The impact of teachers' personality, behavior, and instructional approaches in sustaining adult ESL learners and the achievement of their self-perceived progress

Many studies have shown that adult learners often begin language classes with high levels of initial motivation. However, there is a persistent problem of these learners losing interest or dropping out before the end of their language learning journey. Despite this, limited research has explored the specific factors that can help sustain adult learners' initial motivation throughout their language learning journey. In particular, few studies have examined how the intersection of teacher personality, teacher behavior, and instructional approaches influences this process. This study addresses this gap by using a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys and interviews to examine how teacher personality, behavior, and instructional approaches contribute to sustaining the initial motivation that adult ESL learners had prior to enrolling at the Intensive English Institute (IEI). The study also investigates how sustaining motivation influences learners' self-perceived progress and reduces dropout rates. The findings reveal that while some adult learners perceive age as a barrier, others view it as an advantage. Many participants emphasized that with intentional effort and supportive teaching practices, they can overcome age-related language learning challenges. Key motivators identified include the teacher’s ability to make lessons engaging and interactive, provide helpful feedback, demonstrate fairness, explain concepts clearly, set achievable and clear learning goals, and speak clearly at an appropriate pace. Additionally, learners mentioned the value of practical, project-based learning, as well as the strategic integration of technology, games, and real-world instructional methods. Learners believe that sustained motivation is essential to achieve fluency in English, integrate the language into daily life, and ultimately influence their overall success. The results provide valuable recommendations for instructors, program designers, and administrators seeking to effectively support and sustain adult learner motivation, as well as improve the language learning experience in English language programs.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Teaching of English Sec Lang

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Obayemi, Adebola

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sadler, Randall W.
• Franks, Suzanne

• Adult Esl Learners
• Second Language Acquisition (sla)
• Teacher Personality
• Instructional Approaches
• Sustaining Motivation In Language Learning.

Statement dc:rights

• © 2025 Adebola Obayemi

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130058

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F130058