A case study on the parameters underlying patterns of change in directed motivational currents

Following the introduction of "Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs)" theory in recent years to account for highly robust and productive motivational surges in second/foreign language learning (L2), we have witnessed the emergence of a wide range of studies seeking to enhance our understanding of this unique type of motivational phenomenon. However, research into DMCs as a construct is still lagging behind in the Turkish EFL context. Besides, although L2 motivation research is going through a paradigm shift nowadays that recognizes motivation as a dynamic phenomenon, there remains very little discussion on the dynamic nature of DMCs. Against this background, the aim of the current study is twofold: 1) to offer additional evidence on the validity of DMCs as a construct in the Turkish EFL context, 2) to investigate the parameters that cause motivational fluctuations in learners' DMC-induced motivational trajectory. The study utilized a qualitative database collected from 3 focal EFL learners studying in a private university in Turkey. First, ebbs and flows in participants' motivational trajectories were identified via self-plotted motigraphs over 4 weeks. Then, each participant was interviewed once a week to determine what caused their motivational fluctuations and the interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated that a DMC is a highly complex, dynamic, and personal experience. The findings also revealed that learners' DMC experience is influenced by a multitude of social, personal and contextual factors. Taken together, the findings provide implications for how to facilitate the use of DMC-type motivation in L2 classroom settings.