Investigating second language demotivation of secondary school English as a foreign language learners in Croatia: a mixedmethods study

Abstract

Aim: This study examines demotivating factors experienced
by secondary school learners of English as a foreign language
in Croatia. This topic has received limited attention
in local educational research. Focusing on learners’ negative
classroom experiences, the paper aims to contribute to
a deeper understanding of second language (L2) demotivation
in the Croatian context.
Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used, combining
qualitative and quantitative analysis. The study was conducted
on a convenience sample of 140 learners from three
secondary schools in Split-Dalmatia County. This cohort
was selected because of its accessibility and its relevance
to Croatia’s education system, where English is a compulsory
subject in both primary and secondary school. A written
essay task was used as the data collection instrument
because it allowed participants to describe their individual
experiences. This aligns with the frequent use of qualitative
methodology in previous research studies on L2 learner demotivation.
Findings: Both internal and external sources of demotivation
were present in the participants’ essays, with the latter
being predominant within the sample. Specifically, out of the
392 demotivators identified in the sample, 283 (72.2%) were
categorized as external demotivators, while 109 (27.8%)
were classified as internal demotivators. External demotivators
were mainly related to the teacher’s role and to the
learning environment. Internal demotivators included the
lack of self-confidence, experience of failure and attitudes
towards English as major categories.
Conclusions: The essay task was an effective means for collecting
qualitative data on L2 learners’ demotivation. The
teacher’s role was the most prominent demotivating influence
in L2 learning for this group of learners.