EFL Teachers Research Articles

Critical Thinking and L2 Learning in the Persian Context: A Meta-analysis

Correlational studies are one of the rich literatures in Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) studies. In the present study, an attempt is made to provide a systematic review of the correlational studies of Critical Thinking (CT) and Second Language (L2) conducted in Iran. The studies were retrieved from both English and Persian indexing sources such as Google Scholar, Noormags, Civilica, and the Scientific Information Database (SID). Thus, the gray literature was not included. The risk of bias in this systematic review was considered and computed. This review followed the fixed stages of the statistical systematic review, and 77 effect sizes out of 53 published studies were identified. After eliminating seven outliers, 70 studies were included in the meta-analysis (N=9,120). The findings uncovered that CT and EFL learning had a remarkable relationship in Iran. The results covered that language proficiency is complex and requires further investigation and distinct L2 learning-related skills were moderators among the included studies. Based on the findings, EFL learners of Master of Arts (M.A.) levels showed higher associations with CT. Since this meta-analysis can be considered one of the pioneers in internationalizing CT in EFL education, this study might be a cornerstone for subsequent steps in the teaching and research of CT in Iranian EFL educational fields. However, the high heterogeneity and potential publication bias underscore the need for cautious interpretation and further research.

Acceptance Factors of Generative AI in EFL Teaching: A Pedagogical Perspective

<p>The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has brought abundant potentials and challenges to the educational sector. This study explores the acceptance and adoption of GenAI in English language and its pedagogical affordability for EFL instructors in tertiary level institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An exploratory sequential mixed method was utilized in this study to gain in-depth insights into the quantitative findings. The first quantitative phase recruited 256 EFL instructors in Saudi Arabia while the follow-up qualitative phase incorporated 17 interviewees. The findings of this study indicate that anthropomorphism, trust, ethics and regulations, and pedagogical affordability are significant determinants of instructors’ acceptance of GenAI. Conversely, instructors’ acceptance was not significantly influenced by communication capability of GenAI. Yet, there was no evidence of significant differences in GenAI acceptance or adoption due to demographic variables such as gender, age, and degree. The pedagogical affordances of GenAI appears to be the most acceptance factor specifically the productivity and efficiency that GenAI afford for instructors. The study recommends establishing ethical guidelines and embracing transparency and accountability to maintain academic integrity.</p>

Investigating the Changing Role of Technology for EFL Teaching in Saudi Arabia Amidst Pandemic

The COVID pandemic has resulted in overwhelming consequences in all fields of education. This global crisis posed challenges to teachers as well as all educational policy makers to prove their adaptability and resilience to the effects of technology on teaching and learning. This study aimed to establish that digital technologies, by making use of storytelling techniques, developed learners’ autonomy, creativity and thus led to learning effectiveness. The study also aimed to identify the extent to which technology made adverse effects on learners during the pandemic in an EFL environment in the Saudi Arabian context, and then endeavor to provide evidence of technology having made a big impact on teaching and learning. This qualitative study was carried out through a documentation survey and a revision of state-of-the-art literature comprising blind peer-reviewed empirical studies. Results reveal that, despite a common perception that technology made an adverse effect on teaching and learning, amidst pandemic, technology provided a large amount of learning opportunities in EFL teaching in the Saudi Arabian context. The implications of the study include providing insights about pedagogical adaptations and changing roles of teachers in an online learning environment.

The Development of Intercultural Competence for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language through an Instructional Design Project

Most teaching pedagogies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes prioritize linguistic skills development over exploring how cultural factors shape language interpretation. To address the gap, this study developed and evaluated an instructional design project using the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) motivational design model combined with critical pedagogy through computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools. The purpose of this research is to enhance EFL teachers’ intercultural competence. Multimedia resources were used to capture participants’ attention, and news articles were selected to connect to their lived experiences. Online forums were used to build their confidence, and intercultural activities provided satisfaction through practical engagement. Critical literacy pedagogy guided the design of questions to encourage EFL teachers to explore assumptions, challenge perspectives, and critically analyze language. Data from 16 EFL teachers’ questionnaires, online comments, and interviews indicated that task attractiveness and the online environment motivated EFL teachers to develop critical literacy skills. Future studies could explore additional strategies for integrating intercultural competence into EFL teaching and examine how cultural dynamics within groups influence online communication.

Effects of psychological need thwarting during COVID-19 remote instruction on Chinese, math, and EFL teachers' well-being and online teaching intentions.

The COVID-19 pandemic's "Great Online Transition" significantly impacted teachers. Existing research on Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) lacks longitudinal designs and consideration of subject-specific contexts. This study, using the Stressor-Strain-Outcome framework, investigates psychological needs thwarting (PNT) during ERT on teachers' well-being and online teaching intentions, considering subject of instruction as a potential factor. Data were collected from 1,369 Chinese primary and middle school teachers of Chinese literature, mathematics, and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at two time points: two weeks after ERT implementation (Time 1, mid-November 2021) and two months later, after returning to face-to-face teaching (Time 2, mid-January 2022). PNT, emotional exhaustion, psychological distress, and intention towards online teaching were evaluated. Among the types of PNT, competence thwarting emerged as the strongest predictor of emotional exhaustion, which was,in turn, associated with reduced online teaching intention and increased psychological distress. EFL teachers showed stronger associations between PNT, emotional exhaustion, and adverse outcomes, indicating higher susceptibility to strain during ERT. Subject of instruction, particularly for EFL teachers, significantly influences the relationship between PNT and teacher outcomes during ERT. Our findings underscore the need for subject-specific support strategies in online teaching environments.

Exploring a Collaborative Synchronous Online Learning Environment in an Initial Language Teacher Education Program

This qualitative study explores pre-service language teachers’ experiences in a collaborative synchronous online course in language teacher education program in Turkey. A course was designed to equip pre-service language teachers of English with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively incorporate technology into their teaching and self-learning practices. Adopting a generic qualitative inquiry design, data were collected over 14 weeks from 63 pre-service EFL teachers through weekly reflection papers, online surveys, and face-to-face follow-up semi-structured interviews. The study found that technology-enhanced collaborative online course had a positive influence on participants’ engagement, interaction, and professional development with participants perceiving the course experience positively. The findings suggest that collaborative online courses, when they are effectively taught, can be a valuable professional development opportunity in initial language teacher education programs.

An ecological approach to understanding the agency of novice EFL teachers without initial teacher education background

ABSTRACT Existing research extensively explores challenges faced by novice teachers with initial teacher education (ITE) backgrounds, whereas those without ITE exposure (non-ITE backgrounds) remain less investigated. Utilising the ecological model of teacher agency, this study examines the affordances and constraints encountered by English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers with non-ITE backgrounds during their first year at 12 Chinese state junior high schools. Thematic analysis of interviews with 21 purposively sampled participants reveals that non-ITE backgrounds pose constraints, such as limited pedagogical knowledge, perceived inadequacy by peers with ITE exposure, and professional identity crises. However, significant affordances were also identified, including broad knowledge bases from diverse academic backgrounds and varied internship experiences, high intrinsic motivation, and robust innovation capabilities. Implications for teacher education programmes and school administration are discussed, highlighting the need for tailored support mechanisms to address the unique challenges and leverage the strengths of teachers without ITE backgrounds.

Investigating Preparatory Year Saudi Students’ Preferences Towards Different Feedback Methods to Improve Their Writing in EFL Classrooms

This research aims to determine the most effective type of feedback for enhancing the writing skills of the students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Saudi Arabia. The study investigates preparatory year students' attitudes towards different feedback types, direct comments, indirect suggestions, and metalinguistic feedback. By analyzing the effectiveness of these feedback methods, educators can improve EFL education in Saudi Arabia. The research employs a mixed methods approach, involving interviews with seven teachers and a questionnaire administered to students. Findings from previous studies on feedback effectiveness were reviewed to provide insights for instructional practices. Ultimately, the study intends to provide valuable insights into the feedback methods employed in the EFL writing classes in Saudi Arabia. The findings show that teachers tend to prefer indirect feedback, while 75% of male students favor direct feedback and 66.7% of female students prefer metalinguistic feedback. However, indirect feedback was ranked as the second favorite type by both male students, who accounted for 15%, and female students, who accounted for 20%. Overall, indirect comments appear to be the most effective as they allow students to reflect on their mistakes and discover the correct answers, enhancing their learning experience. To establish more reliable and valid results, the researchers recommend repeating the study with a larger sample of participants.

The Impact of Vocabulary Clustering on Facilitating Vocabulary Development Among Saudi EFL Learners

The current study sought to investigate how organizing new vocabulary through semantic, ‎thematic, or unrelated sets could affect the learning process among Saudi EFL learners. The ‎majority of EFL teachers and materials writers seem to introduce and cluster new words according to a ‎particular type of semantic relationship (e.g., vegetables, body organs, car parts, or house parts) or a thematical relationship (e.g., a hotel room reservation, visiting a doctor's clinic, going to the post office, or at the train station). ‎Participants in the current research were 149 EFL students from the Preparatory Year Program (PYP) at Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMISIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The design of this study was a pretest-treatment and posttest-delayed post-test. Two ‎types of clustering of new vocabulary were explored: semantically related sets and semantically ‎unrelated sets, which were constructed to identify how organizing new vocabulary could affect ‎the learning process among Saudi EFL learners. The findings of the study showed that both semantically ‎related (SR) and semantically unrelated (SU) sets ‎ seemed to help in learning new words. Nonetheless, ‎those new words behaved differently one week after the treatment. Moreover, the SR group scored significantly better on both delayed tests than ‎their ‎counterparts. Furthermore, the study's outcomes failed to indicate any interfering effect of ‎teaching and studying semantically relevant terms simultaneously in an actual classroom setting.‎ This study concluded with recommendations for teaching and learning programs to ‎develop ‎students' conceptual understanding of organizing new vocabulary that affects the learning ‎process among Saudi EFL learner’s context.‎

Reading Assessment Literacy: Investigating Knowledge, Skills, and Conceptions of Chinese Junior High School EFL Teachers

Reading Assessment Literacy: Investigating Knowledge, Skills, and Conceptions of Chinese Junior High School EFL Teachers

Reflective practice as a tool for teacher education: a comparison between individual and peer reflection of Iranian EFL teachers

Reflective practice as a tool for teacher education: a comparison between individual and peer reflection of Iranian EFL teachers

Exploring the use of self-assessment in Chinese primary school EFL teaching: teachers’ perspectives and practices in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Jiangsu

Exploring the use of self-assessment in Chinese primary school EFL teaching: teachers’ perspectives and practices in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Jiangsu

Building a community of practice around a community of inquiry: an examination of EFL students' perceptions of a virtual internship

In response to the new policy of English department, the internship program has been shifted to virtual programmes. As part of this initiative, the university has collaborated with other educational sectors to offer a virtual English as a Foreign Language (EFL) internship programme aimed at training individuals as EFL teachers. The aim of the study was to investigate student perceptions of dynamic social structures and communities of practice in technologically mediated environments, particularly in relation to virtual internships. The authors recognised a gap in research regarding how EFL students create meaningful learning experiences and how they build their practical knowledge in mediated communication environments. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. 50 students comprised the study subjects. The data were collected from multiple sources: interviews, students’ reflections, and community of inquiry and practice survey instruments. The findings revealed that an unprepared virtual environment led to social anxiety and challenges related to real-world work experience. The study suggests that evidence-based interventions in technologically mediated, virtual learning environments can help to resolve study findings with this goal: fostering a sense of belongingness and community that can promote effective remote interactions between learners and their teachers to ensure that internships serve students best.

Unraveling University EFL Teachers’ Feedback Beliefs in Teaching English Argumentative Writing

ABSTRACTTeachers’ beliefs about feedback can affect both the way they provide feedback and its effectiveness in improving students’ writing proficiency. However, research remains scant on belief–practice relationships. This study attempted to fill the gap by investigating such relationships with a sample of 112 Chinese university EFL teachers in teaching argumentative writing. Data were collected through a writing feedback beliefs and practices questionnaire, an argumentative writing teaching beliefs questionnaire, and semi‐structured interviews. The participants were selected using convenience sampling from six universities in Northern China. Quantitative data were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis, multiple regression, and repeated measures ANOVA to examine the characteristics of these teachers’ writing feedback beliefs and the relationships between the beliefs and relevant practices. Qualitative data from the interviews were analyzed thematically to gain deeper insights into the belief–practice relationships. Results indicated that most teachers believed their feedback was crucial for improving students' argumentative writing, particularly regarding communicative purposes, discourse organization, linguistic expressions, argument construction, and rhetorical techniques. However, a discrepancy was noted between teachers' feedback beliefs and their practices, especially concerning linguistic expressions. These findings highlight the need for targeted support to better align teachers' feedback beliefs with their practices for more effective teaching of EFL writing.

Applications and Research Gaps of LLM-based English-as-a-foreign-language Education

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education is crucial in today’s globalized world. With the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) over the past few years, educators continuously investigate how to use them to improve EFL educational methods. This article reviews the studies on integrating LLMs with EFL speaking and writing education from 2020 to 2024. It separately summarizes current LLMs’ strengths and weaknesses in improving EFL learner’s skills and learning motivation. This research demonstrates a promising future of applying LLMs in EFL education because of their strong abilities of immediate feedback generation and no-stress communication environment creation. However, they also find their shortages like superficial incorrect feedback. The research gaps in these areas are also analyzed based on these articles, which include uneven participants, the lack of differentiated investigation on samples with different ages and education levels, and the lack of research on various LLMs.

Approaches and Benefits of Teaching English through Literature Curriculum at Myanmar Universities: Insights from Stakeholders

The curriculum serves as a fundamental bridge between teachers and students, fostering an effective learning environment. This qualitative research investigates the pedagogical approaches employed by English literature teachers and evaluates the perceived benefits of using an English literature curriculum in EFL classrooms of Myanmar. The study involved 27 English literature teachers, six government officials, and three local business leaders through interviews, classroom observations, and focus group discussions. Four primary teaching approaches were identified: Paraphrastic, Information-Based, Language-Based, and Integrated Approaches. These methodologies are specifically designed to meet the diverse needs of students, thereby enriching their educational experiences. The research employed purposive sampling to select participants and conducted thematic analysis on the collected data through content and document analysis. The findings underscore the significance of integrating various literature genres, such as prose fiction, short stories, novels, poetry, and drama, into language education. This integration not only enhances language proficiency but also fosters critical thinking and cultural awareness among students. The study highlights the importance of a multifaceted approach to teaching literature, which can cater to different learning styles and preferences. To advance research in EFL education and pedagogy, future studies should focus on investigating specific pedagogical approaches, assessing the impact of digital technologies, and conducting longitudinal studies to deepen the understanding of literature’s role in language learning. The insights from this study provide valuable implications for curriculum developers, educators, and policymakers in enhancing the effectiveness of literature-based language education.

Exploring Students’ Flipped Learning Experiences in an Undergraduate English Debate Course: Qualitative Insights for Innovative EFL Teaching in China

Exploring Students’ Flipped Learning Experiences in an Undergraduate English Debate Course: Qualitative Insights for Innovative EFL Teaching in China

Teaching grammar to elementary level Saudi EFL learnersTeaching Grammar to Elementary Level Saudi EFL Learners: Blending Theory and Practice

Grammar as a system of language has been a central component of most EFL teaching programmes. Modern day approaches to teaching grammar are premised on its potential in developing the discourse competence of the students in social, academic and professional contexts. The present study was designed to involve a theoretical review of the teaching of grammar in EFL contexts as well as an observation of a real-time classroom teaching to see how theoretical underpinnings were realized in actual practice. The observer’s report and the teacher’s post lesson reflections revealed that a contextualized focus on form, meaning, and use was crucial in helping students to comprehend the target grammar for its meaning making potential. The findings are expected to be useful to EFL practitioners as well as researchers interested in exploring further areas of grammar instruction from a practical perspective.

Blended Learning for Skill Development in EFL Teacher Preparation

Background: Blended learning, which integrates online and face-to-face instruction, is increasingly essential in teacher education, especially for English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Gap: Research is limited on its specific effectiveness in building EFL pedagogical skills. Aim: This study examines whether blended learning better supports teaching success for EFL prospective teachers than traditional methods. Results: Blended and face-to-face methods equally boost educational success, but the blended approach better prepares future teaching skills. Novelty: This study reveals blended learning's unique value in EFL teacher preparation. Implications: Institutions should adopt blended learning to enhance adaptive teaching skills for modern classrooms. Highlights: Blended learning enhances teaching skills by combining online and face-to-face methods. This approach uniquely prepares EFL teachers for modern, adaptive classrooms. Institutions should integrate blended models for effective teacher development. Keywords: Blended Learning, EFL Teacher Training, Pedagogical Skills, Educational Success, Hybrid Teaching

Nurturing Beginning EFL Teachers’ Sense of Plausibility in Teaching Through Formal Coursework: A Qualitative Case Study

Nurturing Beginning EFL Teachers’ Sense of Plausibility in Teaching Through Formal Coursework: A Qualitative Case Study