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This study investigated the use of spoken-reflection instruction to improve the communicative competence level of English as Foreign Language learners in a second language acquisition classroom. A listening and speaking test was administered before and after the study to determine the participants' level of speaking competence. A quantitative research design was adopted for the study. A 3-credit unit language course was designed and implemented for the study. The course was built on the core principles of reflective practice. Participants were taught using the normal language teaching method and spoken-based reflection instruction. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 65 English as Foreign Language learners who willingly participated in the study. At the end of the course, a questionnaire was used to obtain information from the participants about their perceptions of using spoken-based reflection instruction to improve their speaking skills. In addition, participants were administered a Reflection-Listening, and Speaking Skills Test before and after each experimental phase to determine whether their listening and speaking skills had improved. Most learners found the use of spoken reflections to be a fun way to learn. However, they expressed anxiety about doing teacher-student reflection because they felt intimidated by the presence of their language teacher, although sending recordings of their reflections to their teachers was more convenient than interacting with them on a one-to-one basis.

This study is carried out to examine EFL program managers' working conditions, eliciting information on their views on EFL program management within the Turkish Cypriot context. This study also upholds that an understanding of their perceptions as EFL program managers will help create a better working condition and improve EFL programs and instruction, characterized by excessive proliferation of language centers that put profit-making as their utmost priority. Two research questions were utilized to investigate EFL program managers' challenges and barriers while managing foreign language institutes and centers. The study adopted a qualitative research design approach; 45 EFL program managers and coordinators with international qualifications with over ten years of experience were purposefully sampled and recruited as participants for this study. A semi-structured interview was the instrument for data collection, which experts validated to ensure it measures what it purports to measure. Data collected were transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis to uncover themes used to define and interpret findings. This study's findings indicate that the absence of professional expertise, training/retraining programs, resource availability, and competition from other universities were the significant challenges EFL program managers face while carrying out their duties. It was also unveiled that over monetization of EFL programs within institutions brings about challenges in program management. Recommendations were given to bridge these gaps.

Digitally enhanced teaching does not imply neglecting appropriate teaching strategies and approaches. There are assertions that negative learning outcomes obtained in blended learning could be a result of neglecting the use of an appropriate lesson planning framework, teaching strategies and approaches. Already, there are calls for the use of more responsive lesson planning frameworks against the traditional frameworks. While there are suppositions that responsive frameworks produce significant improvement in the language skills of learners, there is less empirical evidence to show this. To bridge these gaps in scientific literature, this study decides to investigate the effectiveness of integrating technology with different lesson design frameworks. The study utilized a mixed-method design with an experimental approach. The findings of the study show that although the blend of technology and CAPE framework was effective in improving some language skills, the reading skills of the participants remained unchanged. Notably, the study provides useful empirical evidence showing the usefulness of incorporating technology and effective teaching frameworks in producing positive learning outcomes in a digitally enhanced learning environment.

Teaching English language to young learners in an English as a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language context could be challenging especially for African immigrants, as they face varying arrays of challenges ranging from low wages, staff abuse, and other racial discriminations. A lot has been written about racially related issues in our school system yet there are limited works of literature that focus on the challenges of African immigrant English as a Second Language teachers with regards to racial discrimination. To investigate this, a mixed-method research design was used to elicit information from 68 African immigrant English as a Second Language teachers, teaching young English as a Foreign Language learners in 3 countries. The participants were purposively chosen after obtaining written and oral consent from them. A structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview questions were instruments for data collection. Reliability and validity checks were carried out before administering the questionnaire. After analysis, a notable finding was that African immigrant teachers felt unaccepted by the host communities and this made it difficult for the English as a Second Language learners to listen to classroom instructions given by these immigrant teachers. Again, the parents of these learners find it difficult to accept African immigrant teachers teaching their children as they deemed them incompetent to teach them. Other findings of the study were vital in making pedagogical conclusions on racial discrimination issues encountered by African immigrant English as a Second Language teachers. The ways forward for an all-inclusive educational system devoid of ethnic, religious, sexuality and racial issues were suggested.

A lot has been written with regards to the subject of anxiety and its role on influencing learning outcomes yet it seems the issue of anxiety is continuously debated by research and academic scholars. While teachers may think that issues of anxiety in education are either overhyped or overemphasized, learners think otherwise. To analyze the views of the preservice teacher on the concept of test anxiety especially on its influence on the academic performance of students, a mixed research design was adopted for this study. An experimental approach followed by semi-structured interviews were used to elicit information on the impact of test anxiety on the academic performance. A total of 42 participants were purposively chosen which were divided into 2 groups, A (control group) and B (experimental group). A reliable and validated post-test was administered where there was an induced stress on the experimental group before commencing an examination. The findings of this study argued that though test anxiety affected students test scores to a large extent, other possible factors were responsible for learner's test scores as well. The study suggests the need for rethinking ways through which examinations are organized to reduce incidence of test anxiety among test takers. The major limitation of the study was the small sample size. Thus, the use of a larger sample for future researches must be considered.

To prepare students for contributing to societal development and growth, 21st century or future skills like critical thinking and problem solving were identified to be essential. However, it seems that while discussing skill development, knowledge of the skill, willingness to act with the skills, and self-belief are often neglected. In addition, inadequacies of teaching practices applied in skill development and acquisition lead to the unpreparedness of graduates to contribute to sustainable development goals. Given these, this study anticipates that to prepare students for the future through education, adequate emphasis must be channelled towards equipping students with knowledge of the skill, willingness to act with the skills, and self-belief in the efficacy of the skills using innovative lesson planning frameworks like the text-analysis-task-exploration framework. This study used a quantitative research design to elicit information from 50 participants on their action competence on critical thinking and problem-solving skills while learning through different lesson planning frameworks. The study provides evidence to show significant improvement in students' action competence in the above skills using the modified TATE lesson planning framework. The study unpacks the potential of the modified TATE framework in equipping learners with action competence in critical thinking and problems solving skills for the future.

There is ongoing scientific discussion on the role of innovative technologies in enhancing teaching and learning. Technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, artificial intelligence, and generative artificial intelligence have sparked debates in the broader literature. To contribute to ongoing discussions on these topics and to bridge gaps existing in works of literature on the potentials and challenges of innovative technologies like virtual reality, this paper provides insights from students and teachers on the use of virtual reality for teaching speaking skills so far lacking in academic prose in this domain. Given that this study only focused on obtaining student and teacher insights, a mixed-method research design that used questionnaires and interviews was implemented to investigate this study. After obtaining and analyzing data from 85 participants, the study found that although virtual reality could have improved students' speaking skills more efficiently, it was a fun and exciting learning experience for the students and teachers. Other novel findings of the study were instrumental in making pedagogic conclusions on the study's objective.

Purpose: This paper asserts that while educational resources are times effective in teaching students how to write, the format in which they are delivered can influence results. With this in mind, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of using educational resources in a blended format. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a mixed-method research design to elicit information from 70 participants recruited for this study. The researcher divided the participants into experimental and control groups where the researcher taught the control group writing skills in a hybrid learning environment without using educational resources while the experimental group used blended interactive educational resources. The researcher analyzed and interpreted the participants' post-test scores and transcripts of the interviewees. Findings: This study finds that blended interactive educational resources contribute significantly toward improving the students' writing skills; however, improvements were not found in all aspects of their writing. Originality/value: This study unpacks the positive contributions of blended interactive educational resources in writing instruction. This study contributes to educational literature in showing that these resources may be effective in improving some aspects of writing text. This study adds to other corpora of studies that emphasize the importance of using educational resources for learning.

Purpose: This study intends to examine these misconceptions in a bid to reaching a valid conclusion. More importantly, this study intends to elicit information from instructors and preservice teachers on their experiences, successes and challenges on the sudden switch from flipped classroom to emergency remote online teaching. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a qualitative research design and the main focus of this research design which was is a form of exploratory research design was to understand the reasons opinions and viewpoints of a particular group of people concerning a situation. This paper deems this research design fit for eliciting relevant information from instructors and preservice teachers on their opinions and perceptions on the sudden shift from flipped classrooms to emergency remote online teaching during the previous semester. Data collection for this study was carried out through the use of focus group discussions where participants were asked questions based on the objective of the study. Findings: The present findings confirm that the mode of instruction delivery was not online teaching rather emergency remote online teaching. Another conclusion that was drawn was with regards to training, use of resources and issues of measurement and evaluation. The study summarized that there was little or no training for the teaching staff before the switch to EROT as instructors were only given guidelines on what to do to implement their lesson plans. Originality/value: Emergency remote online teaching is a newly emerging approach to lesson delivery, especially in an emergency situation. This study elaborates more on this new dimension of teaching and future prospects as well.

Purpose: There are currently no studies concerning the use of Google Hangout in North Cyprus. Thus, this study examines the perceptions of preservice teacher and language instructors on the use of Google Meet (GM) as a synchronous language learning tool for a distant online program in Cyprus. Design/methodology/approach: To elicit information on the perception of preservice teachers and language instructors on this issue, a quantitative research design was used for this study. Findings: Though the language instructors deemed GM effective and efficient as a language learning tool, the preservice teachers thought otherwise. Research limitations/implications: It was difficult to collect data during this pandemic outbreak. Obtaining ethical consent from the participants was difficult as well and so the sample size was small. Practical implications: The study was able to demonstrate that the use of GM was somewhat effective as a language learning tool for the online distant program, though the level of efficiency and effectiveness varies from preservice teachers to the language instructors. Also, the study was able to highlight the use of GM could be very effective if it is well managed by the teachers to stimulate student engagement during lessons. The study showcased that the unavailability of Internet data, poor Internet connection are possible constraints to the efficiency of GM. Recently, a university in Northern Cyprus has decided to partner with a telecommunication network (Turkcell) toward providing free Internet access for all registered students within a particular period of learning. This is a welcomed approach that can be emulated by other educational facilities in bridging the gap created by poor Internet connection in a remote online learning setting. Originality/value: There are no studies within the context of North Cyprus on the use of GM as a synchronous language learning tool for online distant programs. Though the use of GM is adjured effective and efficient, this contextual overview of GM is a new insight into academia.

While there are laudable studies on the challenges of flipped learning and hybrid models adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, limited studies exist on the advancements achieved through digitally enhanced learning. Eliciting information from preservice teachers on their experiences while switching to different learning environments during the global pandemic seems essential. A mixed-method research design was adopted to achieve this. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from 165 participants who were purposively recruited for the study on their opinions on the switch from flipped learning to a hybrid educational model. A notable finding of this study was that switching to the hybrid model was perceived as a novel innovation in online learning during emergencies. Also, the study found that while the hybrid educational model was deemed adequate and efficient in achieving instructional objectives, the preservice teachers perceived it as ineffective and inefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the potential of implementing an action competence teaching model as a framework for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in higher education. The paper seeks to draw insights from the students on the potential of this teaching model. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a quantitative research design in exploring the potential of an action competence teaching model. This study used self-report measures to obtain insights into the objective of the study. Findings: The action competence teaching model was seen as useful in equipping students with knowledge about a problem, confidence and willingness to act. However, some issues like the design of the projects, teamwork and instructional practices were identified and discussed. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to implement an action competence teaching model to help draw insights from students on its potential. This paper documents certain aspects of action competence that require attention before being implemented in higher education. This information so far lacking in scientific literature contributes to ongoing discussions on SDGs while unveiling strengths and weaknesses to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Given the persistent receptive skills challenges faced by language learners and the numerous merits of using technologically-enhanced learning in the form of mobile-assisted language learning in language teaching, this study decides to incorporate a context-analysis-practice-exploration lesson-planning framework with mobile learning to improve the receptive skills of learners. This step is necessary on the recommendation by scholarly research that while implementing technology, teacher training, digital literacy and expertise, incorporating good teaching practices and lesson planning frameworks may assist in yielding positive results. Design/methodology/approach: This study decides to utilize a mixed-method research design through an experimental approach to elicit information from 90 EFL students concerning the effectiveness of incorporating the context-analysis-practice-exploration framework in a mobile-leaning mode instructional delivery to improve their reading and listening skills. Findings: After collecting and analyzing data, the study found that while the participants perceived enhanced-mobile learning to make lessons enjoyable, integrating this framework and m-learning improved their reading skills. This study used notable findings to make pedagogical conclusions on the objective of this study. Originality/value: This study contributes through empirical evidence on the effectiveness of incorporating mobile learning and a responsive lesson planning framework towards improving English as a foreign language learners' learning outcome. Besides, this study is the first to probe and unpack the effectiveness of a responsive lesson-planning framework in language education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching English language to young learners in an English as a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language context could be challenging especially for African immigrants, as they face varying arrays of challenges ranging from low wages, staff abuse, and other racial discriminations A lot has been written about racially related issues in our school system yet there are limited works of literature that focus on the challenges of African immigrant English as a Second Language teachers with regards to racial discrimination To investigate this, a mixed-method research design was used to elicit information from 68 African immigrant English as a Second Language teachers, teaching young English as a Foreign Language learners in 3 countries The participants were purposively chosen after obtaining written and oral consent from them. A structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview questions were instruments for data collection. Reliability and validity checks were carried out before administering the questionnaire. After analysis, a notable finding was that African immigrant teachers felt unaccepted by the host communities and this made it difficult for the English as a Second Language learners to listen to classroom instructions given by these immigrant teachers Again, the parents of these learners find it difficult to accept African immigrant teachers teaching their children as they deemed them incompetent to teach them Other findings of the study were vital in making pedagogical conclusions on racial discrimination issues encountered by African immigrant English as a Second Language teachers The ways forward for an all-inclusive educational system devoid of ethnic, religious, sexuality and racial issues were suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]