Research in English Language Pedagogy (Oct 2024)
The Relationship Among Identity Aspects, Brain-Friendly Instruction, and Iranian IELTS Candidates' Performance in Speaking and Reading Subcomponents
Abstract
This research looks at how identity aspects, knowledge of Brain-Friendly Instruction (BFI), and speaking and reading parts are related to Iranian EFL students getting ready for the IELTS test. The study included 206 upper-intermediate IELTS candidates from Bandar Abbas chosen through purposive sampling. Researchers collected data using the Aspects of Identity Questionnaire (AIQ-IV), a BFI awareness scale, and practice IELTS Reading and Speaking tests. Three qualified raters checked the speaking tests. The tests' reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha of .851. Researchers used multiple regression analysis with SPSS version 25 to explore how well identity aspects (personal, social, collective, relational) and BFI components (instruction, motivation assessment) predicted IELTS speaking and reading parts. The results showed that social identity and motivation helped predict fluency and coherence in speaking, while instruction and collective identity were key for grammatical range and accuracy. For reading, motivation and instruction predicted identifying information, while the collective part of identity helped predict understanding the main idea. These results suggest that identity and BFI components play key roles in shaping language skills in speaking and reading for Iranian EFL learners. The study's results have important pedagogical implications, emphasizing the need for tailored instructional strategies that consider learners' identity and cognitive needs. Future research could further explore these relationships in diverse cultural contexts to validate and extend these findings.