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We employed a new approach in the field of social sciences or psychological aspects of teaching besides using a very common software package that is Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Artificial intelligence (AI) is a new domain that the methods of its data analysis could provide the researchers with new insights for their research studies and more innovative ways to analyze their data or verify the data with this method. Also, a very significant element in teaching is teacher motivation that is the trigger that pushes the teachers forward, depending on some internal and external factors. In the current study, seven research questions were designed to explore different aspects of teacher motivation, and they were analyzed via SPSS. The current study also compared the results by using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). Due to the similarity of ANFIS to humans' brain intelligence, the results of the current study could be similar to humans regarding what happens in reality. To do so, the researchers used the validated teacher motivation scale (TMS) and asked participants to fill the questionnaire, and analyzed the results. When the inputs were added to the ANFIS system, the model indicated a high accuracy and prediction capability. The findings also illustrated the importance of the tuning model parameters for the ANFIS method to build up the AI model with a high repeatability level. The differences between the results and conclusions are discussed in detail in the article.

PurposeStorytelling is a method for training essential life issues as storytelling can assist learners to consider the story not just as a source of entertainment but as a practical lesson. In fact, teachers can encourage even the most unwilling students by engaging the students in storytelling while maintaining students' attention through narration using sounds and gestures. The present study aims to examine the effect of the university instructor’s narrative on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student’s sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning.Design/methodology/approachTo do so, the study adopted a quasi-experimental research design with the aim of focusing on the students’ performance within two different virtual classes. University students’ sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning were assessed in control and experimental groups before and after the treatment. To measure students’ sustained attention, Wei et al.’s (2012) scale, which comprises six items, was used. Besides, emotional involvement was assessed through Golestani’s (2017) engagement questionnaire. To check students’ cognitive learning, the scale designed by Richmond et al. (1987) was utilized. The summaries and conclusions in the experimental class were ingrained in instructors’ pedagogical repertoires, as the repertoires offer students an alternative way to understand course material beyond a straight lecture. Students in the experimental group were also asked to ponder over the materials presented to the students each session, and the students were supposed to present a one to two-paragraph note on the possible implications of the materials instructed at each session.FindingsThe results of independent samples t-test indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the degree of their sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning. The findings of the present study can raise instructors’ awareness toward the application of narratives in their instructional methodologies, as well as putting forth significant strategies to enhance students’ sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning through narratives.Originality/valueThe theoretical framework of the study derives from Kromka and Goodboys (2018) conceptualization of instructor narrative (IN), defined as the explicit presentation of the lessons conclusion at the end of each session. Previous studies on narrative have primarily focused on learners’ narrative as an educational tool. Later studies on teacher narratives conceive this as the teachers’ personal anecdotes and story-like accounts of others’ experiences; nonetheless, the position which is taken in this study is more academically laden and is based on the information instructed in each session.

Due to the complexity of learning a new language, there are different aspects that need to be taken into consideration while teaching language, especially the English language. Due to the necessity of ascertaining the views of people towards English language teaching, this research aimed to review and summarise most of the theories and models related to the issues of teaching and learning English. In the current paper, the views of different scholars are discussed varying from cognitive views, sociocultural views, identity views and so on. Based on the results of the study, it was found that technological advances bring about huge changes to the educational contexts and one of the reasons behind such advances is the COVID-19 pandemic. Some other researchers connect other aspects to the issues in ELT such as aspects of a good teacher or technological advances. This paper presents some of the issues. Keywords: Cognition, education, language, teaching, technology;