University of IsfahanApplied Research on English Language2252-019814420251101Vol.14.No.4.2025123830055ENJournal Article20251117https://are.ui.ac.ir/article_30055_c67288db63b086165772019089f46830.pdfUniversity of IsfahanApplied Research on English Language2252-019814420251101A Systematic Review of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Integration in English as a Foreign Language Education1442956910.22108/are.2025.144750.2479ENShahramEsfandiariDepartment of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, IranDiyarMazharpourDepartment of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Ardabil, IranJournal Article20250321Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have emerged as transformative technologies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, offering immersive, adaptive environments that enhance learner engagement, retention, and motivation. This systematic review synthesized 48 peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2024 to examine AR/VR applications, implementation strategies, challenges, and learning outcomes within EFL contexts. The researchers established inclusion criteria—English language studies published from 2019 onward in Scopus-indexed language teaching and learning journals, fully accessible online, and thematically aligned with research objectives—and applied exclusion criteria to studies that were non-English, dated before 2019, restricted in access, or published in low-impact or non-verified outlets. Data from the selected articles were imported into MAXQDA 24 for qualitative coding, yielding 64 open codes that were consolidated into 12 axial codes and further synthesized into six overarching themes: learner engagement, integration strategies, implementation practices, learner perceptions, adoption challenges, and language acquisition outcomes. Findings indicate AR/VR interventions significantly bolster engagement and linguistic competence when embedded within pedagogically sound frameworks, although technical constraints, cost considerations, and teacher readiness can hinder adoption. Educators should design scalable, user-friendly experiences and invest in targeted professional development to optimize outcomes. This review advances our understanding of AR/VR’s pedagogical potential in EFL settings by highlighting evidence-based practices and persistent challenges. It offers actionable recommendations for future research.https://are.ui.ac.ir/article_29569_f283c21822e1fa15033b6392c57c5a4b.pdfUniversity of IsfahanApplied Research on English Language2252-019814420251101“Beyond a Thesis”: A Duo-Narrative Inquiry into Possible Selves of Generation-Z EFL Teachers in Graduate Education45762975210.22108/are.2025.145699.2543ENHào NhậtPhanSchool of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, VietnamHùng QuốcTrầnSchool of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, VietnamJournal Article20250616Teacher-researcher identity is commonly conceptualized as one of the central components of teachers’ professional identity. Such identity development is not only configured toward the past and present but also oriented toward the future. This retrospective duo-narrative inquiry aimed to portray such orientation by exploring the possible selves envisioned by two female Gen-Z EFL teachers upon the completion of their Master’s graduation theses in the Mekong Delta region. Informed by Possible Selves Theory, this study drew upon qualitative data collected from semi-structured interviews with two primary participants and two outsiders for data triangulation. Subsequently, data were analyzed utilizing thematic analysis for each case, followed by a cross-case analysis to identify convergences and divergences in their lived experiences. Findings revealed that participants reconstructed their teacher-researcher identity through three dimensions of possible selves, including the hoped-for, the ought-to-be, and the feared. They envisioned their identity as personally developed, institutionally grounded, yet potentially at risk of being contextually dissolved. The study was pedagogically significant for maintaining teachers’ motivation in the teaching profession through an envisioned sense of possible selves. Pedagogical implications were offered to inform Master’s students, teacher education programs, and tertiary institutions in Vietnamese contexts and beyond.https://are.ui.ac.ir/article_29752_e2724d53be72340b9ef73377a0fdf8c1.pdfUniversity of IsfahanApplied Research on English Language2252-019814420251101Exploring ChatGPT’s Impact on Critical, Creative, and Reflective Thinking Skills: A Mixed-Methods Study in an Indonesian EFL Classroom771142979910.22108/are.2025.145896.2564ENWiniaWazianaInformation System, Institut Bakti Nusantara, Lampung, IndonesiaWidiAndewiInformation System, Institut Bakti Nusantara, Lampung, IndonesiaDamarWibisonoSociology, Universitas Lampung, Lampung, IndonesiaTommyHastomoEnglish Department, STKIP PGRI Bandar Lampung, Lampung, IndonesiaMuhamadMuslihudinInformation System, Institut Bakti Nusantara, Lampung, IndonesiaJournal Article20250709The integration of generative AI like ChatGPT into EFL pedagogy presents both opportunities for fostering higher-order thinking skills and risks to academic integrity. A research gap exists regarding the simultaneous impact of ChatGPT on the crucial triad of critical thinking, creativity, and self-reflection within the Indonesian EFL context. This study aimed to fill this gap by quantitatively measuring the effect of ChatGPT on these skills and qualitatively exploring students' perceptions of the learning process. The study used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. Participants were 100 undergraduate students, randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=50) or a control group (n=50). Data were collected using three validated instruments: the Critical Thinking Scale, the Creative Thinking Scale, and the Reflective Thinking Scale. In addition, a semi-structured interview guide was used to obtain qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using ANCOVA, and qualitative data using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the ChatGPT group achieved statistically significant gains in critical, creative, and reflective thinking scores compared to the control group. Qualitative results revealed a duality in student perceptions; they valued the AI for fostering skills through idea generation and safe practice, but expressed concerns about risks such as cognitive offloading and skill atrophy.https://are.ui.ac.ir/article_29799_6f88aee84e130a63268b84193a5797fd.pdfUniversity of IsfahanApplied Research on English Language2252-019814420251101Barriers to Teacher Accountability in the EFL Context: Development and Validation of a Context-specific Scale Employing a Structural Equation Modeling Approach1151502978310.22108/are.2025.145856.2559ENRahimeKarbakhsh RavariDepartment of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IranSeyyed AyatollahRazmjooDepartment of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran0000-0002-6542-9399Journal Article20250706Teacher accountability, referring to teachers’ responsibility for instructional effectiveness and student outcomes, is a fundamental concept in education. However, barriers to teacher accountability in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education in Iran have not been previously investigated. This study aimed to identify these barriers by developing and validating a context-specific instrument. A mixed-method approach was adopted, starting with semi-structured interviews with 60 EFL teachers to generate questionnaire items. Following the pilot study, a 27-item questionnaire was administered to 460 EFL teachers in private language institutes. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was run to develop an adjusted model of inhibitors to EFL teachers’ accountability and to assess the psychometric properties of the BTAS. Additionally, descriptive statistics explored teachers' perceptions of the identified barriers. The analysis supported a three-factor model of teacher accountability barriers: Internal obstacles, including motivational factors; external inhibitors, such as systemic constraints and assessment limitations; and environmental inhibitors related to cultural, sociocultural, and political constraints. The findings highlight the complex and interrelated motivational, institutional, and contextual challenges that hinder teacher accountability, and they present practical implications for policymakers and educational authorities to foster supportive environments that enhance teaching quality and learner achievement.https://are.ui.ac.ir/article_29783_6e5dedb26b0a719eb333ec780607e58a.pdfUniversity of IsfahanApplied Research on English Language2252-019814420251101Modelling EFL Teachers’ Emotion Regulation in Relation to the Ecological Framework of Agency and Autonomy1511782996210.22108/are.2025.146683.2613ENMohammad MahdiHajmalekDepartment of English Language, Faculty of Humanities, Khatam University, Tehran, IranMahtabMadaniDepartment of English Language, Faculty of Humanities, Khatam University, Tehran, IranJournal Article20250915Teaching has recently received extensive attention as an emotionally charged profession, necessitating a deeper exploration of the psychological mechanisms underlying teachers’ practices. However, despite the evidence supporting the role of teachers’ emotion regulation (ER) in their autonomous control over both their practices and their ecological environment, the interplay between EFL teachers’ ER, agency, and autonomy is not yet fully clear. Grounded in positive psychology and ecological theories of agency, the present study tried to contribute to our understanding of this relationship. Accordingly, 232 EFL teachers in Iranian schools, targeted via snowball sampling, responded to an online survey, containing Emotion Regulation, Agency Related to Planning Teaching and Learning Activities, and Teaching Autonomy questionnaires. The results of Multiple Linear Regression and SEM confirmed a positive relationship between ER and agency (<em>r</em> = .724) as well as ER and autonomy (<em>r </em>= .713), while predicting 58% and 48% of changes in them, respectively, which demonstrates strong predictive power. The results support an integrated theoretical model, linking ER to teachers’ agentic and autonomous behaviors, and indicating that emotionally-regulated teachers are more likely to exercise control over their professional practices and environment. These findings offer implications for educational administrators and psychologists, as well as ELT practitioners who wish to improve educational practices by empowering teachers to foster sustained well-being and deal with burnout. Finally, the possibility of an updated construct of Agentic Autonomy is proposed to bridge ER with teachers’ ecological agency.https://are.ui.ac.ir/article_29962_482743b546ad9d9a5d47397196f15aa6.pdfUniversity of IsfahanApplied Research on English Language2252-019814420251101Instructing Phrasal Verbs through Implicit and Explicit Approaches: Evidence from Eye-Tracking and Reaction Time1792102997210.22108/are.2025.146495.2605ENMohammadHassanzadehLanguages and Linguistics Center, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, IranMohammad JavadFarajiLanguages and Linguistics Center, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, IranSaeedRezaeiLanguages and Linguistics Center, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, IranJournal Article20250829Native speakers of English use phrasal verbs (PhVs) profusely in daily life. Pedagogically, however, these elements pose formidable challenges for second/foreign language (L2) learners across the board. The issue is exacerbated by the arbitrariness of approaches prescribed by instructional materials. The current study aimed at comparing the pedagogical impacts of explicit versus implicit approaches to teaching PhVs, drawing on the PPP (Present, Practice, Production) model as an explicit framework and the TBI (task-based instruction) as an implicit one. In so doing, 62 university undergraduate students majoring in engineering courses from three distinct classes at Sharif University of Technology were recruited. Each class was randomly assigned to a condition: <em>explicit</em> (PPP), <em>implicit</em> (TBI), and <em>control</em>.<em> </em>The treatments were carried out over five 50-minute sessions for the experimental conditions.<em> </em>To acquire further objectivity on the impact of instructional conditions, more data were culled using the online methods of eye-tracking and reaction time. In the eye-tracking experiment, seven eye-movement metrics were measured by a desk-mounted eye-tracker. Following that, the learners' reaction time (RT) behavior was gauged in terms of three metrics. The offline findings – administered at three intervals – revealed that explicit and implicit groups outperformed the control group on the immediate and the first delayed posttests. However, the explicit framework proved longer lasting. Regarding the online measures, no difference was discerned between the two experimental conditions. The aggregate evidence suggests that a hybrid perspective drawing on a mix of explicit and implicit tasks can be a propitious approach to PhVs’ pedagogy.https://are.ui.ac.ir/article_29972_291ea6d811aea51fbe3b165fce8bdace.pdfUniversity of IsfahanApplied Research on English Language2252-019814420251101A Gamification-Based Reading Comprehension Course in Learning Management System: Enhancing Learning Outcomes, Critical Thinking, and Self-Directed Learning Skills for Islamic Undergraduate Students2112382998610.22108/are.2025.146587.2609ENSubaikiIkhwanSekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Nurul Iman Bogor, IndonesiaSriSugiartiSekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Putra Galuh Ciamis, IndonesiaDewiHidayatiSekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Diponegoro Tulungagung, IndonesiaJokoSlametUniversitas Negeri Malang, IndonesiaYusufHidayatSekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Putra Galuh Ciamis, IndonesiaJournal Article20250907While gamification has been extensively examined as an innovative teaching strategy, its potential to strengthen reading comprehension, critical thinking, and self-directed learning (SDL) in Islamic higher education has not been fully explored. Much of the existing research focuses primarily on its motivational impact, with less attention given to how gamified learning management system (LMS) environments can simultaneously support cognitive and metacognitive development. To address this gap, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of an LMS-based gamified reading comprehension course on undergraduate students’ learning outcomes at STAI Diponegoro Tulungagung, Indonesia. <br />A quasi-experimental design was applied, involving 70 students who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 35) and a control group (n = 35). Data were collected through pretest and posttest on reading comprehension and critical thinking, a structured SDL questionnaire based on Garrison’s (1997) framework (self-management, self-motivation, and self-monitoring), and follow-up interviews with six purposively selected students from the experimental group. Results indicated that students exposed to the gamified LMS course showed significantly higher gains in comprehension, critical thinking, and SDL than those in the control group. Qualitative findings further suggested that gamification fostered continuous engagement and sustained motivation, though certain challenges, including technological constraints and external distractions. Overall, the study underscores the promise of integrating gamification into LMS-based reading courses to support cognitive, affective, and metacognitive advancement in Islamic higher education.https://are.ui.ac.ir/article_29986_2c560a63facdadf87eee39f624db5e2f.pdf