Significant demotivating factors affecting Saudi EFL students: An investigative study with PYP students

Abstract

Background: Motivation has long been seen as a deciding factor in the learning of a foreign language and in ensuring success for the learners. As a corollary to this, demotivation adversely affects learning success and negatively influences learning outcomes. The present study examines the factors that negatively affect Saudi EFL learners. Methods: The study subjects are 45 male and 35 female learners, and the data were collected using a 50-item questionnaire. The factors under study are course instructor, course-content and facilities, attitude towards EFL and socio-cultural factors. Data have been analyzed using the SPSS software. Results: Results show that the factors around socio-cultural, and course instructor (M=4.06, 3.67) respectively were the most influential in aggravating the student's demotivation. Furthermore, experience of failure is at play as a moderate factor (M=2.84) whereas the course content and facilities and attitude towards EFL factors, (M=2.57; M=1.83) are perceived as less influential factors in demotivating the EFL students. Findings also show a marginal non-significant difference between male and female participants regarding perceptions of the demotivating factors (males = 5.30, females= 5.70); the difference is not significant, P=, .834. Conclusions: It is presumed that the findings of this study might be helpful for EFL learners and instructors of Saudi Arabia in devising coping strategies to overcome demotivation.