Effects Of The Iterative Continuation On High-School Students’ Directed Motivational Currents In English Writing

Motivation plays a crucial role in second language(L2)writing development,while existed studies tend to neglect the dynamic nature of L2 motivation.To address this gap,D(?)rnyei et al.(2014b)proposed the theory of Directed Motivational Currents(DMCs),which focuses on the non-linear evolution of motivation in L2 learners based on the Complex Dynamic Systems Theory(CDST),injecting new vitality into L2 motivation research by shifting it from a static to a dynamic approach.At present,although this theory has been extensively expanded and refined,the relevant research results fail to get well integrated with the practical EFL teaching especially in the domestic educational context.Meanwhile,the iterative continuation has interactively synergistic and learning-enhancing effects on English writing learning(Wang,2023),while research on its actual facilitative effects from a DMCs perspective has not been carried out.Therefore,it is necessary to explore the dynamic trajectory,implementation form,and application effects of DMCs in L2 learning within the iterative continuation from the perspectives of its activation,cultivation,and development.Given this,based on the DMC theory,Xu-argument and the CDST theory,this study designs the iterative continuation that aligns with the theoretical framework and application model of DMCs,so as to explore the effects of the iterative continuation on students’ English learning motivation and whether it can stimulate students’ Directed Motivational Currents(DMCs)in English writing learning.Additionally,it also analyzes dynamic trajectories of English writing DMCs of students with different English proficiencies as well as their experience and feelings when performing the continuation tasks.The research questions informing this study are as follows.1)Does the iterative continuation affect high school students’ DMCs in English writing? If yes,what are the effects?2)During the iterative continuation learning process,how do the dynamic trajectories of English writing DMCs evolve among high-school students with different English proficiency levels?3)What are the key factors in the iterative continuation affecting the high-school students’ DMCs in English writing?To elucidate the aforementioned research inquiries,the present study selects as its sample 94 Senior One students from two parallel liberal arts classes of Yuanqing High School in Zhejiang Province,with one group serving as the experimental group and the other as the control.The subjects were categorized as either achievers or underachievers based on their scores in the English writing test prior to the experiment.The study was conducted over a period of 12 weeks and featured a series of rigorous research methods,including two questionnaire surveys at the beginning and end of the study,as well as four interviews held in Week 3,6,9,and 12,respectively.Additionally,10 weeks of the iterative continuation(held twice a week from Week 2 to Week 11)were implemented,and the subjects were requested to complete an English Learning Plan and Feedback Journal on a weekly basis.The experimental findings are presented below.First,the iterative continuation could effectively stimulate the high-school students’ English writing DMCs,which can be attributed to the three key dimensions of the DMCs framework: goal/vision-orientedness,salient and facilitative structure,and positive emotionality.Secondly,the dynamic development of the achievers’ and underachievers’ English writing DMCs are generally consistent in their non-linear fluctuations,while different in the intensity and diachronic changes of the DMCs.Thirdly,the contributing factors of the iterative continuation mainly cover the following three aspects: the strong participant ownership,the progressive learning activities,as well as the positive learning atmosphere.Based on the above conclusions,the author proposes the application of Directed Motivational Currents(DMCs)in the iterative continuation as a pedagogical recommendation.This proposal aims to fill the research gap on the current status and developmental mechanism of high-school students’ DMCs in English writing and its practical applications in the domestic English writing teaching.And it also provides theoretical insights for L2 motivation and practical suggestions to the high-school instruction of the iterative continuation.