Page 111 - Apuntes de Investigación en la Enseñanza de Idiomas

95 Apuntes de Investigación en la Enseñanza de Idiomas

Exploring levels of EFL teachers’ satisfaction and

motivation in Tamaulipas

Ruth Roux

Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas

Keywords: EFL teachers, language policy, teacher motivation, teacher satisfaction.

In 2017, the Mexican Government launched the National English Strategy, formulated by the Univer-
sity of Cambridge, with the aim of transforming Mexico into a bilingual country in twenty years’ time
(SEP, 2017). Mexican EFL teachers will soon be required to demonstrate their professional prepara-
tion not only to teach English as a second language, but also, to use English as the medium to teach
other subjects, from preschool to high school.

One of the biggest challenges for the effectiveness of the National English strategy has to do with the
motivation of teachers to develop professionally and achieve the desired learning results in students.
Teacher motivation is crucial in the successful implementation of any educational policy and research
has shown that teachers experience reforms as overload, complexity and tension (Bell & Stevenson,
2006). Another challenge is the strong emphasis of the policy on teacher evaluation and its possible
negative impact on teacher satisfaction. To start constructing an information base against which to
monitor the progress of the National English Strategy in the state of Tamaulipas, this exploratory case
study focused on responding to two research questions: What is the EFL teachers’ level of satisfac-
tion with the recognition, status, development opportunities, and working conditions of the profes-
sion? How satisfied are EFL teachers in relation to students, colleagues and school administration?

Teacher motivation: Concept and findings

Teacher motivation is what attracts teachers to start teaching, determines how long they remain as
teachers and define the extent to which they engage in the activities of the profession (Sinclair, 2008).
Teacher motivation is complex and associated to personal, relational, experiential, affective and con-
textual factors. Research has explored the various intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence teacher
motivation. In relation to intrinsic factors, findings indicate that in-service language teachers are more
highly motivated when they choose teaching materials, programs, and teaching methods. Other
factors include adequate professional relations, professional development opportunities and strong
leadership. Extrinsic influences include financial benefits such as salary, insurance and pension.