مطالب

With the aim of comprehensively investigating the most important consequences of website quality in e-commerce, this research has collected and analyzed data about the relationship between website quality and customer trust, satisfaction, and loyalty. In this regard, various studies were collected and coded. After that, the eligible studies to enter the meta-analysis based on the determined criteria were identified to be 49, 68, and 29 studies for the relationship between website quality and trust, satisfaction, and loyalty, respectively. The findings of data analysis using CMA2 software showed that website quality has the strongest relationship with satisfaction with an effect size of 0.591 and the weakest relationship with loyalty with an effect size of 0.516. The effect size of trust was also positive and equal to 0.555. In addition, the findings from the analysis of moderator variables also showed that an increase in the year of publication led to a decrease in the effect size of website quality-trust studies but an increase in the effect size of website quality-satisfaction and website quality-loyalty studies. Additionally, with an increase in the sample size, the effect sizes of website quality-trust studies increased, but the effect sizes of website quality-satisfaction and website quality-loyalty decreased.

In this paper, we present a comprehensive approach for evaluating efficiency in complex networks by integrating network data envelopment analysis (NDEA) with the Malmquist productivity index. The proposed method addresses the inherent challenge of accommodating negative data within the network efficiency evaluation framework, which is a common occurrence in real-world network operations. Through the introduction of a two-stage structure, the model not only effectively manages the presence of negative values, but also provides a robust and insightful assessment of network efficiency. A case study from banking sector is employed to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach, showcasing its capacity to offer valuable and actionable insights for decision-making in complex network environments. The results highlight the practical applicability and importance of the extended approach in addressing the complexities associated with evaluating efficiency in diverse network settings.

Rural tourism, with careful planning, can enhance the quality of life and create economic, social, and cultural benefits. The aim of this research was to present a sustainable rural tourism model with a focus on social capital. The research was applied in terms of its goal and qualitative in terms of methodology, based on the foundation data theory. The research was framed using a cognitive approach, utilizing various data collection methods such as library research, examination of specialized sources and texts, as well as semi-structured interviews. Fourteen elites, experts, and managers in tourism and rural area management were interviewed in 2023. The conducted interviews were coded using Atlas .t i software.

The purpose of this research is to select the best energy supply methods for blockchain technology and to optimize the use of each of the selected methods.For this purpose,a two-part hybrid approach based on best-worst multi-criteria decision making methods,VIKOR method and mathematical programming model has been used under uncertainty conditions.To implement this approach,first by reviewing the literature,the effective criteria in selecting the best method were extracted and then,the options or energy supply methods using blockchain technology were determined based on the experts’ opinion.Finally,the weight of the criteria and the final ranking of the selected options were determined by the best-worst and VIKOR methods, respectively.In the second part,in order to determine the optimal amount of using available facilities for blockchain technology to implement the selected method,a robust mathematical model is designed in which the NPV criterion is used as an economic evaluation measure of using the selected method in the first part. was taken As the obtained results show,the criteria of "implementability"and"productivity level"and"coordination with consumption pattern correction policies"have the highest level of importance with the weight of 0.339, 0.14and 0.14, respectively,in order to choose the best option.Also, the best score compared to other options belongs to the energy supply method"electricity generation from the combined use of national grid and solar panels".Solving the mathematical model shows that the highest level of economic efficiency belongs to the use of solar panels to provide a significant part of the need for power.

This research tried to probe the effects of incorporating learners’ preferred learning styles in instructions on their narrative writing development and their mental patterns and imagination. 74 homogeneous secondary EFL learners were divided into three groups based on their sensory styles of visual, auditory and tactile. The learners in the three groups were provided with instructions anchored to their learning styles. In the meantime, they were required to produce narrative writings on a number of topics in accordance with their course book. Prior to narrating, they had to think loudly and record their voices to reveal the approach and pattern they utilize for performing the required activities. Their voices were transcribed and later analyzed by the researchers for further investigations. The obtained results displayed a significant improvement in their writings as well as an ongoing progress of their thinking patterns. Furthermore, the data revealed the dominant mental approaches of top-down, considering the whole plot of the topic in advance, and bottom-up, considering the details prior to the entire story, used by the students. The study also displayed the positive impact of instruction on the improvement of learners’ narrative writing revealing their self-imaging of the plot with which they could narrate the given topics in accordance with their own life experiences and understanding.

In recent years, attention to environmental education especially in rural environments has attracted the attention of many educational experts. The aim of the present study was to investigate the experiences of teachers in relation to environmental education in rural schools. To serve that end, a qualitative approach and phenomenological method were used. Consequently, unstructured interviews were conducted with 13 teachers using the purposeful sampling method. To analyze the data, thematic analysis was used. The analysis of the interviews revealed three main themes (regressive approach, progressive approach, and indifference approach), 13 sub-themes, and 31 refined themes. The findings of the research indicated teachers' lack of real involvement in environmental education, lack of trust in the efficiency of environmental education, absence of employing of new methods, superficial knowledge about the environment, and absence of attempts to use new methods in education. It is concluded that teachers play a significant role in environmental education, so training and preparing them can improve environmental education.

This study examined how Iranian intermediate EFL learners' writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency were affected by collaborative online writing using Wikis. The language proficiency of 75 EFL learners was gauged based on their performance on the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). They were intermediate male and female EFL learners studying English at three language institutes in Shahrekord, Iran. The participants were then split into two groups at random: a Wiki group (WG), and a control group (CG). Afterwards, learners in the control and experimental group were given a cause-and-effect prompt as a pre-test, and their writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency were assessed using CAF measures. Following the pre-test, the participants in the experimental group began a six-week training period in the collaborative environment of Wiki. The same instructional materials and procedures were presented to the control group, but in a non-collaborative, face-to-face setting. Similar to the writing pre-test, a writing post-test was given to both groups at the end of the intervention, and the writings were graded. In comparison to the conventional methodology, the results obtained revealed that the instructional method via Wiki was advantageous and effective in enhancing writing skills. This result is consistent with theories supporting the use of technology-based approaches in EFL writing settings. The main outcome of this research is that the ease and viability of teaching and learning writing are significantly and meaningfully influenced by giving learners control over their learning through Wiki.

The present research aimed to determine the possible effect of multimedia use in English classes on the development of EFL learners’ self-concept. For this purpose, 80 EFL students were selected through covariance sampling from among all the male high school English students in Ahvaz and were equally divided into an experimental group (n=40) and a control group (n= 40). To collect the needed data for the aims of the study, Chen & Thompson (2004) self-concept questionnaire was employed. Then, based on the quasi-experimental, pre-test, and post-test methods of the study, the elicited data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and covariance analysis. The obtained results showed that using multimedia in instruction has a significant impact on EFL learners’ self-concept. These findings have some implications for teaching English as a foreign language. First, the use of up-to-date multimedia technology needs to be encouraged more than before in schools, language institutes, and universities. Second, teachers’ interest, readiness, and expertise to use multimedia facilities need to be evaluated before appointing them as English language instructors. Finally, suitable grounds for the implementation of multimedia technology should be provided in educational setting.

The city of Mashhad gradually took shape and expanded after the martyrdom of Imam Reza, around his mausoleum. Throughout history, defensive walls with towers were built in three different periods to ensure the security of citizens and pilgrims around this city. Historical reports and dedicatory Qurans testify to the existence of the existence of defensive walls around the city of Mashhad from the fourth century, which is considered the first defensive wall constructed for the city of Mashhad. the second defensive wall for this city was constructed by Faramarz ibn Ali in 515 AH. The last defensive wall for the city was built by Shah Tahmaseb Safavi to ensure that the city remained safe from Uzbek attacks forever. This defensive wall remained around the city of Mashhad until the first Pahlavi dynasty. During the first Pahlavi dynasty, the improvement of urban security in Mashhad reduced the effectiveness of the city's towers and defensive walls, leading to the expansion of the city beyond the defensive walls. The lack of maintenance for the defensive wall, along with leveling and destroying it to create new roads and expand the city, destroyed the defensive wall of Mashhad.