What is it like learning with an enthusiastic teacher? – A survey on university EFL students

Students need effort and motivation to get outstanding scholastic achievements and to keep themselves motivated throughout their educational journey. Some students drop out of school owing to demotivation in class. Others struggle to find excitement or interest in their study. One of the most crucial things in keeping students inspired to learn while they are at school is the teacher. There is a lot of research that has studied the effects of teachers' enthusiasm on students' learning, especially learning motivation, but little has been done on EFL (English as a foreign language) students at university. This study aimed to investigate how EFL students feel in relation to their learning motivation when they learn with an enthusiastic teacher. The participants are 150 EFL students from a university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. To collect and analyze the data needed for this investigation, the researchers used a quantitative method with a questionnaire employed as a measurement tool. The result has found that student’s positive perceptions exceptionally outweigh negative ones. The study concludes by making some recommendations for better motivating students and for future research.