distance education and cognitive behavior therapy: how to minimize the discrepancy between two types of self in efl contexts

The present study was an attempt to scrutinize the interconnection between online modality of delivery in distance education and cognitive-behavior-therapy (cbt) in decreasing the self-discrepancies in l2 motivation. to this end, a multiple, collective, case study design was adopted, and 9 efl students, using nonrandom/purposive sampling, from among the researchers’ online one-to-one classes were selected- to ensure that they fitted the purposes of the study, a pre-interview was conducted. the efl participants were then asked to answer a series of questions in the form of 9 semi-structured cbt-focused event contingent diaries. furthermore, each diary was followed by a 15-minute-long dialogic co-construction session to discuss the items in the diaries. this was, then, followed by two input sessions on cognitive restructuring and two more 15-minute-long dialogic co-construction sessions. in the end, the participants took part in a post-interview. the findings of the qualitative data analysis, using atlas.ti software for open-coding and then axial-coding of the recorded and transcribed interviews, revealed that the online modality of delivery had helped the efl participants adjust their self-discrepancies. secondly, the size of the participants’ l2 self-discrepancy did not show any negative impacts on their l2 motivation. finally, the participants’ feedback on the application of cbt in l2 classes was positive. accordingly, it could be concluded that the online modality, l2 motivation, and the amount of l2 self-discrepancy not only were not perceived as obstacles in the way of the students’ efforts to progress towards their goals but had, in the majority of cases, facilitated it. the study bears some crucial implications for policymakers and instructors since the findings highlight the crucial role of cbt and teacher-related factors as one of the most efficacious parameters in (de)motivating the students.