English As Foreign Language Teachers Research Articles

Exploring the relationship between emotional intelligence and emotion regulation: Evidence from junior high school EFL teachers in China

Teachers' emotional intelligence (EI) and emotion regulation (ER), as protective factors against stressful situations, play active roles in promoting teachers' well-being and sense of teaching self-efficacy. However, few studies have touched on the linkage between these two variables, which, to some extent, has hindered the in-depth exploration of their functions in teachers' professional development. To address this gap, the current study examined the EI and ER of 474 junior high school English as foreign language (EFL) teachers in China via a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. With the aid of SPSS 26.0, the data collected through the questionnaire were coded, computed, and analysed. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to report the levels of EFL teachers' EI and ER and the correlation between them. The semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the data were subsequently analysed. The results indicate a positive correlation between EFL teachers' EI and ER. The detailed statistics display that all dimensions of EI were positively and significantly correlated with all dimensions of ER. The results further explain the relationship between teachers' EI and ER in an EFL context. Practical implications are put forward concerning the development of EI and ER competencies.

Qualitative Analysis of English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ Job Satisfaction in Ningxia, China

Job satisfaction is the positive expressive feedback and attitudes workers have toward their jobs. It is viewed as a very significant issue within all types of establishments. But there is limited research exploring job satisfaction in the educational context, and as such, there is a deficiency in the understanding of the issues that particularly affect university English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions about their job satisfaction. Therefore, this study explored, within the precinct of Herzberg (1959) theory, the EFL teachers job satisfaction in Ningxia, China. A purposive sampling design was used to select 10 informants chosen from Ningxia in China while series of in-depth interviews were conducted and data analyzed thematically using NVIVO software. The study analysis, assessed job satisfaction through multiple facets that revealed job satisfaction as depending basically upon what the university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers in Ningxia, China gets from their job. Thus, it is recommended that the management of university where English as a Foreign Language are taught should set in motion strategies to sustain the current situation. Similarly, future researchers should extent the focus of job satisfaction research to low socioeconomic countries in relation to intrinsic values.

Examining Chinese EFL learners’ online self-regulated learning: A mixed-methods approach

This mixed-methods study examined Chinese English-as-foreign-language (EFL) learners' online self-regulated learning (SRL) within Zimmerman and Moylan's (2009) SRL Model. It first investigated the learners' online SRL through validating the Chinese version of the Online Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire (COSLQ) via confirmatory factor analysis and descriptive analysis with a sample of 422 participants. Then with the assistance of ChatGPT in coding the learners' responses to semi-structured interviews with a deductive thematic analysis approach, it explored factors impacting the learners' online SRL. Results show that the Chinese EFL learners did not actively engage in online SRL. Their lack of competence in using the SRL strategies under investigation and the negative influence of the online learning setting were the two main factors affecting their online SRL. The study adds empirical evidence in support of Zimmerman and Moylan's (2009) SRL Model and enhances our understanding of SRL in the context of foreign language education. Pedagogical and methodological implications of the study for improving EFL teaching, learning and researching are also discussed.

English teachers’ beliefs and practices in integrating digital literacy in the language classroom

This case study investigates teachers’ beliefs (i.e., behavioral, normative, and control beliefs) and practices in integrating digital literacy in English as foreign language (EFL) classroom. A descriptive study on EFL teachers is used in this research. Four participants were purposively selected to give sufficient information to answer the research questions. Data from the participants were collected by using interviews, observation, and documentation. In terms of the teachers’ beliefs, the finding shows that the behavioral belief was related to the benefits of using digital literacy; normative belief dealt with the expectation in the social context of both superiors and peers; while control belief was about the availability of particular digital technology to be implemented in the classroom and the ability of teachers. With regard to the teachers’ practices, it was found that the teachers used several digital tools for searching for information, communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, cultural understanding, and e-safety. It was evident that teachers’ strong beliefs in integrating digital literacy influence the implementation of digital literacy in the classroom. The findings of this study highlight the importance of cultivating teachers’ beliefs toward the actual implementation of the integration of digital literacy in the EFL classroom.

Adopting photovoice to explore teachers’ experiences in online teaching

<span lang="EN-US">The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has caused a rapid and massive change in the education sector across the world and left no choice to teachers to maintain their status quo. As a country with very diverse geographical and technological conditions, Indonesia has felt the severe impact of this pandemic. This study explores how Indonesian English as foreign language (EFL) teachers struggle to adapt to the online teaching process, identifies the challenges they encountered during the online teaching and learning process, and investigates their strategies in coping with the associated challenges to ensure the learning objectives were achieved. This study employed photovoice as a visual research methodology to capture the new phenomena and answer the research objectives by inviting four English teachers from three different islands, Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi to share their experiences and strategies for survival. The results indicated that Indonesian EFL teachers suffered from challenging experiences, including the trial and error of learning management system (LMS) choice, and were confronted with unpleasant feedback from the students. This study also identified poor internet connection and low online student participation as the main issues. To deal with such problems, especially with low student participation, they viewed disadvantaged situations as a trigger to improve their creativity.</span>

“I’ve just lived inside a tumble dryer”: a narrative of emotion labour, (de)motivation, and agency in the life of a language teacher

Abstract Tensions between external sources of power and internal feeling rules in the workplace, i.e., emotion labour, can have a profound effect on professional dimensions. The purpose of this article is to report on a study that explored a secondary language teacher’s emotion labour and its influence on her professional (de)motivation and agency. Framed in narrative inquiry, this longitudinal study collected data through narrative interviews and drawings between February 2020 and March 2022. The participant was an EFL (English as foreign language) teacher who held teaching posts at three different state secondary schools and a private language centre in Argentina. During this period, the teacher grappled with emergency online teaching due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lengthy teacher strikes. Drawing on analysis of the short stories constructed from the narrative interviews, the tensions between external and internal feeling rules and their interplay with (de)motivation and agency are chronologically mapped out.

Professional development of english foreign language teachers in Indonesia: non-english educational background

The paper reports on the results of a study aiming to analyze the teachers’ perception of their professionalism in teaching English as non-English education graduates as well as the challenges that are faced by the teachers. The data were collected from observation and interview with two English teachers of the Senior High School in Subang, West Java, Indonesia. The data were analyzed by a qualitative method through three steps: reduction, display and conclusion. From the interview result, two teachers have similar perceptions of professionalism in teaching. They believed that professional development can be improved by joining some events and programs in an effort of developing their pedagogical competence such as seminars, workshops, short courses or teacher training related to teaching in order to develop their knowledge of teaching methods. Meanwhile, the observation results show that both teachers have not applied all practical professional development activities in their classrooms, such as the implementation of lesson study is not achieved well and the teachers are not familiar with self-reflection. The result highlighted from two teachers’ perceptions of being professional that they are consciously confident that professionalism is undeniable for the sake of students’ achievement in learning English by having various of professional development courses or trainings. In conclusion, the researcher assumed that their teaching English professionalism could be developed as long as they have taught English skills which can be reinforced by some experiences in teaching English, applying pedagogical knowledge and attending teacher’s programs that can improve their competence in teaching.

EFL teachers’ engagement: The impact of well-being and emotion regulation

As foreign language education is a challenging and complex activity, investigating the factors that influence English as foreign language (EFL) teachers' engagement may be an interesting area of research. In this field, teachers' engagement is considered an important factor related to people's perception of work. With the emergence of Positive Psychology (PP), and with regard to the role of constructive emotion variables in teachers' engagement, more attention was paid to the practical aspects of life, and it views well-being as a crucial concern for individuals' success. Emotion regulation (ER), as another emotional trait, is noteworthy as it aids in managing the favorable and unfavorable emotions educators commonly encounter in educational settings. Therefore, the constructs of well-being and emotion regulation and their role in the EFL setting have been highlighted. Therefore, the current study sought to assess the effects of well-being and emotion regulation in EFL teachers' engagement. To this end, 410 Chinese EFL teachers were chosen to complete three scales, namely engagement, well-being and ER. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was run to inspect the responses of the teachers. The results specified that both ER and well-being had significant impacts on the engagement of Chinese EFL teachers. Indeed, 65 percent of changes in the EFL educators' engagement can be predicted by their well-being, and about 73 percent can be predicted by their emotional regulation. The consequences for EFL instructors, teacher trainers, and other academic stakeholders are also presented in detail.

English Foreign Language Teachers’ Perception on The Use of Information and Communication Technology in Teaching English at SMKN 3 Langsa

This study aimed to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' perceptions of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use in the English language teaching and learning process. The main purpose of this article is to explore the challenges of teacher face in using ICT. Two experienced teachers, recognized for their ICT integration, selected as the research subjects at SMK Negeri 3 Langsa. Employing a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design, data was collected through semi-structured interview. The findings reveal that both teachers acknowledge the positive role of ICT in enhancing teaching efficiency, student engagement, and diversifying learning resources. Despite encountering technical challenges, such as network disruptions, both teachers advocate for continuous teacher training, increased investment in ICT infrastructure, and innovative research to optimize ICT integration in English language teaching, ultimately contributing to a more effective learning environment.

Investigating the Perceptions of Saudi EFL Supervisors and Teachers towards the Effect of Post-Observation Conferences on Teachers’ Professional Development through Assessing Teachers’ Reflection

This study investigated the effect of the post-observation conferences conducted by supervisors on teachers’ professional growth through assessing teachers’ reflection as an important type of thought. The sample consisted of 30 Saudi EFL (English Foreign Language) female participants divided into 10 supervisors and 20 teachers. Structured interviews were used to investigate the participants’ perceptions towards those supervisory meetings. The data analysis asserted that the participants stated that the post-observation meetings contribute to teacher professional development through practicing the reflective teaching, but in the way they understand the term ‘reflection’. This misunderstanding by some is due to the fact that they were not familiar with the proper meaning of reflection. Consequently, the teachers cannot reflect appropriately and critically upon their practices.

Focus on Form Approach in English Foreign Language Teaching

Focus on Form Approach in English Foreign Language Teaching

Focus on Form Approach in English Foreign Language Teaching

Focus on Form Approach in English Foreign Language Teaching

The role of teacher assessment literacy in job stress and job burnout in EFL contexts: a mixed-methods investigation

Reviewing the literature reveals that the role of teacher assessment literacy (TAL) in teacher job stress (TJS) and teacher job burnout (TJB) among English as foreign language (EFL) teachers in Iran has remained largely unexplored. As a result, this mixed-methods study investigated the association between TAL, TJS, and TJB in the Iranian EFL context. For the quantitative section, 413 EFL teachers, including 221 males and 192 females, were randomly selected. They completed the Teacher Assessment Literacy Questionnaire, the Teacher Job Stress Scale, and the Teacher Job Burnout Inventory, and the data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. For the qualitative part, 18 EFL teachers who joined the quantitative part participated in a focus group interview, and their responses were analyzed through a content analysis approach. Results indicated that TAL is a strong predictor of TJS and TJB. Specifically, the findings indicated that TAL was positively linked to all the sub-scales of TJS and TJB. Additionally, the complementary qualitative results yielded four themes: TAL promotes job productivity, TAL raises teachers’ social face, TAL enables teachers to manage the class efficiently, and TAL brings positive wash-back. The findings suggest that TAL, TJS, and TJB should be incorporated in pre-service and in-service teacher training courses in EFL education.

An Analysis of Sumbawa Vocational High Schools English Foreign Language Teachers’ English Proficiency

The aim of the study is to analyze the English proficiency of VHSs EFL teachers in Sumbawa. In Indonesia, English is considered a foreign language and a mandatory subject that has to be taught at schools. Especially at Vocational High School (VHS), neither current nor official records of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ proficiency levels exists in our national databases (Yusuf and Novita, 2020). It could be argued that many English teachers in Indonesian schools fall under the category of less-skilled professionals with the lack of adequate competences to teach the language (Renandya, Hamid, & Nurkanto, 2018). The participants of the study consisted of 30 VHSs EFL Teachers of Sumbawa. The data collected using TOEFL like test, and it was analyzed in thre steps; correcting the TOEFL score, converting it into CEFR level, and intepreting the data. The results of the study show that the English proficiency of the VHSs EFL teachers is range from A1 to B1 which the majority of the participating teachers’ language proficiency are still at the CEFR A2 level. Regarding the strong points, it shows that the participants perform better at listening comprehension compared to the other two sets of skills tested. Based on the analysis of their numbers of correct answers, SWE section seemed to be a weak point for nearly every participant.

Investigating Iranian English language teachers' wellbeing across their career stages.

This study aims to investigate the wellbeing of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers across their career stages in terms of teaching experience. In this regard, the study categorized teachers into three groups based on their experience: novice, experienced, and highly experienced. Using a quantitative and cross-sectional survey design, this study employed a validated scale to measure psychological wellbeing, positive perception about self and life, goal setting and time management, and positive relationships among teachers. Using a convenience sampling procedure, 182 teachers participated in the study, representing varying age ranges, teaching experience, and employment status. The data was collected through an online survey within a month and underwent descriptive and inferential statistical analyses using SPSS software. The results revealed significant differences in the wellbeing of language teachers across experience groups. More specifically, novice teachers scored lower in various wellbeing dimensions than experienced and highly experienced teachers. These findings emphasize the importance of considering career stages when investigating teachers' professional wellbeing. The findings also contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between teaching experience and wellbeing, with implications for supporting the EFL teachers' wellbeing and informing educational policies and practices. The study results are discussed, and the related implications are provided for running professional development courses to enhance teachers' wellbeing.

An Investigation on the Effectiveness of English Teachers Training Programs in Morocco: English Teaching Internship Initiative as a Case Study

Once they graduate, many students seek job opportunities in other domains such as engineering, medicine, management, etc. On the other hand, students with an interest in the field of teaching look for different training programs to develop their skills and knowledge. In Morocco, teachers undergo various sets of training before actually becoming teachers. Some of this training occurs in governmental institutions like Centre Régionales des Métiers de l’Education et de la Formation, whereas others opt for partnership programs like the English Teaching Internship Initiative. The English Teaching Internship Initiative (ETII) is an educational program that aims to provide potential teachers with a practical teaching opportunity. In this program, the involved participants receive real-world teaching experience and pedagogical training provided by experienced educators. As a result, trainees enhance their classroom management, lesson planning, assessment skills, and techniques. The beneficiaries, then are supposed to be immersed voluntarily in their local communities to gain valuable skills and experiences, enhance their resumes, and make a positive influence on their professional development and the student’s learning outcomes. The aim of this article was to examine and evaluate the impact of the English Training Internship Initiative program on English Foreign Language teachers in Morocco.

Inclusion of English for specific purposes in high school tracks: A Saudi context

English for specific purposes was created to meet the needs of a language for the purpose of carrying out all growing businesses and occupational functions, as well as accessing all kinds of scientific knowledge. The current study looks at the possibility of including an English for Specific Purposes (henceforth ESP) course in high school tracks. It also looks into factors such as the outcomes of ESP-trained general English instructors, appropriate materials and skills for teaching ESP, the pedagogical environment and teaching approaches of ESP, as well as the future of general English as ESP becomes more common. Through an eleven-item Likert scale survey and structured interviews conducted with four English language teachers, 135 English foreign language teachers were surveyed, and quantitative and qualitative data were collected. According to most participants, the inclusion of ESP in high school tracks will provide students with the vocabulary and structure they need to succeed in college. While ESP is considered an extension of general English (henceforth GE), its pedagogical environment and teaching approach differ, which means teachers should be trained in science, medical terms, and pedagogical aspects of ESP instruction to motivate their students and make them more enthusiastic about the subjects they will study in professional colleges after they have completed high school.

Implementation of a community of inquiry in teaching English as a foreign language in secondary schools: A literature review

Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s community of inquiry (CoI) pedagogical framework for online distance learning is receiving greater attention as the COVID-19 takes place. Primary research concerns the researcher with English as a second language (ESL) instruction and acquisition English as a foreign language (EFL). More specifically, the study looked at 27 EFL-related articles from 133 published between 2011 and 2021 in respected journals that used the framework to teach languages. This study focused on the theoretical and practical applications of the framework in the field of foreign language distance teaching and learning that incorporates the use of information and communication of technology (ICT). It was concluded from the study’s findings that implementing the framework in secondary schools had little impact. Research suggests that the framework can be used in teaching English as foreign language (TEFL) and it is associated with improved language proficiency. Teachers must adapt to the distant learning pedagogical framework and its supporting technology, according to this study. The paper also advocates for further research into how the framework may be applied in secondary school.

The bumpy road of assessment for learning during pandemic of COVID-19

A worldwide discussion about the practice of assessment for learning (AfL) in online classes during the pandemic COVID-19 is scarce. The current research can have a significant impact on teaching and learning practices, and contribute to the development of evidence-based policies and practices that support student success. Thus, the current study aimed at exploring English teachers’ AfL practice in online classes. This study belonged to a basic qualitative approach and recruited four English foreign language or EFL teachers from the secondary school level. Observation and semi-structured interviews using an interview guide were conducted to gain the data. To ensure the trustworthiness of the data, other documents were collected. Subsequently, utilizing the spiral strategy, the gained data were analyzed. The results revealed that the implementation of AfL deviated from the course. Insufficient knowledge, curriculum, internet accessibility, and technological acceptance are pivotal causes of such deviation. Thus, teachers might not diagnose students’ current learning level and decide on a further teaching action. Further studies on other educational levels are demanded to explore the practice of AfL.

Students’ and Lecturers’ Perspectives on the Qualities of an Effective English Language Teacher at Al-Balqa Applied University in Jordan: A Comparative Study

The study aimed to compare the perspectives of English Foreign Language (EFL) students and English instructors in Jordan on the characteristics of effective English instructors. The researcher selected (250) students and 25 English instructors randomly from different English departments at Al-Balqa Applied University. The researcher designed a questionnaire of 57 questions according to the Likert Scale and distributed it to the participants of the study to know their responses. The data were analyzed to determine differences between the students' and the teachers' responses toward the characteristics of a good teacher. In general, the results of the study indicated that the students and teachers placed a high level of importance on four categories of the questionnaire included in the survey. The students gave the highest ranking to ethics and personality, class management and discipline followed by academic quality and English proficiency, and pedagogical knowledge and planning. This contrasted with the teachers, who ranked academic quality, English proficiency, class management and discipline the highest followed by pedagogical knowledge and planning and ethics and personality. There were significant differences between the responses of teacher participants and student participants on many items of the survey. The study provided several implications for future research for example adopting the qualities of effective EFL teachers mentioned in the study in the process of teaching and learning English and other languages.