Seeds of Sa'di's Words: Exploring Pedagogical Transformation through Developing Localized Literature-Based Materials

This study explored how developing localized, literature-based materials could reshape language pedagogy. Drawing on a self-study narrative inquiry, it examines my experience as an Iranian EFL teacher designing instructional materials inspired by an anecdote from Sa'di's Gulistan for five Iranian learners aged 7–10, who were receiving their first formal English instruction. Data were generated through reflective journals, field notes, and classroom artifacts, and analyzed inductively to identify recurring patterns across the teaching and materials development process. The findings reveal three interconnected dimensions of pedagogical transformation. First, materials development emerged as a form of educational responsiveness that extended beyond linguistic objectives to include ethical and developmental concerns. Second, working with culturally resonant literary materials fostered strong emotional engagement, contributing to a renewed sense of pedagogical connection and professional investment. Third, the interpretive openness of the story-based materials created opportunities for learners’ experiences, questions, and associations to shape classroom interaction and the direction of learning activities. Taken together, the findings suggest that localized materials can support forms of language learning that are educationally responsive, emotionally engaging, and ecologically rooted in classroom interaction. The study contributes to the literature by foregrounding teachers’ lived experiences of materials development and by illustrating how self-study narrative inquiry can capture the relational and affective dimensions of language pedagogy.