Motivational dynamics in refugee and migrant language education: An ecological perspective

This article looks into the language learning motivations of refugees and migrants in Greece, as perceived by their teachers, with a view to making an empirical contribution about the education of minoritized populations and a conceptual contribution to the psychology of language education. Drawing on six interviews, a conceptualization of motivation as an emergent process is put forward. Rather than viewing motivation as a fixed trait or a response to stimuli, it is suggested that motivation emerges from the interplay of individual aspirations, social relationships, school policies, and broader societal ideological structures. The interaction of these shaping influences generates strong motivational affordances (e.g., the desire to find employment, integrate socially, or manage everyday tasks), as well as powerful constraints, including bureaucratic inflexibility, precarious living conditions, and limited institutional support. We suggest that this ecology of shaping influences is dynamic, stratified, and open to both constraint and change. Theoretically, the article advances our understanding of motivation, by illustrating how ecological thinking and complex dynamics systems theory can inform research psychological constructs in contexts of migration. Practically, it underscores the need for more flexible and context-sensitive practices for sustaining language learning motivation and educational attainment