Awareness and motivation: a narrative intervention on EFL learners

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe EFL learners’ self-awareness of their motivation as well as the evolution of it through a narrative-based intervention. It also sought to determine the students’ perceptions of this intervention. A series of writing prompts was created based on Narrative Therapy (NT; White & Epston,1990). Classroom activities were included on the topic of motivation as defined by Self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci,2017) to provide concepts to better define their motivation. The study took place in a preparatory program in a Turkish university in Ankara over eight weeks. Data was collected from responses to the writing prompts, notes taken by the instructor, and interviews. Content analysis was employed utilizing rubrics based on emergent themes, SDT, and the purpose of each prompt. Data was categorized, analyzed, and quantified in terms of frequency by category. The findings revealed these learners had identified motivation regarding their academic and professional goals, and viewed English as a tool to accomplish these goals. A positive shift in quality of motivation was found for a few students. A noticeable difference in quality of motivation between the global and local domain was observed among a number of students. It was found that awareness of motivation was expanded for some. The study supports existing literature stating that EFL students in Turkey are generally motivated by professional and academic goals and that even a small motivational intervention can have a positive impact.