Exploring the Causes of Low Motivation in Learning English Among TVTC Secondary Industrial Institute Students in Makkah

Abstract

English language proficiency has become an important priority in Saudi Arabia’s vison 2030, especially in the technical and vocational fields. - Although the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) has a carefully structured English training program in place, student motivation remains very low. This negatively affects both their academic performance as well as their readiness to join the labor market. The focus of this study is the low motivation among the students in the Secondary Industrial Institute in Makkah towards learning English. Some causes responsible for the low motivational levels are attributed to psychological, pedagogical, and institutional factors. The quantitative design was selected as the researcher wanted to conduct a descriptive study. Data was collected via a questionnaire from 63 students and five instructors who participated in semi-structured interviews. The analysis was carried out through statistical tests including factor analysis, and regression modelling. The findings revealed that the gap in academic background and low perceived career relevance coupled with institutional constraints are powerful predictors of low motivation. Teaching methodology and classroom environment emerged as the most prominent predictors (R 2 =.650). These results align with the Self Determination Theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000) and Expectancy-Value Theory (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002) as they prove that disengagement is driven by unmet psychological needs and students’ poor perceptions of the tasks. The paper suggests implementing English for Specific Purposes (ESP), embedding task-based learning (TBL) in the curriculum and stronger institutional support to improve both student motivation and help them prepare for the job market.