An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of ESL Teachers' Motivational Beliefs in Developing Different Pedagogical Strategies

Motivated teachers affect not only the quality of their own teaching and job satisfaction but also the motivation and learning outcomes of their students and the development of the whole school. While the significance of teacher motivation in pedagogical development is an increasingly important factor in the evaluation of teachers in higher educational institutions, little effort has been made to strengthen their motivation. The research question guiding this study was ＂How do teachers of English as a second language (ESL) in a private tertiary college in Hong Kong make sense of their motivational beliefs in developing or adopting different pedagogical strategies?＂ The study used interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to investigate the motivational beliefs about the pedagogical development of ESL teachers in higher education. In a qualitative inquiry, this study employed semi-structured interviews to explore the motivational beliefs of four full-time ESL teachers working in the Department of English at the research site. Three superordinate themes and their respective sub-themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) Students as the Major Driving Force, with sub-themes a) Turning Students' ESL Needs into Teachers' Motivation, b) Higher Education Students' Learning Attitudes and Characteristics, and c) Students' Satisfaction; 2) Perceptions of Teachers' Teaching Abilities, with sub-themes a) Evaluations of Their Teaching, b) Teachers' Role Models, and c) Peer Observation; and 3) Perceptions of the Administration, with sub-themes a) Adherence to or Autonomy from Departmental Guidelines, and b) Perceived Effectiveness or Ineffectiveness of College Practices. The findings in this study are relevant for the motivation of higher education faculty members by learning about students' academic needs, personalities, and satisfaction needs, and of teachers' pedagogical strengths and weaknesses. Higher education administrators can also tailor professional development programs to meet faculty members' individual needs. Additional research is needed to explore the perspectives of teachers of other subjects or in different types of higher educational institutions who may receive and react to different sources of motivation.