Blog Post #1 Motivation and Autopsy

While learning about motivation in this course, I realized how closely it connects to my own experience studying English for the IELTS exam. I started preparing for IELTS because I needed to achieve a certain score for future career opportunities. At first, I was motivated and able to study consistently. However, after a few weeks, it became difficult to continue. The practice felt repetitive, and I could not see quick improvement in my scores. As a result, I started to feel bored and began to question the meaning of my studies.

After reading about motivation and learning, I realized that my sense of relatedness was missing. I was focusing only on exam-style questions instead of using English for real communication in daily life. Because of this, studying felt disconnected from my personal interests and experiences, which made it harder to stay motivated.

From my experience, I believe several learner needs were not well supported. First, I lacked a sense of relatedness because I was studying alone and mainly memorizing vocabulary.  Second, I struggled with a feeling of competence. My test scores did not improve quickly, and it was difficult to notice small progress. Third, I had limited autonomy in my learning. As I mentioned earlier, I only followed IELTS practice materials and had no freedom to choose topics that interested me. Lastly, the learning lacked relevance, since many practice questions did not connect to real-life English use. Because these needs were not supported, my motivation gradually decreased. These learner needs connect to motivation theory, which suggests that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are essential for maintaining engagement in learning (Deci & Ryan, 2000).

If this learning experience had been designed differently, my motivation might have stayed stronger. For example, adding more opportunities for real conversation could have increased my sense of relatedness. Practicing English with classmates, language partners, or speaking groups would have made learning feel more social and meaningful. To support competence, it would have helped to track small improvements, such as vocabulary growth or listening accuracy, instead of focusing only on overall test scores. I also think having more autonomy would have improved my motivation. Choosing topics I am interested in, such as economics or daily life in Canada, could have made studying more enjoyable. Finally, connecting IELTS preparation to real-life communication would have increased the relevance of my learning. These changes might have helped me stay more engaged and develop both my language skills and confidence.

References

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/motivation/