Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE), such as watching online videos, playing games, or chatting with English speakers beyond the classroom, has received increasing attention over recent years ...as a potential source of intercultural competence (IC) and second language willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) development among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. However, little is known about how IDLE influences IC and L2 WTC among EFL learners, who face various challenges and opportunities in learning and using English in Iran. Thus, this research examined the relationship between IDLE and IC and L2 WTC in Iranian EFL learners. For this purpose, the study was conducted with the participation of 325 EFL learners from a language institute in Arak City, Iran, who were selected using convenience sampling. The participants completed the Digital Informal Learning Scale, the Intercultural Competence Scale, and the Willingness to Communicate Questionnaire. The results of the structural equation modeling revealed that IDLE had a significant positive association with both IC and L2 WTC. Further, the results indicated that IDLE dimensions, such as cognitive, meta-cognitive, social, and motivational aspects were significantly related to IC and L2 WTC. The findings approve that promoting IDLE among Iranian EFL learners could enhance their intercultural awareness and communication skills.
This study explored the effects of concurrent group dynamic assessment (G-DA) and cumulative G-DA on Iranian pre-intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ interlanguage pragmatic ...comprehension (ILPC). To this end, a total of 97 pre-intermediate learners took the key English test (KET) test and 45 learners whose scores fell between − 1 and + 1 SD were selected and randomly assigned to experimental groups, namely concurrent G-DA (n = 15), cumulative G-DA (n = 15), and a control group, namely immediate feedback (IF) group (n = 15). Then, they went through pre-test, interventions (lasting fifteen 1-h sessions held three times a week), and post-test procedures, as well as the interactions among the teachers and learners were recorded. The data were analyzed through a one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and a microgenetic development approach. Results revealed that the concurrent G-DA and cumulative G-DA outperformed the IP group concerning the gains in the ILPC on the post-test. Additionally, the complementary microgenetic findings demonstrated the ways through which the concurrent G-DA and cumulative G-DA could lead to improving the learners’ ILPC.
Reviewing the literature reveals that the role of teacher assessment literacy (TAL) in teacher job stress (TJS) and teacher job burnout (TJB) among English as foreign language (EFL) teachers in Iran ...has remained largely unexplored. As a result, this mixed-methods study investigated the association between TAL, TJS, and TJB in the Iranian EFL context. For the quantitative section, 413 EFL teachers, including 221 males and 192 females, were randomly selected. They completed the Teacher Assessment Literacy Questionnaire, the Teacher Job Stress Scale, and the Teacher Job Burnout Inventory, and the data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. For the qualitative part, 18 EFL teachers who joined the quantitative part participated in a focus group interview, and their responses were analyzed through a content analysis approach. Results indicated that TAL is a strong predictor of TJS and TJB. Specifically, the findings indicated that TAL was positively linked to all the sub-scales of TJS and TJB. Additionally, the complementary qualitative results yielded four themes:
TAL promotes job productivity
,
TAL raises teachers’ social face
,
TAL enables teachers to manage the class efficiently
, and
TAL brings positive wash-back
. The findings suggest that TAL, TJS, and TJB should be incorporated in pre-service and in-service teacher training courses in EFL education.
Although fairness in assessment practices has gained noticeable attention over the recent years, there has been a long-lasting study to design and validate a questionnaire to measure it from a ...psychometric perspective. Thus, this study aims to develop and validate a questionnaire with adequate psychometric properties to measure fairness in classroom assessment. Using a random sampling method, two samples of male and female university students for the first pilot (
n
= 128) and the second pilot (
n
= 360) were selected from Ayatollah Borujerdi University and Lorestan University. Drawing on the past literature, a pool of items (
n
= 118) were extracted and subjected to a 12-step systematic procedure, including content analysis and sampling; creating an item bank; running the first pilot; creating item pool one; expert judgment to evaluate the sub-scales; running an interview and think-aloud protocol; running Cronbach’s alpha; running the second pilot; running exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha; creating item pool two; expert review; and translation and translation quality check. Findings yielded a 110-item questionnaire with 10 sub-scales: learning materials and practices (18 items); test design (24 items); opportunities to demonstrate learning (8 items); test administration (21 items); grading (11 items); offering feedback (6 items); tests results interpretation (5 items); decisions based on tests results (3 items); test results consequences (4 items); and students’ fairness-related beliefs and attitudes (10 items). The hope is that this questionnaire can serve research and educational purposes.
Though peer feedback has gained noticeable attention in second-language (L2) education in face-to-face classes, its effects on improving IELTS candidates’ writing performance have remained unexplored ...in the Iranian EFL context. Thus, the present study aims to reach a two-fold purpose. First, it investigates the effects of online peer feedback (OPF) on improving Iranian IELTS candidates’ writing performance. Second, it explores what the IELTS candidates’ perceptions are about the efficacy of online peer feedback to cultivate their writing performance in the Iranian EFL context. To these aims, having been homogenized through the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT), a total of 35 IELTS candidates were randomly assigned into an experimental group and a control group. The two groups went through pretest, treatment, posttest, and delayed posttest procedures. To collect the required qualitative data, 5 participants of the experimental group participated in a focus group interview. The data were analyzed using a one-way ANCOVA and content analysis. Findings documented that the experimental group outperformed the control group on the posttest and delayed posttest. Additionally, the qualitative results revealed that the participants had positive attitudes toward the potentials of OPF to cultivate writing skills. The study ends with proposing a range of implications and suggestions for further research.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The literature indicates that the effects of sources of demographic biases on fairness in classroom assessment (CA) are under-researched in the Iranian higher education context. Hence, this study ...aims to explore the Iranian university teachers’ perceptions of the effects of demographic biases (e.g., gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic (SES)) on their assessment fairness. With this aim, fifteen university teachers were selected using a criterion sampling method at Ayatollah Borujerdi University, Iran. To gather the required data, a reflective written statement was completed by the participants. The participants’ responses were translated verbatim into English and subjected to a standard thematic coding analysis. Findings yielded three recurring themes: ‘
gender bias is prevalent in assessment practices’, ethnicity bias affects adversely assessment practices
, and ‘
SES bias jeopardizes fairness in assessment practices’
. The results evidenced that gender, ethnicity, and SES biases can act as a major source of score pollution in CA. This study ends with proposing a range of implications for different testing stakeholders.
Owing to the limitations of linguistic modes to portray aptly L2 learners’ metaphors of language learning experience, growing attention has been paid to taking advantage of other modes like visual ...ones to ameliorate this concern. Hence, the present study sought to explore images and metaphors Iranian EFL learners may have in mind about the essence of English language as a foreign learning. To this end, Iranian EFL learners’ verbal and non-verbal forms of metaphorical depiction were examined. One intact class, including intermediate male and female learners (n = 11) at a non-profit language institute was selected randomly. The data were collected through both verbal (a single-item questionnaire) and non-verbal (drawings) tools. The learners’ drawings and written descriptions were examined so as to both tap into their mental representations of what ‘English learning’ means to them and get closer insights into the learners’ belief system. The study’s conceptual framework was mainly built on Oxford et al.’s (System 26:3–50, 1998) perspectives on education and Vygotsky’s (Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes, Harvard University Press, 1978) Socio-cultural theory (SCT) of learning. The multimodal analysis of the metaphors evidenced that the learners’ verbal and visual metaphorical representations shared the common perspectives towards English learning. Additionally, the extracted metaphorical concepts disclosed the learners’ positive attitudes, enthusiasm, and desire for English learning. Results unveiled that most of the visual and verbal metaphorical depictions portray language learning as a joyful, dynamic and discovery individual process. The study ends with presenting some implications and offering some avenues for further research.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, ODKLJ, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
This study explores the potential of podcasting and blogging in cultivating advanced EFL learners’ reading comprehension (RC) gains, as well as their perceptions of their effectiveness in improving ...their RC gains. For this purpose, three intact female classes (n = 20) were selected using a convenience sampling method from Pooyesh Language Center in Borujerd City, Iran. Then, they were randomly assigned into three groups, including the podcasting group, blogging group, and control group. Afterward, they went through a pre-test, an intervention (12 one-hour sessions held twice a week), and a post-test. For disclosing their perceptions, 10 students of the experimental groups were requested to fill out a reflective written statement about the potential of podcasting and blogging in improving their RC gains. A one-way ANOVA and a thematic coding analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Findings revealed that the podcasting and blogging groups outweighed the control group at the end of the treatments. Additionally, the results evidenced that there was no statistically significant difference between the podcasting and blogging groups. The qualitative findings disclosed that the participants had positive perceptions toward using podcasting and blogging in developing RC. Finally, the implications for L2 teachers and L2 learners are discussed.
Reading comprehension, Podcasting, Blogging, Thematic coding analysis, EFL learners.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
One of the popular theories in psychology that potentially contributes to the development of teaching and learning programs is brain dominance. According to this theory, the brain is categorized into ...two hemispheres based on personal traits and cognitive styles. It is interesting to investigate the correlation between brain dominance and second language learning. Therefore, this study set out to examine the correlation between brain dominance and the development of English reading, and speaking skills. For this purpose, the required data were randomly gathered from 230 sophomore students in four different universities and were analyzed through a Pearson Chi-Square test, a Kruskal-Wallis test, and a Mann-Whitney test. Findings evidenced a significant correlation between brain dominance and reading skills. Three categories of brain dominance groups differ in reading skills in which moderate right-brain shows the highest score. Concerning the speaking skills, however, the results documented no significant correlation between brain dominance and speaking skills. Three groups of brain dominance were not significantly different in three aspects of speaking skills, including accuracy, fluency, and comprehensibility. The study concludes by proposing a range of implications and some avenues for further research.
In the literature, a mass of studies have inspected the effects of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) on Iranian English as a Foreign Language ...(EFL) learners’ achievement. However, the effects of CALL and MALL on psychological factors, such as motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy, have largely remained unexplored. Thus, this study explored the effects of CALL and MALL, and face-to-face (FTF) learning environments on Iranian EFL learners’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy. To this aim, using a random sampling method, a total of 137 male EFL intermediate learners were selected and homogenized using the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). Based on the test scores, a total of 90 EFL learners were selected and randomly assigned to three groups, namely, CALL (
n
= 30), MALL (
n
= 30), and FTF (
n
= 30). Then, the participants’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were gauged prior to the instructions. Afterward, they received CALL-based, MALL-based, and conventional instructions which lasted 25 1-h sessions held twice a week. At the end of the instructions, the participants’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were measured again. The collected data were analyzed through a one-way MANOVA. Findings evidenced that the experimental groups’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were positively affected by the CALL-based and MALL-based instructions. However, there was not a statistically significant difference between the CALL group and MALL group concerning the gains of motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy. In light of the findings, a range of implications is suggested for relevant stakeholders.
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