Keyword: EFL

ABSTRACT: Traditional assessment models in higher education often prioritize content recall, failing to measure the complex, adaptive competencies, such as metacognition and cultural competence, essential for future educators and global citizens. This study documents the implementation of process-oriented portfolio assessment within a Language and Cultures teacher education program in Portugal. A two-year sequential explanatory mixed-methods study (2023/2024 to 2024/2025) involved one undergraduate cohort (N = 81) in English Culture and two graduate cohorts (N = 40) in Citizenship and Intercultural Education, totaling approximately 121 students. Descriptive quantitative analysis documented consistent performance patterns across cohorts when using structured, process-oriented rubrics. Qualitative analysis, focusing on reflective writing and critical thinking criteria, demonstrated significant metacognitive development and self-regulated learning, substantiated by student reflections and instructor observations. The findings affirm that portfolios can serve as an effective mechanism for fostering and documenting the process of learning rather than merely measuring its outcomes. The paper argues that integrating reflective portfolio assessment into teacher training curricula offers a pedagogically valuable alternative to traditional grading paradigms in higher education.

ABSTRACT: In Japan’s increasingly diverse higher education landscape, universal design for learning (UDL) has emerged as a promising framework for promoting inclusive learning environments. While existing applications of UDL tend to focus on structural strategies, this small-scale inquiry examines how an instructor’s reflective practice plays a central role in realizing UDL’s full potential. Grounded in Schön’s model of reflective practice and informed by Brookfield’s framework of critically reflective teaching, this research investigates how the instructor’s perceptions of learner diversity evolved over a semester-long universal design course attended by 11 second-year students at a Japanese college. Data sources included students’ learning logs and survey responses regarding barriers to learning and course evaluations. The analysis revealed various invisible barriers that students experienced, such as anxiety about communication, discomfort with group activities, and sensitivity to environmental factors. Concurrently, students showed diverse and less visible forms of engagement that occurred outside of classroom settings. Through critical self-examination, the instructor developed a deeper awareness of individual learning differences and began to challenge earlier assumptions that relied on observable behaviors as the primary indicator of student engagement. This metacognitive shift prompted changes in instructional decisions and teaching philosophy, illustrating how engagement with the UDL framework can stimulate critical awareness and evolving instructional perspectives. The study suggests that reflective practice may play an important role in helping instructors to fully engage with UDL and respond effectively to learner diversity. It also contributes to faculty development discourse by highlighting the potential of UDL to foster instructor transformation through reflective engagement toward more inclusive teaching.

ABSTRACT: This study explores the use of photovoice as a reflective practice tool for early childhood student teachers in a teacher preparation program. Reflective practice is crucial for professional growth, yet traditional journaling often feels disconnected from real-world experiences for student teachers. Photovoice, which encourages participants to capture and reflect on meaningful classroom moments through photography, offers an engaging alternative. This research investigates the aspects of student teaching that candidates find reflective, how their images express satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and how group discussions develop shared understanding. Using a constructivist framework, seven student teachers participated in a semester-long photovoice project. Data were collected through over 350 images, descriptions, and four group discussions. Findings reveal four key reflective themes: instructional resources, student engagement, classroom environment, and relationships. While photovoice enhanced critical reflection and community building, participants were hesitant to openly discuss negative experiences, reflecting challenges in developing self-assessment. The study concludes that photovoice holds significant promise for enriching reflective practice in teacher education by integrating visual analysis and group dialogue and recommends its inclusion in teacher preparation curricula as a strategy for fostering critical reflection and community building.

ABSTRACT: This review article aims to discuss the role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a personal tutor, particularly for learning English. Drawing on secondary sources, the article examines the potential of AI tools like Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) to function as personal tutors in English language learning. To achieve its aim, the article explores various functions of generative AI as a personal tutor. It then outlines key benefits of AI as a personal tutor in the context of English language teaching before briefly discussing three case studies of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Khanmigo, which can be used as a personal tutor for language learning. The article then turns the discussion into several concerns associated with the use of generative AI as a personal tutor. Key concerns were related to academic dishonesty; false information; biased assessment; a lack of quality feedback and interaction; accessibility issues; psychological and social concerns; challenges concerning identity, diversity, and culture; teachers’ and students’ lack of preparedness; and AI overuse and overreliance. The article concludes with recommendations for policy, practice, and research. Specifically, it is suggested that teachers and students should experiment with AI tools and make use of AI technology to their advantage.

ABSTRACT: Professional conversations are significant in teacher education, yet policy-makers and practitioners differ in their understanding of what these involve. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the critical elements of successful professional conversations, the elements that effectively contribute to critical reflection and evaluation of teaching practice. Insight is provided by 10 participants who took part in a discussion group, in-depth interviews, and written reflections. All participants are involved in professional conversations for a teacher education program in Wales, in their capacity as either a student teacher, practice tutor, or mentor. Findings highlight that some of the significant elements needed for an effective professional conversation include adequate preparation time for the conversation itself, knowledge of program requirements, and professional teaching standards, along with knowledge about the student teacher’s school context – these can all be described as “hard” inputs, whereas the “soft” inputs include effective listening and questioning skills and being able to offer a challenge to the student teacher. Similarly, outputs of professional conversations can also be recognized as “hard”: effective reflections contributing to progress against the professional teaching standards, and “soft”: collaborative working relationships that are honest and positive with two-way learning for the mentor and the student. It is concluded that the softer skills of questioning and understanding the student teacher’s expectations must be developed effectively for professional conversations in teacher education to have a positive impact on all those involved.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to explore the critical reflection experiences of teachers who took part in effective and ineffective professional learning events. It examined the influence of D.A. Kolb’s reflective observation stage within the experiential learning theory (ELT) framework on teachers’ professional development. Using a qualitative interpretive phenomenological method, the research investigated teachers’ viewpoints, beliefs, and experiences related to various professional development activities to evaluate their effectiveness. Eleven teachers attended the same educational conference. The investigation involved semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group discussion. The interview questions centered around the concepts of enactive mastery and vicarious experiences. Open-ended discussions allowed participants to explore their experiences of professional learning. To highlight emergent patterns, this study employed a phenomenological technique to analyze data and identified critical observations through an inductive coding method using the NVivo software. The study’s findings suggested that the reflective process necessitated time, collaboration, and structure during professional learning sessions. Moreover, having a group of peers was advantageous for critical reflection. They created a learning environment where support was the norm, and dedicated time encouraged self-reflection, which promoted effective growth in teacher development. The researchers found that inquiry-based professional development promoted introspection and facilitated profound learning. The research emphasized that teachers responded positively when professional development facilitators allowed participants time to link their personal experiences to new teaching methods, prompting reflection and collaboration with peers.

ABSTRACT: The researcher studied ungrading practices in an introductory course on emergent language and literacy in the early years for undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers as classroom teachers at an urban public college in the northeast United States. Based on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), the researcher applied self-efficacy and reflective teaching theories to address how a course designed with ungrading practices impacted students’ self-efficacy and the researcher as a reflective teacher. The researcher used mixed methods to analyze data. Findings show that students’ participation presented a calibration of dynamic interaction between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. Findings also show how integral it was to build a supportive learning community to develop students’ self-efficacy. Ungrading practices created conditions for a humanizing pedagogy. The researcher applied an ethics of care that diminished power over students and instead emphasized power with students. This shift in power enabled dialogic discourse that informed responsive teaching and reflective practice. Rather than best practices, a course designed with ungrading practices is deeply contextual and requires an inquiry stance.

ABSTRACT: This study conducts a systematic literature review to examine the potential of post-positivism and critical realism as epistemological frameworks for enhancing educational research. By employing a rigorous methodology that involves explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, comprehensive data extraction, and thematic analysis, the study synthesizes existing literature to elucidate the theoretical foundations and methodological implications of these paradigms. The originality of this research lies in its focused exploration of how these frameworks can address the current limitations in educational inquiry, particularly regarding the need for a deeper understanding of causal mechanisms and contextual influences. The findings underscore the significance of clarifying epistemological assumptions, adopting methodological pluralism, and promoting reflexivity in educational research. Additionally, the study provides practical recommendations for researchers seeking to apply these frameworks in their work effectively. By bridging the existing knowledge gap, this research aims to inspire future investigations and foster deeper insights into the complexities of educational contexts.