English Teaching Strategies to Motivate EFL Students in Rural and Urban Public Schools

Abstract

Motivation and teaching strategies are fundamental in language learning; teachers play a crucial role in employing motivational strategies to engage students in their learning. Factors such as the locality of schools, whether urban or rural, influence the process of teaching and learning English. This research aims to analyze these environments to identify the motivational strategies used in each area, their frequency of use, and the perceptions of teachers and students regarding these strategies. The study focused on two educational public institutions in Ecuador: one rural and one urban. The participants included three English teachers and 80 students in the rural school, and two English teachers and 85 students in the urban school. The students were in the first, second, or third year of high school, aged between 15 and 18. Observations recorded as field notes and semi-structured interviews were applied. The collected data were analyzed using the technique of thematic content analysis. The results showed that the motivational strategies used included incorporating humor, adapting content to real-life situations, facilitating group work, providing rewards, and giving feedback. Additionally, technological resources were notably used as a motivational strategy in the rural environment. The frequency of these strategies varied depending on the teachers. Finally, teachers and students had positive perceptions of the motivational strategies, although observations in the urban environment did not corroborate this positivity.