REZA VALIZADEH

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Papers by REZA VALIZADEH

Exploring the interplay of personality traits and L2 willingness to communicate among Iranian EFL learners: a mixed-methods study

Discover Psychology, 2025

This mixed-methods study investigated the relationship between the Big Five personality traits an... more This mixed-methods study investigated the relationship between the Big Five
personality traits and Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in English among Iranian
EFL learners. A total of 100 intermediate-level students completed the Big Five
Personality Traits Scale and an L2 WTC Scale, with 15 participants selected for semistructured
interviews to provide deeper insights. Quantitative analysis revealed
that neuroticism was negatively correlated with L2 WTC (r = -.486, p < .001), while
extraversion (r = .432, p < .001), openness (r = .381, p < .001), and agreeableness (r = .291,
p < .05) showed positive relationships. Bayesian regression modeling, chosen for its
ability to handle model uncertainty and provide probabilistic estimates, identified
neuroticism, extraversion, and openness as key predictors, with neuroticism exerting
the strongest negative influence. Together, these traits explained 32.1% of the
variance in WTC. The qualitative findings complemented the quantitative results by
exploring participants’ perceptions. Thematic analysis highlighted three key themes:
emotional responses to L2 communication, personality-driven communication
strategies, and the influence of supportive classroom environments. Classrooms
characterized by positive teacher feedback, peer encouragement, and low anxiety
were found to enhance WTC, especially for learners high in neuroticism. These
findings underscore the interplay between individual differences and contextual
factors in shaping L2 communication, offering practical implications for language
pedagogy and learner-centered strategies.
Keywords Big five personality traits, Second language learning, Willingness to
communicate, Neuroticism, Individual differences

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The extended I thinks, therefore I am: Reimagining student identity and critical engagement in neoliberal education

Educational Philosophy and Theory, 2025

his paper proposes a transformative teaching method grounded in Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy ... more his paper proposes a transformative teaching method grounded in Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy (CP) and Hermans’ dialogical self theory (DST) to address the persistent influence of neoliberalism and authoritarianism in education. The method unfolds in three stages: (1) exposing students’ ignorance—teachers initiate dialogue to reveal students’ political literacies and challenge uncritical acceptance of education as credentialing; (2) sharing teaching—politically engaged students (quasi-teachers) bring real-life socio-political concerns into the classroom, fostering democratic dialogue, productive conflict, and participatory assessment; and (3) act as a promoter—teachers facilitate ongoing conflict between students’ prior and emerging political identities, guiding them to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge and internalize critical perspectives without coercion. Central to this approach is DST’s concept of the self as multiple, dialogical I-positions that continuously negotiate internal and external voices. This dynamic enables students to break free from passive roles and develop as active, reflective agents. Ultimately, the aim is for students to evolve into teachers themselves, embodying the reciprocal process of learning and teaching. This framework bridges theory and practice, offering a humanizing, democratic pathway to nurture critical consciousness, political literacy, and social responsibility in education.

Feedback-Mediated Individual and Collaborative Planning: Effects on Structural Organization and Clarity of Argumentative Essays

Journal on English Language Teaching, 2018

This two-week quantitative experimental study aimed at making a comparison among the effects of i... more This two-week quantitative experimental study aimed at making a comparison among the effects of individual and collaborative pre-task planning, both with and without receiving teacher feedback on structural organization and clarity of argumentative essays. The participants were 120 Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, assigned randomly to five groups (four experimental and one control, with no planning condition). They were given 10 minutes for planning as a pre-writing activity. The individual group did the planning individually, while the collaborative one did it through peer-interaction. There were two more individual and collaborative groups, who also received the teacher feedback during the planning process. The other writing tasks processes were done individually in all groups and in 30 minutes. The results revealed that the four experimental groups outperformed the control one. The collaborative group was significantly better than the individual one, but the ...

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Book review: Paul Baker, Using Corpora in Discourse Analysis

Book review: Paul Baker, Using Corpora in Discourse Analysis, 2025

Synchronously with the rapid advances of technology, we have witnessed an indispensable forge bet... more Synchronously with the rapid advances of technology, we have witnessed an indispensable
forge between corpus linguistics, as a fast-growing field of study and discourse
analysis. A critical nexus has emerged between corpus linguistics and discourse analysis,
resulting in publications across the field. Among the top tier resource books in this
area of research is the one written by Baker in 2023. This book offers a comprehensive
guide to the utilization of corpora in discourse analysis; highlighting innovative methodologies
and practical applications inherent in corpus linguistics and discourse analysis.
It explores how corpus data can enhance the understanding of language patterns and
usage in various contexts, offering valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.
Baker’s erudition coupled with his expertise, makes this book a timely resource for
scholars, students, and practitioners seeking to unravel the complexities of language
and discourse in the digital age.
Structurally framed into nine chapters, Baker adeptly guides readers through the process
of constructing and analyzing corpora, equipping them with the tools necessary to
embark on their own research endeavors in discourse analysis. From corpus compilation
to data interpretation, each step is meticulously delineated, empowering researchers to
reap the full potential of corpora in their analytical pursuits.
To establish the groundwork for conducting corpus-based discourse analysis, Baker
dedicates the first chapter to elucidating basic concepts in corpus linguistics, discourse
analysis, and the emergence of critical discourse analysis. Additionally, he explains the
concept of triangulation (using a combination of methods for gathering and interpreting
data) and its pivotal role in corpus linguistics. At the core of this chapter is Baker’s effort
to clarify fundamental concepts in corpus linguistics—the study of language patterns in
large quantities; using computerized software—and discourse analysis—the study of
language in relation to society. This ensures that readers develop a clear understanding of
corpora and their crucial connection to discourse analysis.

Metaverse magic: improving language learners' intercultural understanding through virtual reality

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2025

In line with technology-enhanced language learning (TELL), this study explores the impact of meta... more In line with technology-enhanced language learning (TELL), this study explores the impact of metaverse education on the perception of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) of English language learners, employing a pre-test-post-test control group design to assess the e ectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR) environments compared to traditional face-to-face instruction. This research aimed to evaluate how these technology-enhanced learning experiences in uence learners' perception of cultural knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and skills essential for e ective intercultural communication. Results demonstrate that participants engaging in metaverse-based activities exhibited significant perceived improvements across all dimensions of ICC, highlighting increased cultural understanding and enhanced communication abilities. Specifically, the findings reveal that learners developed a deeper appreciation of cultural di erences and improved their interaction skills in diverse settings. This study underscores the transformative potential of integrating metaverse platforms into language education, suggesting that such immersive environments not only enrich the learning experience but also better prepare students for real-world intercultural interactions. These insights have meaningful implications for educators and curriculum developers, advocating for the adoption of innovative teaching strategies that leverage VR technology to cultivate essential competencies in an increasingly interconnected world.

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Treating and Resisting Neoliberalism in Locally-Produced ELT Textbooks: A Critical Review

Changing English, 2025

A considerable body of literature has demonstrated the prevalence of neoliberalism in ELT pedagog... more A considerable body of literature has demonstrated the prevalence of neoliberalism in ELT pedagogy, especially in global ELT textbooks. Scholars are still concentrating on the ways neoliberal ideology is promoted in ELT textbooks and have paid some attention to the ways locally-developed ELT textbooks resist it. It remains to be seen whether this strategy for challenging neoliberalism could be a workable solution. Moreover, as the research in this area is mushrooming, it is crucial to avoid educational missteps from the beginning. This paper critically reviews the scarce literature on the approaches to treating and resisting neoliberalism in locally-produced ELT textbooks. The review shows that neoliberal ideology is prevalent in all global and most local ELT textbooks. Also, it reveals that some local coursebooks totally ignore neoliberalism in their content, which, as this paper discusses, could produce adverse effects. Accordingly, this article lights the path for future research, helping policymakers and material developers avoid inadvertently reinforcing neoliberalism in ELT pedagogy. KEYWORDS: Neoliberalism, capitalism, ELT textbooks, English language education, critical review

Enhancing Language Teachers' Well-Being Through Positive Psychology Interventions: A Mixed-Methods Study Focusing on Gratitude Journaling

Psychology in schools, 2025

Despite increasing attention to teacher well-being over the past years, few studies have explored... more Despite increasing attention to teacher well-being over the past years, few studies have explored the outcomes resulting from implementing low-cost, teacher-directed interventions grounded in a positive psychology perspective. In addressing this gap, this study investigated the effects of an 8-week gratitude journaling intervention on the well-being of language teachers in Iran, using a convergent mixed-methods approach. A total of 40 EFL teachers were selected using purposive and convenience sampling techniques and participated in a randomized controlled trial. Data were collected through validated scales measuring gratitude and subjective well-being. Quantitative results analyzed using mixed ANOVA demonstrated significant improvements in all well-being dimensions post-intervention, with the largest effect observed in social well-being (partial η 2 = 0.252, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that gratitude journaling effectively enhances both individual and social facets of well-being among teachers. Furthermore, multivariate tests indicated significant interactions between time (pre-and post-intervention) and group (experimental vs. control), particularly highlighting the role of the intervention in these improvements. The qualitative strand, analyzed through thematic analysis, revealed three primary themes: (1) enhanced emotional resilience, (2) strengthened social well-being, and (3) promoted personal and professional growth, which provided deeper insights into the teachers' experiences and the subjective benefits of the intervention. The study reveals the potential of gratitude interventions in improving well-being and fostering a positive educational environment. The findings have implications for enhancing teacher well-being and also to the practical application of positive psychology in educational settings.

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Exploring the emotional landscape: How graduate students’ views on social networks influence their engagement in tech-enhanced learning environments

Springer Nature, 2025

This research investigates how tertiary students’ views on social networks for learning purposes ... more This research investigates how tertiary students’ views on social networks for learning purposes relate to their emotional reactions and their level of academic involvement in technology-supported learning environments. A total of 890 Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students from five provinces (Esfahan, Tehran, Markazi, Shiraz, Khorasan Razavi, and Tabriz) were invited to participate, yielding 521 valid responses. Three instruments were employed: a Social Media Usage and Perceptions Questionnaire, an Academic Engagement Questionnaire, and a Learners’ Emotion Questionnaire. The SEM analysis was performed using SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 24; incorporated various techniques, including correlation, regression, and factor analysis. The findings indicate a positive relationship between students’ favorable perceptions of social networks and their positive emotions, which significantly contribute to higher academic engagement in tech-enhanced learning environments. Conversely, the study found that negative perceptions of social networks are associated with negative emotions, which diminish students’ academic engagement. These results highlight the dual role of social networks in shaping both emotional experiences and learning outcomes in modern educational settings.

Undergraduates’ assessment enculturation in the neoliberal university: an anthropological study

Studies in Higher Education/Taylor&Francis, 2025

It is inevitable that universities focus on market-oriented approaches to learning and assessment... more It is inevitable that universities focus on market-oriented approaches to learning and assessment in a neoliberal society because such approaches plausibly guarantee a job for students in the higher education market. This has led to the neoliberalization of assessment and, as a result, the promotion of students’ grade orientation. This issue is likely to negate the raison d'être of assessment, that is, improving student learning. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore undergraduates’ assessment enculturation or socialization in an Iranian neoliberal university. The findings from focus group interviews with both students and teachers showed that, generally, teachers’ ‘submission’ and ‘resistance’ to the neoliberal assessment culture play a significant role in shaping students’ assessment beliefs and values. Furthermore, it was found that students enter the university with a learned culture and, therefore, as culture-learners, are ready to either change their assessment belief system or reinforce what they have enculturated into. This research offers some suggestions concerning students’ grading and learning enculturation in the neoliberal university.

KEYWORDS:

Neoliberalismhigher educationenculturationsocializationassessment for learningcommodification

University students' academic vocabulary development through mobile-assisted learning: Exploring the impacts on receptive and productive knowledge

University students' academic vocabulary development through mobile-assisted learning: Exploring the impacts on receptive and productive knowledge, 2024

This study explored the effectiveness of mobile-assisted vocabulary learning through digital flas... more This study explored the effectiveness of mobile-assisted vocabulary learning through digital flashcards on receptive and productive aspects of academic vocabulary knowledge among Iranian EFL university students. In a quasi-experimental design, 86 participants were divided into three groups: a digital flashcard group (DFs), a traditional paper flashcard (PFs) group, and a control group using word lists, to assess the impact of these methods on vocabulary acquisition over five weeks. The findings revealed that students utilizing DFs exhibited significant improvements in both receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge compared to those using PFs and the control method. Notably, the increase in receptive vocabulary was more substantial than in productive vocabulary, highlighting the differential effects of DFs on various aspects of vocabulary learning. This finding underscores the need for targeted strategies to enhance productive aspects of academic vocabulary specifically. The study supports the integration of DFs into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs to leverage their potential in boosting vocabulary acquisition effectively. However, the lesser gains in productive vocabulary suggest the necessity for complementary instructional methods, which focus on more active vocabulary learning tasks. Based on these findings, the study argues that mobile-assisted vocabulary learning should be considered a practical strategy for supporting academic vocabulary development among university students.

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University students' academic vocabulary development through mobile-assisted learning: Exploring the impacts on receptive and productive knowledge

University students' academic vocabulary development through mobile-assisted learning: Exploring the impacts on receptive and productive knowledge, 2024

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Collaborative writing on Google Docs Effects on EFL learners'

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General Service andAcademic Words in Psychology Research Articles : A Corpus Based Study

The Journal of AsiaTEFL, 2021

He is interested in doing research on the role of various educational technologies in foreign lan... more He is interested in doing research on the role of various educational technologies in foreign language education, Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL), and the application of corpus linguistics in ELT. He has published in these areas in Cogent Education, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Open Learning, and Journal of Computers in Education.

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Stimated Body Fat Percentage using Mechine Learning Techniques

journal of ilam university of medical sciences, Nov 1, 2017

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The Effect of Individualized Technology-Mediated Feedback on EFL Learners’ Argumentative Essays

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 2018

This quantitative quasi-experimental study, which followed a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest de... more This quantitative quasi-experimental study, which followed a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest design, was aimed at investigating the effect of individualized technology-mediated feedback (henceforth, ITMF) on the overall quality of Iranian EFL learners’ argumentative essays. The effect of ITMF, as the experimental treatment, was compared with the common written corrective feedback (henceforth, CWCF) strategies as the control treatment. 57 learners, studying at general EFL courses at upper-intermediate level, formed the participants. They were assigned to two groups: ITMF and CWCF, which, in this study, is meant as the pen-and-paper form of direct and indirect feedback. Each group received six sessions of treatment. The writing tasks and tests were all of argumentative type. First, whether there was any significant difference between the ITMF and CWCF in the overall quality of the essays was investigated. The ITMF group significantly outperformed the CWCF one. Then, whether the diff...

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Effects of L1 and L2 Subtitled English Movies on Pre-Intermediate Learners’ Comprehension and Speaking Abilities

The review of the related studies on the advantages of subtitled movies in EFL classrooms indicat... more The review of the related studies on the advantages of subtitled movies in EFL classrooms indicates that there is no consensus among the researchers. While one group of researchers advocates L2 subtitled movies, the other group supports the use of L1 subtitled movies. This study addressed the impact of L1 and L2 subtitled movies on the language learners' comprehension of and speaking about the movies. A mixed-method research design was used. Three groups of participants (60 pre-intermediate learners) were exposed to three types of subtitles: L1 (Turkish), L2 (English), and standard (no subtitles). The data were collected through researcher-developed tests of comprehension and speaking as well as a semi-structured interview checklist. Results of ANOVA tests revealed that L1 subtitled movies were more effective than L2 subtitled movies which in turn were more effective than original movies. The thematic analysis of the interviews also showed that the participants found subtitled m...

Language teachers’ perceptions of using Google keyboard in L2 writing

Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning

Despite the growth of research on mobile technologies in educational contexts, research on langua... more Despite the growth of research on mobile technologies in educational contexts, research on language teachers’ perceptions of mobile technologies – particularly in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) – remains sparse. Hence, the present study explored EFL teachers’ perceptions of using Google keyboard (Gboard) for L2 writing instruction. The participants were two teachers who taught 47 intermediate Turkish EFL learners. Data were collected from the teachers. They were asked to keep a teaching journal and report their perceptions of Gboard implementation as well as the most distinctive lexical errors they deemed to emerge in the learners’ writing. Data analyses indicated that the teachers perceived the integration of Gboard into instruction as an effective intervention that assisted with enhancing the spelling accuracy of the learners. The implications of the study have been discussed.

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Self-directed learning of core vocabulary in English by EFL learners: comparing the outcomes from paper and mobile application flashcards

Journal of Computers in Education

In light of the recent developments in mobile technologies and students’ increased uses of these ... more In light of the recent developments in mobile technologies and students’ increased uses of these platforms for educational purposes, research on mobile-assisted learning is gaining increased attention. Within this line of inquiry, the current study explored vocabulary learning outcomes from paper and mobile application flashcards. The study used a repeated measures design, by exposing the participants (55 high-school students) to different learning conditions and testing their receptive knowledge of core vocabulary in English in three junctures of time over a year. The participants were asked to use digital or paper flashcards for vocabulary learning, and two standard measures of vocabulary knowledge in pre- and post-tests were used to compare vocabulary gains. The results revealed that both groups improved their vocabulary knowledge over time. Nevertheless, the participants in the experimental group who used mobile applications outperformed the control group (paper flashcards) in the post-tests, and the effect size of the observed differences was very large. The findings underscore the long-term impacts of mobile-assisted vocabulary learning, and the affordances provided by such platforms for learning a considerable number of words by EFL learners. The findings also promise implications for language learners/teachers and materials developers in English language teaching programmes.

The Effect of Reading Strategies Instruction on EFL Learners’ Reading Performances

Shanlax International Journal of Education, 2021

This study, using pretest-intervention-posttest, investigated whether instructing English as a fo... more This study, using pretest-intervention-posttest, investigated whether instructing English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ in the use of reading strategies when they read English passages affects their English reading performances. The participants were 51 Turkish learners of English, who were at elementary level of language proficiency,based on the results of the Oxford Quick Placement Test. The whole treatment/control period lasted for 20 sessions during 10 weeks on a Reading course. The experimental group (n = 26) received instruction in reading strategies (i.e., previewing, finding the main idea, scanning, identifying examples, identifying definitions, identifying time and sequence words, reading numerical tables, making inferences, reading statistical tables, distinguishing fact from opinion) and the control group (n = 25) received instruction based on traditional teaching methods (i.e., reading, paraphrasing, translating, and answering the exercises).Data were collected v...

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The Effect of Ideology on Translation: English Translation into Persian in Death of a Salesman Play by Arthur Miller

The main aims of the study are to work out the framework of consciousness and unconsciousness asp... more The main aims of the study are to work out the framework of consciousness and unconsciousness aspects of ideology and their effects on translation. For applying the aforementioned items, the researchers put Death of a Salesman (1949) play by Arthur Miller and its translation by Ali Asghar Bahram Beigi (1984) under scrutiny. Furthermore, the present paper makes an effort to analyze sensory experience, practical, reflective and reflexive aspects at the consciousness level of ideology. This study is a corpus-based, comparative, descriptive and non-judgmental analysis of the English-Persian parallel corpus. The obtained result proved the fact that awareness rising in these two major aspects of ideology for the analysis of the source text (ST) and the target text (TT) help translators to choose the closest equivalence in the social and situational context of the ST and the TT. Moreover, statistical results indicate that the most frequent aspect of ideology is at the consciousness level w...

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