Search Results (87)

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

Providing effective feedback on writing remains a challenge for teachers. Among the tools and strategies being explored to address this issue is generative artificial intelligence (AI), due to its potential to deliver immediate and tailored feedback that complements teacher input. However, successful implementation requires understanding the views of those likely to integrate such tools into their future teaching practice. This quasi-experimental study explores pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the inclusion of generative AI-generated feedback. A control group received teacher feedback on their writing, while an experimental group received a combination of teacher and AI-generated feedback. After the intervention, participants’ views on the feedback received and their preparedness for assessing writing were analyzed. Results reveal more positive perceptions among the experimental group, along with greater confidence in their ability to teach and assess writing. Although both groups acknowledged the need to improve their own linguistic knowledge and assessment strategies, and emphasized the importance of teacher-led feedback, participants in the experimental group also advocated for including AI tools. This highlights the need to strengthen linguistic knowledge and assessment training in teacher education, as well as the positive attitudes and openness towards generative AI among those who have experienced its potential in feedback provision. Full article

Grounded in frameworks of decoloniality and transnationalism, this study examines how organizational behaviors in education—particularly in teacher preparation—can shift to more inclusively serve transnational youth, challenging Eurocentric, nation-bound assumptions about pedagogy, belonging, and professional development. The present study aims to understand Mexican-origin returnees and transnational migrants who came back to Mexico to pursue English teacher preparation degrees in Guanajuato and Hidalgo after spending significant periods of time on either side of the Mexico-U.S. border. Our study aimed to recognize and describe the experiences that shaped their English teaching practices and professional commitments to teaching English as a foreign language. Using narrative inquiry within a longitudinal qualitative study of 28 Mexican-origin pre-service English teachers, our research was guided by frameworks of decoloniality and transnationalism. Our findings reveal that for participants, U.S.-based teaching approaches were recalled most often as the best compared to Mexican ones. Participants also reflected on how their experiences of learning and adapting to a new culture contributed to their professional identity and how their ability to adapt constituted a form of international-mindedness. We argue that through the comparison and adoption of multiple decolonial practices, teacher preparation programs can produce culturally responsive pedagogies that cross borders. By illustrating how teacher preparation programs can cultivate culturally responsive pedagogies that transcend national boundaries, the study highlights the potential of decolonial and transnational perspectives to transform organizational behavior at multiple levels of educational practice and policy. Full article

The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in educational settings has created unprecedented opportunities for language instruction, yet empirical evidence regarding its efficacy in primary-level English as a Foreign Language contexts remains scarce, particularly concerning pre-service teachers’ implementation experiences during formative practicum periods. This investigation, conducted in a public school in a non-Anglophone country during the Spring of 2025, examined the impact of GenAI-driven gamified activities on elementary pupils’ English language competencies while exploring novice educators’ professional development trajectories through a mixed-methods quasi-experimental approach with comparison groups. Four third-grade classes (n = 119 individuals aged 8–9) in a public school were assigned to either ChatGPT-mediated voice-interaction games (n = 58) or conventional non-digital activities (n = 61) across six 45 min lessons spanning three weeks, with four female student-teachers serving as instructors during their culminating practicum. Quantitative assessments of grammar, listening comprehension, and pronunciation occurred at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up intervals, while reflective journals captured instructors’ evolving perceptions. Linear mixed-effects modeling revealed differential outcomes across linguistic domains: pronunciation demonstrated substantial advantages for GenAI-assisted learners at both immediate and delayed assessments, listening comprehension showed moderate benefits with superior overall performance in the experimental condition, while grammar improvements remained statistically equivalent between groups. Thematic analysis uncovered pre-service teachers’ progression from technical preoccupations toward sophisticated pedagogical reconceptualization, identifying connectivity challenges and assessment complexities as primary barriers alongside reduced performance anxiety and individualized pacing as key facilitators. These findings suggest selective efficacy of GenAI across language skills while highlighting the transformative potential and implementation challenges inherent in technology-enhanced elementary language education. Full article

This paper introduces ‘ChatGPT essentials’, a pedagogically driven training course for pre-service English as a Foreign language (EFL) teachers at the College of Basic Education (CBE) in Kuwait. It responds to current ethical and academic integrity issues by empowering students to use ChatGPT both effectively and ethically. Prior to ChatGPT essentials training sessions, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five male undergraduate students in a Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) course to assess their familiarity with ChatGPT for language learning, followed by pedagogical and practical training sessions and a subsequent evaluation. The quantitative analysis indicates that the students generally valued the training on four levels (i.e., reaction, learning, behaviors, and results). Their perceptions and experiences have changed positively, indicating general positive attitudes towards using ChatGPT as a tool to develop their language skills. Qualitative data from post-training interviews and students’ reflective journals revealed that students valued the practical guidance on ethical usage and critical evaluation of ChatGPT practices, which enhanced their digital literacy skills and fostered responsible ChatGPT use. Such findings point to the benefits of implementing pedagogical training to enhance students’ ChatGPT usage. Full article

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education is creating new challenges and posing new requirements for English language teacher training, especially since AI applications provide numerous opportunities for language acquisition and practice. This study aimed to explore the interplay between three factors—the actual learning of AI, behavioural intention to use AI, and perceived self-efficacy—in order to determine their effect on the readiness of future teachers to implement AI technologies in their prospective pedagogical practices. In total, 56 pre-service English language teachers in Bulgaria took part in an online survey, revealing that the actual learning of AI was a strong determinant of their behavioural intention and perceived self-efficacy to engage with AI. Furthermore, it was also established that the student teachers’ knowledge of AI and competence in delivering AI-supported lessons were strong predictors of their behavioural disposition to integrate AI in their L2 classrooms. The results indicate the necessity of updating teacher training curricula so that consistent AI literacy in future foreign language teachers is fostered; a step forward that has to be supported by policymakers, university programme designers, and teacher training providers. Full article

Initial teacher education programs are the primary means through which student teachers gain teaching apprenticeship, amass core teaching knowledge, and build skills that prepare them to become effective teachers who are ready to combat the realities and challenges of the classroom. The current study examines the level of content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and the self-efficacy of language and foundational literacy instruction among the language teacher educators at teacher training colleges (TTCs) in Malawi. This research further explored the teacher educators’ perceptions of CK and PCK, and how their understanding of the Initial Primary Teacher Education curriculum shapes their teaching practices in foundational learning and language. Lastly, we explore the associations between CK, PCK, self-efficacy, and teacher educators’ characteristics. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed data from 60 language teacher educators from 10 TTCs in Malawi. The findings revealed that the teacher educators’ level of CK and PCK was low, but they had high self-efficacy in their ability to teach the component skills of literacy to the student teachers. Of the teacher educators’ characteristics, only continuous professional development was positively correlated with their self-efficacy. The teacher educators’ CK and PCK are shaped by the TTC curriculum, their primary school teaching experiences, and the national education policies and guidelines they implement. Gaps in the curriculum and external constraints hinder them from effectively training student teachers in foundational literacy pedagogies. The findings provide pedagogical and policy directions for stakeholders to improve the quality of preservice education in low–middle-income contexts. Full article

Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity that feature Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be challenging in the classroom setting. However, little is known about language teachers’ self-efficacy and the approaches they would employ to deal with context-specific ADHD-like behaviours. Therefore, this mixed-method study used the vignette methodology to investigate the self-reported efficacy and teaching approaches of 62 pre-service English language teachers from Japan, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine in managing ADHD-like behaviours in six hypothetical classroom scenarios. By comparing diverse educational and cultural contexts, the study aimed to identify convergences and divergences in coping with these behaviours to promote evidence-based approaches in inclusive language teaching. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire with both open- and closed-ended questions on a Likert-type scale. The findings indicate that participants feel moderately confident in managing ADHD-like behaviours; however, some statistically significant country-related differences were observed. A number of similar teaching approaches were identified across the sample, but prominent country-specific differences in approaching specific ADHD-like behaviours were present. The approaches used by participants align with evidence-based recommendations for teaching students with ADHD to some extent. The discussed implications of the study inform pre-service teachers’ education and call for approaches that are more universal in design and language-skill-development-oriented. Full article

This study aimed to examine reading interest profiles among preservice Chinese language teachers and related factors making them begin to like or dislike reading. In total, 321 college students majoring in Chinese language education in elementary and secondary schools participated in this study and completed a reading interest questionnaire. The questionnaire contains one close-ended question asking about their reading interest levels across seven periods (from preschool to college) and three open-ended questions asking about the reasons influencing their reading interest levels. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify reading interest profiles, and qualitative analysis was used to examine factors influencing their reading interests. The LPA results revealed three profiles, namely, mountain (up-down), valley (up-down-up), and upslope (up). The qualitative analysis revealed that motivators encouraging students to read included literacy sponsors, improved reading ability, reading time, extrinsic motivators, curiosity and desire for knowledge, access to reading, discovery of preferred texts, and relief from academic stress and relaxation. By contrast, barriers associated with the decline in reading interest included academic burdens and pressure, the availability of alternatives, a lack of reading ability, a loss of reading autonomy, a lack of literacy sponsors, limited access to reading, and inappropriate texts. Literacy researchers and educators should listen to students’ voices, understand their reading experiences, and consider developing appropriate intervention programs for literacy at different periods. Full article

Anxiety is a significant mental health concern in universities worldwide. This study examines the structure of anxiety symptoms and their relationship with contextual stressors among pre-service English teachers. The sample included 269 students enrolled in a Teaching English as a Foreign Language program at a public university in Manabí, Ecuador. Data were collected using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and a custom-designed questionnaire identifying anxiety triggers. Results showed that while most students reported normal or mild anxiety levels, a considerable portion exhibited moderate to severe symptoms. Cluster analysis revealed three emotional profiles, with the high-anxiety group strongly associated with stressors such as economic hardship and job insecurity. Academic pressure and financial instability emerged as the strongest predictors of anxiety. These findings highlight the urgent need to develop and evaluate targeted psycho-educational strategies to prevent and reduce anxiety within teacher training programs in higher education. Full article

Teachers’ beliefs on issues of multilingualism shape their classroom practices, which in turn affect their multilingual students’ learning opportunities and academic achievement. Examining these beliefs is therefore crucial for teacher educators who strive to equip pre- and in-service teachers with the appropriate mindset that is necessary in the context of an educational landscape characterized by linguistic diversity. In this study, we examine German pre-service teachers’ knowledge of and beliefs toward multilingualism and their perceived preparedness for a multilingual classroom. We use a questionnaire that includes an internationally recognized scale to measure beliefs toward multilingualism Additionally, we investigate how a semester-long lecture on German as a second language (GSL) and language-sensitive teaching influences pre-service teachers’ beliefs. The results indicate that while German pre-service teachers demonstrate knowledge and awareness of multilingualism, there remains potential for fostering a more open belief system—one that is essential for effectively engaging with diverse student groups and should be systematically addressed during university education. Pre-service teachers who participated in the semester-long lecture showed slightly more multilingual beliefs. These findings provide a basis for discussing curricular opportunities aimed at promoting multilingualism and supporting language learning in educational settings. Full article

This study validates a Spanish-language instrument designed to assess self-efficacy, digital competence, and anxiety in data-driven decision-making (DDDM) among pre-service teachers. Based on the 3D-MEA and the Beliefs about Basic ICT Competencies scale, the instrument was culturally adapted for Chile and Spain. A sample of 512 participants underwent exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Given the ordinal nature of the data and the assumption of non-normality, appropriate estimation methods were utilized. Results supported a well-defined four-factor structure: Interpretation and Application, Technology, Identification, and Anxiety. Factor loadings ranged from 0.678 to 0.869, and internal consistency was strong (α = 0.802–0.888). The CFA confirmed good model fit (χ² (129) = 189.25, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.985; TLI = 0.981; RMSEA = 0.041; SRMR = 0.061). Measurement invariance was established across gender and nationality, reinforcing the validity of cross-group comparisons. The study is framed within an educational context aligned with socioformative principles and sustainable education goals, which support reflective and ethical data use. This validated tool addresses the lack of culturally adapted and psychometrically validated instruments for assessing DDDM competencies in Spanish-speaking contexts, offering a culturally and linguistically relevant instrument with strong internal consistency and a well-supported factor structure. It supports the design of formative strategies in teacher education, enabling the identification of training needs and promoting evidence-based pedagogical decision-making in diverse Hispanic contexts. Future studies should test factorial invariance across additional contexts and explore longitudinal applications. Full article

We present data from a qualitative study examining how one class of preservice teachers (PSTs; n = 34) engaged in book club discussions about young adult literature featuring multilingual text and protagonists. Data focus on audio recordings and written reflection notes from a book club meeting where PSTs were asked to analyze transcripts of their previous book club conversations to explore their stances related to multilingualism. We ask the following questions: (1) What moments of their own previous talk during book club discussions about multilingual texts did PSTs select to analyze, and what reasons did they state for selecting those moments? (2) How did PSTs reflect on these moments during group discussion? and (3) What larger ideologies or discourses were manifested in these reflective discussions? We used descriptive coding to identify the topics of their selected events and rationales for selection, as well as tools of microethnographic and critical discourse analysis to consider how PSTs discussed and reflected on their own and others’ stances and how these conversations pointed to broader ideologies about multilingualism and the experiences of multilingual students. Full article

Pre-service teachers in Spain play a pivotal role in the multilingual turn in education. While research has confirmed the benefits of using pedagogical translanguaging in developing learners’ multilingual competence, practical examples of its implementation within teacher training courses remain scarce. Considering this gap, this teaching proposal aims to address the lack of classroom-based examples and employs translanguaging pedagogy as a frame of reference to enhance first-year preschool trainee teachers’ English communicative competence at the University Jaume I (Castelló, Spain). In this way, learners’ language awareness will be improved by using the languages that form their whole language repertoire alongside their linguistic experiences to deepen their understanding of English. The development of planned teaching strategies and multilingual activities is expected to foster prospective teachers’ multilingual competence and inform their future teaching practice. Full article

Due to their efficiency, stability, and enhanced language comprehension and analysis capabilities, generative AIs have attracted increasing attention in the field of writing as higher-level automated writing evaluation (AWE) feedback tools. However, few studies have examined the impact of pre-service teachers using generative AI in combination with their own teaching experience to provide feedback on Chinese writing. To fill this gap, based on 1035 writing feedback texts, we examined the differences in writing feedback between 11 pre-service teachers and Erine Bot (a generative AI) and interviewed the pre-service teachers about their willingness to cooperate with generative AI. The collaborative writing feedback generated by the pre-service teachers using AI was compared with the feedback generated by the pre-service teachers and generative AI separately. We identified that, although Ernie Bot provided significantly better feedback than the pre-service teachers in three specific areas (except for language expression), and both Ernie Bot and the pre-service teachers had respective advantages in terms of writing strategy, human–computer cooperative writing feedback was significantly better than the writing feedback provided by either Ernie Bot or the pre-service teachers alone. The was true across all aspects of the feedback in terms of focus and strategy. These findings can support the training of pre-service teachers and improve the writing quality of their students via implementing AI to provide more effective writing feedback. Full article