Majid Farahian
Islamic Azad Universty, ELT, Faculty Member
The present study investigated the impact of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ collaborative writing through Google Docs on their classroom engagement. To attain the purpose of the study, 50 Iranian... more
The present study investigated the impact of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ collaborative writing through Google Docs on their classroom engagement. To attain the purpose of the study, 50 Iranian EFL learners were selected. Two instruments were used to gather the required data; classroom engagement questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview. At the first session of the class, the first researcher/teacher asked the participants of both groups to fill in the engagement scale as the pre-test. The experimental group received a 60-minute training session to acquaint them with collaborative writing and engage in pre-task modelling of collaboration. During the study
intervention, the experimental group received online collaborative writing using Google Docs while the control group underwent conventional methods of teaching. At the end of the treatment, both groups took a post-test. To analyse the obtained data a set of descriptive statistics and independent samples t-test were used. The results revealed that collaborative writing through Google Docs has a significant effect on the participants’ classroom engagement since the
participants of the experimental group outperformed the participants of the control group in the post-test. The obtained data from the interview were reported qualitatively. The results revealed participants’ positive views regarding using Google Docs and it provided their ideas regarding its use in future courses. The findings have implications for EFL teachers and learners.
intervention, the experimental group received online collaborative writing using Google Docs while the control group underwent conventional methods of teaching. At the end of the treatment, both groups took a post-test. To analyse the obtained data a set of descriptive statistics and independent samples t-test were used. The results revealed that collaborative writing through Google Docs has a significant effect on the participants’ classroom engagement since the
participants of the experimental group outperformed the participants of the control group in the post-test. The obtained data from the interview were reported qualitatively. The results revealed participants’ positive views regarding using Google Docs and it provided their ideas regarding its use in future courses. The findings have implications for EFL teachers and learners.
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ABSTRACTThe present paper investigated the effectiveness of self-assessment on self-regulation and critical thinking of Iranian EFL learners. To attain the purpose of the study, 40 EFL learners from three language schools were selected to... more
ABSTRACTThe present paper investigated the effectiveness of self-assessment on self-regulation and critical thinking of Iranian EFL learners. To attain the purpose of the study, 40 EFL learners from three language schools were selected to participate in the study. It was determined that they were at the high-level of language proficiency. The participants were requested to complete the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) (Brown, Miller & Lawendowski, 1999) and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) (Facione & Facione, 1992). They were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups, each including twenty students. After the pre-test, the experimental group received instruction on self-assessment of writing through raising their knowledge and awareness on some self-assessment techniques. SRQ and CCTST were given to the participants a week after the treatment. The findings revealed that students gained higher self-regulation and critical thinking in writing tasks as...
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Article Info Introduction: Reflective thinking as a vital educational asset has to be recognized and developed across the medical curricula. The present study investigated medical students’ levels of reflective thinking in English for... more
Article Info Introduction: Reflective thinking as a vital educational asset has to be recognized and developed across the medical curricula. The present study investigated medical students’ levels of reflective thinking in English for specific purposes (ESP) course and the obstacles which deter their reflection. Methods: As a mixed-method descriptive study, the present study made use of two groups of participants drawn from among the population of medical students and instructors. The first group of participants included medical students who were either attending ESP course or had already passed it successfully, and the second group were ESP instructors teaching the course at medical colleges of Sanandaj, Khoram Abad, and Hamedan. A researcher-made questionnaire that was developed substantially on the basis of Kember et al’s scale (2000) was employed as the main instrument to examine the students’ reflective thinking. To consolidate the findings, the students were also asked to writ...
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The present study aimed at substantiating the relationship between Iranian EFL teachers' critical thinking and self–efficacy. The sample was composed of 120 EFL teachers' including71 females and 49 males. The critical thinking... more
The present study aimed at substantiating the relationship between Iranian EFL teachers' critical thinking and self–efficacy. The sample was composed of 120 EFL teachers' including71 females and 49 males. The critical thinking ability of 120 Iranian EFL teachers was assessed using Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. In addition, the teachers' self-efficacy was estimated using Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale. The Pearson product-moment correlation analysis indicated a statistically significant relationship between the two sets of measures. The result of the study showed that there is positive relationship between Iranian EFL teachers' critical thinking and self-efficacy. The findings have several implications for EFL teachers as well as EFL teacher education programs.
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Teacher professional development (TPD) is a kind of continuing education effort that can strengthen teachers’ skills and, in turn, boost students’ learning outcomes. Teachers’ creativity and reflective practice also have key roles in... more
Teacher professional development (TPD) is a kind of continuing education effort that can strengthen teachers’ skills and, in turn, boost students’ learning outcomes. Teachers’ creativity and reflective practice also have key roles in teachers’ daily practice. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ creativity in the relationship between their reflective practices and their professional development (PD). The participants of the study consisted of 150 Iranian EFL teachers aged between 30 and 41 years old with 1–up to 15 years of teaching experience. Three different questionnaires were used to collect the relevant data. The collected raw data were analyzed with SPSS and Partial Least Squares (PLS) software. The results of statistical analyses, namely Spearman correlation, and semi structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that there were statistically significant relationships between teachers' reflective practice, teacher’s creativity, and their PD. In particular, the results revealed that teachers’ creativity can mediate the relationships between teachers' reflective practice and their PD. The obtained results are discussed in the light of the literature. The results also have a number of implications for the main stakeholders including administrators and EFL teachers.
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PurposeA significant research base has increasingly shown that one of the most important factors affecting student achievement in second language classrooms is the teacher. Consequently, over the recent decades, much attention has been... more
PurposeA significant research base has increasingly shown that one of the most important factors affecting student achievement in second language classrooms is the teacher. Consequently, over the recent decades, much attention has been paid to teacher-related variables in research. Nevertheless, few studies have dealt with the relationship between teachers' self-efficacy, metacognitive awareness and their professional development in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL). As such, the objective of this study is to test a path analysis model of the variables and specifically to examine the hypothesis that metacognitive awareness mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and professional development.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative correlational design was utilized to validate the research hypothesis. Then, data from 200 EFL teachers who were selected through available sampling was obtained using three questionnaires, namely metacognitive inventory by Ce...
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The coronavirus pandemic not only did present public health challenges, it also disrupted education all over the world. Despite considerable human and financial losses on a global scale, the pandemic unveiled an unprecedented opportunity... more
The coronavirus pandemic not only did present public health challenges, it also disrupted education all over the world. Despite considerable human and financial losses on a global scale, the pandemic unveiled an unprecedented opportunity for educational system to embrace and incorporate online learning systems into their mainstream instructional agendas. To prevent the spread of the virus, like many other countries, the
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Porpose: The present study sought to evaluate the quality of virtual education in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) courses at the wake of COVID-19. In addition, ways to knowledge sharing in the courses was investigated.... more
Porpose: The present study sought to evaluate the quality of virtual education in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) courses at the wake of COVID-19. In addition, ways to knowledge sharing in the courses was investigated. Methods: The statistical population of the quantitative section consisted of 95 TEFL professors and the qualitative section consisted of 13 TEFL professors in the first semester of the 2020-21 academic year. Data collection was carried out in two phases. First, in the quantitative section, the e-learning quality assessment questionnaire was given to the participants. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Quantitative data analysis was performed using one-group t-test using SPSS software. Findings: Based on the findings, the professors reported that the quality of e-learning was at acceptable level. The results of qualitative findings also showed that strategies to improve student participation in distance education are educational strategies, communication strategies, strategies to strengthen cooperation between students. Conclusion: Since learning and teaching different types of interaction in virtual learning systems is of particular importance, special attention should also be given to promoting the level of interaction with students, increasing cooperation between students, choosing the appropriate method to engage students in the course.
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Despite the accumulated body of research on teachers’ professional development few have offered a relationship between professional development and knowledge sharing or reflective practice. We investigated whether Iranian Teaching English... more
Despite the accumulated body of research on teachers’ professional development few have offered a relationship between professional development and knowledge sharing or reflective practice. We investigated whether Iranian Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) teachers’ reflective teaching and their knowledge sharing can predict their professional success. To answer the research questions a quantitative approach was utilized. Then, 264 faculty members through available sampling were recruited using three questionnaires, namely reflective teaching measurement scale by Akbari et al. (System, 38(2): 211–227, 2010), teacher professional development scale by Soodmand Afshar and Ghasemi (J Teach Lang Skills 37: 169–210, 2018), and Teachers’ knowledge sharing behavior by Ramayah et al. (Eval Rev 38(2): 1–28, 2014). Findings showed that knowledge sharing has a significant relationship with professional development (P < 0.001). In addition, teachers’ reflective practice has a significant relationship with professional development (P < 0.001). Based on the findings we suggest that TEFL teachers should promote their knowledge sharing and reflection to improve their professional development.
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Background: Individuals' information-seeking behaviors differ, depending on whether they perceive themselves as effective problem-solvers or not. As such, the present study examined the relationship between problem solving skill and... more
Background: Individuals' information-seeking behaviors differ, depending on whether they perceive themselves as effective problem-solvers or not. As such, the present study examined the relationship between problem solving skill and online information-seeking behavior of students of medical sciences in general and English for specific purposes (ESP) courses. Methods: The present study is an applied research that adopted a survey method. The participants were 232 students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences and faculty of paramedical sciences, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah branch. This research was conducted in 2019-2020 during the time of COVID-19. The sampling method in this study was available sampling. The researchers selected the students who used the Internet to meet their information needs in their ESP courses. A problemsolving questionnaire and a researcher-made scale were employed in the study to investigate the participants' information-seeking behavior. To determine the reliability of the Problem-solving questionnaire and online information-seeking behavior, we used Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results of the test indicated that the reliability of the problem-solving questionnaire was 0.852, and that of the online information-seeking behavior questionnaire was 0.778, which is considered an acceptable level. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage and mean and inferential statistics including Pearson correlation matrix and multiple regression using SPSS software version 22. Result: The findings showed that there was a correlation between the scales of problem solving including, problem solving confidence (P<0.001), approach-avoidance style (P<0.001), and personal control (P<0.001) with and information-seeking behavior in general and ESP courses. In addition, the results of multiple regression analysis revealed that the variable of problem solving confidence (β=0.275, P<0.05) and personal control (β=-0.179, P<0.05) could significantly explain information-seeking behavior of paramedical sciences students in general and ESP courses; however, the avoidance style had no contribution to this study (P>0.05). Conclusion: Medical students' success in general and ESP courses need their proper online information seeking behavior which can result in improvement in their problem solving skill. The findings may provide deeper insights regarding the potential relationship between problem solving skill and online information-seeking behavior of students of medical sciences. More specifically, the role of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in ESP courses is emphasized.
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The present study sets to explore whether using peer feedback through Google Docs improves English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ classroom engagement. It also investigated the extent to which peer feedback through Google Docs... more
The present study sets to explore whether using peer feedback through Google Docs improves English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ classroom engagement. It also investigated the extent to which peer feedback through Google Docs improves EFL students’ writing achievement. Three groups of EFL students were involved in the study, namely control (N=23), experimental 1(N= 24), and experimental 2 (N=22). The control group received the treatment through the conventional writing course and the teacher read the writing task and provided feedback regarding the content, grammar, vocabulary, or punctuations. In addition to their regular in-class writing instruction, each student in the first experimental group was asked to choose a partner and email their drafts to them and the peers were required to provide feedback. In the second experimental group, the pairs provided the feedback through the Google Docs. One Way ANOVA was run to find any possible differences between the groups. Based on the findings, the second experimental group outperformed the other groups in their classroom engagement and writing achievement. The findings have implications for pedagogy as well as further research.
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Success in adult life and effective functioning in education depends among other things on critical thinking. The present study consisted of two parts. First, critical thinking (CT) skill of a group of 68 students majoring in education in... more
Success in adult life and effective functioning in education depends among other things on critical thinking. The present study consisted of two parts. First, critical thinking (CT) skill of a group of 68 students majoring in education in Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah Branch was evaluated. The participants, divided into two experimental and control groups, received California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) which is a 34 item Multiple-Choice test. The students in the control group were freshmen and the experimental group, junior students. To the researchers' dismay, junior education students did not perform significantly better than did the freshman students. Using a qualitative method of research, another study was conducted to see whether the university instructors in the education department who had the responsibility of teaching different courses to the same students were aware of the principles of CT. A semi-structured interview was conducted and eight volunteer...
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Knowledge sharing and reflective thinking are two key issues in any educational system. The present study examined the willingness of instructors of English for the students of allied medical sciences to share knowledge and think... more
Knowledge sharing and reflective thinking are two key issues in any educational system. The present study examined the willingness of instructors of English for the students of allied medical sciences to share knowledge and think reflectively and investigated their reluctance to form knowledge sharing groups. To this aim, in the quantitative phase of the study, two questionnaires were completed by 148 instructors, while in the quantitative phase, 12 instructors participated in semi-structured interviews. Based on the results, the participants considered knowledge sharing effective and had a positive view about it. In addition, there was a significant relationship between knowledge sharing and reflective thinking, and knowledge sharing can be used to predict reflective thinking. The findings of the interview also indicated that three categories of factors play a role in the studied instructors' reluctance to share knowledge, which included individual, organizational and cultural ...
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Types of teachers' questions play an important role in teaching since they affect students' participation in the process of negotiation of meaning. Therefore, in the present study, an English as a foreign language (EFL)... more
Types of teachers' questions play an important role in teaching since they affect students' participation in the process of negotiation of meaning. Therefore, in the present study, an English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher's questions along with the students' responses to his questions were classified. A structured interview was also employed in the study. It was found that the number of coded/display and yes/no questions exceeded open/referential questions. Although the use of such questions was due to the students' level of proficiency, it was revealed that the teacher's low level of proficiency and lack of experience played a great role in asking such questions. It was also revealed that the main reason for the learners' silence or reluctance to participate may be because of the teacher's ineffective questioning technique(s).
Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, Psychology, Second Language Acquisition, Translation Studies, Mathematics Education, and 12 morePedagogy, Critical Discourse Analysis, Classroom Discourse Analysis, Translation and Interpretation, Discussion in classrooms, Classroom Discourse, Teachers Questions Inquiry, Elsevier, ESL teachers' questions, EFL teachers' questions, question types in EFL ESL classrooms, and what type of questions EFL ESL teachers ask
In this paper, the authors have used different definitions of ‘attention’ from the viewpoint of different scholars each of whom sees it from a certain perspective, emphasizing one aspect of it. Meanwhile, the application of attention in... more
In this paper, the authors have used different definitions of ‘attention’ from the viewpoint of different scholars each of whom sees it from a certain perspective, emphasizing one aspect of it. Meanwhile, the application of attention in SLA is studied. In so doing, the idea proposed by Krashen (incidental learning) is rejected which claimed that one can learn well even without paying attention (the issue of language acquisition), but later on, it was mentioned that since we have different levels of learning, it is not always necessary to have attention for learning; however, the type of learning without attention would not be different from the time that the person learns by paying attention. So, attention determines deep or shallow learning.
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The present study investigated the level of metacognitive awareness of Iranian EFL high school
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PurposeMany scholars have recognized the cultural dependency of the concept of plagiarism and have investigated the influence of cultural attitude on university students' plagiarism; however, since the findings are inconsistent and... more
PurposeMany scholars have recognized the cultural dependency of the concept of plagiarism and have investigated the influence of cultural attitude on university students' plagiarism; however, since the findings are inconsistent and because plagiarism is a major concern in academic institutions in Asia, we were motivated to examine the understanding and prevalence of plagiarism among Canadian and some Asian language students.Design/methodology/approachTo elicit the data, the questionnaire developed by Maxwell et al. (2008) was adapted for this study. The scale included three sections. In the initial section, the students' background information was inquired. Section two included 10 scenarios, all of which consisted of two levels; understanding and experience. Section three of the scale consisted of five open-ended questions. In fact, the questions intended to complement the survey findings. Finally, in the fourth section, five yes/no questions were asked. Because the responde...
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PurposeThe present study focused on examining the effects of a multimedia-based Internet extensive reading program on promoting the receptive skills of Iranian university students.Design/methodology/approachIn the quantitative section of... more
PurposeThe present study focused on examining the effects of a multimedia-based Internet extensive reading program on promoting the receptive skills of Iranian university students.Design/methodology/approachIn the quantitative section of this explanatory sequential mixed-method study, a pretest-posttest design was used to compare the performance of three groups of Iranian university students in terms of their degrees of improvement in receptive proficiency. Besides, the differences in the levels of motivation among the learners were sought. The three classes under study included linear text extensive reading for the first experimental group, a multimedia-based Internet extensive reading group for the other and a control group. The qualitative phase of this study included a semi-structured interview and an open-ended questionnaire.FindingsAnalysis of the results revealed that the multimedia-based Internet extensive reading group outperformed the two other groups in terms of proficien...
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Reading means different things to different people; for some it is recognizing written words, while for others, it is an opportunity to teach pronunciation and practice speaking. However, reading always has a purpose. It is something that... more
Reading means different things to different people; for some it is recognizing written words, while for others, it is an opportunity to teach pronunciation and practice speaking. However, reading always has a purpose. It is something that we do everyday; it is an integral part of our daily lives, taken very much for granted and generally assumed to be something that everyone can do. The reason for reading depends very much on the purpose for reading. Among aspects which prove positive when using authentic materials is that they are highly motivating, giving a sense of achievement when understood and encourage further reading. One of the main reasons for using authentic materials in the classroom is once outside the controlled language learning environment, the learner will not encounter the artificial language of the classroom but the real world and language the way it is really used (Berardo, 2006). Keywords: Authenticity; Foreign language (L2) learning; Reading comprehension; R...
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While process-oriented writing theories underline the role of composing processes and speculate on the components of the writing act, the role of an orchestrating mechanism does not convincingly appear in these models. Instead, different... more
While process-oriented writing theories underline the role of composing processes and speculate on the components of the writing act, the role of an orchestrating mechanism does not convincingly appear in these models. Instead, different terms have been introduced which often leave the reader bewildered as to which one denotes meta cognition. To reconceptualize the role of meta cognition in the dominant process-oriented theories, the present article gives a brief account of some prominent process-oriented writing models and describes the place of meta cognition in each.
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In recent years language awareness (LA) has attracted much attention in language education and has resulted in much debate. In order to present an overall view of LA, the present article discusses the influential views regarding the... more
In recent years language awareness (LA) has attracted much attention in language education and has resulted in much debate. In order to present an overall view of LA, the present article discusses the influential views regarding the concept of LA as well as critical language awareness (CLA), puts forward the importance of LA in the context of foreign language (FL) teaching, differentiates the new trend with the traditional view on teaching grammar, and argues for the possibility of teaching LA.
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To investigate the role of attribution of success among English as foreign language (EFL) learners, the present study explored the possible relationship between the scores of Iranian university students gained in their English language... more
To investigate the role of attribution of success among English as foreign language (EFL) learners, the present study explored the possible relationship between the scores of Iranian university students gained in their English language final exams and the factors that they used as attribution for their success and failure. Having this purpose in mind, some 85 Iranian EFL learners at university level were selected based on their general English score. The participants were required to answer a questionnaire. As findings revealed, learners at different levels and fields of study attribute their successes and failures to different factors ranging from hard-work to difficulty of the task. It has also has been revealed that one’s understanding of his physical and mental abilities has undoubtedly a great impact on his final learning and also on his achievements. Moreover, it has been found that sex has no effect on the attribution of the learners.
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Success in adult life and effective functioning in education depends among other things on critical thinking. The present study consisted of two parts. First, critical thinking (CT) skill of a group of 68 students majoring in education in... more
Success in adult life and effective functioning in education depends among other things on critical thinking. The present study consisted of two parts. First, critical thinking (CT) skill of a group of 68 students majoring in education in Islamic Azad University, ...
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Previous studies indicate that metacognitive knowledge has a key role in learning and that collaborative learning and knowledge sharing may affect learners' metacognition. As such, the present study set out to test a structural model of... more
Previous studies indicate that metacognitive knowledge has a key role in learning and that collaborative learning and knowledge sharing may affect learners' metacognition. As such, the present study set out to test a structural model of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) students' collaborative digital writing, online knowledge sharing, and metacognitive knowledge in writing, and specifically to examine the hypothesis that online knowledge sharing mediates the effect of collaborative digital writing and metacognitive knowledge in writing. With the participants of 102 Iranian TEFL undergraduate students, a structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to establish the structural model. The findings revealed the fitness of the structural model of relationships among the study variables. The results also confirmed the mediator role of knowledge sharing. The implications of the findings about knowledge sharing, attitude to collaborative digital writing, and metacognitive knowledge in writing are discussed.
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Background: The present study set out to examine English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for nursing instructors’ perceptions of what constitutes quality ESP delivery and their perceptions on the challenges that may inhibit the provision of... more
Background: The present study set out to examine English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for nursing instructors’ perceptions of what constitutes quality ESP delivery and their perceptions on the challenges that may inhibit the provision of the quality in ESP education for nursing students.
Methods: To obtain data, first, the questionnaire of quality of education in ESP was given to ESP instructors. They were asked to fill in the questionnaire and rank strategies for effective ESP education. Secondly, 13 volunteer instructors were interviewed to delve into the problems of teaching ESP to nursing students. Thirdly, to examine ESP students’ expectations, 15 students were interviewed.
Results: The findings from the first research question showed that the quality of ESP courses was not satisfactory. Comprehension of the texts and communication in the foreign language were among what the students’ prioritized. With particular reference to the strategies for effective ESP education, the instructors pointed to the integration of skills. Moreover, the instructors believed that certified professionals need to be hired to go with ESP specialization as well as the fact that a needs-based curriculum has to be redesigned. The major problems that ESP instructors often cope with were i. e., organizational, learner-related, and teacher-related problems.
Conclusion: ESP for the students of nursing seems to be experiencing a deeply-felt demand for reform and this kind of reform depends on a series of remarkable changes. Hence, the present study has important implications for ESP educational policymakers, and curriculum designers.
Methods: To obtain data, first, the questionnaire of quality of education in ESP was given to ESP instructors. They were asked to fill in the questionnaire and rank strategies for effective ESP education. Secondly, 13 volunteer instructors were interviewed to delve into the problems of teaching ESP to nursing students. Thirdly, to examine ESP students’ expectations, 15 students were interviewed.
Results: The findings from the first research question showed that the quality of ESP courses was not satisfactory. Comprehension of the texts and communication in the foreign language were among what the students’ prioritized. With particular reference to the strategies for effective ESP education, the instructors pointed to the integration of skills. Moreover, the instructors believed that certified professionals need to be hired to go with ESP specialization as well as the fact that a needs-based curriculum has to be redesigned. The major problems that ESP instructors often cope with were i. e., organizational, learner-related, and teacher-related problems.
Conclusion: ESP for the students of nursing seems to be experiencing a deeply-felt demand for reform and this kind of reform depends on a series of remarkable changes. Hence, the present study has important implications for ESP educational policymakers, and curriculum designers.
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The present study aimed at investigating English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' level of reflection and the barriers to their reflection. To do so, based on an experimental research method, 98 EFL teachers were recruited and the... more
The present study aimed at investigating English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' level of reflection and the barriers to their reflection. To do so, based on an experimental research method, 98 EFL teachers were recruited and the English language teacher reflection inventory (ELTRI) was distributed among them. To consolidate the findings of the inventory, 20 volunteers from the same pool were interviewed. As the next phase of the study, to investigate the barriers to the teachers' reflectivity, the same participants were given an open-ended questionnaire to probe their ideas about barriers to reflective practice. Based on the obtained data and the related literature, a Barriers to Reflective Practice Questionnaire (BRPQ) was developed and distributed among the participants. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, one sample t-test, and content analysis were employed. The findings revealed that EFL teachers did not practice reflection at high levels. They considered top-down curriculum, disrespect for teachers' authority, teachers' inclination to the conventional teaching practice, lack of appropriate context for reflection, teachers' workload, and lack of appropriate training courses as the most important factors which bar their reflection. Teacher education programs should raise EFL teachers' awareness regarding the concept and use of reflective practice.
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Over the last few decades, EFL has faced many challenges, therefore, creating fundamental innovations in the curriculum and overcoming the challenges has always been the goal of researchers and scholars (Sun & Chen, 2016). In recent... more
Over the last few decades, EFL has faced many challenges, therefore, creating fundamental innovations in the curriculum and overcoming the challenges has always been the goal of researchers and scholars (Sun & Chen, 2016). In recent years, the nature of teaching and learning English has changed so much that by placing text, audio, and video on the World Wide Web, there is a unique opportunity to use these multimedia systems
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The present study aimed to compare successful with less successful English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners regarding their cognitive styles and flexibility, together with the learners’ evaluation of their experience of doing an... more
The present study aimed to compare successful with less successful English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners regarding their cognitive styles and flexibility, together with the learners’ evaluation of their experience of doing an unfamiliar cognitive test. The sample consists of 60 adult EFL learners (30 successful and 30 less successful), both males and females symmetrically. The homogeneity of participants’ age of onset, socio-economic class, and motivation was also considered. The data was analyzed, using Chi-square and Gamma correlation. Overall, it was revealed that analytical, logical reasoning, reflective, and learning were the most prominent cognitive styles among successful learners. They also showed a considerable cognitive flexibility. On the other hand, less successful learners were inclined to the random style, along with a lower cognitive flexibility. With respect to gender groups, it turned out that females in the successful group were significantly inclined to the...
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The survival and the continuity of an organization’s operations depend upon the use of information. As such, investigating the Webquesting behavior of university students in general and TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language)... more
The survival and the continuity of an organization’s operations depend upon the use of information. As such, investigating the Webquesting behavior of university students in general and TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language) students in particular during the Covid 19 seems
essential. Since information-seeking behavior can be influenced by various factors we aimed to explore the attitude of TEFL students towards webquesting. In the next phase of the study, we sought the barriers to TEFL students’ Webquesting behaviour. Accordingly, the present research employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The statistical population consisted of 128
TEFL students and the sampling method was purposeful. The findings of this study revealed that the students were not satisfied with their webquesting and that there were two major obstacles in
their webquesting, namely, learners’ constraints and teachers’ constraints. The inhibitors included lack of familiarity with Internet sources, poor information seeking skills, lack of interest in some
topics, lack of skills in using the Internet, poor English proficiency, teachers’ lack of CALL (computer assisted language learning) preparation, lack of help from the side of teachers, teachers’ lack of attention to non-textbook resources, and students’ lack of motivation and time. Findings have implications for TEFL teachers, since, based on the qualitative data, the most important
source of information for students is textbooks and the most important goal of searching for information is for doing homework. The importance of textbooks for students is the result of the
pivotal role given to the text books by teachers and the final exams. Perhaps students’ lack of interest in webquesting is partly due to such an undue emphasis. On the other hand, students’ lack of interest in Webquesting was also due to the lack of attention and encouragement from the side of teachers to use the Internet resources.
essential. Since information-seeking behavior can be influenced by various factors we aimed to explore the attitude of TEFL students towards webquesting. In the next phase of the study, we sought the barriers to TEFL students’ Webquesting behaviour. Accordingly, the present research employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The statistical population consisted of 128
TEFL students and the sampling method was purposeful. The findings of this study revealed that the students were not satisfied with their webquesting and that there were two major obstacles in
their webquesting, namely, learners’ constraints and teachers’ constraints. The inhibitors included lack of familiarity with Internet sources, poor information seeking skills, lack of interest in some
topics, lack of skills in using the Internet, poor English proficiency, teachers’ lack of CALL (computer assisted language learning) preparation, lack of help from the side of teachers, teachers’ lack of attention to non-textbook resources, and students’ lack of motivation and time. Findings have implications for TEFL teachers, since, based on the qualitative data, the most important
source of information for students is textbooks and the most important goal of searching for information is for doing homework. The importance of textbooks for students is the result of the
pivotal role given to the text books by teachers and the final exams. Perhaps students’ lack of interest in webquesting is partly due to such an undue emphasis. On the other hand, students’ lack of interest in Webquesting was also due to the lack of attention and encouragement from the side of teachers to use the Internet resources.
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Writing is an essential tool in life for different purposes, such as communication, selfexpression, and learning. Accordingly, developing writing has always been a fundamental aim in education. In today's world, with technological... more
Writing is an essential tool in life for different purposes, such as communication, selfexpression, and learning. Accordingly, developing writing has always been a fundamental aim in education. In today's world, with technological advances the importance of writing seems to be more than the past since writing is no longer conceived of the job of the small elite who create masterpieces for the educated people. In fact, in the online environment equipped with blogs, emails, and online courses an effective way to communicate with others is through written communication. Rao (2007) states that the writing skill in EFL teaching has two purposes. He asserted that " [writing] stimulates thinking, compels students to concentrate and organize their ideas, and cultivates their ability to summarize, analyze, and criticize. On the other hand, it reinforces learning in, thinking in, and reflecting on the English language" (p. 100). With such a shift of attention from product to process-oriented writing in SL, the writing skill in SL came to embrace not only the result but also the act of writing, and writing was viewed as a process through which meaning is constructed; therefore, the process of how ideas are developed in writing was valued, and cognitive skills and processes which are
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Technology can be integrated in teacher education and, hence, be used to empower teachers to extend learning beyond their classrooms. Therefore, the present study was an attempt to investigate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers'... more
Technology can be integrated in teacher education and, hence, be used to empower teachers to extend learning beyond their classrooms. Therefore, the present study was an attempt to investigate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' perceptions of action research and explore the impact of their collaborative action research in an online discussion group on their reflective practice. In addition, we were interested to know how online collaborative research action research contributes to their promotion of reflective thinking.The participants of this study were 23 Iranian EFL teachers who were recruited based on convenience sampling. The design of the study was a pre-test post-test design. As such, two questionnaires were given to the participants at the beginning and end of the study. As the next step, the participants took part in online discussion groups for 10 sessions in which they read and watched some essays and videos, wrote about some topics, and shared their ideas and experiences. To consolidate the findings, semistructured interviews were held with 12 participants. The result of the study indicated that most of the participants of the study had optimistic views regarding action research. In addition, participating in online discussion groups enabled them to think more about their teaching practice and gain higher levels of reflectivity. The results of the qualitative phase indicated that the online courses had effect on the teachers' practice and reflectivity in different ways. Despite all studies conducted on action research in Iran, contradictory results have been found regarding teachers' perception of action research. In addition, to the researchers' knowledge, no study has investigated the use of online collaborative action research on teachers' reflection. As such, it seemed necessary to conduct a study to explore the role of action research as a framework for improving reflective practice.
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Knowledge sharing and reflective thinking are two key issues in any educational system. The present study examined the willingness of instructors of English for the students of allied medical sciences to share knowledge and think... more
Knowledge sharing and reflective thinking are two key issues in any educational system. The present study examined the willingness of instructors of English for the students of allied medical sciences to share knowledge and think reflectively and investigated their reluctance to form knowledge sharing groups. To this aim, in the quantitative phase of the study, two questionnaires were completed by 148 instructors, while in the quantitative phase, 12 instructors participated in semistructured interviews. Based on the results, the participants considered knowledge sharing effective and had a positive view about it. In addition, there was a significant relationship between knowledge sharing and reflective thinking, and knowledge sharing can be used to predict reflective thinking. The findings of the interview also indicated that three categories of factors play a role in the studied instructors' reluctance to share knowledge, which included individual, organizational and cultural barriers. Due to the importance of knowledge sharing, some suggestions were made to promote this practice among English for specific purposes (ESP) instructors.
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Language can not be isolated from its social context. It is imperative that before developing any curriculum for second language learners, especially ESP students, social, economic, political and cultural forces be taken care of via needs... more
Language can not be isolated from its social context. It is imperative that before developing any curriculum for second language learners, especially ESP students, social, economic, political and cultural forces be taken care of via needs and rights analysis to determine whether those forces are beneficial or harmful to teachers and their students. The present paper is a review of critical needs analysis and right analysis in second language pedagogy.