teacher education

Teacher professional development plays a critical role in enhancing educational outcomes, with Teacher Training Courses (TTCs) serving as a primary avenue for improving teaching quality. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an English TTC conducted at the Iran Language Institute (ILI) by employing a concurrent mixed-methods approach. Data were gathered from TTC candidates, attendees, and ILI teachers to assess their expectations, immediate evaluation, and delayed evaluation of the TTC. Seven interviews with TTC candidates were conducted to capture expectations, while 69 questionnaires from attendees and 85 from ILI teachers provided immediate and delayed evaluations respectively. Both interviews and questionnaires were structured around the five standards of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), and the data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that candidates expected the TTC to focus on modern teaching techniques, syllabus design, classroom management, and supporting diverse learners. Besides, satisfaction levels were higher among female teachers and TTC attendees compared to male teachers and ILI teachers respectively. All in all, areas such as supporting diverse learners and professional development emerged with the lowest levels of satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring TTCs to address specific needs, particularly in areas where satisfaction levels are suboptimal, to ensure the continued improvement of teaching quality and student outcomes.

The tripartite V3SK model, integrating values, skills, and knowledge, has been explored in various educational contexts but remains underutilized in English language teaching. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the V3SK model on Iranian high school students’ grammar achievement using an explanatory mixed-methods design. Participants included 43 high school teachers and 452 pre-intermediate level students, selected based on standardized placement tests. Teachers were randomly divided into groups of experimental (N = 22) and control (N = 21). The experimental group participated in 15 training sessions focused on the V3SK model dimensions. Subsequently, students from both groups completed a researcher-designed grammar pretest and received 20 sessions of instruction over three months, followed by a posttest. Quantitative data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, revealing significantly higher grammar achievement in the experimental group. Qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with 15 experimental group teachers identified 11 themes that explain the model's contributions, including enhanced motivation, innovative teaching, and differentiated instruction. These findings underscore the V3SK model's potential for improving grammar instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings, offering valuable insights for teacher education and curriculum development.

Based on Shulman's (1986) concept of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) emerged and became a helpful framework for comprehending the objectives of using technology in pre-service teacher training programs. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate Iranian pre-service EFL teachers’ (PSEFLTs) perceptions towards their TPACK regarding their gender and academic year of study. To this aim, 254 Iranian PSEFLTs across various academic years of study filled out a 39-item EFL TPACK questionnaire developed by Baser et al. (2016). The questionnaire included seven categories: Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), Technology Knowledge (TK), PCK, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). Based on the collected data, which were subjected to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc analysis, it was found that PSEFLTs generally held mildly favorable perceptions towards their TPACK. Notably, the lowest mean score was observed for the TK component, while the component with the highest mean score was the CK component. In terms of the gender effect, statistically significant differences were found in the TK and TPCK dimensions, where males outscored females in both TK and TPCK and females outscored males in CK. Furthermore, an examination of the relationship between participants' TPACK and their academic years of study manifested a statistically significant difference primarily between freshmen and seniors. The results are expected to encourage curriculum planners to develop PSEFLTs’ training programs by integrating technology courses into the ELT curriculum.