INVESTIGATING STUDENTS’ DEMOTIVATION FACTORS IN LEARNING ENGLISH AT SMPN 2 SELUMA

This study aims to identify and analyze the factors that cause students‟ demotivation in
learning English at SMPN 2 Seluma. A descriptive quantitative method was employed
using a closed-ended questionnaire developed based on Dörnyei‟s (2001) theory of
demotivation. The questionnaire consisted of 18 items covering five types of
demotivating factors: the nature of the target language, lesson-specific factors,
perceptions toward the language, learning materials, and teacher-related factors. Data
were collected from 80 eighth-grade students and analyzed using descriptive statistics in
the form of percentages. The results indicated that internal factors (lesson specific
factors) were more dominant (89%) than external factors (teacher related factors) (80%)
in contributing to students‟ demotivation. The most dominant factor was lesson-specific
factors (89%), followed by the nature of the target language (82%), teacher-related
factors (80%), perceptions toward the language (52%), and learning materials (53%).
The findings suggest that demotivation among students is mainly influenced by
unengaging teaching methods, difficulties in understanding English structure, and
negative perceptions about the importance of English. These results imply that teachers
should implement more varied and contextual teaching
strategies to enhance students‟ demotivation in learning English.
Keywords: Demotivation, English learning, External factors, Internal factors