Search Results (9)

Language Assessment Literacy (LAL) is critical for teachers to perform their assessment tasks, but many teachers in low-resource contexts do not receive adequate assessment training. This qualitative multiple-case study examined the impact of a short-term Professional Development (PD) program on three in-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in developing their LAL and in shaping their assessment conceptions, knowledge and practices as assessors. The PD training program consisted of a 30 h workshop delivered over one week and integrated theory, practice, collaborative learning, reflection, and feedback. Data collection instruments included classroom observations and interviews. Findings showed that the PD program improved teachers’ LAL by developing their assessment conceptions, knowledge, skills, and confidence, although the degree of improvement varied across participants. The findings also identified challenges teachers encountered in their assessment practices, including limited time, large class sizes, insufficient resources, and sociocultural factors that constrained teachers’ assessment conceptions and restricted their LAL development. The findings showed that PD programs could strengthen teachers’ professional identity as assessors by incorporating relevant content, practice opportunities, feedback, a supportive learning community, and self-reflection. The study findings have broader implications for professional development of LAL in other low-resource and exam-oriented EFL contexts with strong sociocultural constraints. Full article

Despite much interest in the flow experienced by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, there is less research on flow re-engagement and pre-service teachers at the crucial phase of career development. This study aims to examine flow dynamics among pre-service and in-service EFL teachers in China during teaching. Six Chinese EFL teachers (three pre-service and three in-service) engaged in two rounds of interviews over the course of one year, which were analyzed using a thematic narrative approach. The findings indicate that immediate feedback, clear goals, and a challenge-skill balance were key antecedents of flow. In-service teachers highlighted principal’s teaching-focused philosophy, technology support, teaching experience and curiosity. All participants reported a sense of control, deep absorption, and time distortion. Two experienced teachers further claimed a loss of self-consciousness. The flow of participants was impeded by student-related factors, strong self-consciousness, and technological breakdowns. In-service teachers noted more complicated causes. To re-enter a state of flow, pre-service teachers favored avoidance strategies, whereas in-service teachers employed more flexible approaches. Flow enhanced instructors’ teaching confidence, shifted pre-service teachers’ career motivation and fostered in-service educators’ professional well-being, post-class reflection, and self-improvement. Administrators and teacher educators should provide a teaching-oriented working environment for in-service teachers and offer flow-focused training to pre-service teachers, thus promoting their flow experiences and fostering sustainable professional development. Full article

In applied linguistics, teacher professional development and teacher autonomy have long been hot research topics. However, little attention has been paid to the issue of what attitudes teachers hold toward their professional development. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether teacher autonomy is influenced by the aforementioned attitudes. Under this circumstance, the current study attempts to explore what attitudes English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers hold toward their professional development and whether such attitudes influence teacher autonomy. For this purpose, we investigated 14 EFL teachers, using classroom observation, stimulated recall interview and semi-structured interview, respectively. The collected data were analyzed in light of the grounded theory, which gave rise to three main findings. First, the participants’ autonomy was positively correlated with their attitudes toward professional development. Second, most of the participants held a negative attitude toward their professional development. Third, the participants held conflicting opinions about the influence of in-service training on professional development. These findings indicate that EFL teachers’ professional identity is positively correlated with teacher autonomy. Moreover, the findings call for effective measures to improve EFL teachers’ attitudes toward their professional identity. Full article

Students with developmental dyslexia (DD) face significant challenges when learning English as a foreign language (EFL), highlighting the need for targeted support in educational systems. EFL teachers’ perceptions and preparedness regarding DD are crucial for effective instruction and improved learning outcomes in inclusive classrooms. However, no systematic review has yet explored EFL teachers’ perceptions and preparedness to teach students with DD. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, examines existing research between 2005 and 2025 on EFL teachers’ perceptions and preparedness to teach students with DD. Studies were retrieved from databases including APA PsycNet, Crossref, ERIC, ProQuest, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Of 17,798 results, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings reveal mixed EFL teachers’ perceptions toward DD and inadequate training specific to DD. Moreover, practical teaching strategies and targeted interventions remain underrepresented in the literature. Most teachers lack formal DD-specific training, leading to insufficient classroom support. This review emphasizes the urgent need for improved in-service training and the development of effective resources. Future research should prioritize developing and evaluating practical teaching strategies and professional development programs on teacher preparedness in EFL contexts. Full article

In recent years, the topic of language teacher motivation has garnered significant attention within the realm of language teacher psychology. Researchers have delved into various aspects, including teachers’ commitments to the teaching career, teachers’ teaching motivation, and teachers’ professional development motivation. Nevertheless, the motivation of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers to engage in ongoing in-service learning, particularly the pursuit of a Master of Education (Ed.M.) degree, has received comparatively less scrutiny. To bridge this gap, the present study adopted Boshier’s Education Participation Scale (EPS) and Liu’s seven-dimensional motivation framework to explore the motivation of 529 Chinese EFL teachers in their quest for an Ed.M. degree. Utilizing Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), the analysis revealed seven types of key motivation: cognitive interest, social responsibility, academic information acquisition, academic achievement acquisition, school context, rival demand, and significant others. An examination of differences in EFL teacher motivation in terms of gender and school type showed that male teachers perceived significantly higher levels of cognitive interest and rival demand than female teachers did. And, teachers in regular schools reported significantly higher levels of significant others than those in key schools. We propose some future directions for EFL teacher motivation research. Full article

The evolving landscape of educational technology has not only affected the design of teaching learning contents but also the employment of methods of delivery. In Vietnam’s language education discipline, research indicates that the integration of educational technology has significantly expanded the range of delivery modalities available to educators. However, whether the existing modalities can effectively cater to the needs of diverse learning styles remains uncertain. To bridge the research gap, this study initially seeks to assess the effectiveness of commonly utilized delivery modalities in K-12 EFL education. Thirty volunteer EFL teachers from across Vietnam, representing the north, central, and south regions, participated in in-depth interviews. These teachers teach English at primary, secondary, and high schools. The main findings include their current ICT competence levels and preferences for instructional design regarding diverse modalities of delivery. Then, grounding on an in-depth analysis of their choices and perspectives, a trichronous model is proposed and innovated to accommodate diverse learning preferences and maximize learning potential. The research findings and proposal are significant for professional development trainers and teacher educators, providing valuable insights for decision-making regarding the increasing use of technology in current EFL research and practice. This study can contribute to shaping a forward-thinking approach to EFL education in an increasingly digitalized world by addressing challenges and identifying more practical practices in language teacher education. Full article

This research explores the guided experimental implementation of ChatGPT as a tool for developing teachers’ skills in teaching English. The intervention involved 24 in-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers who engaged in crafting activities and assessments using researcher-designed prompts. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the researchers assessed the participants’ ChatGPT integration proficiency through a custom-designed assessment tool aligned with the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. The eight-week intervention introduced educators to various applications of ChatGPT in EFL teaching, including lesson planning. A quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in the teachers’ ChatGPT integration proficiency across all measured dimensions. The qualitative findings highlight the perceived benefits, challenges, and future prospects of ChatGPT in EFL education. While the practical significance of the improvement was modest, the results suggest that the guided integration of generative chatbots can bolster teachers’ ability to leverage this technology appropriately. This study contributes to the limited body of empirical research on integrating large language models into teaching and offers insights into the practical applications and challenges of using ChatGPT in EFL contexts. Full article

A significant volume of literature has extensively reported on and presented the benefits of employing escape classroom games (ECGs), on one hand, and on augmented reality (AR) in English language learning, on the other. However, there is little evidence on how AR-powered ECGs can enhance deep and meaningful foreign language learning. Hence, this study presents the design, development and user evaluation of an innovative augmented reality escape classroom game created for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). The game comprises an imaginative guided group tour around the Globe Theatre in London that is being disrupted by Shakespeare’s ghost. The game was evaluated by following a qualitative research method that depicts the in-depth perspectives of ten in-service English language teachers. The data collection instruments included a 33-item questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that this escape game is a suitable pedagogical tool for deep and meaningful language learning and that it can raise cultural awareness, while enhancing vocabulary retention and the development of receptive and productive skills in English. Students’ motivation and satisfaction levels toward language learning are estimated to remain high due to the game’s playful nature, its interactive elements, as well as the joyful atmosphere created through active communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and peer work. This study provides guidelines and support for the design and development of similar augmented reality escape classroom games (ARECGs) to improve teaching practices and foreign language education. Full article

Teacher beliefs affect choices of methods, representations of learning, and classroom practice, and are important in understanding primary EFL teaching in France, where language teaching has been a compulsory subject entrusted to generalist class teachers for 20 years. This quantitative study explores questionnaire data from 254 primary teachers, associating teacher beliefs and classroom practice. With respect to views of language teaching and learning, the study reveals a three-way division of teachers between grammar-oriented teaching (PPP), communicative-language teaching (CLT), and ‘sceptical’ teachers. The PPP (n = 72) group employed the smallest range of teaching activities and rarely taught older pupils. The CLT group (n = 60) tended to have higher English proficiency and more in-service training and offered the widest range of oral activities. The sceptical group (n = 85) took no strong theoretical position, had lower English proficiency, and focused on listening and speaking skills. We found no correlation between teacher age and language learning beliefs or teaching practices. However, teachers who offered a wider range of activities in any of the five competences tended to have more in-service training and higher English proficiency. Further correlations were found between oral language teaching and technology integration, and written language teaching and teaching experience. The paper concludes with links to previous teacher cognition research and suggestions for teacher education. Full article