Student perceptions on the motivational pull of Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS): a self-determination theory perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper explores a group of secondary school students’ feelings about Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) using a self-determination theory (SDT) lens. It adds to the limited, existing literature on TPRS and is the first to study it from a purely motivational perspective. The paper analyses the extent to which students perceived that TPRS satisfied SDT's three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness. It employs a case study approach, using data from classroom observations, background group interviews and focus group interviews. The findings conclude that TPRS is a decidedly motivating and engaging method for foreign language (FL) learners. The three needs of SDT were found to be highly interrelated with satisfaction of one influencing positively on the others. The findings suggest that the autonomous nature of co-creating stories with the teacher, result in a heightened sense of personal ability and belongingness to the group. The results reinforce conclusions from other studies, suggesting that activities that are perceived as fun, interesting, novel and different are most likely to develop intrinsic motivation in FL learners. The findings have implications for increasing intrinsic motivation in FL classrooms around the world.