Language teacher learning and professional identity can be understood as intertwined. Radical changes in practice entail changes in how teachers understand themselves. Thus, narratives of identity should be considered a significant concern of professional learning. Employing a narrative conception of identity, we argue that narrative identity work…

The number of reports and publications about exploratory action research (EAR) has been increasing in recent years; however, there is still a dearth of studies that examine its effectiveness for improving teaching and learning. This study explores Nepalese EFL teachers' perceptions of EAR, the ways they explored their classroom issues, and how…

In response to recent reforms to English language education in secondary schools in Iran, this study investigated how a small collaborative professional learning community prompted shifts in teachers' practices. The study relied on Engeström's professional learning intervention to examine the practices of three junior high school teachers. Through…

Background/purpose: Although studies on teacher research are becoming more common in English language teaching (ELT), there is still a lack of understanding regarding how university lecturers shape their research identities. Using Ecological systems theory and Self-determination theory, this study examines the construction of research identities…

Identity serves as a valuable lens through which to investigate, understand and facilitate teacher learning during curriculum reform. Identity learning is the core process of educational change, with teacher emotion at the heart of professional learning processes. In this study, we traced the 1-year journeys of four Chinese EFL teachers during a…

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inability of the Japanese higher education system to adapt to widespread unexpected disruption. The limited metrics available to assess Japanese higher education's response in the wake of the pandemic indicate several areas where the system needs to be strengthened. This paper aims to harness the…

In global trends and current curricular policy reforms in second language (L2) education, there is a great emphasis on repositioning of teachers as assessors and teachers' role as responsible agents in assessment. However, various factors affect the agency of teachers as assessors in the classroom. This study explored the ways English as a Foreign…

Research on professional development (PD) in higher education settings is still scarce and little is known about how contextual factors influence PD of English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers. Employing a transcendental phenomenological approach, this study seeks to extend research on this topic in order to understand how PD currently…

Professional development is thought to be most effective when teachers participate and collaborate in groups. The present study was to find the collaborative inquiry role in EFL teachers' professional development and their perceptions of collaborative inquiry benefits and challenges. In so doing, 185 Iranian EFL teachers were selected by…

This classroom-based action research (CBAR) corroborated our belief in the valuable role rubrics play in a tertiary L2 writing context where English is the medium of instruction. The three-stage CBAR involved ongoing discussions between us, two writing teacher-researchers, as we adapted our teaching and assessment strategies to explore the…

Artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms education, offering adaptive and personalized learning experiences. In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, AI-powered tools such as chatbots, writing assistants, and translation software reshape teaching and learning. This study explores how 67 prospective EFL teachers envision the future…

This study aims to investigate how time is coordinated with the professional space of the universities in western China. It examines how the situatedness of English language teachers in institutional spaces influences their understandings of and the value attributed to time and how these impact on how they make changes to their practice following…

Language is a communication tool used by everyone in their daily life as a means to convey information and arguments to others. Even though the Ministry of Education (MoE) in China has been switching from exam-oriented education to cross-cultural communication education, the classroom practices, teaching methods, evaluation system, school…

Textbook development plays an important role in teacher development and educational reforms. Although research has examined how textbook creation may afford teacher identity (re)formation, attention has rarely been given to how this process informs leadership identity construction, especially in times of educational change when leaders often serve…

This article analyses the practices, beliefs, and challenges of in-service Nepali EFL teachers who are required to carry out action research and submit a written report for their performance appraisal. We have analysed action research reports (n = 88) and interviews (n = 6) with public-school EFL teachers. The findings show that speaking,…