Research Paper
Teacher education
Majid Nowruzi; Abolfazl Khodamoradi
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of Collaborative Action Research (CAR) on the professional identity formation of preservice English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Iran, framed within Kumaravadivelu’s postmethod pedagogy. Through focus group interviews, mentor observation notes, and ...
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This study investigates the impact of Collaborative Action Research (CAR) on the professional identity formation of preservice English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Iran, framed within Kumaravadivelu’s postmethod pedagogy. Through focus group interviews, mentor observation notes, and reflective journals, seven key themes emerged: Promoting Collaborative Learning and Shared Responsibility, Shaping a Lifelong Commitment to Professional Development, Building Leadership and Agency, Fostering Reflective Practice, Developing a Student-Centered Professional Identity, Enhancing Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving, and Connecting Theory to Practice. The findings reveal that CAR serves as a transformative tool that enables preservice teachers to engage in reflective, autonomous, and collaborative practices aligned with postmethod principles. By addressing real classroom challenges, participants developed a deeper understanding of their roles as educators, fostering a student-centered approach and a commitment to ongoing professional growth. The study underscores CAR’s potential to prepare preservice teachers to function as adaptive, critical, and agentive educators in diverse contexts. It highlights the relevance of postmethod pedagogy in reshaping teacher education, particularly in Iran, where preservice teachers navigate unique cultural and educational dynamics. Integrating CAR into EFL teacher training programs can empower future educators to bridge theory and practice, ultimately contributing to more responsive and effective language teaching.
Research Paper
Learning and teaching theories
Faisal Mazin Migsid Al-Jaryan; Javad Gholami; Abdolreza Khalili
Abstract
Learners’ participation in the decision-making process of language classes constitutes a major prerequisite to their development of critical consciousness and autonomy. This study strove to determine novice and experienced Iraqi EFL teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of participatory ...
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Learners’ participation in the decision-making process of language classes constitutes a major prerequisite to their development of critical consciousness and autonomy. This study strove to determine novice and experienced Iraqi EFL teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of participatory language teaching. To this end, the researchers selected 17 novice and 22 experienced EFL teachers and 39 EFL learners as the participants at 22 public schools in Baghdad. In addition, teachers were guided to implement participatory language teaching (PLT) in their classes in 16 sessions in 2 months. Lastly, the researchers used two semi-structured interview protocols to delve into the teacher and learner participants’ perceptions of this approach. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the obtained interview data. The findings indicated that both experienced and novice teachers had favorable views on the efficacy of PLT in their classes. Nonetheless, experienced teachers faced fewer problems during the implementation phase than novice teachers did, owing to their capability to allot adequate time to language instruction and assessment. Moreover, although EFL learners preferred this approach to traditional approaches, they acknowledged its demanding requirements. The findings indicate an urgent need for revised teacher training and learner-centered materials within the Iraqi educational context.
Research Paper
Socio-psychological context of teaching/learning English
Afrooz Choopanizadeh; Mahmood Hashemian; Aliakbar Jafarpour
Abstract
Current studies probe the essence of using language that conveys a meaning different from its literal interpretation. Although figurative language has been widely studied, metaphors themselves have received less attention (e.g., Lee & Choi, 2023; Tocaimaza-Hatch, 2019). This study used an online ...
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Current studies probe the essence of using language that conveys a meaning different from its literal interpretation. Although figurative language has been widely studied, metaphors themselves have received less attention (e.g., Lee & Choi, 2023; Tocaimaza-Hatch, 2019). This study used an online experiment to investigate how working memory (WM) resources are associated with metaphor processing in nonnative sentence comprehension. Sixty TEFL students at Shahrekord University participated in the study and were classified as intermediate or advanced according to their scores on the Cambridge Proficiency English (CPE) test. Before the experiment, 100 TEFL postgraduates rated the familiarity of base words from Cardillo et al. (2017). A self-paced reading task, which included critical sentences such as “The gossipy coworker was an amplifier, spreading rumors and gossip,” was designed using E-Prime software. Participants’ WM (storage and recall) was measured using a computerized test based on Shahnazari’s (2013) reading span test (RST) corpus. Data were analyzed using E-Prime and SPSS. Results showed better performance in storage than in recall in the RST. Reading times for metaphorical sentences were slightly faster with metaphorical versus literal context. Higher WM capacity was associated with quicker reading of metaphorical sentences. These findings suggest that metaphor processing is more cognitively demanding than literal language, and L2 learners with higher WM tend to comprehend metaphors more efficiently.
Research Paper
Teacher education
Mehdi Solati; Shima Ahmadi Azad; Mohammad Hossein Yousefi
Abstract
This qualitative study examined pedagogical practices in Iranian public secondary school English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) settings, in particular the use of textbooks, language in the classroom, teaching strategies, and teacher agency. Drawing on 12 classroom observations and semi-structured interviews ...
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This qualitative study examined pedagogical practices in Iranian public secondary school English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) settings, in particular the use of textbooks, language in the classroom, teaching strategies, and teacher agency. Drawing on 12 classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with 12 English teachers, it investigated the degree of adherence to the government-prescribed Vision textbook series, patterns and reasons for L1 (Persian) and L2 (English) use, methodological approaches used, and teacher agency within systemic constraints. Findings revealed a high dependence on textbooks and teacher manuals, little adaptation of the material, and heavy reliance on teacher-centered presentation-practice-production (PPP) approaches. In the classroom, Persian is used 65 percent of the interactions especially to support lower-proficiency learners. Institutional factors—centralized curricula, inadequate resources, exam-oriented culture, and teachers' limited language proficiency—curtail professional autonomy. Although many teachers are interested in communicative approaches, structural barriers prevent their adoption. The study highlights the need for context-sensitive teacher preparation, textbook revisions, and pedagogical flexibility to improve the effectiveness of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in centralized education systems.
Research Paper
Generative artificial intelligence
Akram Ramezanzadeh
Abstract
The present study probed into the way Iranian EFL learners’ experience of discomforting emotions evoked through AI-powered storytelling around the controversial topics helped to enact critical antiracist language pedagogy. The controversial topics revolved around individual, institutional, and ...
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The present study probed into the way Iranian EFL learners’ experience of discomforting emotions evoked through AI-powered storytelling around the controversial topics helped to enact critical antiracist language pedagogy. The controversial topics revolved around individual, institutional, and epistemic forms of racism. The qualitative data was generated through AI-storytelling products and post-intervention interviews. The analysis of the data through a hermeneutic lens led to the extraction of two themes: grounding consciousness and transcending racial inequalities. The participants mainly spoke of guilt, shame, fear, and anger reflecting their race-blindness, fragility, and lack of knowledge of the complexity and intersectionality of various identity categories leading to discriminatory practices. AI, used as a co-creator, helped to cultivate the participants’ critical affective literacy and empower them to disrupt the frames that framed certain lives nonlivable. Grounding consciousness formed by exposing blindness and stopping fragility underscored the possibility of de-silencing antiracism and practicing critical reflexivity in TESOL. Transcending inequalities, which was composed of unmasking various forms of oppression and acknowledging the interrelated form of racism highlighted the value of epistemic balance in TESOL through de-simplifying and de-essentialising antiracism. Findings showed the role of human-AI interactions in decolonising TESOL and enacting the language pedagogy of discomfort.
Research Paper
L2 assessment
Malihe Ketabdar; Mohammad Hashamdar; Gholamhassan Famil Khalili
Abstract
Research on second language (L2) pragmatics has predominantly focused on speech acts, leaving broader dimensions of pragmatic competence relatively unexplored. To address this gap, the present study developed and validated an Online Diagnostic Test of L2 Pragmatic Competence (DTPC) informed by Purpura’s ...
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Research on second language (L2) pragmatics has predominantly focused on speech acts, leaving broader dimensions of pragmatic competence relatively unexplored. To address this gap, the present study developed and validated an Online Diagnostic Test of L2 Pragmatic Competence (DTPC) informed by Purpura’s (2017) meaning-oriented model. Using a mixed-methods design, the researchers developed DTPC through several stages, including literature and expert review, a written discourse completion task (DCT), test construction, piloting, final administration, and follow-up interviews. Initially, a total of 369 Iranian EFL learners were selected through purposive sampling to participate in the study. Following the proficiency test, the researchers excluded 11 advanced learners to ensure sample homogeneity, and data from 358 participants were retained for the final statistical analyses. After item screening and refinement, 34 of the 75 DTPC items were retained based on the results of item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The analyses confirmed a four-factor structure comprising sociolinguistic, sociocultural, psychological, and situational meanings, with high reliability and acceptable model fit. Sociolinguistic and psychological meanings showed the most decisive influence on learners’ pragmatic competence. Thematic analysis of interviews indicated learners’ positive perceptions of the DTPC’s diagnostic value and online delivery. The findings provide empirical validation of Purpura’s meaning-oriented model in the Iranian EFL context. In this context, the DTPC provides diagnostic insights into EFL learners’ pragmatic challenges, thereby supporting more targeted and responsive instruction.
Research Paper
Qualitative research
Roya Ranjbar mohammadi
Abstract
Emotion regulation is essential for teachers’ stress management and effective classroom performance. However, few studies have examined how teachers employ adaptive and maladaptive strategies to regulate their emotions in classroom settings. To this end, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological ...
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Emotion regulation is essential for teachers’ stress management and effective classroom performance. However, few studies have examined how teachers employ adaptive and maladaptive strategies to regulate their emotions in classroom settings. To this end, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies used by Iranian EFL teachers and examine how these strategies shaped their classroom practices and professional well-being. The participants were 20 Iranian English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers who were chosen based on purposeful sampling. Data were collected through framed narratives, focus group interviews, and semi-structured interviews to ensure triangulation and enhance trustworthiness. Three main adaptive strategies were found through the thematic analysis of the data: emotional safety, efficiency, and mindfulness. These strategies helped teachers create a positive classroom atmosphere, enhance EFL learners’ emotional stability, and improve classroom engagement. Meanwhile, maladaptive strategies like emotional suppression, rumination, and avoidance intensified teachers’ negative emotions, psychological repercussions, and negative psychological attributes. The results showed that adaptive regulation is a mechanism of emotional scaffolding that fosters well-being, classroom harmony, and pedagogical resilience. In contrast, maladaptive regulation decreases teachers’ emotional balance and self-efficacy. This study offers critical implications for EFL teachers, policy makers, and school administrators.
