A Survey Study On Demotivation Of Students In Vocational And Technical Colleges

The present study is a survey study on demotivation of students in vocational and technical colleges, because finding out demotivating factors can help us take appropriate measures to protect and even enhance students’motivation.The aims of this study are:(1) Examining the extent of students’demotivation in vocational and technical colleges;(2) Finding out the salient demotivating factors for Chinese students in vocational and technical colleges;(3) Exploring the significant differences in demotivating factors between high-proficiency students and low-proficiency students. The quantitative and qualitative methods are employed to do the further research. All300participants from Fuyang Vocational and Technical College were asked to complete a questionnaire on demotivation. Then10demotivated students and5teachers were interviewed. According to the analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaire and interviews, conclusions are reached as follows:(1) The English learning demotivation of students in vocational and technical colleges is rather common and serious;(2) Through a principal axis factor analysis, eight demotivating factors were extracted:(a) Learning Failure;(b) Teachers’Personality and Competence;(c) Inadequate School Facilities;(d) Lack of Intrinsic Motivation;(e) Learning Contents and Materials;(f) Non-communicative Methods;(g) Learning Environment and (h) Teaching Methods. The most salient demotivating factors for students in vocational and technical colleges are:(f) Non-communicative Methods;(h) Teaching Methods and (a) Learning Failure.(3) The significant differences on demotivating factors between high-proficiency group and low-proficiency group lie in Learning Failure, Teachers’ Personality and Competence and Non-communicative Methods.