DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jun 30, 2022
With numerous variables mediating the way learners interact with teacher corrective feedback (TCF... more With numerous variables mediating the way learners interact with teacher corrective feedback (TCF), one may not comment on its efficacy before such intervening variables are adequately addressed and learners' attendance to TCF is ensured. Among those variables, motivation is one of the most prominent ones largely affecting the degree to which students benefit from TCF. Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), a scoring system giving learners' a reason to notice TCF by rewarding them for the revisions they make through a flexible system of scoring, was implemented to investigate if TCF could help learners improve their use of subordinate clauses. To do so, two groups of students studying English Language Literature at the University of Tehran, consisting of 55 participants who were randomly assigned as treatment and control groups, were studied. The results of the gain analysis indicated an improvement for both groups over time in the total number and accuracy of the subordination clauses used; however, the treatment group significantly outperformed the control group. While the two groups did not differ in their use of noun clauses, the DSS group was found to outperform the non-DSS group regarding the adverb and adjective clauses. This indicates that motivation to attend to teacher feedback is of great importance if TCF is to be effective.
بسیاری از معلمان بر این باورند که در کلاس‌های زبان مدرسه یا آموزشگاه‌ها نمی‌توان مهارت نگارش را ت... more بسیاری از معلمان بر این باورند که در کلاس‌های زبان مدرسه یا آموزشگاه‌ها نمی‌توان مهارت نگارش را تقویت کرد. برای برخی دیگر نیز مشخص نیست چگونه می‌توان به روشی کاربردی به ارائه بازخورد در نوشته‌های زبان‌آموزان پرداخت. اختلاف دیدگاه پیرامون کارآمدی «بازخوردهای اصلاحی آموزگار»1، پژوهشگران را در طول سه دهه گذشته به خود مشغول ساخته است. پیش از صحبت پیرامون تأثیرگذاری یا بی‌تأثیری چنین بازخوردهایی در آموزش مهارت نگارش، نخست باید از انگیزه زبان‌آموزان برای توجه به این بازخوردها و به‌کارگیری آن‌ها در نوشته‌های خود اطمینان حاصل کرد. چرا که بدون چنین توجهی، بازخوردهای اصلاحی آموزگار دیگر نمی‌تواند تأثیرگذار باشد.
مقاله حاضر نخست به معرفی روش‌های کاربردی برای تقویت مهارت نگارش در کلاس‌های زبان می‌پردازد. در ادامه، تأثیر «روش ارزشیابی پلکانی»2 روی مهارت نوشتاری زبان‌آموزان در قالب یک پژوهش نیمه‌تجربی بررسی شده است. یافته‌ها نشان دادند، زبان‌آموزانی که با این روش آموزش دیده بودند، نه‌تنها نسبت به دیگر زبان‌آموزان پیشرفت بیشتری داشتند، بلکه از انگیزه بالاتر و دید مثبت‌تری نیز نسبت به بازخوردهای اصلاحی آموزگار و تمرین مهارت نوشتاری برخوردار شدند.
With numerous variables mediating the way learners interact with teacher corrective feedback (TCF... more With numerous variables mediating the way learners interact with teacher corrective feedback (TCF), one may not comment on its efficacy before such intervening variables are adequately addressed and learners' attendance to TCF is ensured. Among those variables, motivation is one of the most prominent ones largely affecting the degree to which students benefit from TCF. Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), a scoring system giving learners' a reason to notice TCF by rewarding them for the revisions they make through a flexible system of scoring, was implemented to investigate if TCF could help learners improve their use of subordinate clauses. To do so, two groups of students studying English Language Literature at the University of Tehran, consisting of 55 participants who were randomly assigned as treatment and control groups, were studied. The results of the gain analysis indicated an improvement for both groups over time in the total number and accuracy of the subordination clauses used; however, the treatment group significantly outperformed the control group. While the two groups did not differ in their use of noun clauses, the DSS group was found to outperform the non-DSS group regarding the adverb and adjective clauses. This indicates that motivation to attend to teacher feedback is of great importance if TCF is to be effective.
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 2022
Upholding the same standards, if not higher, in online courses as those in the face-to-face mode ... more Upholding the same standards, if not higher, in online courses as those in the face-to-face mode is crucial particularly during the time when online education is the only possibility due to the pandemic. The present study was an attempt to evaluate and compare the quality of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course over five consecutive academic semesters (one face-to-face and four online semesters) at Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT) to find out if the quality of the online instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic was comparable to that of the face-to-face mode before the pandemic. In so doing, three course components were checked; vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. 213 students studying English I at AUT were studied. The results of SPANOVAs run indicated that for the vocabulary and grammar components, the only group experiencing a significant disadvantage was the Feb.2020 group undergoing the online instruction right after the outbreak. However, for the reading comprehension component, no online group could reach a level of performance similar to that of the face-to-face group, indicating that the quality of online instruction could not uphold the same standards as those of face-to-face instruction. The possible reasons and implications are further discussed in the rest of the article.
In case not enough caution is exercised in the assessment of second or foreign language learners'... more In case not enough caution is exercised in the assessment of second or foreign language learners' writing performance, one cannot trust the accuracy of decisions made accordingly. As experts or trained raters are often not available or it is not costeffective to employ them in most educational contexts, writing assessment is often carried out by language instructors, who may not enjoy an adequate competence in teaching and assessing L writing. This makes the investigation of the accuracy of ratings done by language teachers a must. In so doing, language teachers in three groups, each with a different background in teaching English and L writing, were selected, and their ratings of IELTS samples were compared against those of expert raters using One-Way ANOVA tests. A statistically significant difference was found among the raters for the total writing score as well as the four components, with the L writing teachers demonstrating the closest performance to that of the expert rater and with language teachers with no or very little background in teaching L writing demonstrating the lowest accuracy. Moreover, the only significant correlations were found between the ratings done by the writing teachers and those of the expert rater, indicating that only they could interpret the scoring criteria not significantly different from the expert rater. The results demonstrate that language teachers are not generally suitable writing raters as they are affected by their own teaching background and understanding of the rating criteria.
It is often wrongly assumed that the provision of teacher corrective feedback naturally entails l... more It is often wrongly assumed that the provision of teacher corrective feedback naturally entails learners' attendance to and application of it, but learners have repeatedly been reported not to pay attention to teacher feedback due to lack of motivation and the distracting effect of the grades they receive. The present study was an attempt to tackle this problem. To do so, the technique named Draft-Specific Scoring (Nemati & Azizi, 2013) was implemented. In DSS, learners receive both teacher feedback and grades on their first drafts; however, they are given up to two opportunities to apply teacher feedback and revise their drafts accordingly. The scores they receive may improve as a result of the quality of revisions they make. Students’ final scores will be the mean score of the grades they receive on the final drafts of each assignment. 57 Iranian intermediate students attending the ‘Advanced Writing’ course at University of Teheran, with an age range of 21 to 27 took part in t...
Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 2018
One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensurin... more One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensuring learners’ attendance. The majority of the studies carried out on teacher CF have mistakenly presupposed learners’ attendance to and noticing of teacher feedback without any attempt to check or ensure them. The present study was an attempt to examine the effect of CF on learners’ writing ability when it is accompanied by Draft Specific Scoring, a technique designed to maximize learners’ motivation to attend to teacher feedback while minimizing the negative effect grading might have on learners’ attention (Azizi, 2013; Nemati & Azizi, 2013). In so doing, 57 intermediate students of English Language Literature at University of Tehran, in the form of two groups with one receiving CF and the other one receiving CF plus Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), were studied. The results of the Split-plot ANOVA between the two groups’ pretest and posttest indicated that the treatment group could signific...
Samples of participants‟ writing were scored by two raters using TOEFL writing scoring rubric. Th... more Samples of participants‟ writing were scored by two raters using TOEFL writing scoring rubric. The readability index of each text was calculated through the use of six readability formulae and graphs, i.e., Flesch-Kincaid index, Reading Ease index, FOG index, SMOG formula, Fry‟s graph, and Dale-Chall readability index. The scores given to each essay were later compared to the obtained readability indices through the use of Spearman rho correlation coefficient formula. The correlation coefficients obtained ranged from .05 to .15, none of which significant. This indicates that readability index of a text and the writing assessment procedure through holistic rubrics are dealing with two different constructs and have very little in common. This also calls into question the reliability and validity of some computerized assessment programs such as PEG, LSA, or E-rater, which take into account factors very similar to those examined in readability formulae.
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed all universities to offer all programs online, but not all instructo... more The COVID-19 pandemic pushed all universities to offer all programs online, but not all instructors were prepared for such an abrupt transformation. Online education can be very challenging both to the instructors and the institutions and has several subtleties that make it quite different from the face-to-face programs. There exists an urgent need for studies examining the effectiveness of such programs being offered amid the pandemic in comparison with the same courses held face-to-face. As a result, the present study was an attempt to compare the effectiveness of an online EAP course with that of the same course being offered face-to-face in terms of its three components, namely vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. Sixty-eight students in two groups of online and face-to-face classes took part in this study with a pretest-posttest design. While the two groups were not significantly difference at the onset of the study, the results of the SPANOVAs run showed a significa...
Having been in contact with a second language may result in L1 attrition in the long run. The way... more Having been in contact with a second language may result in L1 attrition in the long run. The ways it affects one’s L1 are so varied that no one research study can address them all. Using an acceptability judgment test, the present study was an attempt to investigate the effect of learning English as a second or foreign language on Iranian EFL learners’ first language, i.e. Persian. A Persian questionnaire was designed mainly comprising two sets of sentences; one set with Persian sentences grammatically and semantically correct based on the rules of the Persian language, and another set with translated sentences from English to Persian matching the rules of the English language rather than the Persian one. The participants consisted of 64 Iranian EFL learners with at least 5 years of contact and studying English and 48 Iranian Persian speakers whose contact with English was limited to high school and university English courses. The EFL learners were observed to be significantly more...
Learners are often reported not to be motivated enough to attend to teacher feedback. Teachers al... more Learners are often reported not to be motivated enough to attend to teacher feedback. Teachers also tend to grade learners’ writing samples when providing them with corrective feedback though they know it may divert their attention away from teacher feedback. However, not grading learner writings does not seem to be an option due to both learners’ demands for it and institutional regulations that require teachers to have summative evaluation. In order to overcome such contradictions, a new technique called Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS) was devised in order to use grading as a motivating, rather than demotivating, device in order to encourage learners to attend to teacher feedback and apply it to their first drafts to improve the quality of their writing accordingly. DSS is a grading system in which learners can improve their received grade by applying teacher feedback to their writing samples in order to improve its quality. The score they receive will improve as a result of the impr...
ABSTRACTValidity is a crucial test quality, and presenting a strong validity argument is a must a... more ABSTRACTValidity is a crucial test quality, and presenting a strong validity argument is a must and an ongoing process in the development of large-scale language tests such as IELTS and TOEFL. However, the presented validity evidence for writing and speaking skills, whose evaluation is subjective by nature, is somewhat shaky in comparison with other two skills. The present study was an attempt to examine whether raters are actually assessing test takers' writing samples based on the constructs defined in the scoring rubric. Using a standard multiple regression, the predictive ability of three objective measures, namely Fluency, Grammatical complexity, and Accuracy, were checked for learners' scores in IELTS task 2 in writing. The preliminary analysis showed no violation of the assumptions underlying the use of the multiple regression test. The results indicate that the model explains 50% of the variance in the dependent variable, i.e., learners' scores in IELTS Task 2 in...
It is often wrongly assumed that the provision of teacher corrective feedback naturally entails l... more It is often wrongly assumed that the provision of teacher corrective feedback naturally entails learners' attendance to and application of it, but learners have repeatedly been reported not to pay attention to teacher feedback due to lack of motivation and the distracting effect of the grades they receive. The present study was an attempt to tackle this problem. To do so, the technique named Draft-Specific Scoring (Nemati & Azizi, 2013) was implemented. In DSS, learners receive both teacher feedback and grades on their first drafts; however, they are given up to two opportunities to apply teacher feedback and revise their drafts accordingly. The scores they receive may improve as a result of the quality of revisions they make. Students’ final scores will be the mean score of the grades they receive on the final drafts of each assignment. 57 Iranian intermediate students attending the ‘Advanced Writing’ course at University of Teheran, with an age range of 21 to 27 took part in t...
Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 2018
One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensurin... more One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensuring learners" attendance. The majority of the studies carried out on teacher CF have mistakenly presupposed learners" attendance to and noticing of teacher feedback without any attempt to check or ensure them. The present study was an attempt to examine the effect of CF on learners" writing ability when it is accompanied by Draft Specific Scoring, a technique designed to maximize learners" motivation to attend to teacher feedback while minimizing the negative effect grading might have on learners" attention (Azizi, 2013; Nemati & Azizi, 2013). In so doing, 57 intermediate students of English Language Literature at University of Tehran, in the form of two groups with one receiving CF and the other one receiving CF plus Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), were studied. The results of the Split-plot ANOVA between the two groups" pretest and posttest indicated that the treatment group could significantly outperform the control group in overall writing proficiency as well as the four components assessed in IELTS writing task 2. In addition, learners" motivation, attendance, and attitudes were explored into using a questionnaire and a written interview. The participants experiencing DSS reported a high level of motivation and attendance. They also held a very positive attitude toward the technique they had undergone. The results indicate that it is possible to make teacher corrective feedback work if the intervening variables, more particularly motivation, are taken care of.
The present study was an attempt to explore the Iranian medical staff’s perception of the All Sai... more The present study was an attempt to explore the Iranian medical staff’s perception of the All Saints TV series. 199 participants including doctors, nurses, interns, and paramedics took part in this survey study which was done in 2011. A 17-item Likert scale questionnaire was developed by the team of researchers to gather further evidence on the issues raised by the participants in the focus group which was formed in order to delve into their thoughts, attitudes, and feelings about the mentioned program. The supportive and non-blaming nature of the working relationship among
the treatment team, their respect for the patients, their strong team work, the accuracy and precision of the presented medical information, and the discipline and sense of responsibility on the part of the medical staff were among the most frequent issues being mentioned and noticed by the participants. In addition, the majority of the participants considered the demonstrated model for providing healthcare services to be an efficient one; however, they believed that it was not possible to apply that model in the Iranian hospitals mainly due to the cultural differences between the two contexts and the current regulations in Iran. The participants were also observed to be only moderately satisfied with the system they were working in. It seems that healthcare systems in the developed countries can be used as models to identify the problems with the existing healthcare system in Iran. Authorities need to take appropriate measures to resolve such problems. The possible solutions and actions have been suggested in the present article.
Background: Setting Military recruitments to training programs intended for individuals wishing t... more Background: Setting Military recruitments to training programs intended for individuals wishing to work in the military, security or intelligence services is a very sensitive task. The identification of the applicants' personality traits, skills and abilities constitutes an importance part of the recruitment procedure. Objectives: The present study attempted to identify the major characteristics the military force must possess, as well as the current candidates candidates' suitability in terms of their personality characteristics. Patients and Methods: The authorities at an Asian country army were interviewed in order to identify the major characteristics they believed to be necessary for the military personnel willing to work in that organization. Furthermore, 195 randomly selected students from a military training center in the same region were examined to reveal the extent to which their personality traits matched those specified by the experts. Results: It was observed that the majority of the students who were tested enjoyed a good status regarding personality traits relevant to the nature of the tasks they were to be assigned in the future. However, based on the participants' scores on the NEO Psychological Inventory, Revised, some individuals were identified as lacking the needed personality traits and as a result, were not suitable for such responsibilities.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jun 30, 2022
With numerous variables mediating the way learners interact with teacher corrective feedback (TCF... more With numerous variables mediating the way learners interact with teacher corrective feedback (TCF), one may not comment on its efficacy before such intervening variables are adequately addressed and learners' attendance to TCF is ensured. Among those variables, motivation is one of the most prominent ones largely affecting the degree to which students benefit from TCF. Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), a scoring system giving learners' a reason to notice TCF by rewarding them for the revisions they make through a flexible system of scoring, was implemented to investigate if TCF could help learners improve their use of subordinate clauses. To do so, two groups of students studying English Language Literature at the University of Tehran, consisting of 55 participants who were randomly assigned as treatment and control groups, were studied. The results of the gain analysis indicated an improvement for both groups over time in the total number and accuracy of the subordination clauses used; however, the treatment group significantly outperformed the control group. While the two groups did not differ in their use of noun clauses, the DSS group was found to outperform the non-DSS group regarding the adverb and adjective clauses. This indicates that motivation to attend to teacher feedback is of great importance if TCF is to be effective.
بسیاری از معلمان بر این باورند که در کلاس‌های زبان مدرسه یا آموزشگاه‌ها نمی‌توان مهارت نگارش را ت... more بسیاری از معلمان بر این باورند که در کلاس‌های زبان مدرسه یا آموزشگاه‌ها نمی‌توان مهارت نگارش را تقویت کرد. برای برخی دیگر نیز مشخص نیست چگونه می‌توان به روشی کاربردی به ارائه بازخورد در نوشته‌های زبان‌آموزان پرداخت. اختلاف دیدگاه پیرامون کارآمدی «بازخوردهای اصلاحی آموزگار»1، پژوهشگران را در طول سه دهه گذشته به خود مشغول ساخته است. پیش از صحبت پیرامون تأثیرگذاری یا بی‌تأثیری چنین بازخوردهایی در آموزش مهارت نگارش، نخست باید از انگیزه زبان‌آموزان برای توجه به این بازخوردها و به‌کارگیری آن‌ها در نوشته‌های خود اطمینان حاصل کرد. چرا که بدون چنین توجهی، بازخوردهای اصلاحی آموزگار دیگر نمی‌تواند تأثیرگذار باشد.
مقاله حاضر نخست به معرفی روش‌های کاربردی برای تقویت مهارت نگارش در کلاس‌های زبان می‌پردازد. در ادامه، تأثیر «روش ارزشیابی پلکانی»2 روی مهارت نوشتاری زبان‌آموزان در قالب یک پژوهش نیمه‌تجربی بررسی شده است. یافته‌ها نشان دادند، زبان‌آموزانی که با این روش آموزش دیده بودند، نه‌تنها نسبت به دیگر زبان‌آموزان پیشرفت بیشتری داشتند، بلکه از انگیزه بالاتر و دید مثبت‌تری نیز نسبت به بازخوردهای اصلاحی آموزگار و تمرین مهارت نوشتاری برخوردار شدند.
With numerous variables mediating the way learners interact with teacher corrective feedback (TCF... more With numerous variables mediating the way learners interact with teacher corrective feedback (TCF), one may not comment on its efficacy before such intervening variables are adequately addressed and learners' attendance to TCF is ensured. Among those variables, motivation is one of the most prominent ones largely affecting the degree to which students benefit from TCF. Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), a scoring system giving learners' a reason to notice TCF by rewarding them for the revisions they make through a flexible system of scoring, was implemented to investigate if TCF could help learners improve their use of subordinate clauses. To do so, two groups of students studying English Language Literature at the University of Tehran, consisting of 55 participants who were randomly assigned as treatment and control groups, were studied. The results of the gain analysis indicated an improvement for both groups over time in the total number and accuracy of the subordination clauses used; however, the treatment group significantly outperformed the control group. While the two groups did not differ in their use of noun clauses, the DSS group was found to outperform the non-DSS group regarding the adverb and adjective clauses. This indicates that motivation to attend to teacher feedback is of great importance if TCF is to be effective.
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 2022
Upholding the same standards, if not higher, in online courses as those in the face-to-face mode ... more Upholding the same standards, if not higher, in online courses as those in the face-to-face mode is crucial particularly during the time when online education is the only possibility due to the pandemic. The present study was an attempt to evaluate and compare the quality of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course over five consecutive academic semesters (one face-to-face and four online semesters) at Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT) to find out if the quality of the online instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic was comparable to that of the face-to-face mode before the pandemic. In so doing, three course components were checked; vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. 213 students studying English I at AUT were studied. The results of SPANOVAs run indicated that for the vocabulary and grammar components, the only group experiencing a significant disadvantage was the Feb.2020 group undergoing the online instruction right after the outbreak. However, for the reading comprehension component, no online group could reach a level of performance similar to that of the face-to-face group, indicating that the quality of online instruction could not uphold the same standards as those of face-to-face instruction. The possible reasons and implications are further discussed in the rest of the article.
In case not enough caution is exercised in the assessment of second or foreign language learners'... more In case not enough caution is exercised in the assessment of second or foreign language learners' writing performance, one cannot trust the accuracy of decisions made accordingly. As experts or trained raters are often not available or it is not costeffective to employ them in most educational contexts, writing assessment is often carried out by language instructors, who may not enjoy an adequate competence in teaching and assessing L writing. This makes the investigation of the accuracy of ratings done by language teachers a must. In so doing, language teachers in three groups, each with a different background in teaching English and L writing, were selected, and their ratings of IELTS samples were compared against those of expert raters using One-Way ANOVA tests. A statistically significant difference was found among the raters for the total writing score as well as the four components, with the L writing teachers demonstrating the closest performance to that of the expert rater and with language teachers with no or very little background in teaching L writing demonstrating the lowest accuracy. Moreover, the only significant correlations were found between the ratings done by the writing teachers and those of the expert rater, indicating that only they could interpret the scoring criteria not significantly different from the expert rater. The results demonstrate that language teachers are not generally suitable writing raters as they are affected by their own teaching background and understanding of the rating criteria.
It is often wrongly assumed that the provision of teacher corrective feedback naturally entails l... more It is often wrongly assumed that the provision of teacher corrective feedback naturally entails learners' attendance to and application of it, but learners have repeatedly been reported not to pay attention to teacher feedback due to lack of motivation and the distracting effect of the grades they receive. The present study was an attempt to tackle this problem. To do so, the technique named Draft-Specific Scoring (Nemati & Azizi, 2013) was implemented. In DSS, learners receive both teacher feedback and grades on their first drafts; however, they are given up to two opportunities to apply teacher feedback and revise their drafts accordingly. The scores they receive may improve as a result of the quality of revisions they make. Students’ final scores will be the mean score of the grades they receive on the final drafts of each assignment. 57 Iranian intermediate students attending the ‘Advanced Writing’ course at University of Teheran, with an age range of 21 to 27 took part in t...
Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 2018
One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensurin... more One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensuring learners’ attendance. The majority of the studies carried out on teacher CF have mistakenly presupposed learners’ attendance to and noticing of teacher feedback without any attempt to check or ensure them. The present study was an attempt to examine the effect of CF on learners’ writing ability when it is accompanied by Draft Specific Scoring, a technique designed to maximize learners’ motivation to attend to teacher feedback while minimizing the negative effect grading might have on learners’ attention (Azizi, 2013; Nemati & Azizi, 2013). In so doing, 57 intermediate students of English Language Literature at University of Tehran, in the form of two groups with one receiving CF and the other one receiving CF plus Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), were studied. The results of the Split-plot ANOVA between the two groups’ pretest and posttest indicated that the treatment group could signific...
Samples of participants‟ writing were scored by two raters using TOEFL writing scoring rubric. Th... more Samples of participants‟ writing were scored by two raters using TOEFL writing scoring rubric. The readability index of each text was calculated through the use of six readability formulae and graphs, i.e., Flesch-Kincaid index, Reading Ease index, FOG index, SMOG formula, Fry‟s graph, and Dale-Chall readability index. The scores given to each essay were later compared to the obtained readability indices through the use of Spearman rho correlation coefficient formula. The correlation coefficients obtained ranged from .05 to .15, none of which significant. This indicates that readability index of a text and the writing assessment procedure through holistic rubrics are dealing with two different constructs and have very little in common. This also calls into question the reliability and validity of some computerized assessment programs such as PEG, LSA, or E-rater, which take into account factors very similar to those examined in readability formulae.
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed all universities to offer all programs online, but not all instructo... more The COVID-19 pandemic pushed all universities to offer all programs online, but not all instructors were prepared for such an abrupt transformation. Online education can be very challenging both to the instructors and the institutions and has several subtleties that make it quite different from the face-to-face programs. There exists an urgent need for studies examining the effectiveness of such programs being offered amid the pandemic in comparison with the same courses held face-to-face. As a result, the present study was an attempt to compare the effectiveness of an online EAP course with that of the same course being offered face-to-face in terms of its three components, namely vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. Sixty-eight students in two groups of online and face-to-face classes took part in this study with a pretest-posttest design. While the two groups were not significantly difference at the onset of the study, the results of the SPANOVAs run showed a significa...
Having been in contact with a second language may result in L1 attrition in the long run. The way... more Having been in contact with a second language may result in L1 attrition in the long run. The ways it affects one’s L1 are so varied that no one research study can address them all. Using an acceptability judgment test, the present study was an attempt to investigate the effect of learning English as a second or foreign language on Iranian EFL learners’ first language, i.e. Persian. A Persian questionnaire was designed mainly comprising two sets of sentences; one set with Persian sentences grammatically and semantically correct based on the rules of the Persian language, and another set with translated sentences from English to Persian matching the rules of the English language rather than the Persian one. The participants consisted of 64 Iranian EFL learners with at least 5 years of contact and studying English and 48 Iranian Persian speakers whose contact with English was limited to high school and university English courses. The EFL learners were observed to be significantly more...
Learners are often reported not to be motivated enough to attend to teacher feedback. Teachers al... more Learners are often reported not to be motivated enough to attend to teacher feedback. Teachers also tend to grade learners’ writing samples when providing them with corrective feedback though they know it may divert their attention away from teacher feedback. However, not grading learner writings does not seem to be an option due to both learners’ demands for it and institutional regulations that require teachers to have summative evaluation. In order to overcome such contradictions, a new technique called Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS) was devised in order to use grading as a motivating, rather than demotivating, device in order to encourage learners to attend to teacher feedback and apply it to their first drafts to improve the quality of their writing accordingly. DSS is a grading system in which learners can improve their received grade by applying teacher feedback to their writing samples in order to improve its quality. The score they receive will improve as a result of the impr...
ABSTRACTValidity is a crucial test quality, and presenting a strong validity argument is a must a... more ABSTRACTValidity is a crucial test quality, and presenting a strong validity argument is a must and an ongoing process in the development of large-scale language tests such as IELTS and TOEFL. However, the presented validity evidence for writing and speaking skills, whose evaluation is subjective by nature, is somewhat shaky in comparison with other two skills. The present study was an attempt to examine whether raters are actually assessing test takers' writing samples based on the constructs defined in the scoring rubric. Using a standard multiple regression, the predictive ability of three objective measures, namely Fluency, Grammatical complexity, and Accuracy, were checked for learners' scores in IELTS task 2 in writing. The preliminary analysis showed no violation of the assumptions underlying the use of the multiple regression test. The results indicate that the model explains 50% of the variance in the dependent variable, i.e., learners' scores in IELTS Task 2 in...
It is often wrongly assumed that the provision of teacher corrective feedback naturally entails l... more It is often wrongly assumed that the provision of teacher corrective feedback naturally entails learners' attendance to and application of it, but learners have repeatedly been reported not to pay attention to teacher feedback due to lack of motivation and the distracting effect of the grades they receive. The present study was an attempt to tackle this problem. To do so, the technique named Draft-Specific Scoring (Nemati & Azizi, 2013) was implemented. In DSS, learners receive both teacher feedback and grades on their first drafts; however, they are given up to two opportunities to apply teacher feedback and revise their drafts accordingly. The scores they receive may improve as a result of the quality of revisions they make. Students’ final scores will be the mean score of the grades they receive on the final drafts of each assignment. 57 Iranian intermediate students attending the ‘Advanced Writing’ course at University of Teheran, with an age range of 21 to 27 took part in t...
Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 2018
One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensurin... more One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensuring learners" attendance. The majority of the studies carried out on teacher CF have mistakenly presupposed learners" attendance to and noticing of teacher feedback without any attempt to check or ensure them. The present study was an attempt to examine the effect of CF on learners" writing ability when it is accompanied by Draft Specific Scoring, a technique designed to maximize learners" motivation to attend to teacher feedback while minimizing the negative effect grading might have on learners" attention (Azizi, 2013; Nemati & Azizi, 2013). In so doing, 57 intermediate students of English Language Literature at University of Tehran, in the form of two groups with one receiving CF and the other one receiving CF plus Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), were studied. The results of the Split-plot ANOVA between the two groups" pretest and posttest indicated that the treatment group could significantly outperform the control group in overall writing proficiency as well as the four components assessed in IELTS writing task 2. In addition, learners" motivation, attendance, and attitudes were explored into using a questionnaire and a written interview. The participants experiencing DSS reported a high level of motivation and attendance. They also held a very positive attitude toward the technique they had undergone. The results indicate that it is possible to make teacher corrective feedback work if the intervening variables, more particularly motivation, are taken care of.
The present study was an attempt to explore the Iranian medical staff’s perception of the All Sai... more The present study was an attempt to explore the Iranian medical staff’s perception of the All Saints TV series. 199 participants including doctors, nurses, interns, and paramedics took part in this survey study which was done in 2011. A 17-item Likert scale questionnaire was developed by the team of researchers to gather further evidence on the issues raised by the participants in the focus group which was formed in order to delve into their thoughts, attitudes, and feelings about the mentioned program. The supportive and non-blaming nature of the working relationship among
the treatment team, their respect for the patients, their strong team work, the accuracy and precision of the presented medical information, and the discipline and sense of responsibility on the part of the medical staff were among the most frequent issues being mentioned and noticed by the participants. In addition, the majority of the participants considered the demonstrated model for providing healthcare services to be an efficient one; however, they believed that it was not possible to apply that model in the Iranian hospitals mainly due to the cultural differences between the two contexts and the current regulations in Iran. The participants were also observed to be only moderately satisfied with the system they were working in. It seems that healthcare systems in the developed countries can be used as models to identify the problems with the existing healthcare system in Iran. Authorities need to take appropriate measures to resolve such problems. The possible solutions and actions have been suggested in the present article.
Background: Setting Military recruitments to training programs intended for individuals wishing t... more Background: Setting Military recruitments to training programs intended for individuals wishing to work in the military, security or intelligence services is a very sensitive task. The identification of the applicants' personality traits, skills and abilities constitutes an importance part of the recruitment procedure. Objectives: The present study attempted to identify the major characteristics the military force must possess, as well as the current candidates candidates' suitability in terms of their personality characteristics. Patients and Methods: The authorities at an Asian country army were interviewed in order to identify the major characteristics they believed to be necessary for the military personnel willing to work in that organization. Furthermore, 195 randomly selected students from a military training center in the same region were examined to reveal the extent to which their personality traits matched those specified by the experts. Results: It was observed that the majority of the students who were tested enjoyed a good status regarding personality traits relevant to the nature of the tasks they were to be assigned in the future. However, based on the participants' scores on the NEO Psychological Inventory, Revised, some individuals were identified as lacking the needed personality traits and as a result, were not suitable for such responsibilities.
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Papers by Masoud Azizi
مقاله حاضر نخست به معرفی روش‌های کاربردی برای تقویت مهارت نگارش در کلاس‌های زبان می‌پردازد. در ادامه، تأثیر «روش ارزشیابی پلکانی»2 روی مهارت نوشتاری زبان‌آموزان در قالب یک پژوهش نیمه‌تجربی بررسی شده است. یافته‌ها نشان دادند، زبان‌آموزانی که با این روش آموزش دیده بودند، نه‌تنها نسبت به دیگر زبان‌آموزان پیشرفت بیشتری داشتند، بلکه از انگیزه بالاتر و دید مثبت‌تری نیز نسبت به بازخوردهای اصلاحی آموزگار و تمرین مهارت نوشتاری برخوردار شدند.
the treatment team, their respect for the patients, their strong team work, the accuracy and precision of the presented medical information, and the discipline and sense of responsibility on the part of the medical staff were among the most frequent issues being mentioned and noticed by the participants. In addition, the majority of the participants considered the demonstrated model for providing healthcare services to be an efficient one; however, they believed that it was not possible to apply that model in the Iranian hospitals mainly due to the cultural differences between the two contexts and the current regulations in Iran. The participants were also observed to be only moderately satisfied with the system they were working in. It seems that healthcare systems in the developed countries can be used as models to identify the problems with the existing healthcare system in Iran. Authorities need to take appropriate measures to resolve such problems. The possible solutions and actions have been suggested in the present article.
مقاله حاضر نخست به معرفی روش‌های کاربردی برای تقویت مهارت نگارش در کلاس‌های زبان می‌پردازد. در ادامه، تأثیر «روش ارزشیابی پلکانی»2 روی مهارت نوشتاری زبان‌آموزان در قالب یک پژوهش نیمه‌تجربی بررسی شده است. یافته‌ها نشان دادند، زبان‌آموزانی که با این روش آموزش دیده بودند، نه‌تنها نسبت به دیگر زبان‌آموزان پیشرفت بیشتری داشتند، بلکه از انگیزه بالاتر و دید مثبت‌تری نیز نسبت به بازخوردهای اصلاحی آموزگار و تمرین مهارت نوشتاری برخوردار شدند.
the treatment team, their respect for the patients, their strong team work, the accuracy and precision of the presented medical information, and the discipline and sense of responsibility on the part of the medical staff were among the most frequent issues being mentioned and noticed by the participants. In addition, the majority of the participants considered the demonstrated model for providing healthcare services to be an efficient one; however, they believed that it was not possible to apply that model in the Iranian hospitals mainly due to the cultural differences between the two contexts and the current regulations in Iran. The participants were also observed to be only moderately satisfied with the system they were working in. It seems that healthcare systems in the developed countries can be used as models to identify the problems with the existing healthcare system in Iran. Authorities need to take appropriate measures to resolve such problems. The possible solutions and actions have been suggested in the present article.