Motivational dynamics in English classes at a Brazilian public school

ABSTRACT This paper seeks to discuss the interrelations between the motivation of an English teacher at a public federal high school in Brazil and that of her students from a dynamic systems perspective. Three teachers’ oral narratives and 14 students’ logbook entries were used for the data analysis. The teacher’s descriptions and comments on her pedagogical practice were compared to the students’ impressions and motivational levels in an attempt to understand this English classroom-system motivational dynamics and self-organization processes, focusing on how this teacher’s and her students’ motivation co-adapt and soft-assemble, influencing and being influenced by the context. The results seem to confirm not only that student motivation and teacher motivation are deeply interrelated, but also that they interact organically and continually, revealing that the context is contingent.