While the potential of Dynamic Assessment (DA) and its variants (Computerized Dynamic Assessment (CDA) and Group Dynamic Assessment (GDA)) for EFL classrooms has been recognized, there is a lack of research on its practical implementation compared to the well-established field of Summative Assessment (SA). Thus, the objective of this qualitative…

While research on teachers' Critical Incidents (CIs) has grown exponentially, little research has been done on teachers' assessment-related CIs, much less examining the contributions of such CIs to their identity sense-making. This study aimed to fill some of this gap by exploring assessment-related CIs of 13 Iranian L2 teachers and the associated…

Purpose: Despite the growth of theory and research on young English learners and the widely-recognized importance of critical incidents (CIs) in teachers' professional development (PD), little research has examined young-learner teachers' CIs. This study investigated the impacts of a PD course structured around CIs sharing/discussing on 14 L2…

This study aimed to explore English language teachers' vulnerability and identity negotiation in relation to self-branding on social media. It focused on 15 Iranian teachers' experiences in teaching and self-promotion on Instagram through narrative frames and follow-up interviews. The analysis of the teacher narratives demonstrated that the new…

As a growing approach to assessment, learning-oriented assessment (LOA) has recently flourished to position learning at the center of assessment practices. It aims to unify assessment, teaching, and learning. However, little is written and known about its benefits, challenges, and practices in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts. To shed…

Studies have confirmed that fair assessment practices in educational contexts affect learners' motivation, self-regulation, and above all teacher credibility, yet the concept has been subject to educational stakeholders' diverse outlooks and perspectives. On this basis, this study delves into the high school English as Foreign Language (EFL)…

Combining teachers' big and small stories through a hybrid lens, the present study sought to examine the presence of meaning, as a component of well-being, in Iranian English language teachers within the discourse of sanctions, which could shape their positionality towards TESOL. Two themes were extracted: the emergence of critical hope and a…

Despite a surge of interest in language teacher assessment literacy, teachers' writing assessment literacy (WAL) has received little attention. When considering the issue in the particular Iranian EFL context, it becomes more significant since exploring the context shows the lack of a countrywide and systematic study on EFL teachers' WAL.…

Teacher agency as an influential factor in teacher professionalism has recently gained global inquiry in the EFL context. However, no valid instrument has ever been designed to evaluate EFL teachers' ecological agency. This gap prompted the researchers of the current study to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess EFL teachers' ecological…

This study explored second language (L2) in-service teachers' (ISTs') attitudes toward writing, probed any discrepancy between their attitudes and practice, and investigated the extent to which writing skill is included in L2 classrooms compared to the other three macro skills, namely listening, speaking, and reading. To conduct this mixed-methods…

Various determinants contribute to the disappointing outcomes of the EFL programmes in non-Anglophone countries, thereby limiting citizens in these countries access to international academic and economic platforms. One such determinant is EFL teachers' productive feedback practice. Productive feedback is embedded in a constructivist view of…

This essay shows how I came to assume the role of an activist-scholar and educator through engaging in self-observation and self-reflection in the course of my day-to-day professional practice. The story of my professional growth comprises epiphanies that were transformational, enabling me and my students to transcend our traditional roles. This…

Despite the recognition of the importance of teachers' professional development, the exploration of teachers' Critical Incidents (CIs) as a type of professional development initiative has received insufficient attention in L2 teaching contexts. Motivated by the dearth of research in this area and building on complexity theory as its conceptual…

Teacher agency is a pivotal element of professionalism and second/foreign language (L2) education. However, its role in L2 assessment has remained under-researched. Part of this negligence is due to the absence of a validated questionnaire to measure the construct and its underlying components. To address this gap, drawing on the ecological…

This study explored how teachers undertook listening instruction with learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) through investigating teachers' authentic classroom practices. Eight experienced EFL teachers working in Iranian private language schools participated in the study. Each teacher was observed six to nine times and each complete…