TEACHER’S PERCEIVED CHARACTERISTICS AND

PREFERENCES OF MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES

IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Winda Hapsari
([email protected])

Lembaga Bahasa dan Pendidikan Profesional LIA

Jl. Galaxy Raya No. 1 – 6, Jakasampurna, Bekasi, Indonesia

Abstract: Motivated language teachers play a crucial role in building and

developing students’ motivation in the classroom. This study aims to inves-
tigate teachers’ motivational strategies in relation to their characteristics and
preferences in Indonesian context of EFL instruction, which is an area that
receives scant attention with regard to empirical research. The empirical data
were collected through survey questionnaires and interviews. Twenty-eight
active teachers volunteered to participate in the present study. Findings show
that most of these English teachers perceive themselves as enthusiastic fa-
cilitators as they explore a variety of ways to motivate students in the class-
room. The majority of participants prefer assigning various learning activi-
ties or tasks in order to energize a learning environment. By doing so, teach-
ers can draw students’ attention and get them engaged in the classroom. The
teachers also integrate teaching materials with engaging pedagogical tech-
niques that involve student interaction and movement.

Keywords: motivation, language learning, motivational strategies, teachers’

preferences

This article starts by presenting this personal observation.

(Scene: Two English teachers are talking in the teacher room. One is
complaining about her class)
Teacher 1: I’m so tired. It’s really hard to handle this class.
Teacher2: What’s the problem?

113
114 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

Teacher1: They never pay attention to what I explain to them. They keep
forgetting even though I have repeated my explanation again and
again. They like to chat and are usually busy with their gadget.
They do the exercises without enthusiasm. Some even complain
when I give them homework. They don’t seem to have motivation to
learn in class…
This reflective account provides a personal sketch of what motivates our stu-
dents to learn English. Many other teachers may experience the same situation.
Fifteen years of my teaching experiences in working with different groups of
students have witnessed the fact that second and foreign language students
demonstrate low motivation to perform assigned learning tasks in the language
classroom. Instead, they easily get distracted and are not really interested in the
tasks, and they tend to chat, play with their gadget, and daydream. They do not
engage in in-class activities. These behaviors show that the students are physi-
cally present in the class, but not cognitively. English teachers cannot blame
these students for having low motivation or ignorance of investing time and
energy in learning English since motivation itself is a multifaceted aspect of
dynamic interaction between teachers and students.
It is widely accepted that motivation is the key to the success of second
and foreign language learning (Csizer & Dornyei, 2005; Deniz; Sugita &
Takeuchi, 2010). Without sufficient motivation, successful language learning
cannot be achieved. Deniz (2010) argues that a certain degree of motivation
may lead a person to believe that he or she can get over any difficulty and suc-
ceed in the language learning after encountering the challenges. For this reason,
teachers play a crucial role in building and enhancing students’ motivation to
learn English. This suggests that the agency of teachers in the learning process
needs to be taken into account.
It should be understood that there is no way we can get learners to be
motivated without having motivated teachers. Motivated teachers will do any-
thing within the remit of their power to create interesting and enjoyable learn-
ing environments, so that learners engage actively in in-class activities. This is
where learning takes place. Sugita and Takeuchi (2010) maintain that teachers
who consider the long-term development of their students see the urgency of
motivating them. These teachers’ concerns intrigue them to enact instructional
strategies that can engage students. A whole myriad of techniques, methods, as
well as materials provide English teachers with possible ways to motivate stu-
dents in the language classroom.
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 115

Research studies in motivational strategies have been undertaken to

examine frequency and types of motivational strategies used (Cheng &
Dornyei, 2007; Sugita & Takeuchi, 2010), correlation and validity of motiva-
tional strategies used (Guilloteaux, 2013), as well as contextual issues on the
use of motivational strategies (Guilloteaux & Dornyei, 2008; Papi & Abdollah-
zaleh, 2012). Other studies have been conducted to look at affective aspects of
motivational strategies, but these studies focus on teacher perception towards
students’ abilities and academic goals (Hardre, Huang, Chen, Chiang, Jen, &
Warden, 2006) and towards motivational strategies used (Bernaus & Gardner,
2008). Additionally, there is a dearth of empirical evidence showing how
teachers perceive themselves as motivated individuals as well as type(s) of mo-
tivational strategies preferred regarding the way to create an engaging learning
environment. This awaits further investigation. To fill this need, the present
study seeks to (1) examine how teachers perceive themselves regarding their
efforts to motivate students in the language classroom; and (2) investigate
teachers’ preference of motivational strategies used.
To provide clear conceptual framework for this present study, the
following discusses motivation and motivational strategies, motivated teachers
and their perceptions and the relationship between motivated teachers and
motivated learners. The first concepts to be discussed are motivation and
motivational strategies. The construct, motivation, is not easily defined.
Dornyei (2001) defines “[m]otivation [as] an abstract, hypothetical concept that
we use to explain why people think and behave as they do” (p. 1). It also refers
to the reason underlying behavior that is characterized by willingness and voli-
tion (Lai, 2011). Motivation also provides the primary impetus to initiate se-
cond or foreign language learning and later the driving force to sustain the long
and often tedious learning process (Csizer & Dornyei, 2005; Deniz, Sugita &
Takeuchi, 2010; Guilloteaux & Dornyei, 2008). Dornyei (2001) boldly contend
that ”99% of language learners who really want to learn a foreign language (i.e.
who are really motivated) will be able to master a reasonable working
knowledge of it as a minimum, regardless of their language aptitude” (p. 2).
It is widely accepted that the responsibility for motivating learners and
keeping them motivated during the tenure of their studies rests with the teacher
(Dornyei, 2001). Teachers have the power to find ways to get learners engaged
and motivated in the classroom. This notion is supported by the results of re-
search suggesting that motivation can be manipulated through certain instruc-
tional (or motivational) strategies (Lai, 2011). In this respect, motivational
116 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

strategies are defined as methods and techniques to generate and maintain the
learners’ motivation (Dornyei, 2001; Sugita & Takeuchi, 2010). Papi and
Abdollahzadeh’s study provides empirical evidence that language teachers can
make a real difference in boosting their students’ motivation by applying vari-
ous motivational strategies.
Renandya (2013) proposes 5Ts of motivation comprising teacher and
four types of motivational strategies as aspects to work on in order to give im-
pact on learner’s motivation in class. The four types of motivational strategies
include:
1. Teaching methods
A teacher who uses a variety of teaching methods, customized to the
individual needs of the learners will be more successful in engaging them
towards achieving the L2 learning targets. This suggests that the more Eng-
lish teachers explore teaching methods and strategies, the more successful
they will be in engaging the students in learning activities or tasks.
2. Tasks
Spaulding (in Wu, 2003) proposed a balance between challenging tasks
and easy tasks which is one effective way to improve learners’ self-
confidence. This, later, boosts motivation in learning. The way it is theo-
rized by Vygotsky that learners feel they are developing new competencies
only when they can accomplish challenging tasks with some assistance
from a more skilled person. Tasks that fall within students’ comfort and
stretch zones tend to be more motivating than those that are too demanding.
Also, tasks that allow learners to experience more success rather than fail-
ure are a great boost to learner motivation.
3. Texts
Both oral and written instructional texts or materials used as classroom
materials should be interesting and relevant to the learners. These texts
should build students’ interests in learning English, and make use of these
materials as a starting point for learning more materials. Also, the materials
should create real-life situations where the students engage in their daily
social encounters. It is important to bear in mind that the texts should also
be pitched at or slightly above their current level of proficiency. In other
words, materials should spark students’ interests and fall within the remit
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 117

of students’ language abilities. Thus, instructional texts should be engaging

cognitively, affectively, and socially.
4. Tests
Tests that serve as a learning tool help learners to see their progress in
a non-threatening manner. Such tests can drive learners to work harder to
achieve their learning goals by focusing more on assessment for learning
than assessment of learning. The former is more informative and learning-
friendly than the latter. Learning assessments should bring fresh impetus to
continued language learning in which students invest more time and energy
in this learning. This notion implies that learning never reaches completion
in that students learn a variety of how English is used in different contexts.

The second concept to be discussed in here is about motivated teachers

and their perceptions. As mentioned earlier, Renandya’s (2013) proposal for
five areas (5Ts) to work on to get students motivated listed teachers in the first
place. In order to help teachers develop motivational strategies, English teach-
ers should have better understanding on how they perceive themselves in terms
of motivating the learners. It is impossible to expect learners to get motivated if
the teacher himself or herself is not motivating. Moskovsky, Alrabai, Paolini,
and Ratcheva’s (2013) findings provide compelling evidence that teachers’ mo-
tivational behavior cause enhanced motivation in second language learners.
Some characteristics of motivated teachers are enthusiastic, resource-
ful, creative, and strict. Wilson (2012) outlines some key motivational factors,
and the first one is teacher enthusiasm. The word, “enthusiasm,” itself refers to
a strong excitement of feeling. Dornyei (2001) defines enthusiastic teachers as
the ones who love their subject matter and who show their dedication and their
passion that there is nothing else on earth they would rather be doing. They are
very passionate about their profession. They are always eager about their teach-
ing as well as their learners in spite of the challenges to which they are facing
up.
The second characteristic of a motivated teacher is resourceful. Being
resourceful refers to the state of being available for anything needed, being able
to meet any situations. A resourceful teacher is always available for anything
that learners need. He or she provides various ways and means to cater diverse
needs of learners with different learning styles and intellectual capabilities. The
third characteristic is creative. Being creative pertains to the ability to change
118 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

something usual into unusual or innovative. A creative teacher is able to ma-

nipulate common or usual teaching materials, techniques, or methods into in-
novative ones which are interesting for learners. Creative teachers are usually
surprising for their learners so that learners never get bored.
Being strict is also a part of a motivated teacher. The term, “strict,”
seems to give negative perceptions of motivation. We need to understand that
motivation is not always intrigued by things that make learners comfortable all
the time. Being strict is associated with the term ‘close,’ ‘tight,’ ‘controlled
condition’. Strict teachers will set up clear classroom rules and structure. They
will make sure their learners stay intact with the lessons by giving regular tests,
review, and/or (home) assignments. Additionally, teachers establish recognition
and reward system in order to maintain discipline in their classes (Rahimi and
Hosseini, 2012). By doing those things, teachers try to develop conducive at-
mosphere for learning and nurture good habit. Therefore, teachers expect better
learning outcomes.
In addition to concepts on motivation and motivational strategies, and
motivated teachers and their perceptions, the conceptual framework for the
study includes the discussion on the relationship between motivated teachers
and motivated learners. It should be clear that the goal of using various motiva-
tional strategies in classrooms is to get learners motivated. Guilloteaux and
Dornyei (2008) found a strong positive correlation between teachers’ motiva-
tional teaching practices and their learners’ learning motivation in the actual
classroom. Renandya (2013) characterizes motivated learners as more enthusi-
astic, goal-oriented, committed, persistent, and confident in their learning. They
are willing to work hard to achieve their goal and do not easily give up until
they achieve that goal.
There is no denying that the effectiveness of motivational strategies
implemented in the classroom is weighed not only from teacher’s perspectives
but also from those of learners. Dornyei (2001) argues that sometimes the best
motivational intervention is simply to improve the quality of our teaching. The
better the quality of teaching in the eyes of learners is, the more likely the
learners will be motivated in language classroom. In order to find out how
learners see their teacher’s teaching, they can be asked to fill out questionnaire
or make self report, or be interviewed. Through the use of those instruments,
the extent to which the way teachers enact instruction is associated with the
learners’ level of motivation can be measured or evaluated.
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 119

METHOD
The participants for this study were recruited based on two main crite-
ria: (1) They are active instructors both part-time and full-time, (2) they have
maintained the minimal score of 4.000 (predicate excellent) for the Teaching
Quality Questionnaire (TQQ) during the past 1.5 years. Out of 36 volunteered
teachers, 28 of them were eligible to participate in the current research. Five of
them were males and the other 23 were females. All the participants were non-
native English speaking teachers. Their teaching experience varies from 1 to
17 years at LIA. They have worked with students of between 12 and 18 years
old. Additionally, they have taught English for Children (EC), English for
Teens (ET), English for Adults (EA), and Conversation (CV) programs. These
differences were assumed to have no significant effects on the use of motiva-
tional strategies as well as how they perceive themselves as motivating teach-
ers.
The instruments used in this study were Teaching Quality Question-
naire (TQQ), Teacher’s Characteristic and Preference Questionnaire (TCPQ),
and interviews. Teaching Quality Questionnaire (TQQ) is an institutional
measure of monitoring and evaluating teacher’s teaching quality based on stu-
dents’ perceptions. It is a 5-scale questionnaire with 1 representing the lowest
and 5 the highest. Categories are classified into poor with score equal to or be-
low 3.600, fair with score within 3.601 to 3.799, good with score within 3.800
to 3.999, and excellent with score equal to or over 4.000. There are 15 teaching
variables measured: (1) Using easy-to-understand English; (2) Conveying the
objective of the lesson; (3) Assessing students’ achievement on the lessons
taught; (4) Giving students sufficient time to answer oral questions; (5) Con-
ducting at least four different classroom activities; (6) Explaining new lessons
in a way which is easy to understand; (7) Providing activities to facilitate stu-
dent-student interaction; (8) Providing activities for real-life use; (9) Giving
students feedback, such as comments, correction, etc.; (10) Grading the activi-
ties systematically; (11) Reviewing the previous lesson(s); (12) Motivating stu-
dents to be active during the class; (13) Using teaching aids, such as pictures,
cue cards, realia, etc.; (14) Promoting students’ use of English; and (15) Apply-
ing Bloom’s taxonomy when asking students questions (Quality Control De-
partment-LIA, 2012)
In the current study, TQQ is deployed to measure teacher’s motivating
level based on students’ perceptions. Teachers with TQQ score of 4,000 or
120 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

above (excellent) is assumed to demonstrate motivating behaviors and practices

from learners’ points of view. This type of measure is chosen since TQQ is an
institutional teaching quality measure, which has been used for the past few
years. Hence, its reliability, validity, as well as familiarity are locally or institu-
tionally ensured.
The second questionnaire is TCPQ; it is a 12-item questionnaire to see
teacher’s perception of him/herself regarding efforts of motivating learners as
well as his/her preference of motivational strategies used. There are two varia-
bles measured:

1. Teacher’s perception of him/herself: enthusiastic, resourceful, creative,

and strict.
2. Teacher’s motivational strategies that include teaching methods, tasks,
texts (materials), and tests.

In the present study, TCPQ serves as a tool to see teacher’s perceived

characteristics regarding motivating behaviors and practices, as well as their
preferences for using particular motivational strategies. Then, interviews were
conducted after the analysis of TCPQ data. These confirm and enrich the data
gained from TCPQ as well as to closely examine data regarding some motiva-
tional aspects. There were four perceived characteristic categories: enthusiastic,
resourceful, creative, and strict. One teacher from each category was individu-
ally interviewed. In the interviews, there were seven questions to which the
participants to respond. Most of the questions probe into the participants’ re-
sponses to TCPQ. In other words, the interviews served as a tool for exploring
more in-depth data.
The procedure of this study was firstly, by contacting prospective par-
ticipants by email, providing them with brief information about the research
and its purposes as well as asking for their informed consent to voluntarily par-
ticipate in the research. Then, they were given the link to fill out the online
TCPQ. The participants visited the online site and filled out e-questionnaire.
Once they had completed the questionnaire, the confirmation email would be
sent shortly to the corresponding participant. The second step was the recruit-
ment of teachers whose data were to be used for analysis. The teachers with
TQQ score of 4,000 or above for the past 1.5 years (2012 - 2013) were recruit-
ed. This purposive sampling was allowed for recruiting eligible participants.
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 121

Then, the empirical data gathered from the instruments were qualita-
tively analyzed; some of the data were quantified using percentage. Firstly, all
the data were categorized based on major themes of findings, coded, tran-
scribed, and analyzed. The categorization and coding of the data helped the re-
searcher to see emerging and relevant data which were relevant to the research
questions. Transcription was also conducted to transform talking data into writ-
ten data (transcripts). All the selected data were interpretatively analyzed. This
sense making of data is based on critical interpretation.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Findings of the current study are presented in three sections. The first
section provides the findings of teacher perceptions of the significance of moti-
vating learners in classrooms as well as learners’ perceptions of teachers’ ef-
forts to create an engaging learning environment. The second section gives em-
pirical data of how teachers see themselves as individuals who demonstrate
motivational affect that contributes to the use of motivational strategies. The
third section discusses critical views about teacher’s preferences for using par-
ticular motivational strategies.
Learner and Teacher Perceptions of Motivation in Classrooms
In the current study, learners assessed teacher’s motivating level by re-
ferring to variables in TQQ. The higher score they gave to the teacher, the more
motivating the teaching in the eyes of the learners was. As Dornyei (2001) ar-
gues, “…[s]ometimes the best motivational intervention is simply to improve
the quality of our teaching.” Participants’ score of TQQ ranged from 4,009 to
4,650 in a 5-scale measure. This shows that learners perceive their teacher’s
teaching very motivating and engaging. This perception is expressed in the
learners’ demonstrated behavior. They would be eager to participate in the ses-
sion with the teacher. They would explicitly ask teacher to give similar games
(activities) as previously done. They would come on time and were rarely ab-
sent. Their enthusiasm about the class session is also couched in their attitudes
toward being eager (at least not reluctant) towards activities the teacher gave to
them. The teachers opine the following.
122 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

Teacher ET:
“They do activities I give them enthusiastically. They are rarely absent.
They usually come on time. Sometimes they ask me to continue doing
games/activities by saying “again ma’am…again”
Teacher RM:
“…My students will wait for every of our meeting…My students are
happy when they meet me again in higher levels.”
Teacher CT:
“The number of students coming to the class is always stable--in any
condition. They also try to cover up their absence by asking for a make-
up class even when it is not necessary to have one.. Students are eager
to participate in my class, and they respond very well to the rapport I
try to build with them.”
The empirical data show there are similar perceptions of teachers and students
regarding how motivating the teaching is. Student perceptions of motivating in-
structions are confirmed in the high score they gave for TQQ, while teacher’s
confidence in their teaching is expressed through their ability to recognize mo-
tivating behavior demonstrated by the students during the learning sessions.
When triangulated, the TQQ variables, in fact, showed a strong posi-
tive relationship with categories of motivational strategies proposed by Re-
nandya (2013). This confirms why teacher and student perceptions of motivat-
ing instruction are closely intertwined. The variables were grouped into:
Teaching method:
• Using easy-to-understand English (1)
• Conveying the objective of the lesson (2)
• Giving students sufficient time to answer oral questions (4)
• Explaining a new lesson in a way which is easy to understand (6)
• Giving students feedback, such as comments, correction, etc. (9)
• Grading the activities systematically (10)
• Motivating students to be active during the class (12)
• Promoting students’ use of English (14)
• Applying Bloom’s taxonomy when asking students questions (15)

Task:
• Conducting at least four different classroom activities (5)
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 123

• Providing activities to facilitate student-student interaction (7)

• Providing activities for real-life use (8)
Text:
• Using teaching aids, such as pictures, cue cards, realia, etc. (13)
Test:
• Assessing students’ achievement on the lessons taught (3)
• Reviewing the previous lesson(s) (11)

Interview data show that teachers agree that they are responsible for
motivating learners in classrooms. Teachers perceive motivation as a basic and
essential aspect in learning in which they could not do much without getting
learners motivated to engage in their teaching (Csizer & Dornyei, 2005;
Dornyei, 2001; Sugita & Takeuchi, 2010). This also concurs with empirical ev-
idence of the previous study by Papi and Abdollahzaleh (2012) indicating that
language teachers can make a real difference in boosting their students’ moti-
vation by applying various motivational strategies. Here are some teachers’
perceptions of commitment to motivating students in the classroom.
Teacher ET:
“By having high motivation, students will learn all the things we teach
them. That is why teacher is responsible for students’ motivation.”
Teacher RM:
“As a teacher, one of her responsibilities is to make sure that students
gain benefits during their learning sessions.”
Teacher CT:
“For me motivation is a very basic and essential thing, it’s like a mo-
tor, without a thing to 'push' or 'move' us, it'll be rather difficult to
move forward, and students need that.”

Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics

Empirical evidence reveals that 50% of the participants perceived
themselves as enthusiastic teachers. This finding is in line with Wilson’s
(2012) observation that teacher enthusiasm is the first key motivational factor.
As Dornyei (2001) maintains, enthusiastic teachers are those who love their
subject matter and who show by their dedication and their passion that there is
124 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

nothing else on earth they would rather be doing. This concurs with the finding
of the interview with one enthusiastic teacher. When she taught a difficult
class, she did not give up motivating the students and livening the classroom
environment. Instead, she prepared her teaching carefully so that the students
got engaged, and it worked. An enthusiastic teacher would not easily give up
by adversity and challenges coming from her profession. Through her enthusi-
asm of teaching the difficult class, she could change the atmosphere of the class
as well as the attitude of the learners. This is evidenced that her learners gave
her high TQQ score.
Twenty five percent of the teacher participants see themselves as re-
sourceful, and the other 25% perceive themselves as creative. No teachers as-
sociate themselves as strict ones. Interview data provides detailed information
that resourceful teachers see learners as unique individuals with different levels
of motivation, learning styles, and intelligences. Therefore, resourceful teachers
always attempt to cater those differences by using various types of motivational
strategies. This is evidenced that the majority (57%) of resourceful teachers
mix various types of motivational strategies. They do not have specific prefer-
ence for a certain type of motivational strategies.
Creative teachers make up 25% of the total selected participants. Crea-
tive teachers would modify resources they have into things that could make
learners interested and/or engaged. Looking into LIA as specific context,
teachers are encouraged to SOAR (Supplement, Omit, Adapt, and Re-
vise/Repeat) when they design their lesson plans. This denotes that the possi-
bilities of enacting SOAR would go to tasks and texts instead of teaching
methods and tests. The teachers could manipulate the first two types of motiva-
tional strategies to spark their learners’ interests. The findings of the question-
naire denote that creative teachers tend to have preference for manipulating
tasks (47%) and not to create texts (only 14%). This interesting point awaits
further investigation.
No teacher, apparently, associated themselves as a strict one. It was not
clear as to why teachers did not want to perceive themselves as strict. This
might indicate that teachers saw that having clear rules and control over stu-
dents as something unfavorable. They might fear that controlled condition re-
duced learners’ comfort and creativity, which might prevent motivation to
bloom. This finding was contradictory to previous research evidence by Rahimi
and Hosseini (2012), where teacher’s recognition and rewarding system were
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 125

the preferred discipline strategies to enhance conducive environment for learn-

ing.

Teacher’s Preferences of Motivational Strategies Used

Another finding of the present study indicates the majority of teachers
prefer using tasks (39%) to motivate learners, slightly higher than a mixed type
of motivational strategies (36%). This shows that LIA teachers enjoy working
on activities in order to boost their teaching. They are likely to enrich their ac-
tivity banks and teaching techniques, specifically the ones that involved
movement and interaction, designed in a stir-and-still fashion of teaching flow.
This finding provides supporting evidence for the notions that a balance be-
tween challenging tasks and easy tasks is one effective way to improve learn-
ers’ self-confidence which, later, heightens motivation in learning (Spaulding
in Wu, 2003), and tasks that allow learners to experience more success rather
than failure are a great boost to learner motivation (Renandya, 2013).
Interesting findings emerged from the present study. Quite many
teachers deploy a mixed type of motivational strategies (36%). They do not re-
ally have specific preferences for certain motivational types of motivational
strategies. When associating this finding with variables of TQQ containing dif-
ferent types of motivational aspects, we can draw prediction on this. LIA
teachers, whose teaching has been regularly assessed by learners through this
TQQ, would want to get good score on their TQQ. Consequently, they would
make effort to apply the different types of motivational aspects mentioned in
the TQQ variables. The implication would be that they tried to balance every-
thing so that they did not have specific preferences for a certain type of motiva-
tional strategies.
Teacher RM:
“…Occasionally I use songs for auditory learners, and hands-on activities for
kinesthetic. In terms of task, I try to alternately use ‘stir and still’ activities,
but make sure that they are meaningful. Sometimes I also include authentic
materials. I give test only once in a while.”

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

There is no doubt that motivation is an essential psychological aspect in
learning generally, and specifically in language learning (SL or FL). Teachers
126 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

as the key agents in classrooms have the power to demonstrate motivational

behaviors as well as to apply motivational strategies to create an engaging
learning environment. This study gives further supporting evidence that moti-
vated teachers associate themselves differently with personal characteristics of
being motivating. They also show preferences for the type of motivational
strategies used. Findings of the present study provide some implications for
teacher’s second and foreign language instruction. Despite the limitation of the
present study for not measuring learners’ motivated behavior and that this
study is developed in a context-specific fashion (LIA teachers), these limita-
tions of the study call for follow-up studies. Future studies can be situated
within a broader context (e.g., recruiting formal school teachers as participants,
or using more comprehensive methods either or both quantitative and qualita-
tive approaches). Ethnographic observation studies may be used to explore the
actual practices of both students’ and teachers’ motivational strategies in
language classrooms.

REFERENCES
Csizer, K., & Dornyei, Z. (2005). Language learners’ motivational profiles
and their motivated learning behavior. Language Learning, 55(4), 613-
659.
Bernaus M., & Gardner, R. (2008). Teacher motivation strategies, student per-
ceptions, student motivation, and English achievement. The Modern Lan-
guage Journal, 92(3), 387-401
Cheng, H. F., & Dörnyei, Z. (2007). The use of motivational strategies in lan-
guage instruction: The case of EFL teaching in Taiwan. Innovation in
Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 153-174.
Deniz, S. (2010). Student teachers’ evaluation of the motivational strategies
used in foreign language teaching. Social Behavior and Personality, 38(9),
1269-1286.
Dornyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cam-
bridge: Cambridge University Press.
Guilloteaux, M.J. ,and Dornyei, Z. (2008). Motivating language learners: A
classroom-oriented investigation of the effects of motivational strategies
on student motivation. TESOL Quarterly, 42(1), 55-77.
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 127

Hardre, P. L, Huang, S. H., Chen, C. H., Chiang, C. T., Jen, F. L., & Warden,
L. (2006). High school teachers' motivational perceptions and strategies in
an East Asian Nation. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 34(2),
199-221.
Lai, E.R. (2011). Motivation: A literature review. Retrieved from http://www.
pearsonassessment.com/research/
Moskovsky, C., Alrabai, F., Paolini, S., & Ratcheva, S. (2013). The effects of
teachers’ motivational strategies on learners’ motivation: A controlled in-
vestigation of second language acquisition. Language Learning: A Journal
of Research in Language Studies, 63(1), 34-62.
Papi, M., & Abdollahzaleh, E. (2012). Teacher motivational practices, student
motivation, and possible L2 selves: An examination in the Iranian EFL
context. Language Learning: A Journal of Research in Language Studies,
62(2), 571-594.
Quality Control Department. (2012). Recapitulation of teaching quality ques-
tionnaire for ET, EA, and CV. Jakarta: Lembaga Bahasa dan Pendidikan
Profesional, LIA.
Rahimi, M., and Hosseini, F. (2012). EFL teachers’ classroom discipline strat-
egies: The students’ perspective. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sci-
ences, 31, 309-314.
Renandya, W. A. (2013, May). Current beliefs in ELT and their implications
for language teaching. Plenary Paper presented at English Education,
UNS International TEFL Conference, Solo, Indonesia.
Sugita, M., & Takeuchi, O. (2010). What can teacher do to motivate their stu-
dents? A classroom research on motivational strategy use in Japanese EFL
context. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 4(1), 21-35.
Wilson, K. (2012). Motivating the unmotivated – Ten was to get your students
to do something. British Council. Retrieved from http://www.teaching
english.org.uk/
Wu, X. (2003). Intrinsic motivation and young language learners: The impact
of the classroom environment. System, 31, 501-507.
128 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

APPENDIX 1.
Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences of Motivational
Strategies used.
STRICT  
0%  

CREATIVE    
25%   ENTHUSIASTIC  
50%  
RESOURCEFUL  
25%  

Figure 1. Teacher’s perceived characteristics towards motivating students in

learning English

MIXED   TASK  
36%   39%  

TEACHING  
METHOD   TEXT  
14%   11%  
TEST  
0%  

Figure 2. Teacher’s preferences on the type of motivational strategies used in

class
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 129

Test  
0%  
Mixed  
7%  
Teaching   Task  
Method   50%  
36%  

Text  
7%  

Figure 3. Preferred motivational strategies among enthusiastic teachers

Task  
15%  
Text  
14%  
Mixed   Teaching  
57%   Method  
14%  

Test  
0%  

Figure 4. Preferred motivational strategies among resourceful teachers

130 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

Test  
0%   Mixed  
Task  
14%  
43%  
Teaching  
Method  
29%  
Text  
14%  

Figure 5. Preferred motivational strategies among creative teachers

APPENDIX 2

Results of Interview with Teachers

TEACHER ET Perceived characteristics: enthusiastic

Preference of motivational strategies: tasks
Question 1 Do you think your students are motivated to learn English
in class?
What makes you think so?
Answer 1 Yes, because they do activities I give them enthusiastical-
ly. They are rarely absent. They usually come on time.
Sometimes they ask me to continue doing games/activities
by saying “again ma’am…again”
Question 2 Do you think that you are a motivating teacher?
Answer 2 I guess so
Question 3 Do you think your students see you as a motivating teach-
er?
Answer 3 I think so, because they are engaged in activities I give
them.
Question 4 You’ve got excellent predicate on TQQ for the past 1.5
years. What does this tell you?
Answer 4 It shows that my students enjoy my teaching. They thought
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 131

my teaching is interesting and I provide what they need

and they learn something from me.
Question 5 Do you agree that teacher is responsible for motivating
students in class?
Answer 5 Yes. By having high motivation, students will learn all the
things we teach them. That is why teacher is responsible
for students’ motivation.
Question 6 The result of questionnaire shows that you are an enthusi-
astic teacher. What can you say to confirm this?
Answer 6 There was a time when I had to handle a difficult class.
The previous teacher warned me about the class and said
that she couldn’t handle that class. Since the beginning I
tried to tell myself that I could handle the class. I tried my
best to prepare everything before my teaching. By the end
of the term, TQQ was conducted. Most students gave me
A for my TQQ.
Question 7 Result of the questionnaire shows you prefer using task
(activities) in motivating students. Can you give examples
about this?
Answer 7 I usually give games at the first part of my teaching. This
is also my strategy to make students come on time, be-
cause usually they don’t want to miss the game. At the end
of the session I usually review the lesson in a form of
game too. During the session, I often modify the materials
in the book into interesting activities. Most of the games or
activities involve physical movements, like when they
have to pair up; they have to move to find their partner.

TEACHER RM Perceived characteristic: resourceful

Preference of motivational strategies: mixed strategies
Question 1 Do you think your students are motivated to learn English in
class?
What makes you think so?
Answer 1 Some are quite motivated; they show it by actively involved
in the activities, even if the activities are quite common.
However, I also find that some students are there simply to
do their routines. Most commonly, I find students who are
132 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

quite motivated at some points and activities, but demotivat-

ed when meeting tasks or activities they don't like. And
that's where teacher should do more. Try to keep them moti-
vated all the time.
Question 2 Do you think that you are a motivating teacher?
Answer 2 I try to cater their different level of motivation.
Question 3 Do you think your students see you as a motivating teacher?
Answer 3 Some said so, but I’m myself not really sure actually. My
indicators if I'm really motivating are:
1. My students will wait for every of our meeting,
2. My students get a lot of benefits in the class; I mean
there's a big difference from them before and after. I see that
in some TP classes, CV and EA,
3. My students are happy when they meet me again in higher
levels, well, half of them are, half maybe just okay lah. At
least they don't resist me. I'm famous for being very patient,
so they feel safe with me.
Question 4 You’ve got excellent predicate on TQQ for the past 1.5
years. What does this tell you?
Answer 4 I'm proud of myself for that, meaning that students appreci-
ate me.
Question 5 Do you agree that teacher is responsible for motivating stu-
dents in class?
Answer 5 Yes, up to a point.
As a teacher, one of her responsibilities is to make sure that
students gain benefits during their learning sessions. How-
ever, there's always limit for everything. When teachers
have done their best, but students are still demotivated, then,
teachers must look beyond what is happening. There must
be something, and when it gets too personal, I think teachers
don't have to push themselves or even blame themselves for
not getting the students motivated. And I do believe that, at
some points, students must know that they can gain the most
not only from the teachers, they have to know that a part of
the learning process also depends on themselves.
Question 6 The result of questionnaire shows that you are a resourceful
teacher. What can you say to confirm this?
 Hapsari, Teacher’s Perceived Characteristics and Preferences 133

Answer 6 Mmmm… I sometimes add materials from the book with

authentic materials so that the topic becomes more meaning-
ful to students. When there are projects students should do
and they have problems with resources or equipment, I try to
help them. I want to show them that there is always way out.
Sometimes students also ask me for help about their English
at school, I will help them.
Question 7 Result of the questionnaire shows you use various types of
strategies in motivating students without any specific prefer-
ence. Can you give examples about this?
Answer 7 I am a very visual and paper person, so sometimes I try to
modify here and there in terms of visual and paper things.
Occasionally I use songs for auditory learners, and hands-on
activities for kinesthetic. In terms of task, I try to alternately
use ‘stir and still’ activities, but make sure that they are
meaningful. Sometimes I also include authentic materials. I
give test only once in a while.

TEACHER CT Perceived characteristic: creative

Preference of motivational strategies: task
Question 1 Do you think your students are motivated to learn English in
class?
What makes you think so?
Answer 1 Mostly yes. The number of students coming to the class is
always stable--in any condition. They also try to cover up
their absence by asking for a make-up class even when it is
not necessary to have one.
Question 2 Do you think that you are a motivating teacher?
Answer 2 I think so because students are eager to participate in my
class, and they respond very well to the rapport I try to build
with them.
Question 3 Do you think your students see you as a motivating teacher?
Answer 3 I think so. Day by day I see that they are less and less reluc-
tant to participate in classroom activities.
Question 4 You’ve got excellent predicate on TQQ for the past 1.5
years. What does this tell you?
Answer 4 I am, thank God, on the right track on applying my teaching
134 TEFLIN Journal, Volume 24, Number 2, July 2013

techniques. I enjoy teaching what is enjoyed by my students,

it’s a mutualistic development for both my students and me.
However, for me, there is always room for improvement.
Question 5 Do you agree that teacher is responsible for motivating stu-
dents in class?
Answer 5 Yes, I do. For me motivation is a very basic and essential
thing, it’s like a motor, without a thing to 'push' or 'move' us,
it'll be rather difficult to move forward, and students need
that.
Question 6 The result of questionnaire shows that you are a creative
teacher. What can you say to confirm this?
Answer 6 I use varied activities in class to avoid boredom.
Question 7 Result of the questionnaire shows you prefer using task (ac-
tivities) in motivating students. Can you give examples about
this?
Answer 7 I arrange classroom activities by paying attention to stir-or-
still element. I usually put students into groups and make
quizzes or competition for them.