Teaching English at Tertiary Level: Motivating Students of Technical Study Programs

Abstract

Student motivation has always concerned foreign language instructors. It has become more topical in recent years, after the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions, and the new global phenomenon known as remote learning. Previously, it has been claimed that teachers should pay greater attention to intrinsic motivation (e.g., curiosity, autonomy, interest in the subject, novelty), as only intrinsically motivated learners are kept motivated throughout the whole course of learning. It has been proven that extrinsic motivational factors (e.g., awards, positive feedback, good marks, pressure from the family) are inadequate to keep learners motivated over a long period. Still, psychologists suggest that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation must be activated to ensure an efficient learning process. The present research is aimed at investigating the view of the learners of technical study programs on intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors as regards foreign language learning, the interrelation between the teacher’s character, studying environment, classroom management, and family involvement in the studying process and motivation, as well as to investigate the factors that motivate the technical students to learn and kept them motivated in the remote learning setting. The author of this research surveyed 140 students of Riga Technical University of the technical study programs. The results showed that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are essential for student motivation in the post-pandemic time. However, in a crisis situation, even self-motivated students appear to lose their intrinsic motivation and seek support from families, peers, and teachers to stay motivated. The challenging, entertaining, and engaging tasks, good classroom management, and the application of digital teaching methods are appreciated by students in these times.