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Showing 14 results for Ahmadi
Alireza Ahmadi,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (3-2009)
Abstract
This article investigated and compared the consistency of self and peer assessments as alternatives for teacher assessment. Thirty sophomores majoring in TEFL were asked to assess their classmates’ as well as their own speaking ability in a conversation class. They were taught how to do this using a rating scale of speaking. They did the rating twice during the term the first rating was carried out during the 8th and 9th weeks and the second rating at the end of the term (weeks 15 and 16). The results of the study indicated that self and peer assessments were not significantly related at the end of the term and only loosely, though significantly, related in the middle of the term. Both self and peer assessments indicated consistency over time, however peer assessment enjoyed a higher consistency.
Moussa Ahmadian, Hamid Reza Yadegari,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (3-2009)
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between extraversion/introversion personality dimension and the use of strategic competence (SC) in written referential communication by Iranian EFL learners. Referential communication refers to a kind of guided communication in which the referents (or topics) are given to the subjects (here, writers) to convey their meanings to the interactants (here, readers). 50 sophomore English students ofArakUniversitywere selected from among 70 ones to participate in this study. Using the Persian restandardized version of the adult EPQ (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, 1975) the subjects were divided into two groups of extravert and introvert. The homogeneity of the participants was determined by theMichigantest (1997) at the upper-intermediate level of proficiency. Each individual in the groups was given the communicative tasks to communicate in writing with a partner. Then, the performance of the extravert group was analyzed and compared with that of the introvert group in using compensatory strategies (CSs) in terms of type and frequency as identified by a taxonomy. The results revealed that, as far as total performance is concerned, introvert participants used conceptual strategies more than the extravert ones, while extravert participants used a sub-type of interactional strategies i.e. confirmation strategies, and the two sub-types of linguistic strategies i.e. synonymy and transliteration strategies, more than introvert ones. Thus, it can be concluded that personality trait of extraversion/ introversion is associated with L2 learners’ preference in using, at least, some types of CSs in written referential communication. The theoretical and pedagogical significance of the findings will be discussed.
Mohammad Khatib, Mohammad Ahmadi Safa,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (3-2011)
Abstract
Socioculturally oriented developmental Interlanguage Pragmatics (ILP) studies have just recently drawn the Second Language Acquisition (SLA) researchers' attention, and the role of concepts like peer scaffolding, and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in ILP development are among rich areas in need of attention. The present study investigates the significance of the effect of expert peers' ZPD-wise, co-equal peers' ZPD-insensitive and teacher fronted ZPD-insensitive scaffolding on EFL learners' pragmatic development. The number of students who participated in this study was 85 of which 27 were male and the rest were female. They were organized into three experimental and one control groups. The subjects in the experimental groups were given either explicit ZPD-wise or implicit ZPD-
wise scaffolding by the expert peers, or ZPD-insensitive scaffolding by their co-equals, while the subjects of the control group received ZPD-insensitive teacher scaffolding. The study reveals that the expert peers' ZPD-wise explicit and implicit scaffolding are more effective than the other two intervention types for the ILP development, however, the co-equals' scaffolding proved to be the third effective procedure for the subjects' co-construction of ZPD and ILP development. An implication of the study is that different forms of peer scaffolding are relatively effective for the EFL learners' ILP development.
Abdolhossein Ahmadi, Reza Ghafar Samar, Massood Yazdanimoghaddam,
Volume 14, Issue 2 (9-2011)
Abstract
The present study examines the impact of focused tasks on the development of Iranian EFL learners’ pragmatic competence. To this end, we compared the effectiveness of the dictogloss (DIG) as an output-based task and the consciousness raising (CR) as an input-based task in teaching English requestive downgraders. Prior to the experiment, 147 Iranian EFL learners participated in the study to develop the instruments. Also, 43 American native English speakers provided the baseline data for the construction of the recognition test and the instructional treatment. We matched 60 Iranian EFL learners in two groups based on their scores on the Oxford Placement Test (2004). The groups were then randomly assigned to instructional conditions namely, the DIG and CR tasks. The instructional treatment continued for 8 sessions. The results revealed that neither the effects of instructional treatment nor the effects of time were significant between the groups on pragmatic measures. The findings also demonstrated that participants in both tasks preformed significantly better in the immediate and delayed posttests than in the pretest. Similarly, participants in both groups maintained the positive effects of the treatment in the delayed posttest on the production and perception measures. For the recognition measure, however, the participants in the DIG condition significantly fell to a lower level in the delayed posttest.
Mansoor Tavakoli, Alireza Ahmadi, Maryam Bahrani,
Volume 14, Issue 2 (9-2011)
Abstract
The current study tries to investigate the particular role familiarity with the genre of the text plays in EFL learners’ performance on two types of tests, i.e. cloze test and C-test. It also attempts to determine whether C-test is a measure of language proficiency like cloze test. The participants of the study were fifty-one intermediate undergraduate students majoring in English Literature at the University of Isfahan. In two sessions, the participants took a battery of measures (a) two newly developed cloze tests of familiar (literary) and unfamiliar (political) genres, and (b) two newly developed C-tests of familiar (literary) and unfamiliar (political) genres. The results of data analysis revealed that familiarity with genre has a significant impact on the performance of EFL learners on both cloze test and C-test. The results further disclosed that there is a significant correlation between cloze test, as a measure of language proficiency, and C-test with the same genre.
Mohammad Ahmadi Safa,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2013)
Abstract
The development of different sub-competences of second/foreign language is affected by a variety of cognitive, personal, and social factors (Ellis, 1994). As for personal factors, a wide range of emotional variables have been incorporated into second language acquisition (SLA) studies however, emotional intelligence (EQ) is relatively new to this domain (Pishghadam, 2009). Given that EQ seems to affect EFL learners' interlanguage pragmatic competence (ILP) development due to the face-threatening nature of some of the speech acts involved and in an attempt to explore the nature of the tentative interrelationship, the researcher administered the Bar-On EQ-i (1996) questionnaire as an EQ measure, two ILP competence tests, and a TOEFL test to 52 Iranian EFL majors. The analyses results did not reveal any significant correlation between EQ, ILP competence and general English proficiency despite the evident strong correlation between the ILP and general English proficiency. Furthermore, the results did not feature EQ as an effective predictor of EFL learners' general English proficiency and ILP competence development level. The findings imply that EQ as a seemingly construct irrelevant factor to EFL learners' both foreign language proficiency and ILP development might not be rightly considered as an effective personal variable in EFL educational contexts.
Masoumeh Ahmadi Shirazi,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2013)
Abstract
The present study reports the processes of development and use of an Analytic Dichotomous Evaluation Checklist (ADEC) which aims at enhancing both inter- and intra-rater reliability of writing evaluation. The ADEC consists of a total of 68 items that comprises five subscales of content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics. Eight raters assessed the writing performance of 20 Iranian EFL students using the ADEC. Also, the raters were asked to rate the same sample of essays holistically based on Test of Written English (TWE) scale. To examine the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the ADEC, multiple approaches were employed including correlation coefficient, the dichotomous Rasch Model, and many-faceted Rasch measurement (MFRM). The findings of the study confirmed that the ADEC introduces higher reliability into scoring procedure compared with holistic scoring. Future research with greater number of raters and examinees may provide robust evidence to use analytic scale rather than holistic one.
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Volume 16, Issue 2 (9-2013)
Abstract
In response to the increasing interest in and need for a practical brief measure in language testing, this study explored the properties of an offline short-form test (OSF) versus a conventional lengthy test. From the total of 98 vocabulary items pooled from the Iranian National University Entrance Exams, 60 items were selected for the conventional test (CT). To build the OSF, we created an item bank by examining the item response theory (IRT) parameter estimates. Data for the IRT calibration included the responses of 774,258 examinees. Upon the results of the item calibration, 43 items with the highest discrimination power and minimal guessing values from different levels of ability were selected for the item bank. Then, using the responses of 253 EFL learners, we compared the measurement properties of the OSF scores with those of the CT scores in terms of the score precision, score comparability, and consistency of classification decisions. The results revealed that although the OSF generally did not achieve the same level of measurement precision as the CT, it still achieved a desired level of precision while lessening the negative effects of a lengthy test. The results also signified an excellent degree of correspondence between OSF and CT scores and classification results. In all, findings suggest that OSF can stand as a reasonable alternative for a longer test, especially when conditions dictate that a very short test be used.
Hossein Ahmadi, Farid Ghaemi, Parviz Birjandi,
Volume 19, Issue 2 (9-2016)
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of different output-based task repetition conditions on EFL learners’ speech act production. Three intact classes of English-major students constituted three instructional groups: (1) the explicit task-repetition (ETR) group, (2) the implicit task-repetition (ITR) group, and (3) the no-input task repetition (NTR) group. All the three groups engaged in the repetition of output-generation tasks. However, before the second performance of the task, the ETR group received input coupled with metapragmatic information, the ITR group received visually enhanced input coupled with a consciousness raising task, and the NTR group received no input. The results of a written discourse completion test (WDCT) revealed statistically significant gains in the learners’ performance from the pretest to the posttest in the ETR and ITR groups, but not in the NTR group. Moreover, the analysis of differences across the groups in the posttest revealed the superiority of the ETR over the ITR and NTR groups. The results suggest that output-based task repetition cannot enhance EFL learners’ speech act production ability unless learners are provided with input before the second performance of the task. Also when explicit and implicit instructional methods are integrated with output-based task repetition, the explicit approach is more effective than its implicit counterpart.
Mehran Mohammadi Moghadam, Alireza Ahmadi,
Volume 22, Issue 1 (3-2019)
Abstract
| The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of mediation on the development of a novice teacher and in turn the effect of transformation of the teacher on the behaviors and emotions of the learners using Vygotskian sociocultural view of learning. For this purpose, a novice teacher teaching the general English course at an Iranian university was selected. To develop an understanding of the instructional setting and to diagnose her weaknesses and strengths, she was observed by a teacher educator during the first five sessions. Different instruments and tools like the teacher and students’ narratives, stimulated recall of voice-recorded actual teaching, and observation were also used during the study to trace the teacher’s cognitive and emotional development. As most of her practices displayed over-reliance on translation and deductive teaching of grammar, and her oral narration showed instances of cognitive/emotional dissonance, strategic mediations, both implicit and explicit, based on her needs were offered after the fifth session in a face-to-face interaction to help her develop gradually. Analysis of the results showed the gradual development of her and the positive attitudes and active engagement of the learners during she was being mediated. Implications of the findings are presented and discussed. |
Mohammad Ahmadi Safa, Matin Sadat Mirebrahim,
Volume 24, Issue 1 (3-2021)
Abstract
The identification of the cognitive, affective, social and even physiological factors affecting second or foreign language learning routes and rate has for long been a challenging aspiration for second language researchers. However, a recent preoccupation of the researchers in this area has been the study of the combinatorial impacts of such factors on second or foreign language learning processes and products. As a partial undertaking in this regard, this study investigated the relations pattern among some psychological and cognitive variables and foreign language learning achievement rate. The studied factors were self-regulation, goal-orientation, tolerance of ambiguity, and autonomy on the one hand and English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ ultimate achievement on the other hand. To this end, 250 Iranian BA level EFL students majoring English literature or English translation were selected based on convenience sampling procedure. Next, having obtained the participants' informed consent to participate in the study, the researchers administered Trait Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ), Goal Orientation, Tolerance of Ambiguity, and Learner Autonomy scales to them. In addition, concerning their L2 achievement rate measure, their BA level general English courses' GPA was obtained from the education office of the related universities. The data were statistically analyzed and the hypothetical model of interrelations among the given variables was tested using Structural Equation Modeling procedures. The results indicated that goal orientation and self-regulation significantly predicted L2 achievement; however, tolerance of ambiguity and learner autonomy were not found as strong predictors of L2 achievement. On the other hand, while self-regulation strongly predicted goal orientation, it was not verified to be a strong predictor of tolerance of ambiguity. The results also showed that goal orientation could strongly predict learner autonomy. A ready-made implication of the findings might be that the combinatorial effects of the psychological variables on cognitive processes like second language learning is quite complicated and different from the effects of each individual variable.
Mr Parviz Ahmadi,
Volume 27, Issue 2 (9-2024)
Abstract
The rapid transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to examine preservice teachers’ readiness and experiences with digital instruction. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 15 undergraduate EFL preservice teachers and a focus group of 5 teacher educators at a public university in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns in technological competence, pedagogical integration, student engagement, and professional support. Findings revealed that participants’ engagement with online platforms was largely driven by necessity, with initial struggles in technical operation and lesson adaptation gradually giving way to growing confidence and autonomy. Despite developing practical skills, many preservice teachers encountered challenges in designing interactive lessons, maintaining student motivation, and addressing infrastructural limitations. Teacher educators emphasized the importance of mentorship, reflective practice, and structured guidance in building pedagogical readiness. The study also highlighted a gap in context-specific preparation in Iran, particularly regarding institutional support and tailored professional development for digital teaching. Implications suggest that teacher education programs should integrate experiential training, ongoing mentorship, and context-sensitive strategies to bridge the gap between technical competence and effective online pedagogy. This research contributes to understanding the factors influencing preservice teachers’ preparedness for online language instruction and provides practical recommendations for enhancing teacher education in digitally mediated environments.
Mozhgan Mostafavi, Prof Moussa Ahmadian,
Volume 27, Issue 2 (9-2024)
Abstract
With the tremendous breakthrough in technology and its pivotal role, some EFL teachers are inclined toward applying technology in their classrooms. Given this, the present research aimed to discover the relationship between the use of Anki by language learners and the improvement of their vocabulary learning. Another focus of the study is to explore what self-regulated learning strategies are applied by English language learners to enhance their vocabulary learning through using Anki. To find whether they enable learners to improve their language learning or not. To do so, a survey was conducted among 60 young Iranian students aged from 16 to 20, forming two homogeneous groups from Jahesh Institute of Mohajeran, Arak. The instructor selected 120 target words from two intermediate-level coursebooks for the experimental group to practice using Anki, alongside instruction on self-regulation strategies. The control group continued with regular classes. Both groups took a pre-test and a post-test, while the experimental group also completed an MSLQ questionnaire after the program. Following 14 treatment sessions, the participants' scores were compared. Quantitative analysis revealed that the Anki users showed significant improvement in vocabulary retention compared to the control group, demonstrating the app's effectiveness. The second finding demonstrated the type of self-regulated learning strategies employed by the learners to improve their vocabulary learning. In conclusion, using Anki can effectively enhance EFL learners’ vocabulary acquisition. This finding suggests that TEFL teachers should integrate technology-assisted learning tools like Anki into their instruction while also guiding students in self-regulation strategies to foster greater autonomy. Combining self-regulated learning techniques with mobile-based learning technologies offers significant potential for improving EFL students’ vocabulary retention and overall language development, ultimately leading to more successful learning outcomes.
Dr Parviz Ahmadi,
Volume 28, Issue 2 (9-2025)
Abstract
This qualitative study explored how mentoring and reflection can really support the development of preservice EFL teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) at a public teacher training university in Iran. The research which is grounded in an interpretive paradigm tried to understand the lived experiences of eight preservice teachers in their final year of undergraduate study. The data for the study were gathered through semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and classroom observations. The analysis tried to follow Strauss and Corbin’s coding procedures. It included open, axial, and selective coding. After the analysis, five main themes emerged: the integration of theory and practice, the reflective transformation of teaching beliefs, the impact of mentorship on professional identity, challenges within teacher education programs, and the importance of peer collaboration and communities of practice. The findings clearly showed that mentoring and reflection could be vital in helping preservice teachers to connect pedagogical theory with classroom application, and to create context-sensitive teaching strategies, and to gain confidence in their instructional decisions. However, the study also highlighted the existing shortcomings in the current teacher education system, such as insufficient ongoing mentoring and limited opportunities for peer reflection. The research concludes that developing structured mentorship, reflective engagement, and collaborative professional communities can strengthen preservice EFL teachers’ PCK to a great extent and help close the gap between theory and practice which are apparent in Iranian teacher education.
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