Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education最新文献

This study explored the impact of feedback-supported tasks and peer-work activities on language learners’ engagement, self-esteem, and language growth in a university setting in Saudi Arabia. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, 45 participants in the experimental group and 43 in the control group underwent 15 sessions of treatment, while traditional instruction was provided to the control group. Pre- and posttests and semi-structured interviews were employed for data collection. Results indicated a significant increase in engagement and self-esteem among experimental participants compared to the control group. Language growth, assessed through a teacher-made test, also demonstrated a significant improvement in the experimental group. The findings align with Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory and Long’s Interaction Hypothesis, emphasizing the pivotal role of collaboration in language learning. However, limitations include the specific context and the absence of a delayed posttest. Implications for educators, syllabus designers, curriculum developers, and policymakers underscore the importance of integrating collaborative and feedback-oriented strategies into language instruction for enhanced learning outcomes. This research contributes valuable insights for shaping effective language education practices, while suggestions for future research encourage a more comprehensive exploration of long-term effects and contextual variations.

Autonomous learning is extensively acknowledged as a desirable goal in undergraduate education as it is found to comply with learner-centered approaches and enable learners to pursue life-long learning. However, very few empirical researchers have closely examined the actual practices of autonomous learning in the Afghan context. Therefore, the main purpose of the current research project was to investigate EFL undergraduates’ perceptions of autonomous learning, strategies used for improving language proficiency, and the extent to of these strategies are deployed. With regard to achieving these objectives, a mixed-method approach was adopted. The quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS v24 by conducting descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that EFL learners had positive perspectives on autonomous learning and were ready to take the initiative in autonomous learning. Qualitative analysis of nine EFL students’ interviews revealed that they have to create learning goals for their learning, assess themselves for controlling their learning, and take part in inside and outside classroom activities to improve their language proficiency. This case study concludes that the findings cannot be generalized to other contexts, and the study makes an original contribution to understanding the promotion of autonomous learning at Kandahar University. In addition, this study offers practical implications for policymakers and lecturers who are interested in adopting autonomous learning as a worthwhile educational goal.

This study investigated the effect of using Stoodle software program on Iranian EFL teachers’ autonomy, creativity, and work engagement in the light of teaching experience and gender. The participants comprised 60 EFL teachers including 30 male (15 novice and 15 experienced) and 30 female (15 novice and 15 experienced) teachers teaching at five language institutes in Ahvaz. Two briefing sessions were held to make the participants familiar with Stoodle and how to use it in their classes. Prior to the implementation of the treatment, all the teachers were required to respond to the three scales of autonomy, creativity, and work engagement. After the implementation of the treatment, they were asked again to respond to the mentioned scales. The results of statistical analysis indicated that using the online Stoodle software program had significant effects on improving EFL teachers’ autonomy, creativity, and work engagement. However, gender and teaching experience did not have a significant role in contributing to teachers’ autonomy creativity, and work engagement in the Stoodle condition. Moreover, the interaction between gender and teaching experience did not leave a significant impact on teachers’ autonomy, creativity, and work engagement. The results are discussed and implications for language teaching are provided.

Within the field of teacher education, the concept of self-efficacy—which includes teachers' self-perceptions of their competence and abilities in particular tasks—has attracted a lot of attention. It shows how confident a teacher is in their ability to help students achieve the learning objectives. In spite of its critical importance, there hasn't been a single study that thoroughly examines the underlying effects of self-efficacy among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. To carefully examine these effects and verify a theoretical model, this study uses a mixed methods approach. 26 articles are found to be eligible after a meta-analysis method is used to thoroughly review pertinent articles from Elsevier, Google Scholar, and ERIC. The following outcomes are linked to the self-efficacy of EFL teachers: burnout, instructional success, psychological well-being, engagement and job satisfaction, communication readiness, teaching commitment, emotion regulation, professional development, and motivational teaching behavior. Using structural equation modeling, the proposed model is evaluated in the quantitative phase. The researchers' 10-factor scale is used to collect data. The model's divergent validity, convergent validity, and reliability are all shown to be at acceptable levels by the results. These findings have both theoretical and practical ramifications, offering useful information.

Despite the critical role of academic English writing proficiency in higher education, existing research has inadequately addressed the comparative impact of teacher-led and student-involved assessments on writing outcomes. To address the research gap, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 'Teacher-Only Assessment' compared to 'Combined Teacher and Student Self-Assessment' in English writing at a university in southern Thailand. Additionally, the study examined the viewpoints of students regarding the implementation of these approaches. It utilized a sequential explanatory research design in conjunction with a quasi-experimental design. The research instruments included a series of writing tasks, a teacher assessment rubric, a self-assessment form, and a questionnaire with open-ended questions. A group of 62 first-year English majors was divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group, consisting of 31 students each. Both groups were taking an English Composition I course for 12 weeks and were assigned the same writing tasks. The experimental group was provided with both self-assessments and teacher evaluations, whereas the control group solely received teacher evaluations. The quantitative data was analyzed using an independent sample, while the qualitative data was examined through a thematic analysis. Quantitatively, the independent t-test results indicated that there was no statistically significant distinction in overall writing performance between both groups, except for narrative paragraphs. Moreover, the qualitative findings emphasized the merits of incorporating teacher-led and student-involved assessments. This study suggests various implications for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction and assessment practices.

Positive psychology (PP) is the study of the role of positive emotions in optimizing performance. In response to a dearth of research on harnessing the potential of PP in enriching language teacher education, the present study aimed at integrating PP into an English as a foreign language teacher education program to assess its effects on the development of positivity among teachers and possible improvement in their instructional practice. To that end, first the PERMA-Profiler was administered to 25 teachers, who were about to attend a teacher training course. The results of this phase revealed the need for an intervention to raise three focal participants’ awareness of the tenets of PP since they scored below the mean on the scale. During the second phase, the three focal participants were trained in the principles of PP for six weeks. They were also asked to write reflections about the instruction they received on a weekly basis. Thematic analysis of their reflections indicated that the teachers formed positive emotions, engagement, relationship, meaning, and accomplishment, which resulted in their enhanced instructional practice. Moreover, the participants believed that the intervention helped them actively engage with the main teacher training course. The findings imply that PP has the potential to enrich teacher education programs.

In the current research, the impacts of portfolio assessment (PA) on the grit tendencies, motivation, and willingness to communicate (WTC) of Saudi Arabian EFL learners were examined. The population of this study was fifty-eight EFL learners who were assigned to two groups in order to accomplish this purpose. Following that, both groups were given the WTC, grit tendencies, and motivation pre-tests to gauge the participants' proficiency in the dependent variables. After that, the students in the control group received the instruction without the use of PA, while the experimental group (EG) received treatment utilizing PA. Following the treatment, the two groups completed the WTC, grit tendencies, and motivation post-tests. The results revealed differences between the two groups' post-test scores, with the EG performing better. These findings imply that teachers can exploit portfolios to provide their students with relevant content that will help them improve their language proficiency.

This study investigated the Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) impact on academic resilience (AR), motivation, teacher support (TS), and personal best goals (PBGs) in different learning environments, specifically online classes and traditional physical classrooms. The research involved 84 participants divided into experimental (online classes, N = 41), and control (physical classes, N = 43) groups. Questionnaires were administered before and after the treatment to assess the participants’ AR, motivation, TS, and PBGs. The data were analyzed using Chi-square tests, revealing significant differences in AR, motivation, and PBGs between the two groups after the treatment. Online classes were found to enhance AR, motivation, PBGs, and acknowledgment of TS compared to the physical environment. These results suggest that PBA can have a positive impact on students’ psychosocial variables and shed light on the potential benefits of online learning environments. The implications of the study are discussed, and suggestions for further research are provided.

Reviewing the literature reveals that the role of teacher assessment literacy (TAL) in teacher job stress (TJS) and teacher job burnout (TJB) among English as foreign language (EFL) teachers in Iran has remained largely unexplored. As a result, this mixed-methods study investigated the association between TAL, TJS, and TJB in the Iranian EFL context. For the quantitative section, 413 EFL teachers, including 221 males and 192 females, were randomly selected. They completed the Teacher Assessment Literacy Questionnaire, the Teacher Job Stress Scale, and the Teacher Job Burnout Inventory, and the data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. For the qualitative part, 18 EFL teachers who joined the quantitative part participated in a focus group interview, and their responses were analyzed through a content analysis approach. Results indicated that TAL is a strong predictor of TJS and TJB. Specifically, the findings indicated that TAL was positively linked to all the sub-scales of TJS and TJB. Additionally, the complementary qualitative results yielded four themes: TAL promotes job productivity, TAL raises teachers’ social face, TAL enables teachers to manage the class efficiently, and TAL brings positive wash-back. The findings suggest that TAL, TJS, and TJB should be incorporated in pre-service and in-service teacher training courses in EFL education.

Given the importance of academic motivation, numerous inquiries have scrutinized the antecedents of this psycho-emotional variable in various educational environments. Nonetheless, the role of students’ attitudes in their academic motivation has remained elusive. Put simply, it is unclear whether students’ attitudes can make positive changes in their learning motivation. To bridge this gap, the present investigation explored Japanese students’ attitudes towards learning English. The research also examined the interplay between attitudes and academic motivation from Japanese students’ perspectives. In doing so, a closed-ended survey was given to 417 elementary and high school students. Following that, some interview sessions were conducted with a sample of elementary and high school teachers. The study outcomes disclosed that almost all participants had positive attitudes toward learning English. The results also demonstrated that Japanese students perceived personal attitudes to be highly influential in learning motivation. The outcomes of the present research may enrich the existing literature on the association between personal attitudes and learning motivation. The outcomes of this investigation may be beneficial and illuminating for school principals and language teachers. The findings would notably expand their knowledge about the predictors of academic motivation in language education environments.