motivation

This study explored the use of meta-cognitive strategies (MCS) in reading comprehension among Iranian EFL learners with varying levels of proficiency (i.e. high proficient vs. low proficient). Furthermore, there was an attempt to investigate the impact of motivation on language learners’ MCS use. The proposed hypotheses predicted: 1) there is no significant difference between the high proficient EFL learners’ use of MCS compared to their low proficient peers, and 2) there is no relationship between the two groups’ MCS use and their motivation. One hundred participants, aged 16-24, were selected from the intermediate and advanced EFL learners in Jihad Daneshgahi Institute of Kermanshah. The data was collected through: a) a modified version of the FCE reading paper, b) a modified version of the PET reading paper, c) Taraban's (2006) MCS Questionnaire, and d) an adapted form of Gardner's (1985) motivation questionnaire, and was submitted to a series of independent samples t-test and co-relational analysis. The results indicated: 1) a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the use of meta-cognitive strategies, favoring the highly proficient readers, and 2) a significant relationship between the use of meta-cognitive strategies and motivation of the participants.

The present study was an attempt, to empirically investigate if there was any significant difference between authentic listening materials and their simplified version in terms of the listening comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. To this end, two groups of thirty subjects were chosen. One group received authentic listening materials and the other group received the same topic in simplified version through ten sessions. The subjects studied Top Notch Book, level 3. The listening parts were followed with seven listening comprehension questions to assess the listening comprehension of the subjects. Then, at the end of the course, the listening comprehension scores of the two groups were compared by a T-Test. The result showed that simplified demonstration of materials had a benefit over the use of authentic version. A questionnaire was also given to the subjects at the beginning and at the end of the course to find out their motivation toward using authentic or simplified materials. The result indicated that there was no significant difference between two groups in terms of motivation.

Demotivation is a relatively new topic in the field of second or foreign language acquisition which is in need of more rigorous research. In this regard, the present study was an attempt to investigate demotivating factors in learning English as a foreign language in an Iranian context. To this end, 382 Persian learners of English were selected through stratified clustering sampling procedure to participate in this mixed method study. The Data was collected through a 40-item Likert type questionnaire. The Factor analysis of the data extracted seven factors including a) inadequate facilities, b) reduced self-confidence, c) class characteristics, d) lack of purpose to study English, e) teaching methods, f) teachers and teaching styles, and g) negative attitudes toward English and the culture of English-speaking countries as demotivators. The Students’ perceptions of these seven factors were compared based on their general English proficiency levels. The Results revealed that low proficient learners perceived reduced self-confidence and negative attitudes more demotivating than their counterparts at other levels of proficiency.

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.

Objectives: Task-based speaking courses have gained prominence in language education as an effective approach to enhancing communication skills and learner engagement. By focusing on tasks and interactions, these courses not only promote language proficiency but also foster collaboration among students. The present study was to find whether motivation and anxiety predicted the Iranian EFL learners’ progress in task-based speaking courses. Methods: A total number of 120 intermediate Iranian EFL learners of Safir-e-Andisheh Language Institute in Isfahan, Iran, were selected by convenience sampling following the administration of the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). Afterward, a ten-session task-based speaking training was conducted using the speaking tasks presented in American English File-Book 2. The data were collected using the Motivation in Foreign-Language Learning Questionnaire, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, and a speaking test. A speaking assessment rubric, comprising vocabulary, grammar, intonation, pronunciation, and fluency, was used to assess speaking on a scale of 1-10. The obtained data were analyzed by standard multiple regression. Results: The findings revealed that interest in foreign languages, pragmatic benefits, and English for professional reputation predicted the speaking progress of EFL learners; furthermore, communication apprehension and fear of negative evaluation significantly predicted the speaking progress of EFL learners. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study highlights the significant role of both motivation and anxiety in predicting the progress of Iranian EFL learners in task-based speaking courses. By understanding these factors, educators can better design programs that enhance learner engagement and improve speaking proficiency.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to introduce and validate a tool for measuring students' individual agency. Method: The research was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population included 1364 student-teachers at Farhangian University, Kurdistan Province. A sample of 271 students was selected using systematic random sampling. Data was collected using the Individual Resources subscale of the Student Agency Scale (Jääskelä et al., 2017). The subscale has 28 items spread across four dimensions: participation activity, interest and motivation, self-efficacy, and competence beliefs. The questionnaire was translated into Persian, and semantic consistency with the original version was confirmed using the back-translation method. Subsequently, the face validity of tool was verified based on expert evaluations. Data analysis involved first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability, and a one-sample t-test. Data analysis software included SPSS19 and Amos23. Results: The first-order factor analysis results indicated that the questionnaire items (after removing three items) could appropriately describe the latent variables. The second-order factor analysis results also revealed that the questionnaire items could be reduced to four components: activity engagement, interest and motivation, self-efficacy, and competence beliefs (RMSEA: .047; CFI: .93). The average variance extracted was 0.55, confirming convergent validity. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.87, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.64 to 0.82. The composite reliability was 0.82. Results also indicated a high level of individual agency among student-teachers at Farhangian University (p < .05).

Although a wealth of research has been conducted in the field of English language teaching, the studies related to the effects of digital story telling (DST) instruction as an innovative technique for language learning have been fairly insufficient. The present research made an effort to examine the effect of using DST on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension and their motivation. To address the study objectives, 40 female learners from Marefat Language Institute were recruited based on the results of an OPT as a standard test to homogenize. The participants (20 in each group) were randomly assigned into an experimental group and a control one. To measure learners’ motivation, the Motivation Questionnaire by Dörnyei and Németh (2006) and Taguchi et al. (2009) was applied. The experimental group received DST instruction based on Robin’s model (2008) and the control group received the conventional method designed by the institute. The analysis of the groups’ performance in the pre-test and post-test through an independent samples t-tests revealed that the DST group significantly outperformed the control group in both reading comprehension and motivation. This study has several implications for language teachers and syllabus designers in the classroom context.

Objective : The purpose of the present research was to investigate the impact of innovative organizational climate on the job performance of private sector employees, taking into account the mediating role of job motivation and self-efficacy. Methods : A descriptive-correlation approach was employed in the current investigation, utilizing structural equation modeling. The population of the study consisted of 384 employees from the private sector, aged between 21 and 49 years (with a mean age of 35.11±8.17 years), who willingly participated in the present study. The research was conducted in Tehran, Iran, in the year 2023. The participants were selected through a convenience sampling method, adhering to the guidelines outlined by Krejci and Morgan. Standard questionnaires were used for data collection. Pearson correlation test and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis. Results : Results revealed that innovative organizational climate significantly affected job performance (T=6.284). Moreover, innovative organizational climate significantly affected job motivation (T=11.594). Furthermore, innovative organizational climate significantly affected self-efficacy (T=9.509). In addition, job motivation had significantly mediated the relationship between innovative organizational climate and job performance (P<0.001). Finally, self-efficacy had significantly mediated the relationship between innovative organizational climate and job performance (P<0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this research, it is recommended that market holders focus on promoting and enhancing the factors and components that contribute to the innovative organizational climate of private-sector employees. Additionally, greater emphasis should be placed on job motivation and self-efficacy of the private-sector employees. 

This study investigated the relationship between EFL learners’ motivational profile and their home cultural attachment. For this purpose, two questionnaires, Papi and Abdollahzadeh (2011) The Student Motivational State Questionnaire and Pishghadam, Hashemi and Bazri (2013) Cultural Attachment Scale, designed for the context of Iran, were distributed among two hundred EFL learners studying English in language institutes all over Iran. Various statistical analyses were conducted to examine the associations between the variables. The ideal self was strongly related to Western and artistic attachments; the ought self-demonstrated a strong relationship with Western attachment; and the linguistic self-confidence showed minimal correlation with cultural attachment. The results revealed significant gender differences in motivational profiles, with girls showing stronger alignment with ideal and ought-to selves, as well as higher levels of linguistic self-confidence and more positive attitudes toward learning English. Boys, on the other hand, exhibited slightly higher attachment to Western cultural influences, while girls showed stronger attachments to traditional, Iranian, and artistic dimensions. The results underscore the intricate relationship between cultural identity, motivational dynamics, and emotional reactions in language learning. These findings carry important implications for tailoring language teaching strategies to address gender-specific motivational drivers and cultural affinities, while also offering applications in designing more inclusive and personalized educational approaches that enhance engagement and outcomes for both boys and girls.