Using Team Building-based Instruction to Foster EFL Learners’ Motivation under the Context of Education 4.0

Abstract

Under the context of Education 4.0, motivation for language learning takes on a range of meanings and implications that are inextricably bound up with more socially meaningful contexts. Hence, the quality of motivation matters. It is imperative that EFL education make adjustments to strengthen learners’ motivation to achieve the desired learning outcomes and develop skills required in Education 4.0 era. Drawing on interdisciplinary knowledge of applied linguistics and organizational behavioral science, the current research explored the effects of team building-based instruction on EFL students’ motivation. The participants of the study were 84 undergraduate EFL learners at a Chinese university. Questionnaire and open-ended questions were employed to collect data. The results showed that, on average, participants reported high mean values for each of the motivation components, indicating that team building-based instruction played a positive role in motivating most students in the course. Nonetheless, students’ responses towards the components vary significantly, especially for the ‘interest’ scale and ‘usefulness’ scale. Several motivating factors that led to students’ motivation to engage in the course were identified: group dynamics, project design, technology, and assessment. The research concluded that team building-based instruction should take both linguistic factors and non-linguistic factors into consideration to fully motivate and engage students. In the end, the researcher proposed implications for motivational pedagogy and practices.