Unveiling the motivational tapestry: a duoethnographic journey into two ESP teachers’ motivation in higher education

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International agreement (CC BY-SA 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning ISSN: 2642-7001 (2025) Volume 7, Issue 1. e7123825. https://doi.org/10.52598/jpll/7/1/2 JOURNAL FOR THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LANGUAGE LEARNING Research Article Unveiling the Motivational Tapestry: A Duoethnographic Journey Into two ESP Teachers’ Motivation in Higher Education Irati Diert-Boté, Universitat de Lleida, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6964-5996 [email protected] Balbina Moncada-Comas, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – Barcelona Tech, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1547-2495 [email protected] ABSTRACT Teacher motivation has only recently been explored in relation to higher education teachers (Sahakyan et al., 2018; Sampson 2016). This is also true for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) lecturers, who teach specialized English in other disciplines. These teachers often face unique challenges, including teaching content outside their expertise, managing students with diverse and often low English proficiencies, and accessing suitable materials. This study examines ESP teacher motivation as a complex dynamic system, focusing on the interplay between affective, cognitive, and contextual factors in determining the motivational trajectories of these teachers over time. Drawing on a duoethnography methodology, the authors, who are themselves ESP teachers, documented their motivational experiences over a timeframe of five weeks in journals. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, integrating qualitative insights with Likert-scale ratings to identify motivational patterns. The findings reveal how cognitive, affective, and contextual factors interact non-linearly to shape motivational trajectories, with shared and individual attractor states influencing fluctuations over time. Despite transient negative states, the teachers’ systems demonstrated adaptability and resilience, recalibrating through self-organization to sustain motivation in response to contextual challenges. The study concludes with several implications aimed at enhancing support for (ESP) teachers by acknowledging the complexity, dynamism, and individual variability of their motivational trajectories. Keywords: complexity theory, duoethnography, English for Specific Purposes, language teacher motivation 7 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ INTRODUCTION The essence of motivation, rooted in its etymological origin of motivus (“movement” in Latin), lies in the intricate forces that move individuals towards certain choices, goals, and actions. In the context of education, teacher motivation can be understood as “the psychological force that enables action and underlies teachers’ involvement/noninvolvement in every teaching activity” (Hassaskhah, 2016, p. 859). Motivation is essential for achieving successful teaching outcomes and practices (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011; Gokce, 2010) and is intricately linked to student motivation and engagement in a bi-directional manner (Zhou et al., 2023). Although research suggests that language teachers tend to be intrinsically fulfilled and content with teaching (Kassabgy et al., 2001), there are external forces that can negatively impact motivation (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011), such as student attitudes, financial issues, and lack of autonomy (Honarparvaran & Khaghaninejad, 2023; Tran & Moskovsky, 2022). Research on teacher motivation primarily focuses on (high) school settings, leaving a gap in understanding the motivation of higher education (HE) language teachers (Daumiller et al., 2020). This gap is particularly significant for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers, who face unique challenges encompassing specialized subject matter outside their expertise, diversity of students’ English language proficiencies (usually lower than expected), and a scarcity of teaching materials (Alsharif & Shukri, 2018; Basturkmen, 2010; Marwan, 2009). Consequently, this study aims to explore the complex and dynamic motivational systems of two ESP teachers by examining the factors that interrelate with their motivation from a complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) lens (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008). To capture this complexity, we employ duoethnography (Lawrence & Lowe, 2020), a collaborative and dialogic methodology, which allows the teachers to explore their experiences together, providing a nuanced view of how their motivation unfolds over time. Hence, this study not only seeks to broaden the understanding of ESP teacher motivation but also addresses a significant gap in the literature by offering insights into how these HE teachers manage their teaching roles within the complexities of their professional environment. Ultimately, the findings aim to provide strategies to foster language teacher motivation in specialized HE contexts. Lx TEACHER MOTIVATION Over recent decades, a growing body of research has highlighted the substantial role of additional language (Lx) teacher motivation in learners’ success, teacher well-being, and broader educational reforms (Han & Yin, 2016). Research studying teacher motivation in language learning (and other educational) contexts has shown that high levels of motivation contribute to successful teaching outcomes, commitment to professional growth (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011), innovative teaching practices (Gokce, 2010), and increased student motivation (Bačová, 2022). Research has examined various sources of motivation and demotivation among Lx teachers. Some of the factors influential in shaping language teacher motivation are student motivation and engagement (Zhou et al., 2023), supportive co-workers (Cowie, 2011), and teacher autonomy (Wang et al., 2024). Conversely, demotivating factors include constrained autonomy and limited opportunities for growth (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011), problematic student attitudes and behavior (Han & Yin, 2016; Tran & Moskovsky, 2022), and economic constraints (Honarparvaran & Khaghaninejad, 2023). Together, these studies show what a central role language teacher motivation plays in teachers’ professional well-being and effectiveness in the classroom (Hiver et al., 2018). ESP Teacher Motivation Despite the extensive work on teacher motivation in general primary and secondary education, the HE context remains less explored (Daumiller et al., 2020; Sahakyan et al., 2018; Sampson, 2016). According to Daumiller et al. (2020), HE teachers’ motivation is often overlooked for two main reasons. Firstly, it is commonly assumed that those who pursue the demanding path to a PhD and secure academic positions are already highly motivated. Secondly, studying faculty motivation presents both social and methodological challenges since approaching colleagues to inquire directly about their motivation levels can be socially awkward and potentially uncomfortable for researchers and participants. Nevertheless, HE teachers encounter unique challenges in their context (Robson, 2007), such as navigating diverse roles as educators, academics, professionals, and specialists; managing varied teaching formats, including full-time, parttime, attendance-based, and virtual courses (asynchronous 8 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning or synchronous); teaching independently and/or collaboratively; delivering professional, interdisciplinary, and/or academic content to groups ranging from small tutorials to large lectures with hundreds of students; teaching basic and/or advanced skills to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students; being regularly evaluated within the marketized university system; and often lacking pedagogical training, which makes it challenging to meet appropriate professional standards (Robson, 2007). In respect to ESP teachers, no specific research has yet examined this population’s motivation. However, understanding teacher motivation in ESP contexts is particularly relevant because these instructors often face specific professional difficulties. Firstly, unlike general English teachers, ESP teachers are expected to teach English within the context of specialized fields (e.g., medicine, engineering, business, etc.). Nevertheless, many ESP teachers lack formal training or experience in these areas, which can create significant gaps in content knowledge (Alsharif & Shukri, 2018) and may impact their confidence in delivering content. Secondly, ESP courses often attract students with differing levels of English proficiency, frequently lower than expected or required to engage with specialized materials effectively (Marwan, 2009). As a result, ESP instructors are tasked with balancing linguistic support and field-specific content instruction, which can complicate lesson planning and create frustration when students struggle to keep up. Finally, ESP teachers often face the challenging task of developing course materials that align with specific learner needs and industryrelevant language. Suitable teaching resources are often scarce (Basturkmen, 2010), as generic English language textbooks may not address the specialized vocabulary, skills, or contexts of a given field. Consequently, ESP teachers frequently need to create custom materials, which demands considerable time, skill, and effort (Bielousova, 2020), often without institutional support. These unique challenges faced by ESP teachers suggest that their motivational dynamics might differ from those of general language educators and, therefore, it is worth exploring how these challenges may interlink with motivation, in order to offer advice and strategies tailored specifically to ESP instructors. Lx Teacher Motivation From a CDST Approach Dörnyei and Ushioda (2011) note that no single theory has succeeded in capturing all motives, given the complexity of human nature. In the context of Lx acquisition, many studies drawn from general psychology have been adapted to language teaching contexts. Frameworks such as selfdetermination theory, achievement goal theories, selfefficacy theories, or expectancy-value theories have been implemented to understand language teacher motivation. However, these models have been criticized for providing only a partial account of motivation and for failing to do justice to the multiplicity of interplaying factors that might explain its dynamism (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Instead, new socio-dynamic perspectives have been proposed that consider the complex, evolving interactions between individual and contextual elements, such as the person-incontext relational view (Ushioda, 2009), possible selves theory (second language motivational self system) (Dörnyei, 2009; Kubanyiova, 2020), and CDST (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008). The latter is the framework employed in the current study to grasp the complex, context-dependent, and evolving nature of ESP teacher motivation. CDST is best described as a meta-theory that provides a conceptual foundation for understanding dynamic systems (Hiver, 2022). A system is defined as a conglomerate of “entities which interact in specific ways by virtue of their membership in the system” (Juarrero, 1999, p. 109). Complex systems represent a unique class of systems that consist of an intricate network of connections between agents with significant diversity and redundancy. This dense interconnectedness means that any entity’s activity impacts the entire system, either directly or indirectly (Cilliers, 1998). Accordingly, a complex system can be defined as “a system in which large networks of components with no central control and simple rules of operation give rise to complex collective behaviour, sophisticated information processing, and adaptation via learning or evolution” (Mitchell, 2009, p. 13). MacIntyre et al. (2020) reviewed the core characteristics of complex dynamic systems (CDSs): (1) interconnectedness and non-linearity, (2) change over time, and (3) self-organization. Each will be examined individually, establishing connections to current literature on language teacher motivation. Firstly, interconnectedness implies that holistic, nonlinear change is emphasized over simple cause-and-effect 9 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ relationships (Morrison, 2008). This means that the interactions among the components’ individual trajectories lead to non-linear, emergent changes in the system’s overall behavior (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). Research on complexity encourages empirical exploration of how the components of a whole are interconnected, while also promoting a more organic understanding of Lx motivation (Papi & Hiver, 2020). Indeed, teacher motivation does not emerge in isolation, as it is deeply interwoven with cognitive processes (e.g., thoughts, beliefs, attributions, and expectancies) and affective dimensions (i.e., emotional experiences) (Dörnyei, 2009). In language learning, the interplay of beliefs, emotions, and motivation is similarly well-documented (Diert-Boté & Martin-Rubió, 2018; MacIntyre et al., 2019; MacIntyre & Vincze, 2017; Waninge, 2015). As Waninge (2015) notes, “an important finding (...) is the almost inseparable nature of cognition, motivation, affect, and context” (p. 211). This interconnectedness aligns with Kubanyiova and Feryok’s (2015) call to broaden research on Lx teacher motivation by bridging cognition, affect, and motivation, and by considering teachers’ contextualized classroom practices. Interconnectedness is also relevant inasmuch as the interactions among a system’s components evolve and may eventually reach a point of equilibrium, where the system settles into a stable or preferred state, often referred to as an attractor state (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011). The stability of these states is influenced by the attractor basin depth, with deeper basins providing more stability and shallow basins allowing easier transitions between states (Hiver, 2015). In the context of teacher motivation, this means that once a certain motivational state is established, it can become resistant to change, creating a form of stability within the system. However, like any complex system, this equilibrium is not static; it remains subject to shifts and influences, which can bring about new emergent states over time. For instance, Waninge (2015), although focusing on students, identified four attractor states that interconnected with the dynamics of the Lx learning experience (including motivation), and argued that “the more factors that work together, the more momentum [an attractor state] is likely to have, and less likely it is to disappear completely” (p. 210, emphasis in original). Secondly, de Bot (2015) observed that CDSs can experience rapid changes or gradual shifts over time, with shortand long-time spans closely linked. Immediate shifts subtly influence long-term dynamics, which, in turn, inform short-term processes. Previous research on language teacher motivation has highlighted the dynamic and fluctuating nature of motivation (Kimura, 2014, 2022; Kubanyiova, 2020; Sak, 2024; Sampson, 2016; Waninge, 2015), particularly its susceptibility to short-term changes (even ‘moment-to-moment’). For instance, Sampson’s (2016) autoethnographic study over one academic year highlighted how immediate classroom experiences affect short-term motivation while also contributing to long-term motivational patterns. This study, thus, suggests that perceptions of motivation are shaped by experiences across different timescales, confirming that “the ‘now’ is the resultant of changes on all possible timescales up to this point” (de Bot, 2015, p. 35). Similarly, Sak’s (2024) study tracked the fluctuating motivation of an English as a foreign language teacher trainee engaged in self-initiated professional development over four months (analyzed weekly), revealing how non-linear patterns are influenced by self-efficacy, perceived lesson success, and classroom dynamics. Thirdly, self-organization refers to “[t]he internally evolving process of coordinated restructuring and formation within a complex system that results in the appearance of novel structure and functions” (Papi & Hiver, 2020, p. 23). Through self-organization, the system continuously adjusts and reorganizes itself, interlinked with internal and external factors, allowing for shifts and new emergent states over time. Therefore, even in seemingly stable systems, there is an ongoing process of adaptation and transformation, keeping the system dynamic and responsive to new influences from the environment (MacIntyre et al., 2020). CDSs can exhibit ‘IF… THEN’ system/signature dynamics, that is, unique causal interactions between the system’s components (Kelso, 2002). Such interactions are contingent on specific situational and contextual factors; that is, IF certain conditions and factors coalesce, THEN particular behaviors, feelings, or patterns typically arise (Mercer, 2015). Importantly, the environment is not viewed as an external, independent factor influencing the system, but as an essential component of the system itself (Ushioda, 2009). Studies reveal the importance of context in the emergence and evolution of the motivational system. For instance, Kimura’s (2014, 2022) research showed the influence of environmental conditions on language teachers’ motivation and professional growth in China, South Korea, and Japan 10 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning over a decade. The studies revealed contextual variations in support, institutional roles, and public status among the teachers, highlighting how unique positions within systems connect with their interactions with students, subsequently shaping their teaching motivation and impacting student outcomes. Similarly, Sampson (2016), Waninge (2016), and Papi and Hiver (2020) emphasized the influential role of classroom experiences and the teaching and learning environment in the motivation of both language teachers and students. Our review indicates that aspects such as interrelatedness, dynamism, and self-organization are already quite wellrecognized in the existing literature on language teacher motivation, which underscores the necessity of conceptualizing this construct as a CDS. In line with the increasing emphasis on adopting complexity perspectives for the study of motivation (Hiver, 2022), we aim to explore the complex interactions among the various factors that intertwine with ESP teachers’ motivational systems and track changes in motivation over a period of five weeks. Specifically, we analyze fluctuations in motivation before and after class, distinguishing our approach from previous longer-term studies (e.g., Sak, 2024; Sampson, 2016). Furthermore, the participants in this study are ESP teachers, a gap we seek to address in research on teacher motivation within HE institutions (Daumiller et al., 2020) by providing a deeper understanding of how emotions, cognitions, and contextual factors interrelate with ESP teachers’ motivation. Accordingly, the question guiding this study is: What are the dynamic trajectories of two ESP teachers’ motivational CDSs over a period of five weeks? METHODOLOGY Contexts and Participants The study participants, Author 1 (A1) and Author 2 (A2), are ESP teachers whose profiles (summarized in Table 1) reveal both similarities and differences. Both fall within the age range of 30 to 35 years and completed their doctoral studies in 2021 (A1) and 2020 (A2). They are early-career university teachers with six years of experience teaching in HE in Catalonia (Spain) including ESP courses, such as tourism, medicine, audiovisual communication and journalism (A1), business, health science, and engineering (A2). However, they differ regarding the ESP domain they teach in (media/journalism vs. optics/optometry), employment status (part-time vs. full-time), and HE contexts (generalist – offering broad, multidisciplinary programs vs. polytechnic – focusing on applied sciences and technical education). In this study, we examine two of their teaching experiences: A1’s media/journalism ESP course (which she has taught for five years), and A2’s optics/optometry ESP course (which she has taught for two years). These courses were selected as they provided rich contexts for exploring the motivational dynamics of ESP teaching within specific disciplinary and institutional settings. At the time of data collection, they were the only ESP courses being taught by the participants, making them the ideal focus for a duoethnographic investigation into the complexities of teacher motivation. Data Collection This study employs a duoethnography approach in which researchers with diverse backgrounds collaboratively share their life stories to offer various perspectives on the phenomenon analyzed – in this case, the ESP teachers’ motivational trajectories over time. The authors “are the sites of their own study, i.e., the researchers and the researched” (Banegas & Gerlach, 2021, p. 3), thereby, making their individual voices and stories a central part of the research narrative. Duoethnography is considered an ‘emerging’ methodology (Lawrence & Lowe, 2020) that focuses on small-scale analysis within specific contexts and that fosters active listening, which prompts authors to examine their assumptions and critically consider different perspectives. A duoethnographic case study approach complements our aim of conducting an exploratory investigation that may highlight new directions and questions for future research and theorizing on teacher motivation (see Sampson, 2016, for an autoethnography with a similar purpose). 11 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ Table 1. Summary of Participants’ Profiles A1 A2 Age 30–35 30–35 HE teaching experience 6 years 6 years Year of PhD completion 2021 2020 ESP teaching domains Tourism, Medicine, and Audiovisual communication & Journalism Business, Health Sciences, and Engineering ESP course of this study Oral and written English for the media (Audiovisual communication & Journalism BA) Professional communication in healthcare (Optics & Optometry BS) Employment status Part-time Full-time HE context Generalist university Polytechnic university Note. BA = Bachelor of Arts, BS = Bachelor of Science, ESP = English for Specific Purposes, HE = higher education. Autoethnographic data help participants deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them, allowing them “to challenge grand narratives by exploring the complexity of personal stories and experiences, in juxtaposition with those of other people” (Lawrence & Lowe, 2020, p. 22). This study relies on asynchronous journal data collection by the two ESP teachers, which offers a self-reflective perspective as participants tell their own story about themselves to themselves (Beseghi, 2021). By focusing on the ESP teachers’ journals, this research adopts a teacher-centered approach, narrating their stories and shifting the focus to teachers’ lived experiences (Mercer et al., 2016). By engaging in this reflective dialogue, teachers can uncover the emotional and cognitive dimensions of their motivation, which contributes to a more nuanced understanding of language teacher motivation that can inform future research and practice. In this study, A1 and A2 independently wrote their own journals over five weeks (two classes per week) during September and October, gathering a total of 12,525 words (6,247 by A1 and 6,278 by A2). The authors recorded entries immediately before and after teaching their ESP courses (within a maximum of 30 minutes) in the first semester of the 2023–24 academic year, resulting in 10 entries, each one including ‘before’ and ‘after’ reflections. The deliberate timing of these journal entries aimed to capture insights into their teaching practices and emotions at various moments, adhering to de Bot’s (2015) argument that understanding motivation requires examining diverse timescales. These journals included, on the one hand, qualitative descriptions of thoughts, emotions, and motivation. The authors did not agree on specific guidelines for writing these qualitative reflections, and there were no restrictions on length or content, as long as the reflections focused on motivation. On the other hand, a five-point Likert-scale was included in all the entries to facilitate motivation pattern identification. Thus, participants asked themselves: “How motivated do I feel before/after class?” with responses being: 1 (not at all motivated), 2 (somewhat motivated), 3 (fairly motivated), 4 (very motivated), and 5 (extremely motivated). Data Analysis To explore these teachers’ motivation, a qualitative grounded theory approach was utilized, enabling the development of insights based on the participants’ perceptions and experiences and avoiding premature 12 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning assumptions (Corbin & Strauss, 2015). Grounded theory complements CDST as it preserves the complexity and the situated nature of the data. To analyze the qualitative data, Vaismoradi et al.’s (2016) iterative analytical process was followed, encompassing four stages. In the Initialization phase (Vaismoradi et al., 2016), researchers read the journals (written in English) jointly, highlighted relevant quotes and coded them collectively on a line-by-line basis using the qualitative data management software Atlas.ti (Version 23.2.1). We collaboratively reviewed the journals multiple times to gain a comprehensive understanding of the data, ensuring that we remained closely attuned to our voices and perspectives. The analysis underwent a continuous coding and re-coding process until reaching the saturation point, that is, when no new themes or codes emerge (Alam, 2021). Codes were developed to examine how cognitive, affective, and contextual factors interact within the motivational system, with motivation being viewed as the emergent outcome of these dynamic interactions, as discussed in the literature (Dörnyei, 2009; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011; Sampson, 2016; Waninge, 2015). During the Construction phase (Vaismoradi et al., 2016), both authors discussed and analyzed the codes together, which were organized under hierarchies. For example, cognitive aspects contained attributions (i.e., explanations for the causes of one’s or others’ behaviors; Weiner, 2000), expectancies (i.e., beliefs about the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes; Watt et al., 2012), and self-beliefs (i.e., perceptions and convictions one holds about oneself), which, in turn, encompassed other aspects, like student behavior or time management. By comparing data across the two journals, similarities and differences were established between the two participants in terms of their motivational trajectories. In the Rectification or Verification phase (Vaismoradi et al., 2016), researchers decided to step back for two months to critically evaluate the coding to avoid hasty or incomplete conclusions. To address any misunderstandings or discrepancies that arose during this evaluation, we held regular discussions where we presented our individual interpretations and sought consensus. For example, if one of us coded an entry as “anxiety” and the other as “discomfort,” we jointly examined the context to clarify these emotions; similar discussions arose around “attribution” and “expectancies.” This rigorous dialogue and reconciliation of perspectives not only clarified our findings but also strengthened the validity of the conclusions drawn from the data. Lastly, in the Finalization phase (Vaismoradi et al., 2016), quotes were selected to provide a holistic illustration of the interconnections between motivation and cognition, affect, and contextual factors. This involved identifying relevant quotes that highlighted specific relationships (for instance, between motivation and happiness or between demotivation and student disengagement). By presenting these quotes in a structured format, we succinctly captured the complexity of our motivational systems. This approach ensured that the analysis was not only comprehensive but also accessible to readers. Once the analytical process was finished, the software Gephi (Bastian et al., 2009) was employed to create a visual representation of the participants’ motivational complex systems, allowing for an in-depth demonstration of the relationships and patterns within the coded themes in the shape of networks. This involved importing the coded themes (nodes) and their relationships (edges) into Gephi to create a network graph that visually mapped out the interconnectedness and complexity of various motivational factors. The networks represent these factors using nodes, with the size of each node corresponding to its frequency of occurrence (i.e., the total number of times a factor appears per person across entries). Thus, larger nodes indicate factors with stronger connection with teacher motivation. Gephi was specifically employed for its feature to visually highlight differences in node size and importance in the network. In addition to the codification process, the analysis of the 5-point Likert-scale ratings involved identifying patterns and uncovering peculiarities in the journal entries (both ‘before’ and ‘after’) that might otherwise remain unnoticed. This integration of quantitative data serves as a complementary strategy within the qualitative framework (Maxwell, 2010) to enrich the interpretation of motivational dynamics. FINDINGS This section presents the findings in four main parts: (1) the overall motivational dynamics, highlighting fluctuations 13 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ observed before and after class sessions; (2) the shared system components and attractor states between the two teachers; (3) the teacher-specific attractor states unique to each teacher; and (4) the complexity and non-linear behavior of emotional-motivational dynamics. Figure 1. Overview of the Participants’ Motivation Note. Black color = Author 1 (A1), gray color = Author 2 (A2), B = before, A = after. Mapping Motivational Dynamics Over Time An overview of the teachers’ motivational dynamics over the analyzed timespan is shown in Figure 1, which includes the number of class sessions (N = 10), teachers A1 (black) and A2 (gray), Likert-scale ratings (1–5), tendencies (upwards ↑, level →, and downwards ↓), and ratings categorized as ‘before’ (B) and ‘after’ (A) class. It is important to note that on two occasions (‘Class_5–A2–A’ and ‘Class_9–A1–B’), multiple scores were given. On the one hand, A2 initially rated her motivation after class as 3, but changed it to 2 while reflecting on the class in her diary and, eventually, she finished the entry with a rating of 1. On the other hand, A1 started her ‘before’ diary entry with a 4, but after her reflection she finished with a 3. These changes in motivation ratings reflect realizations the teachers had while writing their journals, as they became more aware of the internal and external factors that had interacted, and were still interacting, with their teaching motivation. Capturing this information was deemed important to reflect the complexity and dynamism of the teachers’ motivation even in such a reduced timespan. There were 11 instances where the ‘after’ motivation was higher than the ‘before’ motivation (A1 = 7↑ and A2 = 4↑). Motivation remained the same in 5 instances (A1 = 2→ and A2 = 3→) and decreased in 4 classes (A1 = 1↓ and A2 = 3↓). Notably, when motivation remained steady, the ratings were generally high, reflecting sustained engagement. Even when motivation decreased, the decline was minimal, by one point in all cases (note the special case in ‘Class_5–A2–A’). Therefore, the results reveal a pattern of increased motivation after class, foregrounding the dynamic and evolving trajectories interconnected through the interactions among agents within the motivational system. This intricate interplay of system components (see Figures 2 and 3 below) will be explored in greater detail in the following sections. 14 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning Figure 2. A1’s Motivational Complex System Note. Eng. = English, mgmt. = management, sts = students. Figure 3. A2’s Motivational Complex System Note. Eng. = English, mgmt. = management, sts = students. 15 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ consistent effects on the system (MacIntyre & Vincze, 2017). Thus, while negative states, such as anxiety and upset, may momentarily lead to a downward trajectory in motivation, it seems they lack the depth to anchor the system in a prolonged negative state. These findings foreground the system’s “dynamic stability” (Mercer, 2015, p. 159) and its ability to recalibrate and settle into more favorable motivational trajectories. Self-Organization Self-organization emerged as a defining feature of the participants’ motivational systems, with both demonstrating ongoing flexibility and adaptations to internal and external feedback. Accordingly, the findings illustrate the reciprocal relationship between teachers and their environments, underscoring Ushioda’s (2009) perspective that context is an integral component of motivational systems. The process of self-organization is evident in the teachers’ adaptive strategies and adjustment to contextual challenges, such as the development of ad-hoc teaching resources in response to the lack of specialized materials (Basturkmen, 2010; Bielousova, 2020), students’ low English proficiency (Marwan, 2009), or misconceptions about the nature of ESP courses. Therefore, these adaptive processes illustrate how the system develops new structures and functions to maintain resilience and motivation over time. For instance, A1’s reflections on her evolving selfefficacy through honed classroom management strategies exemplify how motivational systems restructure themselves over time. Similarly, A2’s reframing of student engagement and success through smaller achievements reflects her system’s capacity to reorganize and adapt to contextual demands, incorporating new strategies to address challenges and support motivation. This organic process of selforganization demonstrates how motivational systems can continually evolve by integrating new interactions while remaining coherent and purposeful over time. Overall, the study demonstrates the adaptive and resilient nature of these systems, pointing to the importance of selforganization in sustaining motivation, even in challenging contexts. These insights encourage future research to adopt dynamic, systemic approaches that account for the emergent and evolving nature of teacher motivation. Methodological and Pedagogical Implications Although this small-scale case study limits generalizability to broader ESP contexts, it offers valuable methodological and pedagogical insights. In terms of methodology, the duoethnographic reflections highlight the importance of reflective practice in understanding teachers’ motivation. Diaries facilitated transformative learning by enabling selfawareness and helping us, as researchers and teachers, identify challenges and opportunities for future improvement and professional growth (Maijala, 2023). Thus, the duoethnographic methodology provides unique insights into the authors–participants’ motivational complex systems that would have been challenging to obtain through external observation or more traditional research methods, such as interviews or surveys, as it allowed us to integrate personal, affective responses into the analysis, making the research process both a reflective and forward-looking tool for professional development. Ultimately, this study offers several pedagogical implications. Firstly, it emphasizes the need for tailored strategies to boost ESP teacher motivation and foster resilience and adaptability by acknowledging the individualized and complex nature of motivation (Sampson, 2016). Secondly, it stresses the importance of professional development courses for ESP teachers and of integrating reflective practices, such as diary-keeping, to help them manage and raise awareness of the complex and fluctuating nature of their motivation. Thirdly, it underlines the importance of implementing support structures, such as peer mentoring (with content experts) and regular feedback sessions to help teachers navigate ESP teaching complexities. Overall, this study underscores the critical role of complex and dynamic approaches in understanding and enhancing teacher motivation, while considering their unique emotional, cognitive, and contextual agents. CONCLUSION This study set out to examine the dynamic and multifaceted nature of teacher motivation within the ESP context, focusing on how it operates as a CDS of emotional states, cognitive forces, and contextual factors. However, the study is not without its limitations. Firstly, we observed differing emotional expressions in participants’ diaries, with A1 offering more nuanced descriptions and A2 simpler 22 I. Diert-Boté & B. Moncada-Comas ISSN 2642-7001. https://www.jpll.org/ Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning reflections. While the absence of specific guidelines may explain this difference, it also allowed for authentic, unrestricted insights into the teachers’ motivational states. Furthermore, the methodology used limits the generalizability of the findings to other ESP contexts, as it focuses on the experiences of two participants only. Ultimately, the data collection timeframe may not capture long-term motivational patterns or fluctuations that could emerge over an extended period, potentially overlooking more complex dynamics in teacher motivation. This study highlights the importance of complex and reflective approaches to understanding teacher motivation. Engaging with the duoethnographic method was not only a means of data collection but also a transformative tool for us as teachers. It allowed us to critically examine our practices, identify challenges, and develop strategies for professional growth. By integrating cognition, affect, and context – rather than examining them in isolation – this paper represents a deeply personal and professional exploration of ESP teacher motivation. Overall, this holistic perspective opens avenues for further research and lays the groundwork for more comprehensive frameworks that capture the dynamic interplay of these factors in teachers’ motivational experiences. Acknowledgments The authors are deeply indebted to the reviewers for their insightful comments and constructive feedback, which have greatly contributed to improving this work. Authors’ Contributions IDB and BMC participated in the design of the study and completed the data collection, analysis, and interpretation. 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