Jul 2026· European Journal of Education· Vol 61· 0 citations· 39 references
Abstract
Mindset research has contributed to a growing body of literature in English language education, especially research on teachers' mindsets in recent years. Despite this, a comprehensive view to advance this line of research is lacking. This scoping review aims to map past research on teachers' mindsets in English language teaching contexts, identify gaps, and provide future research directions. Following PRISMA guidelines, a search query was applied to Scopus, WoS, ProQuest, and ERIC, yielding 1001 records published between 2006 and 2025. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 41 eligible studies were selected for analysis. Data charting forms and extraction were jointly constructed and discussed by the reviewers. Results indicated an increase in studies from 2022 to 2025, and different approaches were used to study teachers' mindsets. Within Dweck's mindset conceptualization, the studies, however, varied in their domain focus. Several themes were identified, including the influence of teachers' mindsets on their practices, identities, emotions, professional development, and students' motivational outcomes, and their association with subjects and background factors. The review also identifies several significant research gaps and discusses prospects for future research.
An updated overview of EFL writing pedagogy is provided, which will be useful for researchers, teachers, educators, and curriculum designers working on development of instructions for modern educational context, keeping in mind the pedagogical rigor.
Esraa Abd Elnaser Mohamed Hassan, R. Mia, Md Shafiqul Islam· International journal of res...· 0 citations
This study systematically reviews 36 recent research articles (2020–2024) on the development of critical thinking in teacher education for English as a foreign language. Although critical thinking is widely recognized as a core competency, recent studies remain fragmented regarding how it is conceptualized, taught, and assessed in English teacher education. This fragmentation makes an updated synthesis urgent amid recent pedagogical, intercultural, and digital transformations in teacher education. The PRISMA protocol was followed, and databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Redalyc were consulted, enabling an analysis of the geographical, methodological, theoretical, didactic, and contextual characteristics of the studies. Qualitative approaches predominate (61%), with a significant concentration in Asia (18 cases), followed by the Americas (8) and Europe (6). Among the theoretical frameworks identified, the cognitive approach (25%) and the sociocultural/sociocognitive approach (22%) stand out, highlighting the importance of connecting thinking with context and social interaction. Regarding didactic strategies, experiential learning (39.6%) is prominent, followed by critical or argumentative reflection (33.9%). However, major challenges remain: limited specialized training, curricular rigidity, and a persistent gap between theory and practice. The review maps recent trends, identifies persistent gaps, and offers pedagogical implications for strengthening critical thinking in English teacher education.
Nelson Rafael Toncel Herrera, Ángel Alfonso Jiménez Sierra· Frontiers in Education· 0 citations
Findings show that platforms like WeChat enhance reading engagement and comprehension through authentic texts, peer interaction, and multimodal input, and that learner motivation emerges as a cross-cutting outcome, driven by autonomy, social presence, and interactive environments.
Xuelian Wan, Megat Aman Zahiri bin Megat Zakaria· SN Social Sciences· 0 citations
This paper investigates how a Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) approach can support English learners (ELs) with below-grade-level English proficiency in meeting rigorous national social studies standards. In a case study, three high school ELs in a U.S. History class wrote protest letters to President Franklin D. Roosevelt about the World War II Japanese American internment (Executive Order 9066). Prior to writing, students analyzed primary sources using guiding questions to consider multiple perspectives. Analysis of the letters revealed evidence of four National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) thematic standards (Themes 1, 2, 5, and 10), while focus group interviews showed student awareness of two of the same themes (Themes 2 and 5) and one additional theme (Theme 6). These findings suggest that SAC enabled ELs to access rigorous content while addressing NCSS standards. A key benefit of SAC was the development of critical thinking and communication skills essential for democratic participation. The SAC process also afforded ELs meaningful opportunities to produce authentic writing that demonstrated engagement with high-level social studies concepts and civic reasoning.
C. Brown, S. Waters, W. Russell· Research in Social Sciences...· 0 citations
Gamification has been effective in foreign language education. Existing reviews have explored from students and in-service teachers’ perceptions, while pre-service teachers’ view remains underexplored. Pre-service teachers are in the process of transitioning from being learners to practitioners, which offers a novel lens for the field. The purpose of the present study was to identify the research trend, hotspots, gamified elements in instructional types, and affective dimensions concerning the influence of gamification on foreign language teaching (FLT) from pre-service teachers’ viewpoints. This review adopted 99 studies for bibliometric analysis and 10 studies for systematic review between 2015 and 2025 in five databases. The results showed that there was a rapid growth in the publication. In addition, pre-service foreign language teachers expressed a positive attitude (i.e., high motivation, strong confidence, and clear intention) towards the use of gamification in both online and offline FLT. This study provides a comprehensive overview and insight for foreign language teachers, educators, and school administrators.
Xiaoxia Chen, Qianru Li· Social Science and Human Res...· 0 citations
Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) has become increasingly important in response to the growing demand for English proficiency in the era of globalization. This study aims to identify research trends, effective teaching strategies, major challenges, and instructional innovations in TEYL. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines by analyzing 30 empirical studies published between 2019 and 2025 from Google Scholar, Publish or Perish, ERIC, Scopus, DOAJ, and SINTA-indexed journals. Bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer was employed to visualize keyword co-occurrence and thematic relationships. The findings indicate that TEYL research has grown significantly, with effective teaching strategies, teacher challenges, and technology-based innovations emerging as the dominant themes. Interactive approaches, including games, storytelling, songs, Total Physical Response (TPR), and multimodal learning, consistently improve learners’ motivation and language development. However, teacher competence, limited learning resources, institutional support, and learner diversity remain key challenges. The review concludes that successful TEYL implementation depends on the integration of pedagogical innovation, teacher competency, learner characteristics, digital readiness, and institutional support. These findings provide valuable insights for improving English language instruction for young learners and guiding future TEYL research.