The Interplay of Teacher Energy, Students’ Active and Passive Motivation, and Their Willingness to Attend Classes

Hossein Rahimi, Reza Pishghadam , Shaghayegh Shayesteh, Taqi Al Abdwani

doi:10.32038/ltrq.2026.54.09

European KnowledgeDevelopment Institute

Original Research

The Interplay of Teacher Energy, Students’ Active and Passive Motivation, and Their Willingness to Attend Classes

Language Teaching Research Quarterly, Volume 54, Pages 212-239, https://doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2026.54.09

Abstract
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This study examines the interplay of Teacher Energy (TE) on EFL students’ Active/Passive motivation and their willingness to attend classes (WTAC). The study included 300 Iranian EFL learners from various age groups and proficiency levels, who were assessed using already developed and validated scales for TE, Active/Passive Motivation (APM), and WTAC. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between TE, APM, and WTAC. Results indicated significant positive correlations, with TE having a more substantial influence on WTAC than on motivation. Also, TE was shown to directly and indirectly affect WTAC through APM, establishing motivation as a partial mediator. The findings show that teacher energy not only affects students’ class attendance but also enhances their motivation to learn. There were differences in age and gender: younger students (below 20 years) showed greater responsiveness to TE and motivation, while female students showed stronger cognitive/active motivation and greater willingness to attend than male students.

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Keywords

Teacher Energy; Active/Passive Motivation; Willingness to Attend Classes; Emotioncy; Teacher Concern

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Author(s) Information

Hossein Rahimi

Hossein Rahimi is a Ph.D. candidate in Psychology of Language Education. His research interests include cognitive psychology, interpersonal communication, artificial intelligence in education, and cognitive augmentation through AI. He holds an M.A. in Psychology of Language Education from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, where his work focused on motivational aspects of educational environments and teacher–student relationships. Rahimi currently serves as an adjunct university lecturer in Iran and has experience teaching English at language institutes. He has also collaborated on academic research projects in applied linguistics, language education, educational psychology, and AI-enhanced learning.

Reza Pishghadam

Reza Pishghadam is a Professor of Neuro-Emotional Aspects of Education and previously Professor by Courtesy of Educational Psychology. He is Emeritus Professor at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, holds an honorary professorship at Tashkent University of Economics and Pedagogy, and is affiliated with Gulf College, Oman. An internationally recognized scholar with over 200 publications and an H-index of 50, he has introduced concepts such as Emotioncy, Life Syllabus, Magnitude Thinking, and Cultuling, advancing interdisciplinary research globally through lectures, publications, and mentorship.

Shaghayegh Shayesteh

Shaghayegh Shayesteh is an Assistant Professor at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad specializing in the neurocognitive dimensions of language education. Her research focuses on cognitive processes involved in language learning, including multisensory learning, memory, attention, and vocabulary acquisition in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. She has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed publications in international journals, emphasizing innovative and evidence-based approaches to language education and cognitive learning processes. Her interdisciplinary work integrates neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and language pedagogy to advance understanding of how learners acquire, process, and retain language effectively.

Taqi Al Abdwani

Prof. Dr. Taqi Al Abdwani is an academic, researcher, and strategic leader specialising in human resources, finance, marketing, cognitive behaviour, higher education, and soft skills development. He holds a PhD from the University of Reading, UK, and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), and member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). He has held senior leadership roles at Gulf College Oman and the Oman Association for Quality in Higher Education. His research focuses on higher education quality, communication, cognitive development, organisational performance, and behavioural studies.

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

CRediT Authorship Contribution Statement

Hossein Rahimi: Investigation, Data Curation, Writing – Original Draft, Project administration

Reza Pishghadam (Corresponding Author): Conceptualization, Supervision, Methodology, Validation, Writing – Review & Editing

Shaghayegh Shayesteh: Investigation , Supervision , Formal Analysis , Writing – Review & Editing

Taqi Al Abdwani: Methodology , Validation , Writing – Review & Editing

Generative AI Use Disclosure Statement

The authors used generative AI technologies (Grammarly and ChatGPT by OpenAI) to help with style editing, paraphrasing, and improvements to the language. The final draft was carefully reviewed by all authors to ensure clarity and authenticity. Additionally, all content, data analysis, results, and conclusions are original.

Ethics Declarations

World Medical Association (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki–Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Participants

This study was conducted in accordance with established ethical guidelines. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection, and their confidentiality and anonymity were strictly ensured throughout the research process.

Competing Interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Data Availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.