| dc.description.abstract | This thesis investigates how Reacting to the Past (Reacting) affect student motivation in an English as a Foreign Language classroom (EFL classroom) in Norway.
For the intervention I have collaborated with three fellow MA students, and we conducted an adapted version of John M. Burney and Andrew J. Auge’s (2020) Ending the Troubles in a 10th grade classroom. The findings from this study consist of quantitative and qualitative data, gathered through online surveys and semi-structured interviews.
The goal of this dissertation is to test if Reacting as an innovative, student-centered, active learning pedagogy could contribute to maintenance or enhancement of student motivation.
This study shows that students are more motivated for Reacting lessons compared to ordinary teaching lessons. The pedagogy gives students autonomy and responsibilities, while the social aspect contributes to a classroom environment where students are motivated to learn. Additionally, Reacting contributes to variation and creativity in the classroom, which a majority of the students seem to be motivated by. Furthermore, students saw its value and relevance to everyday life and thus were motivated to participate.
Grounded in the findings of this study I would argue that Reacting does have a positive impact on student motivation, and that the pedagogy is a great way to be innovative and creative in the classroom. The students of this study saw learning as fun and engaging, and as a soon to be teacher, that is what I strive towards. | |
