English Language Teacher Motivation in Bilingual School Contexts: Focus on Influencing Factors and Rewards

Research on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher motivation in bilingual schools has been quite scarce. To fill this gap, this study investigated the main sources of motivation for EFL teachers and the rewards in a bilingual school context. The intrinsic/extrinsic motivation distinction served as the main theoretical framework of the study. Furthermore, the role of self and contextual factors that contribute to teachers’ persistence in the profession was emphasized. The participants, selected through the convenience sampling method, were thirty EFL teachers at a bilingual school in Iran. The study applied a mixed-method research design in which quantitative data were collected through two questionnaires on teacher motivation and the corresponding rewards and then triangulated with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with some of the participants. Employing both descriptive and inferential data analysis methods, the results demonstrated the importance of a wide range of extrinsic and intrinsic factors in motivating EFL teachers. More value was placed on intrinsic factors, specifically ‘having an enjoyable and stimulating job’ rather than the extrinsic factors. However, extrinsic factors related to external recognition of the teachers’ efforts by their supervisors and students, and factors related to organization and work benefits, such as job security, played an important role in satisfying the teachers. Moreover, the teachers’ perception of the rewards received lower satisfactory ratings, implying that the rewards were somehow incongruent with what motivated teachers. Overall, the findings suggest that certain characteristics of bilingual schools in Iran, such as the autonomy to use diverse materials, can contribute to a higher level of job satisfaction among EFL teachers.


Introduction
Motivation has long been considered a crucial factor in deciding to perform an activity, the persistence and the effort put forth to accomplish it (Dörnyei, 2001).Whilst the role of motivation in language learning by learners has long been known to scholars (e.g., Guilloteaux & Dörnyei, 2008), attention to teacher motivation which plays a key role in encouraging language learners has given more momentum over the past decade.This realization has sparked scholarship that seeks to define teacher motivation from different perspectives.When studied in accordance with the teaching profession, the motivation construct represents a multi-faceted nature that includes inner forces that motivate teachers to teach and external forces that cause them to remain in the profession (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011).These forces are represented in a comprehensive classification of motivating factors proposed by Dörnyei (2001) specifies four characteristics of ESL teacher motivation: 1) Intrinsic factors: an inner drive to educate, to convey knowledge and values, teacher autonomy, etc.; 2) Extrinsic factors: a) macro level: societal level from members of society, like politicians and parents; and b) micro level: institution-level from school, classroom, etc., or in other words, factors related to the physical teaching environment; 3) Temporal influences: a) increased variety of teaching content (new roles), b) contribution to curriculum development, c) in-service programs, d) material development; 4) Negative influences: a) stress caused by dealing with students, etc., b) frustration at restricted autonomy, c) insufficient self-efficacy in managing groups, etc., d) lack of intellectual challenge (boredom), e) inadequate career structure (without future plans and goals).Accordingly, Sinclair (2008) defined teacher motivation as "what attracts individuals to teaching, how long they remain in their initial teacher education courses and subsequently the teaching profession, and the extent to which they engage with their courses and the teaching profession" (p.37).
However, some scholars argue that even though such classifications as Dörnyei's (2001) provide invaluable conceptual tools to identify factors that motivate teachers, they do explain how these factors interact with complicated, dynamic and individually situated contexts (Kubanyiova, 2009).Therefore, a paradigm shift in conceptualizing teacher motivation brought the concepts of self and identity to attention.Drawing on Dörnyei (2001), Ryan and Deci (2000) proposed the self-determination theory that describes motivation along a continuum from amotivation (not being motivated at all), extrinsic (controlled) at the centre, to intrinsic (self-determined) depending on the extent to which certain values and behaviors have been internalized.In this sense, "one's motivation for behavior can range from amotivation or unwillingness to passive compliance, to active personal commitment" (Ryan & Deci 2000, p. 60).As a result, Guajardo (2011) defines teacher motivation as "willingness, drive, or desire to engage in good teaching which is acted upon".Job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and personal achievement are dynamic components of teacher motivation that both drive and are driven by teacher motivation" (p. 6).
Whilst the cognitive theories of teacher motivation are acknowledged (Dörnyei, 2001) due to achievement-based and performance-oriented contexts of schools in which teachers work, some scholars add a value dimension to teachers' performance.The proponents of the expectancy-value theories (e.g., Butler 2007;Watt & Richardson, 2007), which are widely used today, argue that teachers define values for specific achievements, and this affects their desire to complete the task.Accordingly, teachers' commitment to their profession can be explained by the interconnection among their beliefs, values, and persistence.Altogether, the three main frameworks presented here including social-cognitive theories, expectancy-value theory, and SDT (Butler, 2007;Dörnyei, 2001;Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011;Ryan & Deci, 2000;Watt & Richardson, 2007) demonstrate transformations in our understanding of teacher motivation to better capture its essence.

Literature review
This study is placed within a body of literature that investigates English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher motivation.The recurring theme in this area of inquiry is identifying factors contributing to L2 teachers' job satisfaction.In an early study, Pennington (1995) surveyed secondary school ESL teachers' motivation in the US, Australia and Hong Kong.The results of her study indicated that teachers' motivation was mainly hindered by extrinsic factors, such as inappropriate salary, lack of support by administration and work stress preventing them from reaching their full potential.Utilizing close-ended and open-ended questionnaires, Kassabgy, Boria and Schmidt (2001) examined motivational factors, rewards and satisfaction of 107 English teachers from Egypt and Hawaii.The researchers found that ESL teachers placed more weight on intrinsic aspects of their job and internal rewards.Moreover, there was a positive correlation between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards and job satisfaction.Jobs were perceived as rewarding if the institutions were managed well, conferred professional status, offered challenging and enriching environments for personal and professional growth, and where students' learning was the main reward.Yau's (2010) examination into teacher motivation in a tertiary institution in New Zealand (2010) revealed a higher preference for intrinsic factors including helping students to learn English, involvement in professional training and personal enjoyment over extrinsic factors, such as management policy and work autonomy.In another study, Soodmand Afshar and Doosti (2016) surveyed the career satisfaction of 210 secondary school English teachers in Iran.Consistent with the findings of the previous studies, the researchers found that the L2 teachers' career satisfaction emanated from their altruistic and inner desires to serve the country, transfer knowledge to others, and have a love of teaching.
A more recent line of inquiry on L2 teacher motivation considers factors that demotivate teachers and prevent them from performing to their full capacity in addition to motivating sources.According to Dörnyei and Ushioda (2011), identifying and addressing demotivating factors is crucial because they can neutralize the motivation that teachers already have mainly due to contextual factors.Sugino (2010) utilized a questionnaire to explore the demotivating factors influencing English instructors in Japan.The four major sources of demotivation included students' attitudes, students' abilities and school facilities, working conditions and human relationships.Students' rebellious attitudes and disruptive behaviours, such as sleeping in class were the most demotivating factor reported by Japanese English teachers.Similar findings were reported by Greek EFL teachers in Karavas' study (2010).In another effort, Kim and Kim (2015) addressed the initial career motives for choosing English teaching as a career and the demotivating factors of 94 in-service Korean EFL teachers at elementary and secondary schools.EFL teachers in this survey reported the highest level of job satisfaction due to the global orientation that English provided as an international language and further advantages that came with it, such as openness to diverse cultures and willingness to stay or live overseas.However, the teachers reported three demotivating factors: obstacles to teaching English in communicative ways, inadequate administrative support, and lack of social recognition.In a subsequent study by the same authors (Kim and Kim 2022), teacher motivation was negatively influenced by students' negative attitudes, excessive administrative work, and lack of teaching autonomy.
Further motivational factors have been revealed by ongoing studies that addressed the demographic characteristics of teachers.A survey-based study by Alavi and Mehmandoust (2011) that explored the sources of motivation among 200 EFL teachers in Iran suggested that teaching experience was an important determinant of teacher motivation.The sources of motivation for early-career language careers were economic, emotional, educational, and intrinsic compared with social motives that were sought mainly by more experienced teachers.In another investigation conducted by Baleghizadeh and Gordani (2012), the quality of work was the main contributor to the motivation of secondary school EFL teachers in Iran.The participants reported a medium-level work quality characterized by a high level of resilience and adaptation to changing circumstances, but a low level of career insight or clarity of career aspirations.Moreover, gender is one of the key factors influencing teachers' satisfaction with research addressing this factor yielding mixed results.Female EFL teachers in Soodmand Afshar and Doosti (2016) reported higher levels of job satisfaction than their male counterparts whereas early-career female teachers in Karavas' (2010) study were less satisfied with their job.
The literature review suggests that EFL/ESL teacher motivation is an area of research requiring further inquiry.What motivates or demotivates teachers has been mainly examined through the intrinsic and extrinsic distinction of the influencing factors and in association with job satisfaction.Existing scholarship across different contexts suggests that job satisfaction can be heavily culture-bound and context-specific.In this sense, whilst EFL/ESL teachers are intrinsically driven to teach, certain characteristics of the context determine the quality of their work and persistence in the profession (e.g., Pennington, 1995;Sugino, 2010).The impact of contextual factors on teacher motivation can be better understood by conducting further studies across different contexts.Whilst the majority of the existing studies have been conducted in the school setting (e.g., Baleghizadeh & Gordani, 2012;Kim & Kim, 2015;Soodmand Afshar & Doosti, 2016), research addressing EFL/ESL teacher motivation in bilingual schools is quite scarce.Furthermore, it appears that most studies exclusively use quantitative methods to explore the link between teacher motivation and a range of variables.Over-reliance on selfreported surveys and questionnaires may not adequately capture the complexities of teacher motivation.Therefore, a broader spectrum of data collection techniques, such as interviews, can be used to draw a fuller picture of ESL teacher motivation.
To bridge the identified gaps in the literature, this study was designed to a) identify factors influencing EFL teacher motivation and demotivation, and b) rewards that EFL teachers expect for motivation being sustained in the context of a private bilingual school in Iran.

Study context and participants
Some background information on language education in Iran is required to better capture the context of this study.English is taught as a foreign language in Iranian schools where exposure to English is restricted to classroom context.However, there are some international schools with a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) pedagogy (Mearns, Graff & Coyle, 2020) where the school curriculum is delivered in both Persian and English language to promote biliteracy.The participants of this study were thirty EFL teachers who worked in one of the bilingual schools in Shiraz, Iran.They were recruited through a convenience sampling procedure.Forty-two teachers were invited to participate in the study through an invitation email that had a response rate of 71.43% with thirty teachers agreeing to participate in this study.All the teachers were of Iranian nationality and spoke English as a foreign language.
Table 1 shows the demographic information of the participants including their gender, age, qualifications, tenure and teaching experience.
The demographics of the participants indicated that female teachers constituted 90% of the sample.Age-wise, the teachers were distributed more equally in two age groups: 20-30 years of age (53.5%), and 31-40 years of age (43%) with only one participant being in the 41-50 age group (3%).Twenty-two teachers (73%) held an undergraduate and eight teachers held a graduate (27%) qualification in one of the three English-related disciplines: English literature, English translation and TEFL.More than half of the teachers were employed part-time (57%) rather than full-time (43%).More variation was observed among the participants regarding the teaching experience.Equal numbers of teachers had a teaching experience of between 1 and 3 (N: 6) and 4 and 6 (N: 6) years who constituted the early-career teacher group (40%), whereas teachers with 7 to 10 (N: 8) and above 10 (N: 10) years of teaching experience constituted the experienced teacher group (60%).

Research design
This study adopted a mixed method design and three instruments including two questionnaires and a semi-structured interview were utilized to collect data (Riazi, 2017).To identify EFL teachers' motivational factors or values, the questionnaire developed by Kassabgy et al. (2001) was adopted due to its proven reliability in previous studies (Yau, 2010).This questionnaire had 32 statements that covered the intrinsic (items 1-25) and extrinsic (items 26-32) factors.
The questionnaire measured what the respondents perceived as values (what is important to individual teachers) on a 5-point Likert scale from 5 (very important) to 1 (unimportant at all).The Cronbach's alpha for the entire questionnaire (.866) and the two sub-classes (extrinsic: .820/intrinsic: .755)was within an acceptable range, thus confirming the suitability of this instrument for use in the Iranian educational context.Drawing on Kassabgy et al. (2001) and Dörnyei (2001), the items in the questionnaire were classified as intrinsic and extrinsic, with each covering several themes.Intrinsic factors included a) personal achievement or challenge or growth, b) service to society, and c) imparting knowledge.Extrinsic factors included a) salary, b) workload, c) external recognition (social status), d) career prospects/training, e) job security/casual job, f) school management and policies, g) support/isolation, h) physical working condition, i) positive or negative comparison with others (other jobs or professionals), j) autonomy (control of curriculum), k) relations with colleagues, and l) relations with students.
The reward questionnaire developed by Yau (2010) containing 32 corresponding items to Kassabgy et al.'s (2001) was used to identify and measure the EFL teachers' perception of the respective rewards.This included items, such as teachers' intention to change their job.The internal consistency of this questionnaire was also high, as indicated by high Cronbach's alpha for the entire questionnaire (.934) and the two sub-classes (extrinsic: .916/ intrinsic: .849).
Furthermore, four volunteer female participants were given semi-structured interviews in Persian for better self-expression.The researcher translated the interview data that was in the form of instantaneous voice messages on WhatsApp into English, a transcribed it for qualitative analysis of the results.As Dörnyei (1998) argues, "it is common to find a limited and superficial representation of motivation in the L2 literature, for example, when the results of a few questionnaire items are equated with 'motivation'" (p.118).Hence, the descriptive data obtained from the questionnaires was triangulated with the qualitative interview data to avoid the bias of a single data source and for validation purposes (Patton, 2002).

Data collection and data analysis procedures
Data were collected in the summer semester of the 2021 academic year.The participants completed the two questionnaires that were emailed to them and sent them back to the researcher.The descriptive data obtained from the two questionnaires was analyzed using SPSS software (V27.0) and the Mean and SD of each questionnaire item were computed.Afterwards, 32 paired t-tests were run to establish links between each motivating factor and its corresponding reward.

Results and Discussion
To present and discuss the results in an economic and effective way, the results obtained from the two questionnaires were merged and presented in a single table.Each entry in Table 2 represents a of one extrinsic factor and its corresponding reward.Table 3 contains similar data related to intrinsic factors and the corresponding rewards.Moreover, the results of the paired t-tests run to compute the Mean difference in each pair and the significance level are included in the tables in front of each pair.The results are represented in descending order from the highest to the lowest Mean scores.

Extrinsic factors
As indicated in Table 2, the most motivating extrinsic factors are items 23 (M = 4.83), 22 (M = 4.70), 9 (M = 4.76), 3 (M = 4.66), 17 (M = 4.66) and 11 (M = 4.63) have Means above 4.50 and rated as very important.The rest of the items have Mean scores between 3.51 and 4.50 suggesting that the respondents perceived all the factors as important.Two of the most important extrinsic factors including 'Frequent feedback about the effectiveness of my performance from my students' (item 23) and 'being evaluated positively by the person they report to' (item 24) suggest that EFL teachers are motivated when their efforts are recognized externally.This recognition is manifested in both students' and supervisors' acknowledgement of the teachers' effort and constructive feedback on their performance, which accordingly enhances teachers' efficacy.Comments by two female fulltime teacher interviewees provided further insights into the importance of these factors: Interviewee 1: Teaching is a demanding job and teachers have to put much effort into their job and they expect others to understand this.When I am evaluated positively, it means that my hard work has been recognized and appreciated.Any encouragement and positive comments make me even work harder and improve my teaching practices.
Interviewee 2: Students' feedback on my teaching is very important and helps me identify the areas that need improvement because they sometimes want things to be explained differently.Three other top ranking extrinsic factors including 'job security', 'being fairly treated in my organization' and 'having clear rules and procedures (items 3, 9 and 11, respectively) have an organizational nature and are related to work benefits.
Employment status has been consistently reported as a main factor in motivating and retaining teachers (Kim & Kim, 2015;Yau, 2010).Transitioning from a part-time to a full-time position is not guaranteed, even after several years of service.Teachers with part-time status feel marginalized, discouraged, and being treated unfairly.One part-time teacher vividly expressed her feelings about these factors: Interviewee 3: After nearly five years of teaching at X institution, I still lack the feeling of belonging.I cannot feel fully satisfied with my profession unless I am hired as a full-time teacher.When you work as a part-time teacher you feel that the institution, parents, or even students do not take you seriously… you get less support from them and the fear of losing your job is always with you… this makes you emotionally exhausted.
Moreover, the EFL teachers reported that the quality of their performance was extensively dependent on 'having clear rules and procedures' (item 11).Even though schools in Iran are centralized and follow similar policies, certain rules and procedures are designated for specific schools.This can explain why a clear understanding of the rules is crucial for teachers to undertake their responsibilities.The importance of this factor was asserted by two of the teachers: Interviewee 2: I was teaching English at public schools for five years where the use of foreignpublished materials was forbidden.For a quite long time after I was hired at X school, I had no idea that I was allowed to use any complementary teaching material in class.
Interviewee 3: Knowing about the norms of an institution is important and it is by following clear and effective rules and procedures that teachers can ensure that their efforts are properly targeted towards maximizing positive learning outcomes and behaviors.
Rating 'having a friendly relationship with my student' as a very important extrinsic factor signified the value that teachers place on human relations and specifically positive studentteacher relationships, which has constructive effects on the professional and personal lives of teachers (Yau, 2010).The following remark underpinned the significance of this motivating factor.
Interviewee 1: there is trust between my students and I. they share their success with me, for example, when their team won a match, and we celebrated it together.
In addition to the six aforementioned factors, all the other 19 factors included in the questionnaire are rated as important.These factors are related to work autonomy (items 15, 10, 2 and 13), workload and working conditions (items 14, 5, 7, 6, 20 and 19), student and collegial relationship and support (items 18, 16, 21, 19, 24, 25 and 12), and salary and other benefits (1, 8 and 4).These findings suggest that what makes teachers motivated involves a wide array of extrinsic influences.
This study also addressed the EFL teachers' perception of the rewards in their profession.Table 2 indicates the Mean scores of all the rewards corresponding to each extrinsic motivation factor.As indicated, the Mean scores of all the rewards are lower than those of the motivating factors except for item 16 'I have good relationships with colleagues' (Mean = 4.37 vs 4.16) and item 17 'I have a good relationship with my students' (M = 4.67 vs 4.66), with rewards having a slightly higher Mean score than the corresponding rewards.Educational workplaces are social contexts where the relationship among students, teachers, and colleagues can foster the feeling of efficacy and contribute to teachers' job satisfaction (Kassabgy et al., 2001;Kim & Kim, 2022).
The result of t-tests indicates that the Mean difference between each extrinsic factor and its corresponding reward is statistically significant (P < .05)only in seven items.These include the first four factors rated as very important (items 23, 9, 22, and 3) including frequent feedback about the effectiveness of my performance from my students (M = 4.83 vs 4.13), being fairly treated in my organization (M = 4.76 vs 3.86), being evaluated positively by the person I report to (M = 4.70 vs 4.13), and job security (M = 4.66 vs 3.96) and three other factors with the least Mean scores rated as important (items 14, 1 and 13, respectively) including having contact with professionals in the field of English language teaching (M = 4.50 vs 4.06), earning a good salary (M = 4.46 vs 3.90), and being included in the goal-setting process (M = 4.26 vs 3.86).Generally, these ratings can be interpreted as even though teachers are satisfied with their profession, they do not get what they want, particularly concerning factors that have the most value for them.It is of note that 'Fringe benefits' (item 4) was the least-rated factor (M = 3.89) by the participants, but such benefits (e.g., more holidays) are yet considered important sources of motivation (Yau, 2010).
Of the seven pairs with significant Mean differences, two were frequently addressed by the teachers in the interview: 'Frequent feedback about the effectiveness of my performance from my students' and 'having contact with professionals in the field of English language teaching' (items 23 and 14).One teacher commented on the challenge of receiving feedback from students: Interviewee 1: I was given frequent feedback on my work, especially during the first years of my teaching profession as a pre-service teacher from teacher educators or my colleagues.However, what helps me more is the feedback that my students give me.Unfortunately, most students have no clear idea even about their own learning styles.They usually complain about some of my practices, but they suggest no other alternative, hum… and many are just indifferent.Certainly, if I know their needs, I can meet their learning needs better.
Another teacher emphasized the role of schools in teachers' training and professional development: Interviewee 2: Institutions want us to update our knowledge and teaching practices and one of the main ways of our professional development is to be in touch with experts in our field, but in practice, the high workload does not allow us to study and follow the current trends.I think the institutions themselves should take the initiative, hold workshops and invite experts in our field to help us.
The above quotations signify that teachers perceive professional growth as an integral part of their profession.Teachers feel more motivated if they are engaged in good teaching practices and professional development is a prerequisite for this (Guajardo, 2011).
Even though the mean scores of the corresponding rewards are generally lower than those of the extrinsic factors, the lack of significant difference concerning 18 items suggests that EFL teachers in general find their current jobs rewarding.These findings align with the findings of Yau's (2010) which indicated that the teachers were satisfied with half of the factors surveyed.Demotivating factors or the areas with a significant discrepancy between what teachers value and what they achieve in this investigation are consistent with those discovered in previous research (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011;Karavas, 2010;Sugino, 2010).

Intrinsic factors
This section reports on the EFL teachers' perceptions of seven intrinsic factors (items 26-32).Table 3 shows the Mean scores of these items and their corresponding rewards in descending order.Items 32 (4.89), 30 (4.76), and 29 (M = 4. 60) are rated as very important, whereas the four remaining intrinsic factors are rated as important.As indicated in Table 3, 'having a job that is enjoyable and stimulating' (item 32) with a Mean score of 4.89 is the highest-ranked factor among all the intrinsic and extrinsic factors.This is followed by 'really helping my students to learn English' (item 30), the second highly rated intrinsic factor (Mean = 4.76).The significance of these factors was pointed out by an interviewee: Interviewee 3: In my opinion, the most important factor is that you enjoy what you do.Teaching is a demanding job and requires those who are dedicated and committed.I love my job… Even though I'm a part-time teacher and my salary is not that high, I cannot wait to go to school every day to be among my colleagues and my students.My working environment is quite enjoyable and fun.Teaching English gives me a positive emotional state and pleasure.
EFL teachers' sense of self-fulfilment is enhanced by what they love to do (teaching English) (Pennington, 1995) and imparting knowledge to their students.
The next top-ranking intrinsic factor is 'being recognized for my teaching accomplishment' (item 29) with a Mean score of 4.60.Recognition of teachers' accomplishments is a strong driver for the persistence of action and reinforces the sense of value, as indicated in a comment made by one of the teachers: The above intrinsic factors all contribute to a teacher's development of self-efficacy (Dörnyei, 2001;Karavas, 2010) since they are proofs of teachers' teaching competencies and abilities.Teachers with a high sense of efficacy are more enthusiastic about their work, try harder to solve students' problems, and overall, display higher levels of job satisfaction.
Moreover, Table 3 shows the EFL teachers' perception of the rewards corresponding to the intrinsic factors.The mean scores of all the corresponding rewards are lower than those of the motivating factors.The results of the t-tests indicate that the Mean difference between each intrinsic factor and its corresponding reward is statistically significant (P < .05) in 4 (out of 7) factors.This represents a far greater discrepancy compared with the extrinsic factors where the Mean difference was significant in only six out of the 25 pairs (Table 2).These include the three factors rated as very important including 'having a job that is stimulating and enjoyable' (Mean = 4.89 vs 4.17), 'really helping my students to learn English' (Mean = 4.76 vs 4.56), 'being recognized for my teaching accomplishments' (M = 4.60 vs 4.06) and item 28 rated as important including 'having a challenging job' (Mean = 4.50 vs 4.13).Among these factors, a lack of a challenging job was mentioned by a teacher as a source of frustration and burnout.
Interviewee 1: I worked in a public school and had to follow a strict syllabus every day with no freedom to modify it.After a while, I realized that I didn't acquire something new and valuable through this kind of mechanical teaching!Teaching at this bilingual school is more interesting, but I still look for more challenging experiences that motivate me and give me the opportunity to use my full potential.
In line with the above quotation, Kassabgy et al. (2001) state that challenging jobs, such as teaching, encourage creativity, provide scope to learn, and allow one to perform to the best of one's ability.However, as suggested here, teaching in some educational contexts may not be as rewarding given the contextual characteristics of each setting.

Conclusion and Future Directions
Consistent with motivation theories, specifically the social-cognitive (Dörnyei, 2001;Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011) that underpinned this study, job satisfaction is affected by a wide array of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors and the extent to which these factors can improve teachers' self-efficacy and meet their social and professional expectations.EFL teachers were most internally driven by having a challenging and stimulating job, and externally by the social dimensions of their profession that involve communication with students, supervisors and experts in the field of English Language Teaching.However, they were dissatisfied with the intrinsic rather than the extrinsic factors.The findings also underlined the vulnerability of parttime teachers in terms of job security and thus embark on giving more attention to the psychological and emotional states of teachers.The implication of these findings at the institutional level is to create more opportunities for the professional development of teachers and to give them more autonomy to construct the syllabus based on the learners' needs.Such measures have the further advantage of giving teachers the message that they are treated with respect and that they are valuable members of the institutions to which they are affiliated.Moreover, supportive evaluations by teachers' supervisors are promising for increasing their professional motivation.Adopting new directions to support teachers not only leads to teacher's professional motivation, but also benefits other stakeholders involved specifically the students and related educational institutions and schools.
The findings of this study made a significant contribution to the existing knowledge on EFL teacher motivation in bilingual schools which is an understudied setting.Whilst EFL teachers are motivated by strong inner drivers, contextual factors were found to be significant determinants of EFL teachers' satisfaction.It appears that EFL teachers at a private bilingual school in Iran have more diverse, challenging and enriching experiences compared with their counterparts at public schools due to certain characteristics of the organizational culture, such as higher agency or autonomy in material selection and teaching style that are quite restricted in mainstream schools.Whilst addressing EFL teachers' motivation across different types of settings was not within the scope of this study, semi-structured interviews with the participants and reflections on their experiences in different contexts provided invaluable insights into this study.This confirms Dörnyei's (2001) comment that motivation is difficult to quantify; therefore, future research is recommended to incorporate qualitative measures to better capture the nuances that affect teacher motivation in different contexts.
Since the sample of the present study was Iranian EFL teachers at bilingual schools that limits the generalizability of findings.Future studies are advised to explore teacher motivation through different theoretical lenses and discover efficient ways of motivating EFL teachers for persistent and enhanced performance.In particular, researchers are encouraged to address EFL/ESL teacher motivation in Bilingual schools that represent a CLIL pedagogy (Mearns et al., 2020) because they are important sites to provide further insights into this research area.

Interviewee 2 :
I'm typically a very hard-working person and enjoy communicating with young learners… if I'm not recognized for what I'm doing, I feel frustrated and start questioning my worth.

Table 1 .
Demographics of the participants

Table 2 .
Descriptive and inferential statistics for extrinsic factors and the corresponding rewards

Table 3 .
Descriptive and inferential statistics for intrinsic factors and the corresponding rewards