A characterization of motivational theories present in MINEDUC's textbook: strategies for motivating and managing the chilean classroom

Abstract

The study reported in this thesis had the objective of analysing the theoretical basis of the textbook Strategies for motivating and managing the Chilean classroom by examining the main motivational theories and approaches present in it. It can be characterised as an exploratory and descriptive study and takes a qualitative form based and supported by observations of teaching activities. Strategies for motivating and managing the Chilean classroom was written in 2011 by Martha Epperson and Michelle Rossman, two English language experts from Georgetown University. The objective of Epperson’s book is to propose strategies and activities to put into practice in Chilean language classroom in order to manage and motivate the students to learn the English language. Each section of the book contains suggestions and activities to apply in an English language classroom in Chile. The authors claim that all the activities and strategies in the textbook were proved in the Chilean language classrooms context up to forty-five students. The textbook was analysed using a taxonomy elaborated considering the four historical periods of the research of motivation and the most important contemporary theories of motivation according to Dörnyei (2001, 2011). The results of the study showed a predominance of the social approaches in the activities analysed even though it was found that the theoretical basis for motivation were not indicated explicitly in the textbook.