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This study examined students' attitudes toward distance learning, and its relationship with the duration of using Telegram and schooling. It specifically explored students' experiences of the challenges and opportunities that distance learning created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, two null hypotheses were formulated: (1) there is no significant relationship between students' attitudes toward distance learning and the duration of using Telegram; and (2) there is no significant relationship between students' attitudes towards distance learning and the duration of schooling. Data were collected from a survey questionnaire and in-depth semi-structured interviews with students from the English Department of Herat University, Afghanistan. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, an independent samples t-test, and ANOVA. The results of the t-test showed that the first hypothesis should be accepted, meaning there is no relationship between students' attitudes toward e-learning and years of Telegram use. Further, the one-way ANOVA test showed that the second null hypothesis was affirmed. Moreover, the qualitative findings indicated that distance learning via Telegram is associated with context-specific challenges and several opportunities.

This study investigates the perceptions of teachers and students toward formative assessment (FA) in higher education settings. The researchers developed a four-construct perception scale, namely self-assessment, interactive formal assessment, in-class diagnostic assessment, and subjective assessment. Data were collected from 216 participants--91 teachers and 125 students. The findings demonstrated that both teachers and students have identically perceived interactive and in-class diagnostic assessments. Nonetheless, they distinctively perceived self-assessment and subject performance assessment demonstrating a significant difference. The students reported self-assessment greater than the teachers, whereas they perceived the subject-performance assessment lower compared to the teachers. The findings suggest that English as a foreign language (EFL) or English as a second language (ESL) learners benefit from formative assessment if teachers evaluate students' progress based on their own development rather than being evaluated in comparison to other students' development.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is considered to provide equitable opportunities for all learners with or without disabilities. This study aimed to examine the extent to which UDL was implemented in ESL classrooms at the university level. A mixed-method approach was conducted to explore the effective ways to maximise learning outcomes, inclusion, and equity regarding UDL principles; both students' and teachers' voices were addressed. Online questionnaires for students and semi-structured interviews for teachers were used to probe the UDL application in the classrooms. The findings revealed that teachers employed UDL principles in their classrooms to varying degrees. They also explored various strategies to enhance levels of engagement, representation, action, and expression. However, they experienced different tensions during the process. The study concluded with implications for researchers, teachers, and policymakers in developing a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Afghanistan has recently witnessed the redefinition of its educational policies, particularly those related to language teaching. However, little is known about Afghan second language (L2) teachers and the challenges they might face in their professional identity construction. This study investigated the challenges of professional identity construction of Afghan L2 teachers. Scenario prompts and semistructured interviews were used to explore how the teachers responded to challenging situations and narrated their professional challenges. Data analyses indicated that the teachers responded to the scenario prompts in accordance with perspectives mirroring criticality in educational functioning by promoting learners' awareness of sociocultural anomalies, resisting institutional inequalities, and gearing instruction to learners' needs. Additionally, analysis of the teachers' semistructured interviews revealed sociocultural, institutional, and pedagogical challenges, particularly the dominance of institutional barriers in sanctioning the teachers' identity construction. The authors argue that Afghan L2 teachers need more assistance from policymakers and teacher educators to facilitate their professionalism and professional practice.

This paper presents a systematic review of 37 empirical studies that explored English teacher identity, and its formation through classroom practices from 1997 to 2020. After excluding 26 non-relevant studies from 63 articles, the remaining research has been analyzed through a systematic process to get salient themes that can be best cognized in terms of identity (re)construction issues among English language teachers, how they implement critical and post-method pedagogy, and reflect it in their classroom practices. More specifically, the following themes emerged: classroom practice as a reflection of teacher identity, native/non-native English speakers' (NES/NNES) dichotomy, emotional tensions in identity formation, teachers' knowledge of post-method pedagogy, and post-method barriers. This review also provided practical teaching tips for novice English teachers and teacher educators to better manage their identity tensions as teachers, improve their classroom practices and teacher education programs, and propose areas of investigation for future research. It calls for more in-depth qualitative and quantitative longitudinal studies that employ a positivist psychometric approach to measure and examine different facets of teacher identity development.

Despite a burgeoning body of research on teacher identity development, little is known about how incongruities between the ideal and real-life teaching practices create identity tensions. The present study adopted an arts-based approach and examined teachers' ideal and actual teaching practices, and the associated identity tensions and related coping strategies in the context of Afghanistan. Data were collected from six English teachers via drawings and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis indicated that the teachers experienced unattainable ideal praxis in terms of 'time, space and facility', 'ideal teaching methods', 'ideal instructional materials', and 'technology-enhanced classroom', which resulted in various identity tensions. However, thinking reflectively about their imagined community and ideal practices offered affordances for the teachers to be creative to manage the tensions, and build resilience and reflexivity. The study concludes with implications for teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers in developing awareness of ideal-real mismatches to support teacher identity development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]