‘Observable Signals’ of Motivation in Teaching-Learning Process

The current study focuses on the identification of the ‘observable signals’ of motivation perceived by the language teachers in the teaching-learning process. This phenomenon is worth studying as it can open new dimensions  for conducting research on motivation and engagement in the field of applied linguistics. It can be very helpful for teachers in assessing their students’ motivation. Data were collected for this phenomenological study through questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussion. The sample consisted of twenty-six English language teachers. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The ‘observable signals’ of motivation were categorized in the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive domains. The results identified that asking probing questions, eye contact, asking for extra resources, loving and respecting teachers, coming on time, completing classroom tasks quickly, enjoying group activities, and suggesting topics to teachers were comprised the ‘observable signals’ of motivation. The majority of the teachers agreed on observing most of these signals. Teachers can use these signals to assess the motivation of their learners and future researchers can use the findings of this research for conducting further research.