Teaching Methodology and Motivation: Comparison of Iranian English Private Institute and High School

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This study investigated 50 state high school and private institute learners in Najafabad, 25 each, to see if there was any relationship between teaching methodology and motivation. First, 100 students were selected randomly. A Nelson test was administered to the students to select and homogenize the intended number of students for the study. Next, 50 students (25 from the state high school and 25 from the private institute, whose scores on the Nelson test were between one standard deviation above and one standard deviation below the mean) were selected to answer a motivation questionnaire. The analysis of the results gained through the check lists about teacher’s role, learner’s role, teaching objectives and teaching activities, showed that the teaching methodology in these settings was different. While high school teachers were at the center of the classroom; learners in the private institute had an active role in the learning process. Task based, realia and audio visual materials are common in the private institute but text based materials are common in the high school. The focus of teaching activities in the private institute is on different kinds of skills and drills. In the high school practice on different kinds of imitations and drills are common activities. Oral skills, practice on fluency, and accuracy are common objectives in the private institute. In the high school, the focus is on language components (grammar and vocabulary).Although there was no significant difference between these two groups with regard to proficiency, the analysis of the learner's responses to the motivation questionnaire showed that the private institute learners were more motivated to learn English than the high school learners. The findings of this study are useful for teachers to apply motivated methods to improve learners’ motivation. Also, students who take responsibility for their learning enjoy freedom and power to make decisions in their learning. Knowing that learning is a product of one’s own activities, a student feels more rewarded and enhances his courage to get involved in an active learning process.