Examining English Learning Demotivation Level of Indonesian First-Year University Students: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Demotivation can undermine students’ engagement and persistence in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning, particularly during the transition to university, when first-year students encounter new academic and assessment demands. Understanding its sources is therefore important for supporting students’ adjustment and sustained engagement in English learning. The current study aimed to investigate the level of students’ demotivation in English learning, the dominant factors, and the differences based on gender and educational background. It focused on first-year students enrolled in an Islamic University in Madura that considers English as a compulsory and intensive course. This study was a quantitative research with a survey design. Demotivation questionnaires were adopted and modified from Sakai and Kikuchi (2009)  and administered to 147 students through Google Forms. The findings revealed a moderate level of demotivation. Based on the reverse scale, in which lower scores indicate higher demotivation, test scores emerged as the most prominent demotivating factor (M = 3.03), followed by inadequate learning facilities (M = 3.16), learning contents and materials (M = 3.31), lack of intrinsic motivation (M = 3.33), and teacher competence and teaching styles (M = 3.50). A significant gender difference was found, with male students reporting higher demotivation (M = 3.10) than female students (M = 3.39), t(145) = 2.134, p = .035. In contrast, no significant difference was found across educational backgrounds, F(5, 141) = 1.068, p = .381. These findings highlight the importance of assessment experiences in first-year EFL demotivation and suggest the need for more supportive assessment practices during students’ transition to university English learning..