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Biography
Lorena S. Gadella Kamstra is an Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics in the School of English at the 海角黑料. 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 Nottingham, 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 contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the School of English as part of the English Language and Applied Linguistics area. I lecture and supervise on the BA English Language and… read more
Research Summary
My main research interests are in the field of teaching English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL), with particular reference to teachers' experiences, their motivation and their professional… 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鈥檚 Language Education IGI Global. 130-150
I contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the School of English as part of the English Language and Applied Linguistics area. I lecture and supervise on the BA English Language and Literature and the MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching. Some of the modules I am part of include: The Psychology of Bilingualism and Language Learning (BA), Teaching English as a Foreign Language (BA), Second Language Acquisition (MA) and Language Teaching: Speaking and Listening (MA).
Current Research
My main research interests are in the field of teaching English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL), with particular reference to teachers' experiences, their motivation and their professional development.
Past Research
In past research, I examined EFL teacher motivation, demotivation, and motivational awareness and aimed to find some solutions to teacher demotivation in the context of Spain. This PhD project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
In more recent publications, I explored teacher training, in reflective and inclusive teaching, as a way to respond to teacher demotivation. I have also written about research dilemmas and the importance of embracing and recognizing the challenges while doing research.
I have also conducted research on EFL teachers' challenges as pre-service and in-service teachers and their training in Spain, this was part of the English Language Teaching Research Awards by the British Council (ELTRA). This report can be found in
Up to now, my work on teacher motivation and teacher education has been funded by the ESRC, YERUN Research Mobility Awards (YRMA) and the British Council (ELTRA).
Future Research
I am currently exploring other areas related to teaching EFL/ESL, such as teacher mindsets and pedagogy in the UK, and pre-service teacher training in diverse contexts.