“It’s my execution ground, yet my stage”
EFL teachers’ directed motivational currents in an AI-based teaching contest
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22165754 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lingjun Zheng (University of Macau), Xiangru Yang (Yangtze Normal University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2026.1772529 |
| OpenAlex | W7166879930 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 44 |
This study used a case study approach to examine the motivational dynamics of three university EFL teachers preparing for an AI-based teaching contest. Results showed that their preparation involved all three core DMC dimensions, goal- and vision-orientedness, facilitative structure, and mixed emotionality, which interacted as an integrated motivational system. Teachers’ motivation was influenced by both intrinsic interest in integrating AI with traditional EFL teaching and external institutional pressures toward digital transformation. The balance between these sources shaped the sustainability and emotional quality of motivation, while behavioral engagement remained consistently high. These findings have practical implications for supporting teacher motivation in AI-enhanced professional development
CONTEST · Goal theory · Intrinsic motivation · Digital literacy in education · Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods · Teaching and Learning Programming
Research Methods in Education
Teaching and Researching Motivation
Second Language Teacher Education
Professional Development and Teacher Change
Initial and changing student teacher motivation and commitment to teaching
Towards a new paradigm
Engaging English language learners in digital multimodal composing
Preparing for AI-enhanced education
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Navigating the Flow
Chinese English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language learners’ directed motivational currents for high‐stakes English exam preparation
Directed Motivational Currents in L2
L2 motivation research 2005–2014
Sources and outcomes of distressing emotions in directed motivational currents
Some antecedents of directed motivational currents in a foreign language
Understanding Language Teachers’ Motivations Towards Research
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Naturalistic inquiry
I Feel like a Power Plant
How to Improve Teaching Practices
Sample Size in Qualitative Interview Studies
Qualitative Quality
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |