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Showing 17 results for Education
Parviz Birjandi, Masood Siyyari,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (3-2010)
Abstract
Self-assessment and peer-assessment are two means of realizing the goals of educational assessment and learner-centered education. Although there are many arguments in favor of their educational benefits, they have not become common practices in educational settings. This is mainly due to the fact that teachers do not trust the pedagogical values and the reliability of learners’ self- and peer-assessment. With regard to these points, this study aimed at investigating the effect of doing self- and peer-assessments over time on the paragraph writing performance and the self- and peer-rating accuracy of a sample of Iranian English-major students. To do so, eleven paragraphs during eleven sessions were written and then self- or peer-rated by the students in two experimental groups. The findings indicated that self-and peer-assessment are indeed effective in improving not only the writing performance of the students but also their rating accuracy. After comparing the effects of self- and peer-assessment on the writing performance and the rating accuracy of the participants, peer-assessment, however, turned out to be more effective in improving the writing performance of the students than self-assessment. In addition, neither of the assessment methods outdid the other in improving the rating accuracy of the students.
Zia Tajeddin, Neda Khodaverdi,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (3-2011)
Abstract
In recent years the notion of teachers' professional development has featured regularly in the field of second language teaching and received great attention as a result of concerns for teacher education, particularly factors affecting teacher's principled pragmatism in the postmethod era. One such factor functioning as the focus of this study is teacher efficacy. Using Dellinger, Bobbett, Olivier, and Ellett's (2008) Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs System-Self Form (TEBS-Self) (consisting of the six sub-scales of communication/clarification, management/climate, accommodating individual differences, motivation of students, managing learning routines, and higher order thinking skills), this study investigated the relationship between EFL teachers' expectation of their efficacy and the three teacher variables of gender, years of experience in EFL teaching, and relatedness of their education to ELT. As many as 59 EFL teachers were administered the TEBS-Self. Results showed that the three selected teacher characteristics did not affect teachers' evaluation of their efficacy. The findings imply that teachers need reflective teaching practice to develop a good understanding of their efficacy.
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Volume 17, Issue 2 (9-2014)
Abstract
ELT has recently witnessed a shift away from a method-bound orientation and toward a post-methodic view of teaching English. Consequently, the focus of some second language teacher education programs has shifted toward sociopolitical aspects of ELT (Miller, 2004) and its contributions to reinforcement or transformation of the status quo (Kumaravadivelu, 2003a). Yet, in many countries, including Iran, ELT teacher education has maintained a relatively method-bound focus on technical dimensions of teaching English and has avoided adopting a critical and sociopolitical approach to ELT. In order to investigate the ways in which teacher education as currently practiced facilitates or stifles implementation of postmethod in ELT, the present study explored English teachers’ perceptions of the dominant approaches to teacher education in ELT centers in Iran and their ideological and pedagogical bases. To this end, 23 language teachers were interviewed about the logistics, content, and procedures of the teacher education programs they had attended. The analysis of the interviews, as directed by grounded theory, yielded three themes, namely no/little teacher learners’ involvement in course design and implementation, dominance of a transmission model, and dominance of a linguistic and technical focus.
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Volume 18, Issue 1 (4-2015)
Abstract
While teachers’ confidence in their abilities is a crucial asset in teachers’ professionalism and their identity development, their efficacy doubts are also considered useful. Given the diversity of English Language Teaching (ELT) contexts, this paper probes the dynamic nature of efficacy doubts the teachers face and are expected to resolve in English for General Purposes (EGP) and English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) instruction. To this end, based on the existing theoretical frameworks in EGP and ESAP methodology and interviews with 25 university English teachers, two questionnaires were developed and administered to 170 Iranian EGP and ESAP university instructors. The results of factor analysis confirmed five factors underlying ESAP teachers’ teaching efficacy doubts and four factors for EGP teachers’ teaching efficacy doubts. The results may promise implications for ESAP and EGP teacher education programs teacher educators may address the common efficacy doubts identified in this study and expose the current in-service and future ESAP and EGP teachers to the typical factors which may potentially hamper their efficacy and help them resolve their efficacy doubts as a means towards professional development.
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Volume 18, Issue 2 (9-2015)
Abstract
The present study, following Vygotskyan Sociocultural theory in education, and inspired by Rogoff’s conceptualization (1995, 2003) of development, aimed at conceptual development of in-service EFL teachers. To this end, two Iranian EFL teachers with pseudonyms (Tara and Sara) were selected as participants of the study. The participating teachers were first taught the sociocultural concepts related to language, teaching, and learning taken from Johnson (2009) and Rogoff’s (2003) mediatory model of development in six workshops through dialogic mediation. The data for the study comprised two semi-structured interviews, and three video-recording of critical reflection of each teacher on their video-taped classroom behavior. The recordings and transcripts were analyzed using Hatch’s (2002) procedure for interpretive analysis. The results of the study showed that participating teachers, over a process of struggle with their past experiences, gradually replaced their old everyday concepts such as grammatical accuracy, correct samples, and teacher interruption with new scientific concepts such as grammatical apprenticeship, guided grammatical participation, and grammatical appropriation through assisted participation. The results of present study can be illuminating for teacher educators and teacher education programs which have aimed at changing the classroom practice of in-service teachers.
Somayeh Baniasad-Azad, Mansour Tavakoli, Saeed Ketabi,
Volume 19, Issue 2 (9-2016)
Abstract
| This study investigated the nature of EFL teacher education programs with respect to implementation, practicality, and approach to teacher learning. The data were collected through observation of two teacher education programs and interviews with 8 teacher trainers. The results attested to the transmission orientation of the programs. It was found that a pre-specified body of teaching knowledge is transferred from the trainers to the teachers. Teachers’ creativity, prior knowledge, and experience, the role of teaching context, and the population of learners are not considered in program development. The results of interviews with teacher trainers supported the results of the observations. It was found that even the trainers are not involved in the process of program development, as they are only transmitting the materials presented by textbook authors. The findings also indicated that what teachers considered beneficial for their development was different from what was incorporated in the programs. The existing gap between macro plans and teachers’ practices and preferences results from the centralized education system in Iran in which practicing teachers are not involved in the policy-making process. Implications for teacher education in general and EFL teacher education programs in particular are discussed. |
Mahmood Reza Atai, Esmat Babaii, Mandana Zolghadri,
Volume 20, Issue 1 (4-2017)
Abstract
| Initiation into contextualizing mindful second language teacher education (SLTE) has challenged teacher educators causing their retreat into mindless submission to ready-made standardized directives. To revive the starting perspective in curriculum development in light of the recent trend towards responsive SLTE, this practitioner research investigated how the context was incorporated into the initial program phase. We reported an intrinsic case self-study narrating the contextualization events unfolded in the first five sessions of an English language teacher education program in Karaj, Iran. Selected factors guided data mining in an interview, classroom interaction transcripts, reflective tasks, institutional documents, and the teacher educator’s journal entries and recollections. The data underwent meaning-oriented, temporally sequenced content analysis. We redrafted the resulting narrative after member checking, and critical reviews. Afterwards, we conducted a layered context-bound thematic analysis on the big story followed by further theme analysis of the existing and emerging facets of adaptive expertise. Engagement in this narrative inquiry developed awareness of her practices and professional agency, constraints and affordances within the context of SLTE program. The findings extend narrative knowledging to the wider professional community of SLTE. |
Leila Jooybary, Shahab Moradkhani, Nourrodin Yousofi,
Volume 20, Issue 2 (9-2017)
Abstract
| In their attempt to shed light on the factors contributing to the incongruity between L2 reading teachers’ beliefs and practices, most of the researchers have resorted to teachers’ personal perspectives. As a partial replication of the research carried out by Karimi and Dehghani (2016), the current study sought to broaden this restricted scope by examining the role of teacher education in shaping L2 reading teachers’ beliefs/practices. Data were collected from 84 L2 reading teachers through a survey and follow-up classroom observations. Overall, both undergraduate and graduate teachers had an equally heightened tendency toward competence-based theoretical orientation. However, both groups substantially utilized instructional moves conforming to text-based orientation. There were also significant frequency differences between undergraduate and graduate teachers in their recourse to competence-based pedagogical moves. It is concluded that while the inclusion of a finite number of theoretical coursework may sway L2 teachers to sanction competence-based theoretical orientation, a more clinical approach to teacher education should be embraced to promote the symbiotic belief-practice relationship among L2 reading teachers. |
Mahmood Reza Atai, Mohammad Nabi Karimi, Fatemeh Asadnia,
Volume 21, Issue 1 (4-2018)
Abstract
| The competitive academic atmosphere of the higher education worldwide along with the current trend in producing research-oriented knowledge by universities has made research publication the first priority for doctoral students. In this study, we addressed the conceptions of purpose, process, and product of publishing research articles among Iranian doctoral students of applied linguistics. To this end, thirty students were interviewed and the data were analyzed using the grounded theory approach. The findings demonstrated that doctoral students publish papers to prepare a competition-winning resume, significantly contribute to the ELT community, turn into life-long learners and problem-solvers, and fulfill their course requirements. Furthermore, with regard to the research publication process, they highlighted the role of mixed-methods in spotting real problems in context and getting their papers published in prestigious journals. Additionally, the students believed that publishing in international journals grants them the opportunity to gain international recognition, attract an international audience, receive expert quality feedback from professional reviewers, publish in journals specific in focus and scope, and avoid publishing in cheap predatory journals. Finally, the findings suggest that the doctoral students need more systematic coaching to successfully conduct and publish their research. |
Katayoon Afzali,
Volume 21, Issue 1 (4-2018)
Abstract
| In view of the fact that pre-service teachers’ critical reflection through evaluating teaching activity of their peers is an important part of practicum activity, the current study aimed to analyze the recall and reflection journals written by pre-service teachers to identify and evaluate the discoursal features of their journals. To this end, a total of 272 recall and reflection journals written by pre-service teachers were analyzed on the basis of Hiebert, Morris, Berk, and Jansen's (2007) framework for analyzing their teaching practices. The findings indicated that the discourse of recall and reflection journals written by pre-service teachers is affective and descriptive rather than critical. Pre-service teachers predominantly ignore learners in writing their reflection journals. The findings of this study pointed to the need for explicit instruction of the discoursal features of reflection in teacher education classes. Therefore, teacher educators should help pre-service teachers to develop effective reflective discourse in practicum courses. |
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. |
Hoda Divsar, Manoochehr Jafarigohar,
Volume 23, Issue 1 (3-2020)
Abstract
The present study investigated the educational objectives of the English literature curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Iranian universities based on Bloom’s revised taxonomy. Using a detailed checklist based on Bloom’s revised taxonomy and the respective classifications, the educational objectives associated with knowledge (factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive) and cognitive (remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create) dimensions were analyzed. The results of the content analysis revealed the dominance of the lower-order thinking skills in the undergraduate curriculum and the prevalence of the higher-order thinking skills in the graduate curriculum. The results showed that the most frequent objective in terms of the knowledge domain was understand in both curricula. Regarding the knowledge dimension, conceptual and procedural knowledge occurred most often at both curricula, confirming that acquiring the knowledge of concepts and the processes safeguards the commended quality for the curriculum designers. Moreover, it was found that the metacognitive-related categories were almost missing from the categories. The results of the cross-tabulation revealed the superiority understand/conceptual in BA and the supremacy of understand/procedural in MA objectives. The findings entail the revisions of the educational objectives to accommodate critical thinking. The findings have pedagogical implications for EFL teachers, the curriculum developers, and policy makers.
Mohammad Ghasemi Bagherabadi, Golnar Mazdayasna,
Volume 24, Issue 1 (3-2021)
Abstract
Teaching English as a second or foreign language has internationally turned into a determiner of success for societies. Thus, the demand has risen for changes in English Language Teaching (ELT) curricula in different contexts. In response to the growing globalization and the dissatisfaction of many Iranian ELT stakeholders with the former program in lower and upper high-school levels, the Ministry of Education, in 2010, initiated the renovation of national policy documents, coursebooks, and the introduction of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) orientations. The present study is part of a larger project that aims to qualitatively scrutinize the implementational complexities of the new program using a systematic language-in-education planning (LEP) framework. In this respect, 30 experienced headteachers' perspectives and voices from several provinces were explored through open-ended semi-structured interviews designed based on the analysis of school-based documents and observations of ELT goings-on in state schools. Interviews were then transcribed and the content was analyzed to identify the recurring themes. Key findings indicated that the new received program suffers from drawbacks like underbudgeting, students’ unequal access to quality ELT, the shortage of prepared teachers, etc. We further found that the program still requires dedicated support of the macro- meso- and micro-level agents at the national scale. Correspondingly, implications for revisions and suggestions for future research are offered.
Sasan Baleghizadeh, Morvarid Saeedi,
Volume 24, Issue 2 (9-2021)
Abstract
| With the rapid growth of online education, many language teachers are seeking to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to teach English language courses online. This study investigates the effectiveness of an online training program designed to enhance the pedagogical competencies of teacher trainees in online environments. A qualitative approach was adopted, and four experienced teacher trainers and 25 student-teachers who participated in the program during different semesters were selected as participants for in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that while both trainers and student-teachers expressed some level of satisfaction with the program's quality, some areas required improvement. The program's strengths included its well-organized course structure, comprehensive training on online platforms, and effective development of online teaching materials. However, participants reported a lack of training on different teaching methods, writing skill, and adequate real teaching practice for future online teachers. These results have significant implications for online teacher training programs in general. Although the online format has numerous advantages, it also poses particular challenges for teacher education. To better prepare teachers for the unique demands of online teaching, future online language teacher training programs should address these challenges. The insights gained from this study can inform the development of more effective online training programs and contribute to the advancement of online educational policies and reforms. |
Anis Askarpoor, Mansoor Ganji, Ali Beikian,
Volume 25, Issue 2 (9-2022)
Abstract
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.
Sharareh Sadat Sarsarabi, Zeynab Sazegar,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
In a world with globalization and communication development as its main features, arriving at a common understanding and correct transition of meaning is an unavoidable necessity. Here the responsibility and duty of the people who hold the task of translation is of great importance and one of the issues that should be considered in translation is using euphemism. The current research seeks to find the relationship between translators’ gender, education, and age and their use of euphemisms in translation. The study consists of four hypotheses, this is descriptive research and a questionnaire is used to find the relationship between translators’ gender, education, age, and their use of euphemisms in translation. It has been distributed among the research population which consists of translators who are members of the Iran Translation Association. The results show that euphemism exists at a suitable level in the translation of the translators who are members of the Iran Translation Association. Moreover, the translators’ gender affects their use of euphemisms in translation. There is a direct relationship between translators’ age and their use of euphemisms in translation. Finally, the translators’ level of education does not influence their use of euphemisms in translation.
Mohsen Shirazizadeh, Somayeh Fathali, Mahshid Kamareh,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
The current study explored the status quo of L2 writing self-efficacy among Iranian English majors in light of their gender, level of education, and teaching experience. To this end, 193 learners who were students or graduates of English literature or translation at BA, MA and PhD levels and who ranged in age between 19 to 40 participated in this study. Data were collected using the Second Language Writer Self-Efficacy Scale that measures L2 learners’ linguistic self-efficacy, course performance self-efficacy, and self-regulation efficacy. Analysis of the data revealed no significant difference between males and females in terms of L2 writing self-efficacy. A significant difference was, however, found among all the three academic degree levels with the PhD group showing the highest level of L2 writing self-efficacy and the BA group showing the lowest self-efficacy. We set out to also examine whether experience in teaching English influences L2 writing efficacy. Our analyses revealed that the experienced teachers had a significantly higher L2 writing efficacy compared to the mid-experience teachers who were, in turn, less efficacious in L2 writing than low-experience participants. Implications of our findings for the writing courses and the what and how of writing instruction in the Iranian higher education curricula are discussed.
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