GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MOTIVATION TOWARD LEARNING ENGLISH - THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY MOHAMMED V AND CADI AYYAD UNIVERSITY AS A CASE STUDY

Authors

  • Majda Saadaoui PhD Candidate, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejals.v9i2.721

Keywords:

gender, motivation, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, English as a foreign language (EFL), self-determination theory, language learning motivation, second language acquisition (SLA)

Abstract

Motivation‍‌‍‍‌ is arguably the most important factor for success in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL), especially in higher education environments where students’ involvement and determination are the key factors to their learning results. This paper illustrates how gender is related to different motivational orientations for learning English among students of English departments at University Mohammed V and Cadi Ayyad University. Based on Self-Determination Theory, the study investigates the two primary categories of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Using a quantitative, descriptive-correlation research design, a structured questionnaire was distributed among undergraduate and graduate students who have been studying English for more than two years to collect data at the university level. The data collected were processed with descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and regression analysis in order to assess students’ motivational levels and the ‍‌‍‍‌differences. These findings underscore the multifaceted and context-dependent nature of motivation in SLA and stress the significance of taking individual differences in language learning, self-concept, and sociocultural factors into account. Future research directions and pedagogical implications are explored.

Author Biography

  • Majda Saadaoui, PhD Candidate, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco

    Majda Saadaoui is a PhD Candidate in the Doctoral Program in Education and English Studies at the Faculty of Educational Sciences (FSE), Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco. She holds a Master's degree in Translation Technology and Specialized Translation from Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, and a Bachelor's degree in English Cultural Studies from Mohammed V University. She also studied as an Erasmus+ exchange student at the University of Cádiz, Spain. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at École Mohammadia des Ingénieurs (EMI), Rabat, and at the Institut de Commerce et de Gestion de Rabat (ICOGER). Her professional experience also includes legal and administrative translation, consecutive interpreting and internships with translation offices, legal institutions, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was recently appointed as a Sworn Translator at the Court of Appeal in Rabat, Morocco. Her research interests include second language acquisition (SLA), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), learner motivation, gender and language learning, applied linguistics, translation studies, and interpreting. She is the author of The Impact of Intercultural Complications on Interpreting (2023), published in the Arabic Journal for Translation Studies.

    ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392420829_The_Impact_of_Intercultural_Complications_on_Interpreting

    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/me-majda-s-99769b14b

    Academia.edu: https://independent.academia.edu/MmeMajdaSaadaouiJenesen

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Published

2026-07-14

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Articles

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