Mehmet Sak

Mehmet Sak graduated from the English Language Teaching program at Hacettepe University in 2017 and earned his master's degree from the same department in 2020. After working as an instructor at TOBB University of Economics and Technology's Department of Foreign Languages for six months in 2017, he served as a Research Assistant in the undergraduate English Language Teaching program at TED University between 2018 and January 2023. Since February 2023, he has been working as a Lecturer in the same program. Mehmet Sak has been pursuing his doctoral studies at Middle East Technical University since 2021, with his research supported by TÜBİTAK. In the Spring 2025 semester, he will be a visiting researcher at the University of Edinburgh. His research primarily focuses on the psychology of language learning and teaching, as well as teacher education. He has published articles in various international journals, contributed to book chapters, written book reviews, participated in projects, and received publication awards.

ARTICLES

• Pietluch, A., & Sak, M. (accepted). Navigating the flow: The dynamic nature of language learners' well-being in directed motivational currents. International Journal of Applied Linguistics (SSCI; Q1)
• Sak, M., & Pietluch, A. (2024). Sources and outcomes of distressing emotions in directed motivational currents. System, 123, 103317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103317 (SSCI; Q1)
• Sak, M. (2024). Tracking motivational changes in self-initiated professional development in ELT: A single-case analysis. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching,18(5), 480-490. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2024.2315107 (SSCI; Q1)
• Sak, M., & Gurbuz, N. (2024). Dynamic changes in pre-service language teacher well-being in the classroom ecology: A micro approach. TESOL Quarterly, 58(1),168-194. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3222 (SSCI; Q1)
• Bilki, Z., Satar, M., Sak, M. (2023). Critical digital literacy in virtual exchange for ELT teacher education: An interpretivist methodology. ReCALL, 35(1), 58-73. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095834402200009X (SSCI; Q1)
• Sak, M. (2022). Dynamicity of language teacher motivation in online EFL classes. System, 111, 102948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102948 (SSCI; Q1)
• Sak, M., & Gurbuz, N. (2022). Unpacking the negative side-effects of directed motivational currents in L2: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Language Teaching Research, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688221125995 (SSCI; Q1)
• Sak, M. (2021). Understanding the role of personality in explaining L2 learners’ DMC disposition. Foreign Language Annals, 54(2), 429-451. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12524 (SSCI; Q1)
• Sak, M. (2020). The role of ideal L2 self in predicting L2 willingness to communicate inside and outside the classroom. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 6(2), 189-203. https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.775798  (ESCI)
• Sak, M. (2019). Contextual factors that enhance and impair directed motivational currents in instructed L2 classroom settings. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 13(2), 155-174. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1231981  (ERIC)
• Sak, M. (under review). Language teacher educator well-being in online classes: An analytic autoethnography.
• Sak, M., & Yuan, R. (under review). Language teacher educator psychology: A research agenda.
• Gümüş, Ö., & Sak, M. (in preparation). Exploring EFL learners' emotion regulation in directed motivational currents: Consequences for goal-striving.
• Sak, M. (in preparation). Towards an ecological understanding of language teacher educator motivation in higher education.
• Sak, M. (in preparation). Language teacher educators' perceived roles and practices in promoting pre-service teacher well-being.
• Sak, M. (in preparation). The institutional landscape of well-being: Insights from university-based EFL teacher educators.
• Sak, M. (in preparation). Exploring emotion regulation among university-based language teacher educators: A case study. 
• Sak, M. (in preparation). Directed motivational currents in L2: A scoping review of the empirical landscape (2015-2025).
• Sak, M., & Bilki, Z. (in preparation). Pre-service language teacher well-being in digital spaces: Insights from a Turkish-Polish virtual exchange project.
• Sak, M., & Bilki, Z. (in preparation). Virtual exchange as a practical aid for trainee ELT teachers' well-being.

BOOK REVIEWS

• Sak, M. (2022). Review of "The Routledge Handbook of the Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching". Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2098916 (SSCI)
• Sak, M. (2021). Review of "Directed Motivational Currents and Language Education: Exploring Implications for Pedagogy". System, 97, 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102460 (SSCI)
• Sak, M. (2022). Review of "Engaging Language Learners in Contemporary Classrooms". TESOL Journal, 13(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.623  (ESCI)

BOOK CHAPTERS

• Sak, M., & Acar, M. (2024). A trainee EFL teacher's self-reflexivity in exploring motivational dynamics in self-guided professional learning. In K. M. Reynolds, & K. D. Kuttig (Eds.), K-12 classroom research in language teaching and learning: Narratives for understanding and engaging in teacher research, (pp. 208-220). Routledge.
• Sak, M., & Aydın-Yazıcı, E. (in preparation). Navigating tensions of role complexity: Language teacher educator well-being in higher education.

THESIS

• Sak, M. (2020). A case study on the parameters underlying patterns of change in directed motivational currents (Unpublished MA thesis). Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye.
• Sak, M. (PhD thesis in progress). A multiple-case study on language teacher educator well-being from an ecological perspective. Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye.

PROJECTS

• Pre-service language teacher well-being in digital spaces: The case in telecollaborative exchanges (Principal Investigator, 2023-2024). Funded by TED University as part of Institutional Research Fund (IRF) program.
• Virtual exchange for teacher education: A focus on critical digital literacy (Researcher, 2019-2020). Funded by TED University as part of Institutional Research Fund (IRF) program (Principal Investigator: Dr. Zeynep Bilki)

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

• Sak, M., & Gümüş, Ö. (2024, May 16-18). Emotion regulation in directed motivational currents: Consequences for goal-striving [Oral presentation]. Psychology of Language Learning Conference 2024 (PLL5), Madrid, Spain. https://www.iapll.com/pll5
• Sak, M. (2023, November 3-5). Changes in motivation during self-initiated professional development in ELT: Insights from a single-case study [Oral presentation]. The 21st INGED International ELT Conference, Kayseri, Turkey. https://www.inged2023.com/
• Sak, M. (2022, October 6-7). Exploring fluctuations of language teacher motivation in online EFL classes [Oral presentation]. Language Teacher Psychology Conference, Mersin, Turkey. https://www.ltpc2022.org/
• Sak, M., Bursalı, N., & Daloğlu, A. (2022, March 17-18-19). EFL teacher educators' wellbeing in distance education [Oral presentation]. The 4th TESOL Turkey International ELT Conference (Virtual). https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yWiJsC8v_ByXnqeiyvhphiJc0z9GuY4C/view
• Bilki, Z., & Sak, M. (2021, August 25-27). Exploring the dynamics of critical digital literacy development: Insights from a telecollaborative exchange project [Oral presentation]. The EuroCALL 2021 Conference, Paris, France. https://whova.com/web/euroc1_202108/Agenda
• Sak, M., & Öz, H. (2019, April 11-14). Exploring the relationship between big-five personality traits and directed motivational currents [Oral presentation]. GlobELT 2019 Conference, Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus. https://globets.org/globeltconference/2019_book_of_abstract.html
• Sak, M. (2019, April 11-14). Contextual factors that influence directed motivational currents: A longitudinal study [Oral presentation]. GlobELT 2019 Conference, Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus.  https://globets.org/globeltconference/2019_book_of_abstract.html

AWARDS

• TÜBİTAK International Scientific Publications Incentive Award (February 2025)
• TÜBİTAK International Scientific Publications Incentive Award (December 2024)
• TED University Publication Award (November 2024)
• TED University Publication Award (June 2024)
• TED University Publication Award (May 2024)
• TÜBİTAK International Scientific Publications Incentive Award (October 2023)
• TÜBİTAK International Scientific Publications Incentive Award (August 2023)
• TED University Publication Award (May 2023)
• TÜBİTAK International Scientific Publications Incentive Award (March 2023)
• TED University Publication Award (March 2023)
• TÜBİTAK International Scientific Publications Incentive Award (December 2022)
• TED University Publication Award (December 2022)
• TED University Publication Award (September 2022)
• TÜBİTAK International Scientific Publications Incentive Award (November 2021)
• TED University Publication Award (August 2021)
• TED University Publication Award (March 2021)