VietTESOL International Convention 2026

This study investigated English teachers’ motivation in implementing gamification in language classrooms through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). It aimed to explore how different types of motivation influenced teachers’ use of gamification and to identify the internal and external factors shaping these motivational patterns. A qualitative research design was adopted, involving asynchronous interviews with eight English teachers working at private language centers. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis tool named QDA Miner Lite. The findings indicated that teachers’ motivation was largely shaped by external regulation, particularly institutional expectations, time constraints, and classroom conditions. Although intrinsic motivation was present, it tended to be reactive and dependent on students’ engagement. Identified regulation emerged as the dominant driver, suggesting that gamification was mainly used as a pedagogical tool to support learning rather than as an intrinsically valued practice. However, the limited presence of integrated regulation showed that gamification had not been fully internalized into teachers’ professional beliefs. In addition, a lack of competence, including limited technological skills and insufficient training, contributed to amotivation. Results were discussed, and implications for enhancing teachers’ motivation in implementing gamification, along with recommendations for future research, were presented.