Motivation ——Theories and Beyond

Most language teachers will agree that motivation of the students is one of the most important factors influencing their success or failure in language learning. Corder’s phrase, “ Given motivation, anyone can learn a language" brings out the importance of motivation and the way it can overcome unfavourable circumstances in other aspects of language learning. There have been overwhelming researches & literature on this area. However, the definition and study of motivation have not been without problem. This paper starts with a brief historical review on psychological approaches underlying motivational research, followed by the remarkable motivation theories. The third part is concerned with SL/FL motivation, which attempts to relate the findings on motivation with situation of China.

Herzberg’s Motivation Theory in Workplace

In this review authors will analyze Herzberg’s motivation theory as one of the content theories of motivation.It attempts to explain the factors that motivate individuals through identifying and satisfying their individual needs,desires,and the aims pursued to satisfy these desires.This theory of motivation is known as a two-factor content theory.It is based upon the deceptively simple idea that motivation can be dichotomized into hygiene factors and motivation factors and is often referred to as a“two-need system”.These two separate“needs”are the need to avoid unpleasantness and discomfort and,at the other end of the motivational scale,the need for personal development.A shortage of the factors that positively encourage employees(the motivating factors)will cause employees to focus on other,non-job related“hygiene”factors.The most important part of this theory of motivation is that the main motivating factors are not in the environment but in the intrinsic value and satisfaction gained from the job itself.It follows therefore that to motivate an individual,a job itself must be challenging,have scope for enrichment,and be of interest to the jobholder.Motivators(sometimes called“satisfiers”)are those factors directly concerned with the satisfaction gained from a job.

Oral Teaching English in Senior School under the Guide of Motivation Theories

Oral English is always ignored by teaching in senior school.After years of learning,as we all know most students are so called high scores and low abilities,or what they obtain is so-called"mute English".At present,the English teaching in high school mainly emphasis on written examination ability,so the senior student master certain elementary reading,writing and listen ing skills while their speaking competence is poor.The author made some analysis from different aspects of the present situation of senior students and worked out some ways according to the motivation theory in order to arouse students to improve their speaking competence.

Literature Review on Motivation and Activity Theory

Since more and more study is focusing on EFL and ESL teaching, new concepts and theories borrowed from other related fields come out. Rising in the 20th century, the conception of motivation comes from the sociocultural perspective of Vygotsky and has influential effect on English language teaching all over the world. This paper gives an overview on motivation and activity theory which are globally recognized in recent years.

Problems and Countermeasures of Education Management in Changzhou Liuguojun Higher Vocational and Technical College from the Perspective of Motivation Theory

At present,higher vocational education is facing various problems and deficiencies.One of the most significant problems is that the learning motivation of higher vocational school students is lacking,and they are uncertain about personal life choices and career planning,which leads to a gap in the relationship between learning and personal development as well as a lack of motivation in their learning behavior.As a result,the quality of higher vocational education is affected.The application of motivation theory in higher vocational education management can solve these issues.This study mainly analyzes and investigates the connotation and function of motivation theory,the significance of applying motivation theory in higher vocational education management,the existing challenges,and the implementation path,in hope to explore a new path for the application of motivation theory in higher vocational education management.

Study on the Value of the Theory of Protection Motivation in the Nursing of Spinal Fracture to the Quality of Life

Objective:To analyze the effect of protection motivation theory on the quality of life of patients with spinal fracture.Methods:From August 2019 to September 2020,72 patients with spinal fracture were selected and randomly divided into two groups.The routine nursing group was the routine nursing group,and the combined nursing with the theory of protective motivation was the dynamic nursing group.Results:The hospitalization time,detumescence time,healing time and muscle strength recovery time of group A were shorter than those of group B(P<0.05).The VAS score and Barthel index score of the dynamic group were better than those of the conventional group(P<0.05);The score of SF-36 in the group A was higher than that in the group B(P<0.05).Conclusions:The application of protection motivation theory in the nursing of patients with spinal fracture can shorten the healing time of fracture,promote the recovery of muscle strength,relieve the pain of fracture,and then improve the ability of daily life and quality of life of patients.

Motivation and Second Language Acquisition

In this paper,first the author provides a brief review of contemporary psychological views on motivation and motivation in SLL.The author then discusses Williams and Burden' s (1997) cognitive model of motivation,which suggests that both internal and external factors are significant in motivation.And next the author selects two internal factors (attitudes to language learning in general and attitudes to target language community and culture) and two external factors (parents and teachers),discussing their relevance to motivation in language learning.After that the author refers in her answer both to the wider literature on motivation and her own experience of motivation as a language teacher and learner.The author concludes the paper by drawing some practical implications from employing this model.

Modulatory Effect of Motivation on the Association of Trait Anxiety and Cognitive Performance: A Pupillometric Study

The attentional control theory (ACT) proposes that trait anxiety disrupts functional efficiency of executive control of attention relating to working memory system such as shifting. ACT also emphasizes the modulatory role of motivation in anxiety on cognitive task performance. The present study investigated the association of trait anxiety-related inefficiencies in attentional shift and working memory performance in conjunction with the level of motivation. A variation of complex span paradigm is designed to systematically manipulate the time constraint on shifting attentional focus back and forth between working memory contents and processing task was used in this study. In the experiment, participants high and low in trait anxiety were allocated either high or low motivation induction conditions, and performed a series of complex span tasks. They also completed a state anxiety measure before and after the experimental task. Motivational states were assessed by the pupil dilation, which is known to reflect the amount of cognitive effort invested on the task at hand. Results showed that, only in low motivation condition, high trait-anxious individuals exhibited greater difficulty, relative to those low in trait anxiety, in maintaining working memory contents as the task demand increased. State anxiety showed no relation to working memory performance regardless of the level of motivation and task demands. Pupillary responses revealed that, in high motivational state, high trait-anxious individuals invested more effort than those low in trait anxiety when the task demand was low, F(1, 132) = 6.65, p = 0.0110, to moderate, F(1, 132) = 8.441, p = 0.00043. In accordance with ACT, these findings suggest that motivation can modulate the association between trait anxiety and cognitive performance along with the levels of task demand. Clinical implication is briefly discussed.

Motivational processes in physical education and objectively measured physical activity among adolescents

Purpose:Grounded in self-determination theory(SDT),the present study tested how students’perceptions of autonomy support from physical education teachers predicts objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity(MVPA)of adolescents.According to SDT,it was expected that psychological needs and autonomous and controlled forms of motivation would mediate these relationships.Methods:Students(n=397)aged from 11 to 15 years in 17 different schools filled in questionnaires regarding SDT variables.In addition,objective MVPA was measured using an accelerometer(ActiGraph GT3X;ActiGraph,Pensacola,FL,USA)for 7 days.Structural equation modelling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships among the study variables.Results:The theory-based model showed a good fit with the data:x2=642.464,df=257;comparative fit index=0.932;non-normed fit index=0.921;root mean square error of approximation=0.062;root mean square error of approximation 90%confidence interval:0.054
0.067.As hypothesized,there was a significant and positive direct relationship between autonomy support and need satisfaction(b=0.81,p=0.001).In turn,need satisfaction positively predicted intrinsic motivation(b=0.86,p=0.001).Intrinsic motivation was positively related to MVPA(b=0.29,p=0.009).A significant indirect effect(b=0.20,p=0.004)supported the mediating role of psychological need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation in the relationship between perceived autonomy support and objectively measured MVPA.Conclusion:The findings of the current study support the applicability of the SDT-based model in explaining the antecedents of objectively measured MVPA of adolescents.To enhance adolescents’daily MVPA,special focus should be put on increasing their intrinsic motivation toward physical education.

A General Overview of Motivation in Linguistics

In recent years, the term of motivation in linguistics study has aroused the interests of scholars. Different studies of motivation have been produced by different scholars. In this paper, the writer organizes the recent studies on motivation in linguistics.the paper is divided into three parts, the introduction of the term motivation, different types of motivation, and theories of motivation.

The Influence of Second-Language Self-Orientation on Learning Motivation of Medium Level EFL Proficiency

EFL motivation is a hot research field of second language learners.In recent years,many researchers have focused on Dornyei’s second language self-system as a theoretical framework.The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive power of self-orientation of college medium level English learners to EFL learners’motivation,and to find ways to enhance their motivation and EFL proficiency.The subject of this paper is a medium level students of an ordinary college.Using linear regression analysis to collect data through questionnaires,it is found that the self-orientation of the subjects can explain the predictive effect on the actu⁃al learning behavior is not ideal.Ideal L2 self and L2 self-confidence are insufficient,and corresponding learning strategies are lacking,which limits self-directed ability to predict L2 motivation.

Does Motivation Predict Persistence and Academic Success?

This study researches the relationship between motivation and academic success as measured by the Valence, Instrumentality, and Expectancy Scale. Utilizing Vroom’s Expectancy Theory as the framework, the research assesses the responses of 375 nurse assistant students in the state of Illinois to evaluate the self-report of the constructs of Vroom’s Expectancy theory in relation to their performance on a standardized high stakes test.

Learners’motivational response to the Science,PE,&Me!curriculum:A situational interest perspective

Background:The Science,PE,&Me!(SPEM)curriculum is a concept-based physical education curriculum that offers students coherent educational experiences for constructing health-related fitness knowledge through movement experiences.The purpose of this study was to evaluate students’motivational response to the SPEM curriculum from the situational interest perspective.Methods:The study used a cluster randomized controlled design in which 30 elementary schools in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the eastern United States were randomly assigned to an experimental or comparison condition.Although all students in the 3rd,4th,and 5th grades in the targeted schools were eligible to participate in the study,a random sample of students from the experimental(n=1749;15 schools)and comparison groups(n=1985;15 schools)provided data.Students’motivational response to the SPEM curriculum or comparison curriculum was measured using the previously validated Situational Interest Scale-Elementary.Data were analyzed using structural mean modeling.Results:The results demonstrated that the experimental group(as reference group)showed significantly higher enjoyment(z=-2.01),challenge(z=-6.54),exploration(z=-12.195),novelty(z=-8.80),and attention demand(z=-7.90)than the comparison group.Conclusion:The findings indicate that the SPEM curriculum created a more situationally interesting context for learning than the comparison physical education curriculum.

A Qualitative Study on College Students' Motivation of English Learning

Over the decades, English learning motivation has drawn much attention. The present case study aims to explore college students' motivation of English Learning. Based on SDT, the present study was conducted qualitatively. The researcher interviewed three non-English major students. This study found five types of motivation of English Learning. Besides, a person may have multiple motivations at the same time.