English Teachers Research Articles

Pedagogizing Identity in Teacher Education Through Critical Autoethnographic Narrative

In this study, I report on my use of critical autoethnographic narrative (CAN) writing with English language teacher candidates (TCs) in a graduate-level teacher education course. In that iterative, scaffolded writing activity, I coached TCs to construct their teacher identity in narrative and make visible to themselves ideologies dominant in the sociopolitical context of language teaching. Drawing data from my CAN implementation in Spring 2023, I analyze Pamela's (pseudonym) case to address this research question: How does she construct her English language teacher identity in a semester-long CAN writing activity? The qualitative data analysis demonstrates that Pamela's language teacher identity involved: (a) becoming a social justice advocate, (b) grappling with neurodiversity, and (c) positioning language as an evolving local contextualized practice. Based on her positioning of language, she denies ‘one right way’ approach to language use, ‘teaching as correcting errors’ approach, and ‘assessment as gatekeeping’ approach as part of her teacher identity. Pamela's CAN shows that the personal, professional, and political dimensions of language teaching are intricately intertwined in teacher identity, and that teacher identity construction involves tensions of competing ideologies in the sociopolitical context.

A Netnographic Study on The Reasons Why People Fail to Learn English

In a global and digital world, learning a language, especially English is essential for people to keep up with the developments in science, business, technology, etc. Despite starting to learn English early, students might not always reach desired proficiency levels. Therefore, the present study aims to find out some of the reasons why people fail to learn English. Employing a netnographic approach, the researchers examined asynchronous comments posted in online communities on a social media platform. Within the scope of this study, 198 comments answering the question of why people fail to learn English were obtained from three online groups of English language teachers on Facebook. The findings show that 154 out of 198 comments aimed to answer the question. They were analyzed through content analysis, which revealed that there are educational, social, personal, and linguistic reasons why people fail to learn English. Educational reasons were among the most mentioned reasons by the members of the communities. In addition, the analysis indicates a balanced representation of linguistic and personal factors, with social factors slightly less prominent in comparison. Considering the existing literature review, several implications are highlighted to overcome the difficulties and challenges of learning English. Finally, this study is limited by its reliance on Facebook posts collected within a specific timeframe; future research could enhance depth and scope by incorporating longitudinal methods, diverse social media platforms, and in-depth interviews.

Digital Learning Environment in Training Future Kazakhstani English Teachers

Digital Learning Environment in Training Future Kazakhstani English Teachers

An Analysis of Deixis Used by an English Teacher at Methodist Junior High School, Banda Aceh

The English teacher uses English to deliver the material. This delivery process can cause misunderstandings among students due to their different backgrounds in English comprehension. In this regard, this study wants to find out whether, in the delivery of material in the classroom, the teacher uses the element of deixis in each of her speech during the learning process. This study aims to discover the types and dominant types of deixis used by the English teacher at Methodist Junior High School Banda Aceh. This research uses a qualitative research design to investigate deixis in the utterances of an English teacher at Methodist Junior High School Banda Aceh. To collect the data, the researcher used documentation. The result of this study showed that all types of deixis proposed by Cruse (2000) are found in the English teacher’s utterances in the classroom. There are 265 words that have deixis, including 184-person deixis, 27 spatial deixis, 11 discourse deixis, 39 temporal deixis, and 4 social deixis. It can be said that person deixis is the most frequently used by English teachers at Methodist Junior High School Banda Aceh. Summarily, it is evident that the English teacher at Methodist Junior High School Banda Aceh applied Cruse’s theory to types of deixis.

Teachers’ Interaction with Prescribed Teaching Materials: Evaluation, Adaptation and Exploitation

In recent years, material development in English language teaching has received growing attention, yet the interaction between English language teachers and prescribed teaching materials remains an under-researched area. This study aims to address this issue and contribute to the understanding of teachers’ agency in their interactions with prescribed textbooks. The study addresses this gap by exploring how five high school English teachers in two major cities in southern and southwestern China interact with prescribed textbooks within the curriculum policy context. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis, the study investigates teachers’ evaluation, adaptation, and exploitation of materials, revealing that while teachers exercise agency in material development, both textbook structure and external factors contribute to the deprofessionalisation of teachers. The findings underscore the complex relationship between a standardised curriculum and teachers’ context-sensitive practices, highlighting the need for flexible textbook designs and more supportive administrative practices to better facilitate teacher agency in classroom material use.

English language Teachers’ and EFL Students’ perceptions of oral errors and corrective feedback in a rural institution

This study explores the perception that English language teachers and students hold of errors and corrective feedback in oral communication. To collect data for this qualitative study semi-structured interviews were conducted with two English language teachers and five beginner English language students. The findings in this study provide evidence that teachers hold general knowledge about error correction and know how to provide corrective feedback. However, there may be factors that limit the implementation of corrective feedback in the workplace. As regards the decision-making process about corrective feedback, students and teachers keep different perspectives

An Analysis of Classroom Management Conducted by the English Teacher at a Private Islamic Junior High School

This study investigates the classroom management strategies of an English teacher at a private Islamic Junior High School in Sidoarjo, focusing on time and space management, student behavior, and instructional strategies. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in creating a conducive learning environment. Observations were conducted during two meetings on May 28 and 29, 2024, using an observation checklist based on McLeod, Fisher, and Hoover's classroom management theory. Additionally, an interview with the teacher provided further insights. The results revealed that the teacher effectively managed classroom time and space, scoring 50% in both sessions. However, student behavior management could have been more effective, with scores of 45% and 50% in the respective meetings. Instructional strategies were also limited, with scores of 40% in both meetings. The study highlights a well-organized classroom environment but points to areas for improvement, including enhancing behavior management techniques and incorporating diverse instructional strategies. The implications suggest a need for more dynamic and responsive approaches to classroom management, including integrating technology and fostering personal connections with students to improve engagement and learning outcomes.

The mediational role of ‘teacher guides’ in TESOL: teachers’ reported practices on scaffolding, appropriation, and self-regulation

ABSTRACT In the field of TESOL, teacher guides are widely used resources providing instructional support and guidance to English language teachers. Drawing upon Vygotskian sociocultural theory, this research explored how novice language teachers perceive the mediational roles of these artifacts in shaping their teaching practices and the affordances and constraints they attribute to them. Through examination of semi-structured interview data, this qualitative study uncovered that teacher guides function as potent scaffolding tools, providing teachers with procedural, instructional, and emotional support. However, despite these scaffolds, the teachers expressed their apprehensions regarding their excessive dependence on guides and their limited accommodation of diverse classroom dynamics and student needs. The teachers indicated their practice of appropriation, where they adapted teacher guide content to suit the sociocultural milieu of their classrooms and the diverse cognitive and affective needs of their students. Additionally, the teachers mentioned a gradual transition toward self-regulated teaching, where they rely more on personal expertise and creativity and less on teacher guides. This study contributes to our understanding of the complex dynamics and dual agency between teachers and teacher guides, emphasizing the need for more inclusive and reflective pedagogical resources to support teachers’ growth and autonomy.

Potentiality of Mother Tongue Instruction and Multilingual Education Approach to Teaching English at Primary Level

The objectives of this study were to explore the participants’ lived experiences on medium of instruction while teaching English in the classrooms and to explore the participants’ lived experiences on Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education approach to teaching English at primary level. Phenomenological research design was employed to complete this study. A set of questionnaires, interviews and discussion were the major research tools and three primary level English teachers were the sample population of this study. Phenomenological interviews and a set of questionnaires were used to collect the data. The collected data were transcribed, translated, coded and interpreted and analyzed thematically. The result of this study shows that a suitable medium of instruction is the most important factor and MTB-MLE approach is an effective approach to teach English language for the children of ethnic group people at pre-primary level. This study has implications for social change as teachers who engage in collaboration with colleagues and reflective practice will positively affect student achievement. Students may be taught by teachers who have the knowledge, skills, and attitude required for a successful implementation of a multilingual approach.

““The last bastion of democracy”: teachers’ perceptions of the democratic potential of English curriculum”

Purpose Faced with increasing systemic constraints and pressures, secondary school English teachers often implement transactional approaches to pedagogy and curriculum aimed at improving student results on external exams, which are then used to rank schools. Despite the pressure to teach this way, teachers acknowledge the power of literature, literacy and language in the English curriculum as vehicles for educating students to be critical readers of texts for a democratic society. As such, the purpose of this paper is to share perspectives of secondary English teachers in relation to the democratic potential of their subject. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative case study method, this paper shares data from six Australian secondary school English teachers who work in culturally diverse schools. Teachers were interviewed about their perspectives regarding how the Australian English curriculum enabled and/or constrained the teaching of critical and creative thinking in support of a democratic society. Findings Using Marri’s model of multicultural democratic education, interview data were deductively analyzed to identify elements of the model, including critical pedagogies, disciplinary content and community building. Teachers were concerned that building critical literacy skills was minimized by the system and students’ personal dispositions. Originality/value The English teachers in this study held a strong belief that the subject of English could emancipate students, although they felt it might be “the last bastion” for a democratic education.

Pre-service English teachers’ learning traits

The present study aimed to characterize a comprehensive learning profile of pre-service teachers at an English teacher education programme of a public university in Southeast Mexico. The learning attributes comprise their English entry level, learning strategies and styles, learning approaches, and learning preferences. The research design was non-experimental, descriptive transectional, with a single data collection procedure during the August 2023 term. Four learning scales and two placement tests were used to identify the predominant learning traits of the cohort studied. The results show a preference to use cognitive learning strategies more than any other type. In terms of learning styles, the findings show that most participants are primarily aural, but some students are bi- and even tri-oriented. In terms of their learning preferences, most students identified as analytical. Regarding learning approaches, most students typically employ a deep approach, which could be quite inadequate because they depend more on surface strategies.

An Analysis of the English Textbook “Bright” Used for the Ninth Grade of MTSN 6 Agam

This research analyzed the English textbook "Bright" used for ninth grade students at MTsN 6 Agam. This study aims to assess how well the textbook is in accordance with the appropriateness of content based on the 2013 curriculum from the National Education Standardization Agency (BSNP). The method used in this research is qualitative content analysis to assess the appropriateness of the English textbook "Bright" used for ninth-grade students at MTsN 6 Agam. Especially focused on comprehensively analyzing the content of the textbook based on standards set by the Education National Standardization Board (BSNP). Data were gathered from the entirety of the "Bright" textbook, supplemented by documentation notes with an English teacher. The researcher served as the primary instrument, ensuring methodological rigor and transparency throughout the study. The analysis involved coding and reduction techniques to identify patterns and themes related to content appropriateness. Findings from the research aimed to provide insights for English teachers, students, textbook writers, and future researchers. The study contributed to the understanding of how well the "Bright" textbook aligned with educational standards and offered recommendations for improving English teaching materials. The research findings indicated that the English textbook "Bright" used at MTsN 6 Agam aligned well with the objectives and curriculum set by BSNP. Data analysis from documentation notes with teachers showed that the textbook generally met the criteria for content appropriateness. While there were minor shortcomings in its ability to supplement other subjects, the "Bright" textbook was deemed relevant, accurate, and inspiring for students. Overall, the textbook portrayed national themes that strengthened pride and appreciation for the nation's culture. This conclusion provides valuable insights for curriculum developers, affirming the suitability of the "Bright" textbook for teaching English at MTsN 6 Agam and advocating for continuous improvement in English education in Indonesia.

Word work: Practical tools to empower language and literacy learning in the high school classroom By Amber M.Simmons, Chanpaign, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. 2023. pp. 233. $39.99 (Paperback version). ISBN: 978‐0‐8141‐0131‐5

Word work: Practical tools to empower language and literacy learning in the high school classroom By Amber M.Simmons, Chanpaign, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. 2023. pp. 233. $39.99 (Paperback version). ISBN: 978‐0‐8141‐0131‐5

Grammar in ELT and ELT Materials: Evaluating its History and Current Practice (Second Language Acquisition, 164) (Book Review)

The teaching of grammar in ELT has evolved from the grammar-translation method to communicative language teaching, where the focus of grammar teaching is not entirely on language forms, but rather involves learners in the pragmatic and functional uses of authentic language for meaningful purposes (Brown & Lee, 2015). Despite its evolution, exact rules on what grammatical structures to teach and the order in which they should be taught have never been fully addressed due to a lack of consensus from experts in the field. English language teachers may then rely on intuitions about what grammatical point is important without any empirical evidence. In response, Graham Burton’s book Grammar in ELT and ELT materials investigates the current and historical practice of pedagogical grammar in ELT and ELT materials, especially for general English teaching. The book also presents interviews with ELT authors and publishing professionals to explore evidence on how learners use grammar and current classroom practices. [First Paragraoph of Reviw]

Exploring Language Teacher Education through Researcher-Practitioner Co-construction of Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated instruction has been advocated for embracing learner diversity, but it has been found that differentiated instruction implementation is difficult and teachers often feel unprepared. This qualitative case study explored the professional development of two English language teachers in two participating schools of a school-university collaboration project on diversity management in Hong Kong. Based on the data collected from co-planning meetings, lesson observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and artefacts, the study showed that research-informed teaching and teaching-informed research were both indispensable to differentiated instruction infrastructure building; school cultures and teacher efficacies both affected teachers’ attitudes towards researcher-practitioner collaboration modes for professional development. Teachers whose efficacy and professional learning community remained at a developing stage tended to rely on an expert-guided collaboration mode. Yet, those whose efficacy and professional learning community had advanced would prefer a more self-redirected learning mode. These findings shed light on bridging the researcher-practitioner divide in teacher education.

Teacher vs Artificial Intelligence: a comparison of the quality of feedback provided by a teacher and generative artificial intelligence in assessing students' creative writing

Introduction. Writing foreign-language creative writing assignments is one of the goals of foreign language teaching in higher education. Modern AI tools (ChatGPT 4.0) are able to provide learners with evaluative feedback and recommendations for essay revision. However, the feedback quality from ChatGPT 4 and other AI tools is a subject of discussion in the teaching community. The aim of this paper is to compare the feedback quality provided by ChatGPT 4.0 and teachers in evaluating students' essays. Materials and methods. A bank of English essays (N=350) written by linguistics students (A2-B1 level) was used as the material. The participants of the research were 12 teachers of English at Derzhavin Tambov State University (Russian Federation). For every essay, one teacher and ChatGPT gave evaluative feedback on the following criteria: 1) content of the essay; 2) organisation and structure of the essay; 3) supporting ideas and arguments; 4) language of the essay (lexical aspect of speech, grammatical aspect of speech, syntax); and 5) originality of the idea. The recommendations received from the teacher and ChatGPT 4.0 were evaluated on the basis of norm-referenced testing. The data analysis was carried out using the Student’s t-test. Research results. It was found that ChatGPT matched the teacher in terms of the quality of evaluative feedback for the following criteria: ‘content of the paper’ (t=0.24; p>0.05), ‘organisation and structure’ (t=1; p>0.05), and ‘supporting ideas and arguments’ (t=1.43; p>0.05). Moreover, ChatGPT outperformed the teacher (not a native speaker) for the criteria ‘language of the essay’ (t=1.67; p≤0.05) and ‘originality of the essay’ (t=1.78; p≤0.05), which is explained by the fact that the GPT language model was developed based on large English textual data. This allowed the AI tool to be more accurate in assessing specifically the linguistic correctness of a written expression. Conclusion. The novelty of the study is in the confirmation of the ability of the AI tool ChatGPT 4.0 to provide qualitative feedback in assessing creative writing at the teacher's level or even better. The results of the study support more intensive implementation of ChatGPT 4.0 in the process of teaching foreign language and assessing the development level of students' writing skills.

Usability of a speaking assessment portal for Japanese teachers of English

Usability of a speaking assessment portal for Japanese teachers of English

Teachers’ Perspectives on AI-Driven Quillionz for Generating EFL Reading Comprehension Quizzes

Emerging artificial intelligence (AI) has significant impacts on language learning and teaching, providing innovative pedagogies in sustainable educational settings. Among the powerful tools stands Quillionz (https://www.quillionz.com), a free AI-powered platform for building questions, quizzes, and assessments. Nevertheless, there has been little research on teachers’ experiences and perceptions of using Quillionz in EFL classroom settings. This study set out to explore teachers’ perspectives on utilizing Quillionz to generate reading comprehension quizzes for non-English major students through a pre and post-survey design. The research employed both qualitative and quantitative methods with Likert-scale questionnaires distributed to 48 English teachers from a vocational college in Hanoi before and after using Quillionz over four weeks. A paired sample T-Test was conducted to explore shifts in teachers’ perceptions. Subsequently, in-depth interviews were carried out with 10 randomly selected participants for further investigation. The findings revealed positive views among teachers towards Quillionz, its identified potential, and suggestions for more effective implementation. This paper makes a significant contribution to the integration of technology in language teaching, thereby enhancing students’ learning experiences.

Examining In-service Senior High School English Teachers’ Perspectives on Corpus Use and the Effects of Corpus Training

Given the benefits of incorporating corpora into language learning, particularly in developing students’ abilities to observe and analyze language data, this study investigated Taiwanese in-service senior high school English teachers’ corpus literacy, their application of corpus tools in teaching, and the effects of an online corpus workshop. Conducted in two stages, the first involved collecting 151 teachers’ perceptions of corpus literacy and its applications from 141 schools across Taiwan. The second stage invited teachers across Taiwan to participate in an online corpus workshop, where corpus-based teaching and two tools (SKELL and Sketch Engine) were introduced, along with hands-on activities. Following the workshop, the participants completed a post-survey. The analysis of the pre-survey responses revealed a positive attitude toward but limited understanding of corpus use among teachers before attending the workshop. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, used to analyze the pre- and post-survey responses, showed significant improvements in the teachers’ corpus literacy and application skills after the workshop. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into corpus use among in-service teachers in various contexts. Future research should explore the further integration of corpus tools into classrooms and include in-depth interviews for more comprehensive insights.

An analysis of teacher’s multilingual practices uses in teaching EFL students

The aim of this study was to analyze the multilingual practices and predominant languages used by an English teacher during classroom activities. It also sought to assess students' reactions to the teacher's language use and to determine the rationale for the teacher's choice of each language in the English language classroom. Six observations were conducted in the three selected classes to assess the use of Indonesian, English, Kluet, Jamee and Acehnese in classroom activities. A total of 48 student respondents from three classes completed the questionnaires, with the English teacher at Junior High School 1 Kluet Timur serving as the sample. The results showed that Indonesian was the most dominant language used in the classroom with a rate of 47.1%, followed by English, Kluet Jamee and Acehnese. The responses to the questionnaire showed that the students believed that using Indonesian and local languages in learning English could help them to understand the material presented by the teacher. In addition, the study showed that the teacher's reason for using Indonesian and local languages was to enhance students’ comprehension of English materials, which ensure effective learning.