Although the research area of motivation and anxiety in language learning has experienced a surge in the last two decades, the relationship between teacher use of motivational strategies and behaviours, and student motivation and anxiety from the perspective of both teachers and students is under-researched. This longitudinal study, with two interventions four months apart, investigated the influence of teaching strategies and behaviours in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom on student motivation and anxiety in senior high schools in Limassol (Cyprus). It aimed to establish (1) which teaching strategies and behaviours students find motivating (2) which teaching strategies and behaviours positively influence student motivation and (3) which teaching strategies and behaviours negatively affect FL classroom anxiety.
Using a case-study approach with both qualitative and quantitative data and a range of analytical and interpretative methods, this study primarily utilised tailor-made questionnaires and bottom-up interpretive methods of qualitative data. Quantitative data from questionnaires were analysed using the statistical software programme SPSS 21 to produce both descriptive and inferential statistics. Thematic analysis was used to analyse further qualitative data from focus groups and interviews. Consulting both learners and teachers using a mixed methods approach, permitted triangulation of data from different perspectives, which together worked to enhance the integrity and credibility of the results.
Results showed that respect, support, awareness of students' needs and validation of progress and achievement were associated with increased motivation throughout the year. Unclear instructions and negative feedback were among factors associated with foreign language anxiety (FLA). The findings provide important resources for teachers and researchers in the field to build on in their own educational settings, and have relevance for other foreign language classrooms in similar cultural settings
