본 연구의 목적은 영어전공 대학생의 전공선택 동기와 사회적 지지 가 학습성과에 미치는 영향을 파악하는 데 있다. 연구대상은 영어전공 대학생 160명이었다. 자료 분석에는 SPSS 25.0 통계 프로그램을 활용하여 빈도분석, 신뢰도 분석, 기술통계분석, 상관관계 분석, 다중회귀 분석을 실시하였다. 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 전공선택 동기(내재적·외재적 동기)는 학습성과에 유의한 정적 영향을 미쳤다. 둘째, 사회적 지지 중 물질 적·평가적·정서적 지지는 학습성과에 긍정적 영향을 보였으나, 정보적 지지는 유의한 영향을 미치지 않았다. 따라서 영어전공 대학생의 학습성과 제고를 위해서는 전공선택 동기 강화와 사회적 지지 체계 구축이 핵심적인 방안이 될 수 있음을 시사한 다. 본 연구 결과는 학습성과 향상을 위한 실증적 기초 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대 된다.

This study investigates how AI feedback learning activities in English writing classes affect university students’ English achievement and writing motivation. It examines both cognitive and affective outcomes in EFL contexts using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. A total of 244 first-year university students completed four writing tasks incorporating AI feedback during the revision process. Pre- and post-tests were conducted along with the Oxford Placement Test (Syndicate, 2001) and a modified version of Payne’s (2012) Academic Writing Motivation Questionnaire. Quantitative analyses revealed significant improvement in English achievement and three motivational subcomponents—enjoyment, recognition, and effort—while instrumentality showed no significant change. Qualitative analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses indicated that students valued AI feedback for error detection, coherence, and self-directed learning, yet recognized limitations such as unnatural expressions, misinterpretations, and overreliance on AI. The findings highlight the importance of AI literacy and propose a hybrid feedback model integrating AI and teacher guidance to enhance learner autonomy and writing competence.

This qualitative study examines amotivation in South Korean EFL students through the lens of activity theory. Using semi-structured interviews, data were collected from six elementary and secondary school students, aged 10 to 16 years (Grades 4 to 10), to explore key psychological constructs, including the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, the perceived meaning of English learning, parental expectations, and social pressures. The findings reveal that motivation in L2 learning is contextually constructed and often shaped retrospectively rather than serving as a precursor to proficiency. Notably, some students with minimal motivation still achieved high levels of English proficiency, suggesting that motivation is not necessarily an antecedent of L2 success but rather an outcome shaped by broader socioeducational forces. This challenges conventional models that assume a direct causal link between motivation and achievement. The study underscores the importance of contextual and sociohistorical influences in shaping L2 motivation and calls for a reevaluation of the rigid dichotomy between motivated and amotivated learners in competitive educational settings.

This paper investigates Korean EFL students’ learning (de)motivation factors according to the level of students’ English learning motivation. A total of 41 undergraduate students reflected on their past ten years of English learning experiences and submitted autobiographic essays with ‘motigraph,’ marking their annual changes of English learning motivation from 0 to 10. The data were analyzed with Grounded Theory. The findings revealed that the factors that increased or decreased English learning motivation were different according to students’ level of motivation. Students with low-level motivation were influenced by their teacher or parents, while those with high-level motivation were influenced by their past L2 learning experiences perceived positively by themselves. In both groups, the factors of emotional experiences caused by negative L2 learning experiences were the main reasons for demotivation. This paper emphasizes the importance of subjective appraisal in maintaining students’ L2 learning motivation and recovering from the state of demotivation.

The purpose of this research was to examine how Korean college students’ motivation toward English learning has been changed over time as they took technology-utilizing classes. In order to accomplish this, two research questions were proposed; First, how has the students’ motivation changed over the whole school year? Second, how has the students’ motivation changed in terms of their English proficiency levels? Sixty college students were required to take a simulated TOEIC test for their English proficiency levels, and to respond to the ARCS questionnaire developed by Keller (2008a, 2008b) to measure their motivation levels. An independent samples t-test was employed to compare the statistical means from the samples, specifically to find out the relation of students’ motivation and t he e ffect o f t echnology-utilizing c lasses. The r esults o f d ata analysis found out that the longer the treatment period of technology-utilizing instruction, the greater the effect on the learner’s motivation; second, the technology-utilizing instruction has a significant effect on the students’ motivation regardless of their proficiency levels, but it turns out to be more effective in improving the upper group students’ motivation toward learning. Based on these findings, practical implications for the implementing technology-utilizing instruction in the EFL classroom were suggested.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mediating effects of mentoring functions in college students and motivation levels in virtual, web-based, constructivist English classes. It is also intended to analyze the effects of web-based interactions on constructivist learning. For this, a survey was conducted on 210 college students all of who participated in a ‘Media English’ class. Correlation analysis, simple regression analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were conducted to verify three research hypotheses. This statistical analyses showed the results that 1) the mentoring function turned out to influence interactions in the virtual constructivism learning framework; 2) the mentoring function turned out to influence learning motivation in the virtual web-based constructivism learning framework; 3) mentoring function as an independent variable in the virtual web-based constructivism learning turned out to influence learning motivation as a dependent variable of college students through the media of interaction as a parameter. Therefore, the results indicated that the mentoring function influenced learning motivation levels of college students through interaction in the virtual web-based constructivist English learning framework.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among English learners’ motivation, strategies, and achievement. The participants were 61 Korean college students specializing in Aviaition Service and they took a mock TOEIC and completed a questionnaire on learning motivations and strategies. T-test and multiple regression analysis were used to determine the relationships among all variables. The findings revealed that, first, variables in integrative motivation were found to be a statistically significant predictor of achievement while variables in instrumental motivation’ was higher order motivation type. Second, participants used ‘compensation strategies’ most frequently and higher-achieving students used more strategies than their peers did. ‘Metacognitive strategies’ and ‘affective strategies’ had statistically significant impacts on their achievement. In conclusion, the relationships among learning motivation, strategies and achievement was found to be definite. Implications for more effective study habits are suggested.

This study aims to explore relationships between non-English majors’ instrumental motivation, interest, and their learning behaviors in a Korean EFL context. Two questionnaires of instrumental motivation and interest were administered to 113 freshmen who were enrolled in a language certificate program for non-English majors. Three of the respondents were invited to a semi-structured interview for in-depth understanding of their perceptions about the program and learning. Results of factor analysis showed the validity of the Promotional and Preventional Instrumentality and the Course and Task Interest as important factors. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were carried out on the data. Results showed that the instrumental motivations were positively correlated with the interest factors and learning behaviors. While instrumental motivations were predictors for learners’ intended effort, learners’ interest in course predicted their achievement test score. The findings suggest that characteristics of context and strong obligations of non-English majors might affect their motivation, interest, and learning behaviors. Limitations and implications of the study were also discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns of English learning motivation that changed in high school students from their elementary to junior high and senior high schools from a retrospective perspective. It further examined factors affecting motivation, demotivation, and remotivation. Participants charted progressions and regressions of their English learning motivation. They then took part in semi-structured interviews. Results of the study revealed that the students had the highest motivation in their elementary school years. They showed gradual declines as learning time progressed, showing the lowest motivation in their high school years. Motivation factors included teaching methods, curiosity and interest in English classes, and incentives and praise for learning achievements, while textbooks, curriculum, learning failure experiences, and pressure on grades were demotivating factors. Improvements in test scores and English study skills, experiences of success in English learning, and awareness of the importance of learning English remotivated these students. Identified motivation, demotivation, and remotivation factors differed depending on students’ English proficiency.

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships among English learners’ motivation, strategies and achievement, with a group of 51 Korean three-year college students. The students responded to the questionnaire of learning motivation and strategies. Also they took a mock TOEIC. Multiple regression analysis allowed for the analysis of learners’ motivation and strategies to predict a single dependent variable, their English achievement. The findings revealed that, first, ‘internal motivation’ was found the highest predictor of their English study, while ‘instrumental motivation-individual’ was the lowest motivation type for students. Second, participants used ‘social strategies’ most frequently in studying English, and they used the others in the order of ‘compensation strategies’, ‘affective strategies’, ‘cognitive strategies’, ‘memory strategies’ and ‘metacognitive strategies’. Last, the impact of learning motivation and strategies on the TOEIC scores was not statistically significant, but the relationship of learning motivation and strategies was found to be positive. Implications for the practical classroom and suggestions for further research are suggested.

In this research synthesis, a total of 313 studies on English learning motivation published in South Korea from 2000 to 2017 were reviewed. The data were categorized into four criteria: publication year, research method, participant, and research topic. First, the annual trend clearly demonstrated that the number of motivation research showed a steady growth. The dominant research method was quantitative (207 papers) over qualitative (40 papers) and mixed methods (48 papers). University students (157 papers) were major population in English learning motivation research followed by junior high (36 papers), elementary (30 papers), high school students (30 papers), research synthesis (17 papers), and kindergarten students (3 papers). Most research focused on identifying specific subcomponents of English learning motivation in a particular research context. The study suggests that future research needs to focus more on diverse student group such as home-schoolers. Also, the use of research synthesis needs to be encouraged in order to capture the complex nature of English learning motivation.

This study examined the characteristics of male high school English learners’ motivation and the relations between their motivation and achievement in English learning. A total of 334 Grade 10 students in a boys’ high school participated in this study by completing a questionnaire survey on second language (L2) learning motivation and taking an English achievement test. As a result of explanatory factor analysis, five factors were found as underlying constructs for male high school students’ English learning motivation: The Ought-to L2 Self, The Ideal L2 Self, The Feared L2 Self, Instrumentality, and Intrinsic Motivation. In terms of the structural relationships between the learners’ motivation and achievement in English learning, the ideal L2 self and intrinsic motivation exerted a direct impact on their motivated L2 behavior, and then English achievement mediated by the motivated L2 behavior. The other factors had an indirect influence on motivated L2 learning behavior, mediated by the ideal L2 self and intrinsic motivation. Based on the findings, we suggested motivational activities to realize the creation of the ideal L2 self among male high school English learners.

This case study investigated the changes of four Korean English major college students’ motivation and interest in TOEIC studying based on qualitative research method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted once a month for six months. Interest is a unique motivational variable with affective and cognitive domains together including interactions between persons and their objects wheres motivation is more broad, psychological and overlapping concept compared with interest. The results showed that the participants expressed the strong instrumental and extrinsic motivation for TOEIC studying while they confessed the intrinsic motivation for English learning. However, some participants had both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on TOEIC studying as time went by. The participants’ strong perceptions on TOEIC in Korea were strongly related with situational interest in TOEIC or TOEIC studying. The participants’ interest in TOEIC studying was triggered as they improved the TOEIC score. However, one participant showed the expiration of interest in TOEIC studying right after achieving a high TOEIC score, but his interest in potential English studying was triggered.

This article reports on research into self-directed English leaning of Korean university students, focusing on their motivation and metacognition. In general, university students in Korea undertake independent learning to improve their English competence outside the classroom, rather than relying on English courses provided by their universities. Although much of their English learning is self-directed, little has been known about how they carry out their out-of-class English learning. To obtain a better understanding of their self-directed learning, this study, employing a qualitative approach, analyzed reflective journals written by 25 university students during one semester. From the analysis, students’ motivation and metacognition emerged as important themes involved in the students’ self-directed learning. The findings of this study suggest that student motivation continuously ebbs and flows as a result of its complex interrelationship with contextual factors. In addition, it was found that students’ metacognitive knowledge played a crucial role in directing their out-of-class learning as students adopted learning strategies based on their metacognitive knowledge, which was again formed and revised in the course of their learning process. Finally, this article presents suggestions for promoting students’ self-directed English learning.