Learners’ satisfaction with native and non-native English-speaking teachers’ teaching competence and their learning motivation: a path-analytic approach

ABSTRACT

This study explored the relationship between learners’ perceptions of native and non-native English-speaking teachers’ teaching competence and their motivation for learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Data were collected from 218 EFL learners in an intensive English programme in four universities in mainland China using two instruments: Student Satisfaction Questionnaire and English Learning Motivation Questionnaire. We conducted path analysis with latent variables to investigate the relationships between teacher competence and motivation using AMOS. It was found that: (1) EFL learners’ degree of satisfaction with native and non-native English-speaking teachers’ teaching competence had a minor impact on their English learning motivation; (2) there were several direct causal relationships of the subcategories of satisfaction with teaching competence to the subtypes of English learning motivation; and (3) satisfaction with teaching competence had an indirect influence on the subtypes of English learning motivation. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of the findings for our understanding of the construct of teaching competence and pre-service or in-service EFL teacher education.

KEYWORDS:

• EFL learners’ satisfaction
• native and non-native English speaking teachers
• English learning motivation
• path analysis with latent variables

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jianhua Zhang

Jianhua Zhang is an Associate Professor of English Applied Linguistics at the School of Foreign Languages, Sichuan University of Arts and Sciences, China. He is currently studying for his PhD at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is interested in EFL teaching and L2 writing and has published papers in SSCI-indexed journals such as Journal of Quantitative Linguistics and Reading & Writing Quarterly.

Lawrence Jun Zhang

Jianhua Zhang is an Associate Professor of English Applied Linguistics at the School of Foreign Languages, Sichuan University of Arts and Sciences, China. He is currently studying for his PhD at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is interested in EFL teaching and L2 writing and has published papers in SSCI-indexed journals such as Journal of Quantitative Linguistics and Reading & Writing Quarterly.

Lawrence Jun Zhang, PhD, is Professor of Linguistics-in-Education and Associate Dean for the Faculty of Education & Social Work, University of Auckland, New Zealand. His major interests and 100-plus publications are on learner metacognition, language-teacher education, and L2 reading-writing development. He is Co-Chief-Editor for System and an associate editor for Frontiers in Psychology, serving as an editorial board member for Applied Linguistics Review, Journal of Second Language Writing, Metacognition and Learning, Writing and Pedagogy, and RELC Journal. He was honoured by the TESOL International Association (USA) in 2016 with the award of “50 at 50”, acknowledging “50 Outstanding Leaders” and was officially installed as a newly elected member of the Board of Directors of the Association in 2017.