Improving EFL Teachers' Professional Experiences and Motivation: An Ecological Approach

Autor/in	Gadella Kamstra, Lorena Salud
Titel	Improving EFL Teachers' Professional Experiences and Motivation: An Ecological Approach
Quelle	In: TESL-EJ, 25 (2021) 1, (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Gadella Kamstra, Lorena Salud)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1072-4303
Schlagwörter	English (Second Language); Second Language Instruction; Language Teachers; Teaching Experience; Teacher Motivation; Teaching Conditions; Teacher Education; Teacher Student Relationship; Teacher Student Ratio; Educational Innovation; Empathy; Secondary Schools; Public Schools; Job Performance; Foreign Countries; Spain (Madrid) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Language teacher; Sprachunterricht; Lehrbedingungen; Unterrichtsbedingungen; Lehrerausbildung; Lehrerbildung; Teacher student relationships; Lehrer-Schüler-Beziehung; Lehrer-Schüler-Relation; Instructional innovation; Bildungsinnovation; Empathie; Sekundarschule; Public school; Öffentliche Schule; Work performance; Arbeitsleistung; Ausland
Abstract	This article explores in-service EFL teacher (de)motivation in secondary state schools in Spain. Possible solutions to teachers' negative professional experiences and demotivation were proposed by 23 Spanish EFL teachers. These suggestions are examined applying Ecosystems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 1993). Using this framework, the present qualitative study offers an ecological understanding of the improvements needed in the EFL teaching profession, in which the importance of the context is reinforced since they were found to affect teachers and their motivation. Data were collected through in-depth online and face-to-face semi-structured interviews and recurrent classroom observations. Innovation and training, teaching support, a reduced teacher-student ratio and empathizing with students were some solutions proposed to solve teachers' motivational problems. This ecological standpoint shows that teachers are negatively affected by factors beyond their control and therefore, the intervention of policymakers to upgrade teachers' working conditions was found to be key to protecting teachers' extrinsic motivation and to preventing the deterioration of their intrinsic motivation. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	TESL-EJ. e-mail: editor@tesl-ej.org; Web site: http://tesl-ej.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01