Remedial Learners' Non-Linear Motivational Development in an EFL Classroom

The rising university enrollment rate and the growing number of types of university admission examinations have allowed students who lack fundamental knowledge to enter universities in Japan. Providing students with the necessary knowledge to continue studying at universities is referred to as remedial education. Remedial student motivation is among the most frequently studied topics in this field. This study examined Japanese remedial students’ motivational development in English classes using complex dynamic systems theory. Fifteen Japanese university freshmen participated in the study for one year, for a total of 20 sessions. Data were collected from weekly questionnaires, semi-structured retrospective interviews, teaching journals, and classroom observations. The data were analyzed using retrodictive qualitative modelling procedures and change-point analyses. After discerning the eight motivational patterns, they were categorized into three groups. Examination of each group’s cases suggested a hypothetical motivational developmental path for remedial students. This path had some similarities to another motivational developmental path hypothesized in a previous study.