University EFL Teachers Research Articles

College EFL teachers' demotivation to conduct research: A dynamic and ecological view.

Competences for conducting research is vitally important for college EFL teachers' career development, but many college English teachers are demotivated in academic research. To investigate teachers' motivation on academic activities, this study firstly explored motivational changes of college EFL teachers (mean age 37.39, SD 9.77) for conducting research in their teaching career, and then delved into the factors underlying their demotivation by sending questionnaires. In the end, several English teachers and officers managing research projects were interviewed to elicit solutions to overcome EFL teachers' demotivation to conduct research. This study found that college EFL teachers had large possibilities to suffer from demotivation to conduct research. Exploratory factor analysis indicated five factors causing their demotivation, including weak research ability, negative emotions and attitudes, poor research surroundings, research management problems and insufficient resources. Thematic analysis demonstrated that ecological solutions should be taken by different stakeholders in EFL teachers' working ecology, including universities, research communities, government, and publishers. This study problematized the static view on teachers' demotivation to conduct research and provided some insights and implications for reasons and solutions for demotivation.

Study on Strategies to Improve the Innovation Skills of College EFL Teachers under the Model of Online Learning Community

Study on Strategies to Improve the Innovation Skills of College EFL Teachers under the Model of Online Learning Community

When Teaching and Research are Misaligned: Unraveling a University Efl Teacher'S Identity Tensions and Renegotiations

When Teaching and Research are Misaligned: Unraveling a University Efl Teacher'S Identity Tensions and Renegotiations

Coping Strategies of University EFL Teachers for Online Instruction during COVID-19 in Nepal

This paper aims at exploring the perceptions, and practices of University EFL teachers in Nepal, particularly the challenges found and strategies adopted to deal with teaching English through online instruction during the pandemic. The in-depth unstructured interview as a research tool under narrative inquiry has been employed to collect the data while the concept of thematic analysis by Riessman has been exploited to analyze and interpret the collected data. The research finding reveals that despite technological inefficiency, social barriers, and psychological fear teachers underwent through the initial phase, the subsequent online classes with some of the coping strategies such as self-initiation, self-discovery, and cooperative approach have been found profoundly effective and productive both for EFL teachers and students. It also is found that online classes truly materialized the theoretical idea-ELT with ICT into the application to make English language teaching proceed ahead with IT. Such classes in EF during the pandemic lockdown forcefully shifted the paradigm of teaching from chalk-and-talk instructor-centered to a digtal interactive learner-centered.

Motivation in English Learning at University: A Mixed-Methods Study Investigating the Perceptions of Different Stakeholders*

The research study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, and it was aimed at determining and analyzing the essential factors that motivate university students’ English learning within the Ecuadorian higher education system. The quantitative study results, drawn from a questionnaire administered to 109 EFL university teachers, were further explained through a qualitative phase. The latter phase consisted of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, namely university teachers, language center directors, Ecuadorian experts and international experts in English language education. The insights gained from the conducted 25 in-depth interviews were essential to explain in greater detail the motivational factors determined in the quantitative phase. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data sets helped to gain an in-depth understanding of motivation in student learning of English as a foreign language within the Ecuadorian university context. The results showed that factors associated with intrinsic and instrumental motivation are key toward student language learning. In this sense, English is seen as a tool for a more effective completion of different academic tasks required to university students. Also, motivation in English language learning is promoted when effective instructional practices and a positive classroom environment have a central role in the university classroom. In terms of extrinsic motivation, students are likely to become more motivated when their teachers employ meaningful strategies and techniques. Moreover, teaching materials and resources can help to foster learner motivation when students’ input and insights are carefully taken into account in a strategic manner.

Investigating the Alignment of the Linguistics and Literature Final Examination Questions with Relevant Learning Objectives at University Level

The purpose of this research is to investigate the alignment of the final examination questions of two EFL courses, viz. Linguistics and Literature with relevant learning objectives at university level. Both courses final exam questions and relevant learning objectives are analyzed for alignment using a slightly modified version of Porter’s model of alignment (2002). The linguistics course showed an alignment index of (0.50) and for the Literature course, the alignment index was (0.49). Both values were significantly lower than the hypothetical mean (0.839) and (0.884) for the two respective courses at the significance level of (0.05). In relation to the comparison of emphasis whether on exam questions or learning objectives, the low-order cognitive skills, viz. (remember, understand and apply) were over-emphasized than the high-order skills, viz. (analyze, evaluate and create). Building on that, recommendations are forwarded to EFL university teachers in terms of paying more attention to the learning objectives of the course they teach when designing final exam questions. Moreover, teachers should also make a balance by emphasizing the cognitive skills included within both learning objectives and examination questions. Key words: alignment, learning objectives, examination questions, assessment, EFL.

A Qualitative Study of Pakistani University EFL Teachers' Perceptions of their Students' Speaking-Anxiety and their Anxiety-Reducing Strategies in the Classroom

A Qualitative Study of Pakistani University EFL Teachers' Perceptions of their Students' Speaking-Anxiety and their Anxiety-Reducing Strategies in the Classroom

EXPLORING LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT LITERACY OF EFL TEACHERS IN THE CONTEXT OF INDONESIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

The present study aims at examining EFL teachers’ perceptions of Language Assessment Literacy (hereafter LAL) in the context of Indonesian higher education. To this aim, purposive sampling technique was employed to select sixteen EFL university teachers to participate in an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The finding showed that the participants had applied six types of LAL in their teaching practices with formative assessment methods and test validity and reliability being the two most applied (more than 80%) by the participants. Following this, between 75% and 80% participants had applied two other types of LAL, linguistics competence and test results. The last two types of LAL, digital literacy and grading criteria, were applied by less than 70% participants. Another finding from qualitative data revealed that the majority of participants (over 70%) ranked their level of LAL knowledge and skills as low. Despite some limitations, the present study provides some implications including the necessity for the EFL teachers to be equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to make the way for quality assessment. It is therefore university authorities should organize professional development programs with the purpose to help teachers improve their assessment literacy. In addition, all educational parties should collaborate to consistently conduct literacy assessment projects throughout teachers’ professional career. Some suggestions for future research in the field of language assessment are also presented.

Factors Affecting Teachers’ Pragmatic Knowledge Incorporation into Thai EFL Classrooms

In second language pragmatics, the student has long received much more attention than the teacher with the principal aim to examine the former’s pragmatic competence and to innovate teaching in order to increase it. However, reports on students’ poor pragmatic performance have identified the ineffectiveness of this predisposed interest. Therefore, the researchers argue for a closer investigation into the teachers who are crucial in contributing to the latter’s ability. In the present study, a survey and a structured interview were used with a purposive sample of 38 Thai EFL university instructors to elicit in-depth information about their beliefs in the value of pragmatic knowledge, their self-reflection of incorporating pragmatic content in class, and factors that might complicate the relation between the beliefs and actual teaching. Findings show that while participants hold considerable positivity regarding the need for pragmatic content, their existent teaching is relatively less due to certain limitations. Among them, student background and type of course are the most influential factors in their pragmatic teaching knowledge. Moreover, participants’ pragmatic knowledge background and language experience have a significant correlation with their existing teaching (r =.38, p = .01). The inadequate proportion of in-class pragmatic content presents itself as a direct cause for students’ poor performance since they lack both the necessary knowledge and practice. The paper concludes with practical steps to systemize in-class teaching of pragmatic knowledge in Thai EFL contexts and perhaps elsewhere.

A Qualitative Study on EFL Teachers’ Awareness towards the Implementation of Dynamic Assessment

Dynamic Assessment focuses on understanding learner’s abilities to acquire the skills after being exposed to mediation. The problem is that a large number of teachers affirm that the results of summative assessment are not satisfactory and they do not represent their students’ actual potential. This study endeavors to explore EFL university teachers’ awareness of dynamic assessment (DA), investigating their opinion of DA as well as identifying their implementation of DA in their EFL classes. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to obtain the data. The informants were 15 EFL teachers in four universities who were selected by using purposive sampling. The findings of the study indicated that EFL university teachers are unaware of dynamic assessment. It is confirmed that they lack theoretical knowledge of DA. However, the study revealed that teachers’ practical use of DA is limited. Furthermore, the results unveiled that EFL teachers have positive attitudes towards DA.

Exploring University EFL Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Teacher Efficacy in Technology-integrated Flipped Classroom

This qualitative study explored teachers’ knowledge and teacher efficacy about implementing technology-integrated flipped classroom (FC) in higher education. Using the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework and teacher efficacy theories, the study probed the experiences and perceptions reported by 12 university teachers of English as a foreign language. Six themes emerged from the study. Themes 1 to 3 depicted how the EFL teachers practiced the three essential teaching tasks of technology-integrated FC. By incorporating the instructional design of FC into TPACK constructs, the study developed a new FC-situated TPACK framework. Themes 4 to 6 revealed that the teachers’ sense of efficacy increased overall but fluctuate slightly. Factors improving teacher efficacy included positive changes in student performance, supportive leadership and climate, effective group work among colleagues, and open-mindedness toward technology. While factors decreasing teacher efficacy encompassed adherence to a unified teaching model imposed by the department, technology’s non-user-friendly, and impersonal characteristics. This study provides a comprehensive view of how the sampled teachers applied FC-situated TPACK. Its findings also enhance the understanding of teacher efficacy, particularly in relation to FC instruction.

Roles of Edutainment in Teaching Vocabulary: Exploring the Perspectives of University EFL Instructors

This quantitative study aims to explore EFL instructors' perspectives on the roles of edutainment in teaching vocabulary concerning students' cognitive, psychological, and social development. Therefore, the researchers developed a questionnaire to measure Saudi EFL university instructors' perspectives on the roles of edutainment in teaching vocabulary. Participants were asked to rank their responses based on a 5-point Likert scale. The sample consists of 91 EFL instructors in Saudi universities during the 2020 and 2021 academic years. Results indicated that edutainment contributes to vocabulary learning as most university EFL instructors use edutainment in their classes. However, not all of them are using it in teaching vocabulary. Generally, EFL instructors favored the edutainment role in developing students' psychological aspects over the other dimensions. EFL instructors extremely valued the crucial role of edutainment on students' attitudes, critical thinking skills, and communication while learning vocabulary. Likewise, EFL instructors appraised the essential role of edutainment on students' creativity, motivation, and satisfaction. On the other hand, EFL instructors moderately valued the role of edutainment on students' comprehension and collaboration while learning vocabulary. The study concludes with some recommendations and suggestions for further research. Keywords: Edutainment, vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs), cognitive, psychological, and social development DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/12-12-05 Publication date: June 30 th 2022

EFL University Teachers’ Beliefs About Learner Autonomy and the Effect of Online Learning Experience

Learner autonomy (LA) has always been viewed as an essential component of successful language learning. It is one of the factors that contributes to creating a learning community in which learners are capable of developing their knowledge and skills. Since it plays an essential role in language learning process, it can be reflected in both students’ and teachers’ beliefs as well as practices. Despite its importance, EFL teachers’ perceptions are insufficiently explored in the Saudi context. To address this gap, this study deals with teachers’ own reflection on how they perceive learner autonomy in Saudi universities and what they do to make their students autonomous learners. It also explores their views about the effect of the online teaching experience during COVID-19 pandemic on LA. To do this, a questionnaire designed by Borg and Al-Busaidi (2012) was used in addition to semi-structured interviews to explore in more detail the teachers’ perceptions of LA. The analysis of quantitative and qualitative data showed that teachers hold a variety of perceptions of LA and have highly positive attitudes towards enhancing it. They also believe that it is theoretically desirable to promote LA among EFL students; yet, it is partially attainable in the practical ground. Additionally, the experience of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift from face-to-face setting have created more opportunities for more practices of LA. Teachers’ role cannot be disregarded since they create adequate opportunities for LA development. Although a number of obstacles that would hinder LA can be identified, some solutions can be of great appeal in encouraging LA in EFL contexts.

University Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Facilities Affecting Teaching English language

The present study gathered data on the university computer assisted language learning (CALL) facilities in teaching English language. The participants of this study were 80 MA and PhD university teachers who were selected based on random sampling method at the Islamic Azad Universities, Iran. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire that asked the EFL university teachers to give their ideas on the university facilities of CALL in English language classrooms. Data were collected and analyzed through K-S test of normality and independent samples t-test. The results of the study showed that the facilities and equipment are poor and universities need to reassess CALL facilities in the classrooms. Regarding computer literacy and CALL skills, university teachers confirmed that computer facilities were not enough to run classes effectively.

Assessment literacy of college EFL teachers in China: Status quo and mediating factors

To assess the current status of college EFL teachers’ language assessment literacy (LAL) and to identify their training needs in language assessment (LA), the current study surveyed 272 EFL teachers from 146 universities in China with a self-designed questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of three parts, namely experiences in LA activities, current LAL, and needs for training in LA. The results show that the teachers reported a low level of involvement in LA activities, their perception of their own LAL was unsatisfactory, and they were in dire need of training in every aspect of LA. Major had a significant multivariate main effect on LAL and linguistics majors had an advantage over other majors. It was also found that LA experiences were moderately correlated with LAL, and assessment knowledge accumulation together with assessment training can significantly predict the participants’ current LAL level. These results have implications for college EFL teachers’ LA training.

EFL teachers’ critical literacy instructional perspectives and practices: The case of the Egyptian university context

Critical literacy instruction in Egypt remains under-explored. This study combined questionnaire and semi-structured interview data to explore Egyptian university EFL teachers' critical literacy perspectives and practices. The results indicate that most participant teachers are unwilling to teach critical literacy and prefer to focus on core curricular components only. The few teachers with a positive attitude to critical literacy instruction reported integrating it into reading, literature, writing and speaking courses. Their narratives, however, indicate implementing a weak version of critical literacy instruction. This has been mainly caused by the lack of emphasis on critical literacy in the curriculum, students’ limited experiences, socio-cultural considerations, and teacher ideological bias. The teachers also reported that female and male students are interested in different types of critical literacy topics. It is concluded that critical literacy practices in the Egyptian university context could be fostered through training teachers, reforming curricula, and coordinating institutional efforts.

English Teachers Gendered Identities Constructions in their Doings, Sayings and Relatings

This is a research report of a feminist poststructuralist discourse analysis study carried out in a private University in Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia. This study intended to explore the relation among two EFL university teachers’ pedagogical practices and their gendered identities constructions. Pedagogical practices were framed in the practice architectures: doings, sayings and relatings proposed by Kemmis & Mutton (2012)
 It was unveiled that doings, sayings and relatings were sites for and outcomes of teachers´ gendered identities construction. Additionally, teachers´ gendered sayings, doings and relatings were interweaved, juxtaposed, complemented, and contrasted sites where teachers performed different masculinities and femininities based on their capacities to adapt, resist, contest and oppose to heteronormative and patriarchal discourses such as gender roles and normative masculine and feminine features. Those gendered constructions were identified to have possible consequences upon students´ English language leaning and gendered identities construction.

Blended Online Learning: Perceptions and Experiences of EFL University Students and Teachers

During the COVID-19 pandemic, in which social distancing has become the norm, blended online learning, which consists of two main components: namely synchronous online instruction through a virtual conferencing platform, or live virtual classroom (LVC), and asynchronous online learning through a learning management system (LMS), has largely replaced face-to-face classrooms. After 2,217 EFL freshmen and 16 EFL teachers at a public university in Thailand participated in blended online learning instruction in a foundation English course in the first semester of academic year 2021, their perceptions and experiences regarding the instruction were investigated using online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed to obtain empirical information from the participants. The findings obtained from the questionnaires (590 voluntary students and 12 voluntary teachers) and semi-structured interviews (15 voluntary students and 5 voluntary teachers) indicated that blended online learning was appropriate and beneficial in EFL classes for the undergraduate students and could support the social distancing measures put in place due to COVID-19. While there are some limitations, inconveniences, and challenges related to blended online learning, it has been demonstrated to be effective in improving students’ English ability while saving time and expense by eliminating the need for travel to the university and providing flexibility regarding the time and place of learning and teaching. Implications and recommendations for blended online learning and its two main components were also concluded from the findings and are discussed in the study.

The Role of Literature in Boosting EFL University Students’ Critical Thinking: Case of First-year Students in Algeria

The integration of critical thinking within the learning process is considered a crucial indicator of education’s quality. Nevertheless, with the reforms introduced in higher education, less importance was given to this skill; consequently, most Algerian EFL learners cannot think critically and creatively. To fill the gap, this study suggests using literature as a bridge between the teaching of the foreign language and the enhancement of learners’ critical thinking abilities. The research also proposes strategies and approaches to motivate students to use their critical thinking skills in literature class. To this end, the researcher raised the following research question: How do we enhance learners’ critical thinking abilities while teaching literature? And what strategies and approaches to adopt to motivate students using their critical thinking abilities within a literature class? The researcher adopted semi-structured interviews with teachers and classroom observations as instruments to collect necessary data. The participants are EFL university teachers and first-year students of different genders from the department of English language at the University of Dr. Moulay Tahar, Saida (Algeria). Obtained results show positive feedback from the students towards the critical thinking approaches used by the teacher-researcher in literature class. It also revealed that teachers are aware of the effectiveness of critical thinking when teaching literature to improve the learners’ proficiency in English as a foreign language and enhance their critical thinking abilities. This study recommended using high order of thinking as a strategy when teaching literature. Keywords: Algeria University, critical thinking, EFL learners at Saida University, high-order thinking, literature teaching

An Investigation of Turkish University EFL Teachers’ Beliefs about Writing in English

The study investigated instructors’ beliefs about the nature of L2 writing, teaching L2 writing, and assessing L2 writing, using inventory and interview data from 106 instructors in the Turkish EFL context. The results showed that although the Turkish EFL instructors value the process-oriented and genre-oriented approaches to writing, they cannot disregard the product-oriented approach. It was also found that the instructors do not have sufficient knowledge about the writing assessment terminology and the digital tools that can be used to teach writing. Moreover, the instructors did not reveal strong beliefs regarding portfolio assessment, self-assessment, and peer feedback. Based on the findings, several implications were suggested for teacher trainers and policymakers in terms of designing pre-service teacher training and in-service teacher development programs.