Exploring demotivating factors among EFL learners across differing levels of English proficiency in blended learning settings
This study analysed the demotivating factors perceived by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners across different levels of English proficiency in a blended learning context. The analysis was conducted through a questionnaire survey undertaken by 649 EFL sophomore students with varied majors f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825005153 |
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| author | Wenjing Zhou Esther Jawing Veronica Petrus Atin Xiaoqi Deng Sufang Zeng Yan Zhan |
| author_facet | Wenjing Zhou Esther Jawing Veronica Petrus Atin Xiaoqi Deng Sufang Zeng Yan Zhan |
| author_sort | Wenjing Zhou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study analysed the demotivating factors perceived by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners across different levels of English proficiency in a blended learning context. The analysis was conducted through a questionnaire survey undertaken by 649 EFL sophomore students with varied majors from a university in mid-east China. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients were calculated to evaluate the internal consistency of the questionnaire items, and principal component factor analysis was performed to explore the structural validity of the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were employed to illustrate the profiles of the questionnaire items and the demotivating factors. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc multi-comparison analysis were utilised to determine whether significant differences existed among learners at different English proficiency levels regarding the demotivating factors and to determine the differences. Results revealed that an inappropriate learning environment was the greatest contributor to learners' demotivation, while loss of task value was considered the least demotivating. Moreover, low-proficiency learners were more likely to be demotivated by internal factors than high-proficiency learners, whereas high-proficient learners were more inclined to attribute their demotivation to internal factors. It is implicated that EFL educators should strategically diversify instructional content and pedagogical approaches to maintain learner immersion within blended educational settings, and that different strategies ought to be employed to enhance learning motivation for low proficient and high proficient EFL learners. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-891a65779d3c42648dcc49f25f7ef62d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-891a65779d3c42648dcc49f25f7ef62d2025-08-20T03:15:08ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182025-08-0125810520210.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105202Exploring demotivating factors among EFL learners across differing levels of English proficiency in blended learning settingsWenjing Zhou0Esther Jawing1Veronica Petrus Atin2Xiaoqi Deng3Sufang Zeng4Yan Zhan5School of Foreign Languages, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China; Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, MalaysiaCentre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia; Corresponding authors.Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, MalaysiaSchool of Foreign Languages, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China; Corresponding authors.This study analysed the demotivating factors perceived by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners across different levels of English proficiency in a blended learning context. The analysis was conducted through a questionnaire survey undertaken by 649 EFL sophomore students with varied majors from a university in mid-east China. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients were calculated to evaluate the internal consistency of the questionnaire items, and principal component factor analysis was performed to explore the structural validity of the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were employed to illustrate the profiles of the questionnaire items and the demotivating factors. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc multi-comparison analysis were utilised to determine whether significant differences existed among learners at different English proficiency levels regarding the demotivating factors and to determine the differences. Results revealed that an inappropriate learning environment was the greatest contributor to learners' demotivation, while loss of task value was considered the least demotivating. Moreover, low-proficiency learners were more likely to be demotivated by internal factors than high-proficiency learners, whereas high-proficient learners were more inclined to attribute their demotivation to internal factors. It is implicated that EFL educators should strategically diversify instructional content and pedagogical approaches to maintain learner immersion within blended educational settings, and that different strategies ought to be employed to enhance learning motivation for low proficient and high proficient EFL learners.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825005153EFL learnersDemotivating factorsCollege studentsEnglish proficiencyBlended learning context |
| spellingShingle | Wenjing Zhou Esther Jawing Veronica Petrus Atin Xiaoqi Deng Sufang Zeng Yan Zhan Exploring demotivating factors among EFL learners across differing levels of English proficiency in blended learning settings Acta Psychologica EFL learners Demotivating factors College students English proficiency Blended learning context |
| title | Exploring demotivating factors among EFL learners across differing levels of English proficiency in blended learning settings |
| title_full | Exploring demotivating factors among EFL learners across differing levels of English proficiency in blended learning settings |
| title_fullStr | Exploring demotivating factors among EFL learners across differing levels of English proficiency in blended learning settings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring demotivating factors among EFL learners across differing levels of English proficiency in blended learning settings |
| title_short | Exploring demotivating factors among EFL learners across differing levels of English proficiency in blended learning settings |
| title_sort | exploring demotivating factors among efl learners across differing levels of english proficiency in blended learning settings |
| topic | EFL learners Demotivating factors College students English proficiency Blended learning context |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825005153 |
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