions of students and teachers sharing the same learning environment to identify any differences in perceptions regarding the effectiveness of MSs. The participants included 316 students of English at a Japanese technical college and six non- native English teachers. Statistical analyses on questionnaire data collected showed that both groups perceived the overall effectiveness of motivational strategy (MS) similarly, which is inconsistent with Ruesch and colleagues (2012). One possible interpretation for this discrepancy is that the current study was situated in a single second language (L2) learning environment—specifically English—whereas Ruesch and colleagues (2012) conducted their study in multiple L2 learning environments. Therefore, the teachers in this study had a better and more accurate understanding of how to motivate students. Addition- ally, no significant differences were found in students' perceptions of MSs across groups with different L2 proficiency and motivational intensity.

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Daisuke KAWAMITSU, Osamu TAKEUCHI. Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of L2 Motivational Strategies: A Situated Analysis in a Japanese EFL Context[J]. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching. 2024, 33(1): 9-36

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