Lorena Salud Gadella Kamstra
Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Arts
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Biography
Lorena S. Gadella Kamstra is an Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics in the School of English at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. Her research addresses two related areas: language teacher motivation and (de)motivation, with attention to the institutional conditions that shape teachers' professional experiences; and language teacher education, with a particular interest in how pre-service training prepares teachers for the realities of in-service practice. She holds a PhD in English Language Teaching from the University of Essex, where she subsequently served as a Lecturer in Linguistics. Her methodological work on reflexive and participatory approaches to qualitative inquiry has been published in Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching and the International Journal of Social Research Methodology.
At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, she contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and language teaching pedagogy, and welcomes doctoral supervision enquiries in these areas. Beyond academia, her research has been supported by the British Council through an English Language Teaching Research Award, and she has written for public audiences in The Conversation (UK and Spain) on the role of teacher motivation in education. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and reviews for the Australian Journal of Teacher Education, among other journals in the field.
Teaching Summary
I am Course Convenor for the MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching, where I oversee curriculum development and student progression. I contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate… read more
Research Summary
My research addresses language teacher psychology, with a focus on how institutional conditions and professional experiences shape teachers' motivation, engagement, and development. I am currently… read more
Recent Publications
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2025. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. 1-27
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2024. British Council. (978-1-915280-37-4)
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2022. International Journal of Social Research Methodology.
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2021. . In: Teaching Practices and Equitable Learning in Children’s Language Education IGI Global. 130-150
I am Course Convenor for the MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching, where I oversee curriculum development and student progression. I contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the School of English as part of the English Language and Applied Linguistics area, lecturing on Language Teaching: Speaking and Listening (MA), as well as teaching The Psychology of Bilingualism and Language Learning (BA), Teaching English as a Foreign Language (BA), and Second Language Acquisition (MA). I supervise dissertations on the MA programme and welcome doctoral supervision enquiries in teacher education and language teacher psychology. In addition, I serve as a Liaison Tutor, facilitating cross-disciplinary collaboration between English and a range of joint honours programmes.
Current Research
My research addresses language teacher psychology, with a focus on how institutional conditions and professional experiences shape teachers' motivation, engagement, and development. I am currently investigating two interconnected areas: language teacher motivation and pedagogy within the EFL context, with attention to institutional influences on professional experiences; and the integration of generative AI into language teaching and learning, with particular focus on student teachers' perspectives and emerging pedagogical practices. This work draws on reflexive and participatory qualitative methodologies that prioritise teachers' voices and experiential knowledge.
My work has been supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), YERUN Research Mobility Awards (YRMA), and the British Council (English Language Teaching Research Award).
Past Research
My doctoral research examined EFL teacher motivation, demotivation, and motivational awareness in Spain, exploring solutions to teacher demotivation (ESRC-funded). Building on this, I explored how reflective and inclusive teaching practices can support teachers' professional growth and address sources of demotivation. I have also investigated the transition from pre-service to in-service teaching and the role of initial teacher education in preparing teachers for classroom realities (British Council ELTRA Award - this report can be found in ). Throughout this work, I have examined EFL/ESL teachers' challenges and training needs across diverse contexts, and have published on research dilemmas and the importance of recognising the challenges inherent in qualitative inquiry.
Future Research
I aim to expand my investigations into language teacher psychology across diverse educational contexts, with continued emphasis on how pre-service teacher education prepares teachers for professional practice, and deepening my examination of AI integration in language pedagogy and its implications for teacher education and practice.
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2025. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. 1-27
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2024. British Council. (978-1-915280-37-4)
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2022. International Journal of Social Research Methodology.
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2021. . In: Teaching Practices and Equitable Learning in Children’s Language Education IGI Global. 130-150
GADELLA KAMSTRA, L. S., 2021. Teaching English as a Second Language Electronic Journal (TESL-EJ). 25(1),