(Universidad de Cuenca, 2023-08-21) Alvarado Alvarado, Gabriela del Rocío; Rea Chique, David Andrés; Heras Urgilés, Gerardo Esteban
Demotivation is a topic that has not received much attention in the area of teaching and learning
English as a foreign language. This study aimed to analyze the demotivational factors that
discourage students from learning English as a foreign language in public and private high
schools in Cuenca, Ecuador. The selected participants were 20 male and female students
belonging to private (10) and public (10) high schools. This mixed-methods study implemented
quantitative and qualitative instruments for gathering the data. The 20 participants answered a
questionnaire, and 4 of them also participated in an interview. The results showed the following
factors as the main demotivators in their English learning process: (1) low scores, (2) small
classrooms with poor ventilation and illumination, (3) lack of didactic and/or interactive materials,
(4) absence of integration of technological tools, (5) textbook, (6) lack of understanding of the
language (advanced level content).
