درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

In spite of the resurgence of interest in teachers' language assessment literacy (LAL), teachers' critical language assessment literacy (CLAL) has not garnered satisfactory prominence. This constitutes a substantial void in the extant corpus of literature that this study will address. To this illumination, a cross-sectional survey research approach utilizing the Critical Language Assessment Literacy (CLAL) scale (Tajeddin et al., 2022) was employed to accomplish the stated purpose of the study. The current study conveniently selected 120 Iranian EFL teachers in different language institutes and universities in Tehran and Kermanshah province. To analyze data, descriptive (e.g., mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (e.g., one sample t-test) were employed to illustrate a comprehensive answer to the study's primary research question. The results of the one-sample t-test and the mean value for all CLAL items showed that teachers have moderate or low knowledge of CLAL factors. In addition, the findings signposted that effective teachers must retain high linguistic competence, teaching/learning cognition, and knowledge of critical language assessment literacy factors; this could be accomplished by including these factors in teacher training programs. These findings displaying shortcomings and gaps in the critical language assessment literacy (CLAL) level of Iranian EFL teachers hold many theoretical and pedagogical implications for teacher development in the realm of assessment and testing at the practice, policy, and professional development levels.

Technology integration has become increasingly significant in educational contexts, offering promising opportunities for the professional development of teachers, including EFL teachers. This study explored the transformative potential of integrating technology in the professional development of pre-service and in-service EFL teachers in schools, institutes, and universities. The research objective was to examine the impact of technology integration on teachers' anxiety levels and pedagogical practices. Forty-six pre- and in-service teachers (n=23 per group) participated in a comprehensive 10-session professional development program. The procedure included pre-testing the participants for anxiety levels, conducting the program (twice a week; from January to February, 2023), and administering post-tests after a one-semester interval (May, 2023) to assess changes in the teachers’ anxiety levels and pedagogical practices. The quantitative and qualitative findings revealed the compelling benefits of technology integration for the pre-service teachers, as they reported lower anxiety levels and a significant boost in confidence when selecting and utilizing appropriate technological tools, designing engaging digital activities, and effectively managing technology-related challenges. Conversely, the in-service teachers experienced no significant reduction in anxiety. Moreover, they reported fewer advantages from technology integration and tended to adhere to traditional teaching methods, predominantly due to the challenges of altering established instructional strategies. The findings underscore the critical role of prioritizing professional development for in-service teachers, considering their pivotal role in shaping the future landscape of education. Dedicated efforts should be aimed at supporting teachers to integrate technology effectively, foster better teaching practices, and facilitate optimal learning outcomes for EFL students.  

The use of educational technology (Ed-Tech) and the Internet in acquiring foreign language skills has led to an increased interest in alternative teaching strategies such as flipped and blended learning. This study investigates the effects of flipped, blended, and traditional face-to-face teaching methods on the utilization of cohesive devices in paragraph writing among EFL learners. From a pool of 110 junior EFL students, 90 participants were selected. Afterwards, they were randomly divided into three groups: flipped, blended, or face-to-face. To evaluate their paragraph writing abilities, a pretest was conducted prior to the treatment. The first comparative group received instruction using the flipped teaching method, while the second group experienced a blended learning environment (combining face-to-face and online classes). The control group received traditional face-to-face instruction. Following the treatment sessions, all groups completed a posttest on paragraph writing. The findings indicated that both the flipped and blended groups demonstrated significantly better performance compared to the control group. These results provide valuable insights for EFL teachers, curriculum designers, and learners.

Le présent article a traité le syntagme prépositionnel, ses caractéristiques, ses emplacements et ses fonctions dans la phrase française pour constater si dans la traduction vers le persan, ce syntagme maintient ses caractéristiques, s’il joue les mêmes rôles et se positionne dans les mêmes endroits dans la phrase persane ou non. Pour mener cette étude contrastive, nous avons choisi Mondo et autres histoires, œuvre du Clézio, dont les phrases sont développées par des syntagmes prépositionnels ainsi que ses deux traductions vers notre langue. Et cela a exigé une étude basée sur la syntaxe et la traductologie, plus précisément, les treize tendances déformantes d’Antoine Berman. Le cadre théorique de la recherche s’appuie sur les travaux des linguistes tels Olivier Soutet et Françoise Dubois-Charlier. La méthodologie a consisté à relever quelques passages de notre corpus avant de souligner les SP des phrases, puis ils ont été analysés selon cette théorie de Berman.

Quantum teaching method (QTM), a student-centred model of education, which provides the possibility for the integrated use of a combination of learning theories, has not received adequate attention in EFL teaching. This study, adopting an explanatory mixed-methods design, aimed at examining the effect of QTM on EFL learners’ writing motivation. The participants comprised 78 pre-intermediate EFL learners who were placed into two groups based on convenience sampling procedures. The first group was assigned as the experimental group and another group as the control group. A writing motivation questionnaire (WMQ) was administered to both groups as pretest. Next, the experimental group was exposed to QTM for writing instruction while the control group received conventional writing instruction. After treatment, both groups took the WMQ as posttest. Moreover, 15 participants from the experimental group took part in semi-structured interviews. The results of Mann-Whitney U Test indicated the significantly positive impact of QTM on writing motivation. The results of qualitative analysis revealed five themes including satisfaction, enjoyment, engagement, personalization, and lowering anxiety as the factors improving writing motivation. Based on the results, EFL teachers are encouraged to employ QTM to enhance learners’ writing motivation.

Problem-based language learning approaches can prove advantageous in fostering meaningful language learning and enhancing language proficiency. The present sequential explanatory mixed-methods study aimed to explore the perspectives of Iranian EFL teachers regarding problem-based learning (PBL), and the challenges they confronted in its application. To this end, forty male and female Iranian EFL teachers from high schools and language institutes in Alborz province were selected using convenience sampling. In the course of the study first, a questionnaire was employed to gauge teachers' perceptions of problem-based language learning. To collect the required data, the Teachers' Perceptions of Problem-Based Learning (TPPBL)questionnaire was developed and validated. Afterwards, an interview was conducted to triangulate the data and provide nuanced insights into the challenges faced in implementing PBL. The gathered data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings unveiled that the participants held positive perceptions regarding PBL implementation in language classes. However, they addressed various challenges including role adjustment, inadequate training and experience, lack of suitable instructional materials, and time constraints while implementing PBL techniques. The implications of these findings extend to EFL teacher educators, teachers, learners, and researchers, offering valuable insights for enhancing language teaching practices and addressing challenges associated with PBL implementation.

Despite a strong background in education and human resources, teachers’ Individual Development Planning (IDP), as a reflective tool for further learning, has remained untouched in the domain of ELT. Therefore, the current study is an attempt to investigate EFL teachers’ IDP in light of the grounded theory approach in an Iranian context. To do so, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 17 expert participants selected through purposive sampling in the field of IDP from all over Iran. Interviews were transcribed and labeled as open, axial, and selective codes. The results led to 9 main categories of EFL teachers’ IDP: identifying EFL teachers’ current status, identifying EFL teachers’ duties, tasks, and educational needs, school and teachers’ mutual agreement, setting goals, providing resources, planning for an IDP, implementing an IDP, self-evaluation, and reformative acts. Data also unveiled the causal, contextual, and intervening conditions in the way of developing and implementing an IDP. The findings of the study can have theoretical and practical implications for EFL teachers, school principals, and educational policymakers.

Online learning has recently turned to one of the most well-known channels of education; however, the controversy over the quality and outcome of such online medium is still a concern. This study sought to determine the pros and cons of online courses as perceived by Iranian language teachers and learners. Two tailor-made questionnaires, along with a semi-structured interview, were used to collect the data. The participants were 71 college students who have experienced online educations and 31 language teachers who taught web-based classes in the Department of English Language Education at three universities in Iran, Isfahan, Sheikhbahaee, and Ashrafi. An overall analysis of questionnaires and interviews revealed that students and teachers could not find online education easier than its conventional counterpart. Online education provides teachers with a precise image of applying the appropriate teaching methodology in their online classes as well as enhancing their autonomy. The research recapped that online educators and administrators of faculties ought to lay the foundations for making the benefits of online education bold for learners. The findings may be a contributing factor for teacher educators to create the climate for professional development.