Table_1_Teacher Motivation and Burnout of English-as-a-Foreign-Language Teachers: Do Demotivators Really Demotivate Them?.DOCX

This study examined the relationships between teacher motivation (TM) and perceived burnout of English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers in Chile. A particular focus was given to demotivators and their impact on TM and burnout. The impact of COVID-19 was considered. Given that EFL teachers tend to be second language (L2) learners of English themselves, the study also investigated how TM and L2 motivation interact with each other. The participants were 154 school-level teachers with a range of backgrounds (teaching experience, geographic areas, and school sectors). In the questionnaire, four scales were included: (a) autonomous motivation for teaching; (b) demotivators; (c) perceived burnout; and (d) L2 motivation. Fifteen teachers were interviewed in order to triangulate the survey results. Structural equation modeling showed that TM negatively predicted perceived burnout, suggesting that it can counter teachers’ emotional exhaustion and their perceived lack of personal accomplishment. Demotivators predicted TM positively, albeit weakly. L2 motivation was found to be only weakly related to TM. Qualitative findings indicated that teaching experience mediated the role that demotivators played in relation to TM. Experienced teachers, especially those who held intrinsic motivation to teach, channeled the impact of demotivators, including those relating to the pandemic, to a positive motivational force to teach. The study implies the importance of considering teachers as agents and devising an educational system in which their mental health is prioritized.

本研究探讨了智利境内英语作为外语（English-as-a-foreign-language, EFL）教师的教师动机（Teacher Motivation, TM）与感知职业倦怠之间的关联，特别聚焦于去动机因素及其对教师动机与职业倦怠的影响，同时纳入了新冠疫情（COVID-19）的相关作用。鉴于EFL教师本身往往也是英语的第二语言（L2）学习者，本研究同时分析了教师动机与第二语言动机之间的相互作用机制。本研究的参与者为154名涵盖不同背景（教学年限、任教地域与学校办学类型）的中小学教师。调查问卷包含四个分量表：(a) 教学自主动机；(b) 去动机因素；(c) 感知职业倦怠；(d) 第二语言动机。此外选取15名教师开展半结构化访谈，以三角验证问卷调查结果。结构方程模型（Structural Equation Modeling, SEM）分析结果显示，教师动机对感知职业倦怠具有负向预测作用，表明教师动机可缓解教师的情绪衰竭与自我感知的个人成就感缺失；尽管影响程度微弱，但去动机因素对教师动机具有正向预测效应。研究同时发现，第二语言动机与教师动机仅存在微弱的相关关系。质性研究结果表明，教学年限在去动机因素对教师动机的影响路径中起到中介作用。教龄较长的教师，尤其是那些具备内在教学动机的教师，能够将包括疫情相关因素在内的去动机因素转化为积极的教学动力。本研究启示学界应将教师视为教育实践的主体，并构建以教师心理健康为优先考量的教育体系。