Perceptions of Autonomy, Competence and Relatedness on the Classroom Motivation of Korean University EFL Students

Objectives Self-Determination Theory (SDT) proposes that learner perceptions of their autonomy, competence and relatedness are the most important components in understanding human motivation. The purpose of the study is to examine these three factors and how they may relate to the classroom motivation of Korean university EFL students.
Methods This was a quantitative study, using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. A total of 31 Korean university EFL students participated in this study. Four short survey questionnaires taken from SDT were used to measure these three factors and student levels of classroom motivation. These surveys were administered in English and Korean.
Results Findings of the study showed that these Korean university students were mostly driven by a sense of self-autonomy in developing their motivation to learn. A sense of competence or relatedness were of lesser importance in enhancing motivation. This pattern is quite different from other Asian settings, where autonomy is shown to be of lesser value to classroom motivation.
Conclusions The study concluded with a discussion of study implications and limitations. Researchers must be careful about generalizations of what may drive student motivation because the context or setting plays a significat role in this determination.