My main activities include teaching language and research courses as well as engaging in different committee work, such as conference organization, curriculum development, testing and assessment, and recruitment. I have also given several presentations on different topics at international conferences.
My main professional areas of interest include teacher education, language assessment, teaching English as an international language, and qualitative research. I am mainly interested in teacher education because I believe it is the place where teachers’ knowledge and identity are shaped. My line of research and its accompanying potential for program development call for preparing teachers who can comfortably meet and handle the practical realities of the contexts in which they will work. Language assessment, teaching English as an international language, and qualitative research are among the viable candidates for achieving this end.
The Routledge Handbook of English Language Education in Bangladesh, 2020
Providing a timely and much-needed resource on LTAs, the book helps readers recognize the importa... more Providing a timely and much-needed resource on LTAs, the book helps readers recognize the importance and nature of teachers' professional development, while also contributing to the process of educational change. In order to achieve a suitable level of educational and policy change, a research base for LTAs is called for. This book represents a step in the right direction, introducing readers to essential research on the central role of LTAs in language teachers' development. Although pre-service and in-service education programs, to be found at government and/or private institutions, are of great value, it is impossible to prepare teachers for all the challenges they will face throughout their careers. In response, many professional associations also provide a wide range of professional development activities for their teacher members. The book will be of interest to language teachers, graduate students, teacher educators and researchers, educational leaders and policymakers, as well as teacher associations.
IRAL-International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 2024
While a number of studies have documented the significant role of
emotions and the emotion labor ... more While a number of studies have documented the significant role of emotions and the emotion labor produced in English language teaching, research exploring English instructors’ emotion labor in transnational higher education contexts such as international branch campuses (IBCs) and within Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs is lacking. Arguably, these neoliberally-driven and educational neocolonialist endeavors can produce intense emotion labor for English instructors. This study employs a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) methodology to investigate what provoked emotion labor for expatriate instructors, who teach English courses to Qatari national students at an IBC in Qatar. Taking a poststructural approach to emotion labor as our theoretical framing, we collaboratively examined our emotion labor in audio-recorded weekly meetings and then engaged in further dialogues and writings about our emotion labor. We reflect on two themes that produced emotion labor as well as emotional capital for us: 1) navigating our purpose teaching English to engineering majors and 2) confronting our roles as English instructors within a context of educational neocolonialism. Our study adds to the knowledge base of English teachers’ emotion labor in transnational and STEM spaces, while also showcasing CAE as a transformative methodology to explore language teachers’ emotion labor.
This chapter reports on a study which investigated the role of Africa TESOL and its affiliates in... more This chapter reports on a study which investigated the role of Africa TESOL and its affiliates in providing for and improving the continuous professional development of teachers in their constituencies. A survey and interviews were conducted to ascertain how beneficial attending professional development events are. Findings from the survey suggest that these events help teachers to develop professionally and improve their teaching overall. Interview data also corroborate the survey findings regarding professional development events. The interview data further indicates that, despite the challenges affiliates have, many still make it possible for teachers to avail themselves of professional development opportunities. The chapter concludes with highlighting the important role Africa TESOL and its affiliates play in their members' professional development. Although the leaders of these associations have a strong sense of community and solidarity, the host of challenges facing them should be identified and overcome through collaboration with internal and external bodies, among other means. It is also crucial to develop a research program to shed more light on different aspects and functions of language teacher associations, especially in fragile contexts.
Since their inception in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Writing Centers (WCs) have been growing ... more Since their inception in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Writing Centers (WCs) have been growing both in quantity and quality. Although WCs enjoy a relatively long history in Western contexts, it is not until fairly recently that the Gulf Council Cooperation countries (Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates [UAE]) have started to adopt the idea. Using document analysis and precepts from post-colonial theory, this chapter traces and critically examines the short history of WCs in one of the GCC countries, namely, the UAE. The main finding was that, although the history of WCs in the UAE is very short, they are greatly influenced by certain models imported from the West. The chapter then concludes by drawing both pedagogical and programmatic implications.
The role of language teacher associations in professional development , 2018
This chapter reports on a study which investigated the role of Africa TESOL and its affiliates in... more This chapter reports on a study which investigated the role of Africa TESOL and its affiliates in providing for and improving the continuous professional development of teachers in their constituencies. A survey and interviews were conducted to ascertain how beneficial attending professional development events are. Findings from the survey suggest that these events help teachers to develop professionally and improve their teaching overall. Interview data also corroborate the survey findings regarding professional development events. The interview data further indicates that, despite the challenges affiliates have, many still make it possible for teachers to avail themselves of professional development opportunities. The chapter concludes with highlighting the important role Africa TESOL and its affiliates play in their members' professional development. Although the leaders of these associations have a strong sense of community and solidarity, the host of challenges facing them should be identified and overcome through collaboration with internal and external bodies, among other means. It is also crucial to develop a research program to shed more light on different aspects and functions of language teacher associations, especially in fragile contexts.
This is the last chapter of a book which is currently in press and it is entitled, "Motivation an... more This is the last chapter of a book which is currently in press and it is entitled, "Motivation and classroom management: Theory, practice, and implications". It is co-edited by Sufian Abu-Rmaileh, Aymen Elsheikh, and Suhair Al-Alami. The purpose of the chapter is to draw together the varying viewpoints, studies, and conclusions presented in the volume as well as exploring the history of motivation research. The chapter ends with suggestions for further research on motivation and classroom management, particularly in relation to the field of second language teaching and learning.
This chapter reports on a study of teachers’ professional identity which took place in a Sudanese... more This chapter reports on a study of teachers’ professional identity which took place in a Sudanese EFL teacher education program. The participants were four EFL pre-service teachers enrolled in the fourth and final year of the program. The data reported in this article were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. They were analyzed using standard qualitative methods of coding. The findings revealed that the participants constructed their professional identity through discourse when they articulated their understandings and conceptions of teaching, good teachers, and the socio-political and economic forces of language teaching and learning. While two participants aspired for and showed interest in becoming teachers, the other two preferred becoming translators. These two competing professional identities were constructed in accordance with the context in which the participants lived and worked. Based on these findings, Practical implications for improving EFL teacher education programs in order to attract the students teachers to join the teaching profession are drawn.
Rubrics or rating scales are widely used nowadays to assess performance tasks. This entry provide... more Rubrics or rating scales are widely used nowadays to assess performance tasks. This entry provides a summary of the key aspects of rubrics and their use. It starts by elucidating what rubrics are as well as detailing the different types of rubrics. It also outlines the theoretical and empirical foundations of rubrics as well as offers guidelines on how to design them. The entry concludes by offering practical suggestions for the use of rubrics and their potential to enhance the learning and teaching process.
***The article will be posted back soon.***
This article reports on a study that explored teacher... more ***The article will be posted back soon.*** This article reports on a study that explored teachers’ perceptions of teaching English as an international language (TEIL) vis-à-vis their reported classroom practices. It is a small scale exploratory study which is based on an open-ended questionnaire adapted from McKay’s (2012) TEIL principles (see appendix A). It was conducted during summer of 2013 and spring of 2014 at the foundation program of Qatar University. Following a standard qualitative coding technique and cross-case analysis, the findings revealed that although the teachers were aware of and incorporate some principles of TEIL, such as the use of the first language (L1) and promoting multiculturalism, they still follow native speaker models of teaching mainly due to the teachers’ personal beliefs as well as the influence of the course books they use. These findings are not meant to be generalizable because of obvious study limitations such as the lack of prolonged engagement and data triangulation.
This paper reviews the conference organized by the British Council - Sudan and Khartoum Universit... more This paper reviews the conference organized by the British Council - Sudan and Khartoum University. It was held at Sharjah Hall, Khartoum, Sudan in March 2010. The review includes the papers presented at the conference, the publishers, and the closing ceremony which was dedicated to conference recommendations.
Preparing effective English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers is a perennial and hotly debated... more Preparing effective English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers is a perennial and hotly debated issue in language teacher education. The debates have focused on the importance of theory and/or practice and were theoretical in nature. This article reports on an empirical study that takes this debate beyond the conventional discussions over theory and practice. The study was conducted in a Sudanese EFL teacher education program with the participation of four student teachers. The findings show that Sudanese EFL student teachers employed knowledge from their formal training in their classroom practices. Additionally, they also drew on knowledge of their contexts and students in order to structure their classes in certain ways which include the use of L1, how they presented the material as well as establishing particular kinds of relationships with their students. The findings suggest that the student teachers would benefit from a teacher education program that would equip them with ways to increase their language proficiency as well as preparing them for meeting the challenges of the practical realities of their future classrooms. This can be achieved through the use of pedagogical tools that allow them to theorize from their own practice as well as their personal and professional experience.
The Routledge Handbook of English Language Education in Bangladesh, 2020
Providing a timely and much-needed resource on LTAs, the book helps readers recognize the importa... more Providing a timely and much-needed resource on LTAs, the book helps readers recognize the importance and nature of teachers' professional development, while also contributing to the process of educational change. In order to achieve a suitable level of educational and policy change, a research base for LTAs is called for. This book represents a step in the right direction, introducing readers to essential research on the central role of LTAs in language teachers' development. Although pre-service and in-service education programs, to be found at government and/or private institutions, are of great value, it is impossible to prepare teachers for all the challenges they will face throughout their careers. In response, many professional associations also provide a wide range of professional development activities for their teacher members. The book will be of interest to language teachers, graduate students, teacher educators and researchers, educational leaders and policymakers, as well as teacher associations.
IRAL-International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 2024
While a number of studies have documented the significant role of
emotions and the emotion labor ... more While a number of studies have documented the significant role of emotions and the emotion labor produced in English language teaching, research exploring English instructors’ emotion labor in transnational higher education contexts such as international branch campuses (IBCs) and within Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs is lacking. Arguably, these neoliberally-driven and educational neocolonialist endeavors can produce intense emotion labor for English instructors. This study employs a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) methodology to investigate what provoked emotion labor for expatriate instructors, who teach English courses to Qatari national students at an IBC in Qatar. Taking a poststructural approach to emotion labor as our theoretical framing, we collaboratively examined our emotion labor in audio-recorded weekly meetings and then engaged in further dialogues and writings about our emotion labor. We reflect on two themes that produced emotion labor as well as emotional capital for us: 1) navigating our purpose teaching English to engineering majors and 2) confronting our roles as English instructors within a context of educational neocolonialism. Our study adds to the knowledge base of English teachers’ emotion labor in transnational and STEM spaces, while also showcasing CAE as a transformative methodology to explore language teachers’ emotion labor.
This chapter reports on a study which investigated the role of Africa TESOL and its affiliates in... more This chapter reports on a study which investigated the role of Africa TESOL and its affiliates in providing for and improving the continuous professional development of teachers in their constituencies. A survey and interviews were conducted to ascertain how beneficial attending professional development events are. Findings from the survey suggest that these events help teachers to develop professionally and improve their teaching overall. Interview data also corroborate the survey findings regarding professional development events. The interview data further indicates that, despite the challenges affiliates have, many still make it possible for teachers to avail themselves of professional development opportunities. The chapter concludes with highlighting the important role Africa TESOL and its affiliates play in their members' professional development. Although the leaders of these associations have a strong sense of community and solidarity, the host of challenges facing them should be identified and overcome through collaboration with internal and external bodies, among other means. It is also crucial to develop a research program to shed more light on different aspects and functions of language teacher associations, especially in fragile contexts.
Since their inception in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Writing Centers (WCs) have been growing ... more Since their inception in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Writing Centers (WCs) have been growing both in quantity and quality. Although WCs enjoy a relatively long history in Western contexts, it is not until fairly recently that the Gulf Council Cooperation countries (Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates [UAE]) have started to adopt the idea. Using document analysis and precepts from post-colonial theory, this chapter traces and critically examines the short history of WCs in one of the GCC countries, namely, the UAE. The main finding was that, although the history of WCs in the UAE is very short, they are greatly influenced by certain models imported from the West. The chapter then concludes by drawing both pedagogical and programmatic implications.
The role of language teacher associations in professional development , 2018
This chapter reports on a study which investigated the role of Africa TESOL and its affiliates in... more This chapter reports on a study which investigated the role of Africa TESOL and its affiliates in providing for and improving the continuous professional development of teachers in their constituencies. A survey and interviews were conducted to ascertain how beneficial attending professional development events are. Findings from the survey suggest that these events help teachers to develop professionally and improve their teaching overall. Interview data also corroborate the survey findings regarding professional development events. The interview data further indicates that, despite the challenges affiliates have, many still make it possible for teachers to avail themselves of professional development opportunities. The chapter concludes with highlighting the important role Africa TESOL and its affiliates play in their members' professional development. Although the leaders of these associations have a strong sense of community and solidarity, the host of challenges facing them should be identified and overcome through collaboration with internal and external bodies, among other means. It is also crucial to develop a research program to shed more light on different aspects and functions of language teacher associations, especially in fragile contexts.
This is the last chapter of a book which is currently in press and it is entitled, "Motivation an... more This is the last chapter of a book which is currently in press and it is entitled, "Motivation and classroom management: Theory, practice, and implications". It is co-edited by Sufian Abu-Rmaileh, Aymen Elsheikh, and Suhair Al-Alami. The purpose of the chapter is to draw together the varying viewpoints, studies, and conclusions presented in the volume as well as exploring the history of motivation research. The chapter ends with suggestions for further research on motivation and classroom management, particularly in relation to the field of second language teaching and learning.
This chapter reports on a study of teachers’ professional identity which took place in a Sudanese... more This chapter reports on a study of teachers’ professional identity which took place in a Sudanese EFL teacher education program. The participants were four EFL pre-service teachers enrolled in the fourth and final year of the program. The data reported in this article were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. They were analyzed using standard qualitative methods of coding. The findings revealed that the participants constructed their professional identity through discourse when they articulated their understandings and conceptions of teaching, good teachers, and the socio-political and economic forces of language teaching and learning. While two participants aspired for and showed interest in becoming teachers, the other two preferred becoming translators. These two competing professional identities were constructed in accordance with the context in which the participants lived and worked. Based on these findings, Practical implications for improving EFL teacher education programs in order to attract the students teachers to join the teaching profession are drawn.
Rubrics or rating scales are widely used nowadays to assess performance tasks. This entry provide... more Rubrics or rating scales are widely used nowadays to assess performance tasks. This entry provides a summary of the key aspects of rubrics and their use. It starts by elucidating what rubrics are as well as detailing the different types of rubrics. It also outlines the theoretical and empirical foundations of rubrics as well as offers guidelines on how to design them. The entry concludes by offering practical suggestions for the use of rubrics and their potential to enhance the learning and teaching process.
***The article will be posted back soon.***
This article reports on a study that explored teacher... more ***The article will be posted back soon.*** This article reports on a study that explored teachers’ perceptions of teaching English as an international language (TEIL) vis-à-vis their reported classroom practices. It is a small scale exploratory study which is based on an open-ended questionnaire adapted from McKay’s (2012) TEIL principles (see appendix A). It was conducted during summer of 2013 and spring of 2014 at the foundation program of Qatar University. Following a standard qualitative coding technique and cross-case analysis, the findings revealed that although the teachers were aware of and incorporate some principles of TEIL, such as the use of the first language (L1) and promoting multiculturalism, they still follow native speaker models of teaching mainly due to the teachers’ personal beliefs as well as the influence of the course books they use. These findings are not meant to be generalizable because of obvious study limitations such as the lack of prolonged engagement and data triangulation.
This paper reviews the conference organized by the British Council - Sudan and Khartoum Universit... more This paper reviews the conference organized by the British Council - Sudan and Khartoum University. It was held at Sharjah Hall, Khartoum, Sudan in March 2010. The review includes the papers presented at the conference, the publishers, and the closing ceremony which was dedicated to conference recommendations.
Preparing effective English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers is a perennial and hotly debated... more Preparing effective English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers is a perennial and hotly debated issue in language teacher education. The debates have focused on the importance of theory and/or practice and were theoretical in nature. This article reports on an empirical study that takes this debate beyond the conventional discussions over theory and practice. The study was conducted in a Sudanese EFL teacher education program with the participation of four student teachers. The findings show that Sudanese EFL student teachers employed knowledge from their formal training in their classroom practices. Additionally, they also drew on knowledge of their contexts and students in order to structure their classes in certain ways which include the use of L1, how they presented the material as well as establishing particular kinds of relationships with their students. The findings suggest that the student teachers would benefit from a teacher education program that would equip them with ways to increase their language proficiency as well as preparing them for meeting the challenges of the practical realities of their future classrooms. This can be achieved through the use of pedagogical tools that allow them to theorize from their own practice as well as their personal and professional experience.
The talk starts with welcoming delegates and sponsors and then speaks to the theme of the confere... more The talk starts with welcoming delegates and sponsors and then speaks to the theme of the conference "English in a New Millennium." It then concludes with raising some questions for conference participants to engage with.
Providing a timely and much-needed resource on LTAs, the book helps readers recognize the importa... more Providing a timely and much-needed resource on LTAs, the book helps readers recognize the importance and nature of teachers' professional development, while also contributing to the process of educational change. In order to achieve a suitable level of educational and policy change, a research base for LTAs is called for. This book represents a step in the right direction, introducing readers to essential research on the central role of LTAs in language teachers' development.
Although pre-service and in-service education programs, to be found at government and/or private institutions, are of great value, it is impossible to prepare teachers for all the challenges they will face throughout their careers. In response, many professional associations also provide a wide range of professional development activities for their teacher members.
The book will be of interest to language teachers, graduate students, teacher educators and researchers, educational leaders and policymakers, as well as teacher associations.
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Papers by Aymen Elsheikh
emotions and the emotion labor produced in English language teaching, research exploring English instructors’ emotion labor in transnational higher education contexts such as international branch campuses (IBCs) and within Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs is lacking. Arguably, these neoliberally-driven and educational neocolonialist endeavors can produce intense emotion labor for English instructors. This study employs a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) methodology to investigate what provoked emotion labor for expatriate instructors, who teach English courses to Qatari national students at an IBC in Qatar. Taking a poststructural approach to emotion labor as our theoretical framing, we collaboratively examined our emotion labor in audio-recorded weekly meetings and then engaged in further dialogues and writings about our emotion labor. We reflect on two themes that produced emotion labor as well as emotional capital for us: 1) navigating our purpose teaching English to engineering majors and 2) confronting our roles as English instructors within a context of educational neocolonialism. Our study adds to the knowledge base of English teachers’ emotion labor in transnational and STEM spaces, while also showcasing CAE as a transformative methodology to explore language teachers’ emotion labor.
The purpose of the chapter is to draw together the varying viewpoints, studies, and conclusions presented in the volume as well as exploring the history of motivation research. The chapter ends with suggestions for further research on motivation and classroom management, particularly in relation to the field of second language teaching and learning.
This article reports on a study that explored teachers’ perceptions of teaching English as an international language (TEIL) vis-à-vis their reported classroom practices. It is a small scale exploratory study which is based on an open-ended questionnaire adapted from McKay’s (2012) TEIL principles (see appendix A). It was conducted during summer of 2013 and spring of 2014 at the foundation program of Qatar University. Following a standard qualitative coding technique and cross-case analysis, the findings revealed that although the teachers were aware of and incorporate some principles of TEIL, such as the use of the first language (L1) and promoting multiculturalism, they still follow native speaker models of teaching mainly due to the teachers’ personal beliefs as well as the influence of the course books they use. These findings are not meant to be generalizable because of obvious study limitations such as the lack of prolonged engagement and data triangulation.
emotions and the emotion labor produced in English language teaching, research exploring English instructors’ emotion labor in transnational higher education contexts such as international branch campuses (IBCs) and within Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs is lacking. Arguably, these neoliberally-driven and educational neocolonialist endeavors can produce intense emotion labor for English instructors. This study employs a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) methodology to investigate what provoked emotion labor for expatriate instructors, who teach English courses to Qatari national students at an IBC in Qatar. Taking a poststructural approach to emotion labor as our theoretical framing, we collaboratively examined our emotion labor in audio-recorded weekly meetings and then engaged in further dialogues and writings about our emotion labor. We reflect on two themes that produced emotion labor as well as emotional capital for us: 1) navigating our purpose teaching English to engineering majors and 2) confronting our roles as English instructors within a context of educational neocolonialism. Our study adds to the knowledge base of English teachers’ emotion labor in transnational and STEM spaces, while also showcasing CAE as a transformative methodology to explore language teachers’ emotion labor.
The purpose of the chapter is to draw together the varying viewpoints, studies, and conclusions presented in the volume as well as exploring the history of motivation research. The chapter ends with suggestions for further research on motivation and classroom management, particularly in relation to the field of second language teaching and learning.
This article reports on a study that explored teachers’ perceptions of teaching English as an international language (TEIL) vis-à-vis their reported classroom practices. It is a small scale exploratory study which is based on an open-ended questionnaire adapted from McKay’s (2012) TEIL principles (see appendix A). It was conducted during summer of 2013 and spring of 2014 at the foundation program of Qatar University. Following a standard qualitative coding technique and cross-case analysis, the findings revealed that although the teachers were aware of and incorporate some principles of TEIL, such as the use of the first language (L1) and promoting multiculturalism, they still follow native speaker models of teaching mainly due to the teachers’ personal beliefs as well as the influence of the course books they use. These findings are not meant to be generalizable because of obvious study limitations such as the lack of prolonged engagement and data triangulation.
Although pre-service and in-service education programs, to be found at government and/or private institutions, are of great value, it is impossible to prepare teachers for all the challenges they will face throughout their careers. In response, many professional associations also provide a wide range of professional development activities for their teacher members.
The book will be of interest to language teachers, graduate students, teacher educators and researchers, educational leaders and policymakers, as well as teacher associations.