This study aimed to investigate the differences in the use of metadiscourse markers between Persi... more This study aimed to investigate the differences in the use of metadiscourse markers between Persian and English online headlines about the first two months of the year 2015. To this end, the corpora in the present study comprise a total of 100 Persian and English online headlines (each 50 headlines) were chosen randomly from English and Persian newscasts such as VOA, CNN, Bistosi (20:30), and Bashgahkhabarnegaran. The specific research area of interest was whether online Persian and English headlines made a similar field-specific use of metadiscourse markers. The corpora were recorded and divided in two groups of Persian online headlines and English online headlines. The corpora also consisted of different fields, politics, economic, sport, entertainment, cultural, social, and world news. According to Hyland's (2005) model, interactive and interactional metadiscourse markers were identified in online headlines. The analysis revealed that according to descriptive statistics Persian fields made more use of the metadiscourse markers than English fields. The findings of this research would help to keep journalism students aware of this aspect of metadiscourse.
It has widely been acknowledged that high-stakes tests influence teaching and learning process. A... more It has widely been acknowledged that high-stakes tests influence teaching and learning process. A number of studies have been performed in different countries to investigate the washback effect of high-stakes tests on the various stakeholders of the tests. Nevertheless, educational researchers have pointed to this need that the influence of high-stakes tests on using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom should be explored. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine whether high-stakes Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran influences the use of ICT in English classes and second, to identify the teachers’ perceptions of the factors encouraging and discouraging teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. To achieve the purpose of the study, a validated questionnaire was administered to 30 English teachers who were teaching in the high schools in Isfahan, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to select equal number of teachers from all educational districts in the city of Isfahan. The descriptive analysis of the data showed that the content and format of the EEU prevent teachers to use ICT in English classes. The majority of the respondents also believed that the parents’ and principals’ expectations of the students to perform well on the EEU discourage them to use ICT applications in their teaching processes. Moreover, various ways to integrate ICT into the curriculum, ability to use ICT for sharing information and ideas with others, and evidence of the positive impact of ICT on teaching and learning are important factors motivating teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. On the other hand, insufficient technical supports at schools and little access to Internet and ICT prevent teachers to use ICT in the classroom. The study has pedagogical implications that can benefit teachers who teach in high-stakes test contexts.
The term washback refers to the connections between language testing and language teaching and le... more The term washback refers to the connections between language testing and language teaching and learning in general, and the impact of testing on teaching and learning in particular. The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a high-stakes competitive test which explicitly influences all its stakeholders. This paper reports the quantitative findings of a study conducted on the Iranian parents to investigate their perceptions of the EEU washback effect on the parents. To collect the data, a validated questionnaire with 24 items altogether was randomly administered to 30 Iranian parents from the city of Isfahan whose children were in pre-university level preparing themselves to participate in the upcoming EEU. The analysis of the findings showed that the Iranian parents have negative perceptions of the high-stakes exam of the EEU; however, they motivate their children to study for this exam. The majority of the parents stated that although they dislike this exam, they provide a suitable environment for their children and provide them with supplementary materials. This explicitly showed the pressure the EEU puts on the parents especially when their children are preparing themselves to participate in the EEU. However, the results obtained from the parents need to be triangulated through the data obtained from other stakeholders of the EEU such as the teachers, students, principals, test designers and even the publishers.
The term washback refers to the power of high-stakes tests on language teaching and learning. In ... more The term washback refers to the power of high-stakes tests on language teaching and learning. In this study the washback effect of the university entrance exam (UEE) in Iran is explored. The results of this national test can be perceived by all its stakeholders including the teachers, students, parents, policy makers, publishers and etc. The UEE, considered as the sole criterion for admission into tertiary education, is a 4-hour multiple-choice test regarding most of the core courses that the high school graduates have been taught during a period of four years study in high school. Although this test has been administered for more than four decades, different changes have been made in its content and format of administration. However, some critics firmly believe that the UEE needs to be either thoroughly revised or totally eliminated. At the present time, the suggestion of eliminating the UEE is not practical because a specified method of selecting eligible graduate high school students has not been introduced by the policy makers. This paper aims to address the washback effect of the university entrance exam in Iran and briefly reviews its effects on the Iranian high school English teachers, students and their families. The necessity of conducting research studies on the stakeholders of the UEE to know their perceptions of this high-stakes exam seems apparent. Two possible practical solutions are finally suggested to be used as the selection methods in case of eliminating the UEE.
—The study of high-stakes tests and various effects of such tests is an educational need and it i... more —The study of high-stakes tests and various effects of such tests is an educational need and it is recommended by curriculum planners and educational researchers. This paper, therefore, aimed to explore the effects of the Iranian universities entrance exam on the high school English teachers. The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a multiple-choice competitive high-stakes test that affects the teachers, students, parents and even other stakeholders. This negative or positive effect, generally known as washback, depends on the test itself, the curriculum, the stakeholders, and even the aim and scope of the test. To investigate the teachers' perceptions of the EEU washback effect, a validated survey questionnaire was administered to stratified random sample of 132 high school English teachers who were teaching in the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The descriptive data analysis revealed that little attention was given to three language skills of speaking, writing, and listening in the classroom as these skills are not tested in the EEU. Moreover, the EEU negatively and implicitly influences English teachers to teach to the test format.
The implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become one of the vital ... more The implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become one of the vital current phenomena especially in education. Generally, the integration of social networks into learning has proven to enhance students' participation which has led them into an interactive learning. In language teaching especially in an ESL context, such integration is needed to enhance students' interest towards language learning and motivate them to improve their language skills. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the use of Tumblr as a medium to improve secondary school students' writing skills and second, to identify the factors which support the effectiveness of using Tumblr as a medium. To achieve the purpose of the study, a validated questionnaire was administered to 30 teacher trainees who were randomly selected from TESL undergraduate students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The findings showed that about two thirds of the respondents agreed that Tumblr, as one of the social networks, can be used as an effective medium in teaching writing skills. Moreover, the majority of the surveyed teacher trainees stated that different features in Tumblr can motivate and help students to learn interactively via internet. However, some limitations might prevent teachers from using Tumblr as an effective tool in teaching and learning.
The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a multiple-choice high-stakes test which c... more The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a multiple-choice high-stakes test which clearly affects its stakeholders. This effect, generally known as washback, can be considered negative or positive depending on the test and its intended use. The EEU is designed to screen the high school graduates for admission into higher education. This study aimed to investigate the washback effect of this high-stakes test on the Iranian high school English teachers. To achieve the aim of the study, a validated survey questionnaire was administered to stratified random sample of 132 high school English teachers who were teaching in the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The data analysis revealed that the EEU negatively and implicitly influences English teachers to teach to the content and format of the test. Additionally, little attention was given to three language skills of speaking, writing, and listening in the classroom as these skills are not tested in the EEU.
The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education is a relatively new pheno... more The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education is a relatively new phenomenon and it has been the educational researchers' focus of attention for more than two decades. Educators and researchers examine the challenges of using ICT and think of new ways to integrate ICT into the curriculum. However, there are some barriers for the teachers that prevent them to use ICT in the classroom and develop supporting materials through ICT. The purpose of this study is to examine the high school English teachers’ perceptions of the factors discouraging teachers to use ICT in the classroom. To this end, 30 high school English teachers were selected from the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran, to respond to a validated questionnaire. Stratified random sampling was used to select equal number of respondents from each educational district. The analysis of the data revealed that insufficient technical supports at schools and little access to Internet and ICT prevent teachers to use ICT in the classroom. Moreover, shortage of class time was another important discouraging factor for the teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum.
The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is considered as the sole criterion for admis... more The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is considered as the sole criterion for admission into higher education. This high-stakes exam is a combination of some multiple-choice items regarding most of the courses that the students have been taught during a period of four years of study in high schools and pre-university centers. This study aimed to address the washback effect of the English section of this nationwide exam on the Iranian pre-university students’ English learning. To explore the effects of this exam, two questionnaires, one for the students and one for the English teachers, were developed and validated. The students’ questionnaire was administered to thirty preuniversity students who were randomly selected from a pre-university center located in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The teachers’ questionnaire was also administered by e-mail to thirty-six randomly selected Iranian high school English teachers. The findings of the study showed that the EEU was negatively directing the pre-university students and their English teachers towards doing grammar-based exercises using Persian language as the medium of instruction in English classrooms. Additionally, little attention was given to the three language skills of speaking, writing, and listening as these skills are not tested in the EEU. A revision of the EEU format is recommended which can, in turn, affect teaching and learning activities in the high schools and pre-university centers. Moreover, the necessity of conducting various research studies on the stakeholders of this high-stakes exam to know their perceptions and attitudes towards this exam seems apparent.
Universities are regarded as fundamental factors to the achievement of many national and internat... more Universities are regarded as fundamental factors to the achievement of many national and international priorities. Universities are the only places where the ideas and rationales are brought together, and which make them the strongest providers of the rational explanation and meaning that societies need. Investments in the universities are increasingly based upon the belief that the science labs in research-intensive universities can be the source of a continuous stream of people and ideas that will spawn innovative and fast growing companies to form a knowledge-based economy. In teaching, universities shape new people, and in research, they create new possibilities. The university graduates learn to seek the true meaning of phenomena, to distinguish between the true and the merely seemingly true, to verify for themselves what is stable in that very unstable compound that often passes for knowledge. The challenge to both the governments and the university administrators is to permit autonomy without oppressive accountability, and to give staff and students the freedom to think, speculate and research. These are the very conditions of the personal and collective creativity that are the sources of a university’s deepest benefits to its society.
In order to meet the demands of the changing world, students should become endowed with the abili... more In order to meet the demands of the changing world, students should become endowed with the ability to learn perpetually and regard learning as a life-long enterprise. This study investigated those learn and some social factors such as gender, academic achievement, marital status and age were taken into consideration. All BA and MA students majoring in English Literature at the department of Foreign Languages of Shiraz University of Iran were involved. The data were collected through a questionnaire the items of which were obtained from two questionnaires by Cotterall (1995) and Cotterall (1999) which were incorporated into a five-point Likert-type rating scale. Factor analysis of responses of students revealed the existence of five underlying factors for learner autonomy which were learner independence, dependence on the teacher, learner confidence, attitudes towards language learning and self-assessment. Based on t-test for independent samples and Analysis of Variance it came to light that age and gender did not self-assessment. Moreover, good academic achievement positively influenced their predispositions towards autonomous language learning.
With the rapid development of world and technology, English learning has become more important. T... more With the rapid development of world and technology, English learning has become more important. Teachers frequently use teacher-centered pedagogy that leads to lack of interaction with students. This paper aims to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of integrating social networking tools into ESL writing classroom and discuss the ways to plan activities by integrating social networking services (SNSs) into the classroom. Data was collected through an online discussion board from TESL students in a state university in Malaysia. The findings revealed that integrating social networking services in ESL writing classroom could help to broaden students' knowledge, increase their motivation and build confidence in learning ESL writing. The students' difficulties for concentrating on the materials when they use computer, lack of enough equipment as well as access to internet, and teachers' insufficient time to interact with the students were regarded as the main disadvantages of integrating social networking tools into ESL writing classes. Therefore, in this new technological era, it is essential for students and teachers to be equipped with technical skills to be competent for lifelong learning and teaching. More studies are needed to explore the teachers' and students' attitudes towards using ICT in ESL/EFL contexts. Future quantitative and qualitative studies with more participants are needed to provide deeper insight.
The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provides broad opportunities... more The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provides broad opportunities in teaching English in ESL countries. Given the rapid development in computer applications, it is important to look at how these applications can be used in language teaching specifically for writing skills. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pre-service teachers' perceptions of a writing software called 'Paragraph Punch' as a tool for assisting beginner writers. This software is designed to help learners of English as a second language to develop and organise paragraphs in essay writing. This paper provides an overview of the development of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) over the years, and the background and features of Paragraph Punch. Data for this study have been gathered from third-year TESL students in a state university in Malaysia using a questionnaire survey to elicit their views on the use of Paragraph Punch as a potential writing tool. The descriptive analysis of the data showed that the (i) respondents have a positive view towards Paragraph Punch as a potential writing tool, (ii) Paragraph Punch is more suited for beginner writers, and (iii) the software can still be improved in terms of interactivity and layout to enhance writing. The findings have been discussed with regard to ESL writing.
—Language learning has grown beyond the boundaries of the four walls of the classroom; in fact, m... more —Language learning has grown beyond the boundaries of the four walls of the classroom; in fact, most language learning occurs outside and informally. Informal learning, through a medium like ICT therefore, is a significant alternative environment for language practice and use. This study attempts to investigate the students' perceptions on the effectiveness of Facebook (FB) groups for teaching and improving writing. The authors see a need to carry out this study as it provides a platform to discover pedagogical implications that would benefit the Y-generation in terms of improving their writing skills in a Malaysian ESL context. The respondents of this research comprise 43 third year students completing their bachelor's degree in TESL, in the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The students' perceptions were measured through a questionnaire comprising 10 close-ended items and 3 open-ended ones. Respondents were required to participate in a Facebook group created by the researchers. The Facebook group, called 'Write Out Loud' was hosted by Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_193133474042344& ap=1. The findings showed that 'Facebook groups' is an effective tool in improving the students' writing skills, especially in the brainstorming of ideas before the actual writing. The results of this study may be beneficial to ESL educators in incorporating ICT into their teaching repertoire. It is suggested that future research should focus on the challenges of integrating Facebook groups for teaching and improving writing, and look into the perceptions of the teachers as well. In addition, experimental research could also be done to see how FB and FB groups help in improving writing skills.
In the current decade, there has been a growing interest in using information and communication t... more In the current decade, there has been a growing interest in using information and communication technology (ICT) in educational settings. Although the teachers try to minimize the discouraging factors preventing them to use ICT in instruction, there are a number of factors that motivate teachers to employ these new technologies in teaching and integrate them into the curriculum. This paper aims to explore the teachers' perceptions of the factors encouraging teachers to integrate ICT into the classroom. Therefore, a survey questionnaire was administered to 30 high school English teachers who were teaching in the high schools of Isfahan, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure selecting the proportionate number of teachers from all five educational districts in Isfahan. The descriptive analysis of the data revealed that various ways to integrate ICT into the curriculum and the ability to use ICT for sharing information and ideas with others inspire teachers to use ICT in the classroom. Moreover, evidence of the positive impact of ICT on teaching and learning is another important factor motivating teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum.
High-stakes tests, whose results are the basis upon which significant decisions are made, are pre... more High-stakes tests, whose results are the basis upon which significant decisions are made, are prevalent in most of the countries. A great number of studies have been conducted in different educational contexts to examine the washback effect of such tests on teaching and learning. However, language researchers still doubt whether high-stakes tests facilitate or hinder the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom. This paper aims to explore the teachers’ perceptions of the washback effect of high-stakes tests on using ICT in the classroom. To this aim, a validated questionnaire was administered to 30 high school English teachers who were stratified randomly selected from the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The respondents were requested to judge whether the high-stakes competitive Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran acts as a facilitator or barrier in using ICT in the classroom. The descriptive analysis of the results showed that the high-stakes EEU acts as a barrier preventing the teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. Moreover, the EEU explicitly directs the teachers to teach to the content and format of the test and ignore using ICT applications in teaching and learning.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is used in modern education to help teachers to perfor... more Information Communication Technology (ICT) is used in modern education to help teachers to perform administrative tasks more efficiently and students learn more effectively. As one of the pedagogical tools that involve the application of ICT, digital comics offer many advantages, particularly in the creation of an engaging learning environment. Using digital comics as a language-learning tool clearly seems to be one of the most effective ways to teach ESL writing to students who have low proficiency in the English language. This study aims to investigate the perceptions of teacher trainees with regard to the use of digital comics in teaching writing to low-achieving ESL learners. A questionnaire survey was administered to 30 TESL teacher trainees at a state university in Malaysia. The findings showed that the teacher trainees had a positive attitude towards using ICT in teaching writing and most of them agreed that digital comics enable them to help lowachieving language learners to write in English. At the same time, however, the teacher trainees perceived the use of digital comics in the classroom as time consuming and impractical.
—A number of studies have argued that the use of new technologies in education is essential in th... more —A number of studies have argued that the use of new technologies in education is essential in the information age. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning provides more opportunities for teachers and students to work better in an information age. However, some barriers may discourage teachers to integrate ICT in the classroom and prevent them to introduce supporting materials through ICT usage. Examining the barriers for using ICT in education can assist the educators to overcome the obstacles and integrate the ICT in everyday education. This study aims to investigate the teachers' perceptions of the barriers and challenges preventing teachers to integrate ICT in the classroom. Therefore, a validated questionnaire was administered to 30 high school English teachers who were selected from the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to select equal number of respondents from each educational district. The findings indicated that although teachers had a strong desire to use ICT in the classroom, they were encountered with some barriers. Insufficient technical supports at schools and little access to Internet and ICT were considered as the major barriers preventing teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. Moreover, the descriptive analysis of the results showed that shortage of class time was another significant barrier discouraging teachers to use ICT into the classroom.
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ... more The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development on country's scientific ranking as measured by H-index. Moreover, this study applies ICT development sub-indices including ICT Use, ICT Access and ICT skill to find the distinct effect of these sub-indices on country's H-index. To this purpose, required data for the panel of 14 Middle East countries over the period 1995 to 2009 is collected. Findings of the current study show that ICT development increases the H-index of the sample countries. The results also indicate that ICT Use and ICT Skill sub-indices positively contribute to higher H-index but the effect of ICT access on country's H-index is not clear.
The emergence of Internet and computer science in general has established to have great roles in ... more The emergence of Internet and computer science in general has established to have great roles in human's life through the World Wide Web. E-learning education is dependent on the web as an important advance in technology; therefore, it is crucial for the humans to access web applications. This applies to the learners with hearing problems as well. This study aims to investigate the deaf learners' level of interest and satisfaction towards a developed e-learning platform named e-HearMe (http://www.e-hearme.net), which offers e-ICT courses specially designed for deaf learners. To achieve the aim of the study, an interview protocol was used as a research instrument to interview teachers who were teaching in schools offering Hearing-Impaired Education Program. In total, 30 teachers were randomly selected from three schools which were executing the Hearing-Impaired Education Program in the whole Malaysia. The results of the interviews showed that the teachers were really satisfied with the existence of e-HearMe platform as a medium which offers e-ICT courses specifically developed for the deaf learners. The interviewed teachers also stated that they could share and exchange their knowledge with other teachers and students from all over Malaysia, regardless from educational or social purposes.
This study aimed to investigate the differences in the use of metadiscourse markers between Persi... more This study aimed to investigate the differences in the use of metadiscourse markers between Persian and English online headlines about the first two months of the year 2015. To this end, the corpora in the present study comprise a total of 100 Persian and English online headlines (each 50 headlines) were chosen randomly from English and Persian newscasts such as VOA, CNN, Bistosi (20:30), and Bashgahkhabarnegaran. The specific research area of interest was whether online Persian and English headlines made a similar field-specific use of metadiscourse markers. The corpora were recorded and divided in two groups of Persian online headlines and English online headlines. The corpora also consisted of different fields, politics, economic, sport, entertainment, cultural, social, and world news. According to Hyland's (2005) model, interactive and interactional metadiscourse markers were identified in online headlines. The analysis revealed that according to descriptive statistics Persian fields made more use of the metadiscourse markers than English fields. The findings of this research would help to keep journalism students aware of this aspect of metadiscourse.
It has widely been acknowledged that high-stakes tests influence teaching and learning process. A... more It has widely been acknowledged that high-stakes tests influence teaching and learning process. A number of studies have been performed in different countries to investigate the washback effect of high-stakes tests on the various stakeholders of the tests. Nevertheless, educational researchers have pointed to this need that the influence of high-stakes tests on using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom should be explored. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine whether high-stakes Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran influences the use of ICT in English classes and second, to identify the teachers’ perceptions of the factors encouraging and discouraging teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. To achieve the purpose of the study, a validated questionnaire was administered to 30 English teachers who were teaching in the high schools in Isfahan, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to select equal number of teachers from all educational districts in the city of Isfahan. The descriptive analysis of the data showed that the content and format of the EEU prevent teachers to use ICT in English classes. The majority of the respondents also believed that the parents’ and principals’ expectations of the students to perform well on the EEU discourage them to use ICT applications in their teaching processes. Moreover, various ways to integrate ICT into the curriculum, ability to use ICT for sharing information and ideas with others, and evidence of the positive impact of ICT on teaching and learning are important factors motivating teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. On the other hand, insufficient technical supports at schools and little access to Internet and ICT prevent teachers to use ICT in the classroom. The study has pedagogical implications that can benefit teachers who teach in high-stakes test contexts.
The term washback refers to the connections between language testing and language teaching and le... more The term washback refers to the connections between language testing and language teaching and learning in general, and the impact of testing on teaching and learning in particular. The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a high-stakes competitive test which explicitly influences all its stakeholders. This paper reports the quantitative findings of a study conducted on the Iranian parents to investigate their perceptions of the EEU washback effect on the parents. To collect the data, a validated questionnaire with 24 items altogether was randomly administered to 30 Iranian parents from the city of Isfahan whose children were in pre-university level preparing themselves to participate in the upcoming EEU. The analysis of the findings showed that the Iranian parents have negative perceptions of the high-stakes exam of the EEU; however, they motivate their children to study for this exam. The majority of the parents stated that although they dislike this exam, they provide a suitable environment for their children and provide them with supplementary materials. This explicitly showed the pressure the EEU puts on the parents especially when their children are preparing themselves to participate in the EEU. However, the results obtained from the parents need to be triangulated through the data obtained from other stakeholders of the EEU such as the teachers, students, principals, test designers and even the publishers.
The term washback refers to the power of high-stakes tests on language teaching and learning. In ... more The term washback refers to the power of high-stakes tests on language teaching and learning. In this study the washback effect of the university entrance exam (UEE) in Iran is explored. The results of this national test can be perceived by all its stakeholders including the teachers, students, parents, policy makers, publishers and etc. The UEE, considered as the sole criterion for admission into tertiary education, is a 4-hour multiple-choice test regarding most of the core courses that the high school graduates have been taught during a period of four years study in high school. Although this test has been administered for more than four decades, different changes have been made in its content and format of administration. However, some critics firmly believe that the UEE needs to be either thoroughly revised or totally eliminated. At the present time, the suggestion of eliminating the UEE is not practical because a specified method of selecting eligible graduate high school students has not been introduced by the policy makers. This paper aims to address the washback effect of the university entrance exam in Iran and briefly reviews its effects on the Iranian high school English teachers, students and their families. The necessity of conducting research studies on the stakeholders of the UEE to know their perceptions of this high-stakes exam seems apparent. Two possible practical solutions are finally suggested to be used as the selection methods in case of eliminating the UEE.
—The study of high-stakes tests and various effects of such tests is an educational need and it i... more —The study of high-stakes tests and various effects of such tests is an educational need and it is recommended by curriculum planners and educational researchers. This paper, therefore, aimed to explore the effects of the Iranian universities entrance exam on the high school English teachers. The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a multiple-choice competitive high-stakes test that affects the teachers, students, parents and even other stakeholders. This negative or positive effect, generally known as washback, depends on the test itself, the curriculum, the stakeholders, and even the aim and scope of the test. To investigate the teachers' perceptions of the EEU washback effect, a validated survey questionnaire was administered to stratified random sample of 132 high school English teachers who were teaching in the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The descriptive data analysis revealed that little attention was given to three language skills of speaking, writing, and listening in the classroom as these skills are not tested in the EEU. Moreover, the EEU negatively and implicitly influences English teachers to teach to the test format.
The implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become one of the vital ... more The implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become one of the vital current phenomena especially in education. Generally, the integration of social networks into learning has proven to enhance students' participation which has led them into an interactive learning. In language teaching especially in an ESL context, such integration is needed to enhance students' interest towards language learning and motivate them to improve their language skills. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the use of Tumblr as a medium to improve secondary school students' writing skills and second, to identify the factors which support the effectiveness of using Tumblr as a medium. To achieve the purpose of the study, a validated questionnaire was administered to 30 teacher trainees who were randomly selected from TESL undergraduate students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The findings showed that about two thirds of the respondents agreed that Tumblr, as one of the social networks, can be used as an effective medium in teaching writing skills. Moreover, the majority of the surveyed teacher trainees stated that different features in Tumblr can motivate and help students to learn interactively via internet. However, some limitations might prevent teachers from using Tumblr as an effective tool in teaching and learning.
The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a multiple-choice high-stakes test which c... more The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a multiple-choice high-stakes test which clearly affects its stakeholders. This effect, generally known as washback, can be considered negative or positive depending on the test and its intended use. The EEU is designed to screen the high school graduates for admission into higher education. This study aimed to investigate the washback effect of this high-stakes test on the Iranian high school English teachers. To achieve the aim of the study, a validated survey questionnaire was administered to stratified random sample of 132 high school English teachers who were teaching in the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The data analysis revealed that the EEU negatively and implicitly influences English teachers to teach to the content and format of the test. Additionally, little attention was given to three language skills of speaking, writing, and listening in the classroom as these skills are not tested in the EEU.
The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education is a relatively new pheno... more The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education is a relatively new phenomenon and it has been the educational researchers' focus of attention for more than two decades. Educators and researchers examine the challenges of using ICT and think of new ways to integrate ICT into the curriculum. However, there are some barriers for the teachers that prevent them to use ICT in the classroom and develop supporting materials through ICT. The purpose of this study is to examine the high school English teachers’ perceptions of the factors discouraging teachers to use ICT in the classroom. To this end, 30 high school English teachers were selected from the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran, to respond to a validated questionnaire. Stratified random sampling was used to select equal number of respondents from each educational district. The analysis of the data revealed that insufficient technical supports at schools and little access to Internet and ICT prevent teachers to use ICT in the classroom. Moreover, shortage of class time was another important discouraging factor for the teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum.
The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is considered as the sole criterion for admis... more The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is considered as the sole criterion for admission into higher education. This high-stakes exam is a combination of some multiple-choice items regarding most of the courses that the students have been taught during a period of four years of study in high schools and pre-university centers. This study aimed to address the washback effect of the English section of this nationwide exam on the Iranian pre-university students’ English learning. To explore the effects of this exam, two questionnaires, one for the students and one for the English teachers, were developed and validated. The students’ questionnaire was administered to thirty preuniversity students who were randomly selected from a pre-university center located in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The teachers’ questionnaire was also administered by e-mail to thirty-six randomly selected Iranian high school English teachers. The findings of the study showed that the EEU was negatively directing the pre-university students and their English teachers towards doing grammar-based exercises using Persian language as the medium of instruction in English classrooms. Additionally, little attention was given to the three language skills of speaking, writing, and listening as these skills are not tested in the EEU. A revision of the EEU format is recommended which can, in turn, affect teaching and learning activities in the high schools and pre-university centers. Moreover, the necessity of conducting various research studies on the stakeholders of this high-stakes exam to know their perceptions and attitudes towards this exam seems apparent.
Universities are regarded as fundamental factors to the achievement of many national and internat... more Universities are regarded as fundamental factors to the achievement of many national and international priorities. Universities are the only places where the ideas and rationales are brought together, and which make them the strongest providers of the rational explanation and meaning that societies need. Investments in the universities are increasingly based upon the belief that the science labs in research-intensive universities can be the source of a continuous stream of people and ideas that will spawn innovative and fast growing companies to form a knowledge-based economy. In teaching, universities shape new people, and in research, they create new possibilities. The university graduates learn to seek the true meaning of phenomena, to distinguish between the true and the merely seemingly true, to verify for themselves what is stable in that very unstable compound that often passes for knowledge. The challenge to both the governments and the university administrators is to permit autonomy without oppressive accountability, and to give staff and students the freedom to think, speculate and research. These are the very conditions of the personal and collective creativity that are the sources of a university’s deepest benefits to its society.
In order to meet the demands of the changing world, students should become endowed with the abili... more In order to meet the demands of the changing world, students should become endowed with the ability to learn perpetually and regard learning as a life-long enterprise. This study investigated those learn and some social factors such as gender, academic achievement, marital status and age were taken into consideration. All BA and MA students majoring in English Literature at the department of Foreign Languages of Shiraz University of Iran were involved. The data were collected through a questionnaire the items of which were obtained from two questionnaires by Cotterall (1995) and Cotterall (1999) which were incorporated into a five-point Likert-type rating scale. Factor analysis of responses of students revealed the existence of five underlying factors for learner autonomy which were learner independence, dependence on the teacher, learner confidence, attitudes towards language learning and self-assessment. Based on t-test for independent samples and Analysis of Variance it came to light that age and gender did not self-assessment. Moreover, good academic achievement positively influenced their predispositions towards autonomous language learning.
With the rapid development of world and technology, English learning has become more important. T... more With the rapid development of world and technology, English learning has become more important. Teachers frequently use teacher-centered pedagogy that leads to lack of interaction with students. This paper aims to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of integrating social networking tools into ESL writing classroom and discuss the ways to plan activities by integrating social networking services (SNSs) into the classroom. Data was collected through an online discussion board from TESL students in a state university in Malaysia. The findings revealed that integrating social networking services in ESL writing classroom could help to broaden students' knowledge, increase their motivation and build confidence in learning ESL writing. The students' difficulties for concentrating on the materials when they use computer, lack of enough equipment as well as access to internet, and teachers' insufficient time to interact with the students were regarded as the main disadvantages of integrating social networking tools into ESL writing classes. Therefore, in this new technological era, it is essential for students and teachers to be equipped with technical skills to be competent for lifelong learning and teaching. More studies are needed to explore the teachers' and students' attitudes towards using ICT in ESL/EFL contexts. Future quantitative and qualitative studies with more participants are needed to provide deeper insight.
The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provides broad opportunities... more The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provides broad opportunities in teaching English in ESL countries. Given the rapid development in computer applications, it is important to look at how these applications can be used in language teaching specifically for writing skills. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pre-service teachers' perceptions of a writing software called 'Paragraph Punch' as a tool for assisting beginner writers. This software is designed to help learners of English as a second language to develop and organise paragraphs in essay writing. This paper provides an overview of the development of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) over the years, and the background and features of Paragraph Punch. Data for this study have been gathered from third-year TESL students in a state university in Malaysia using a questionnaire survey to elicit their views on the use of Paragraph Punch as a potential writing tool. The descriptive analysis of the data showed that the (i) respondents have a positive view towards Paragraph Punch as a potential writing tool, (ii) Paragraph Punch is more suited for beginner writers, and (iii) the software can still be improved in terms of interactivity and layout to enhance writing. The findings have been discussed with regard to ESL writing.
—Language learning has grown beyond the boundaries of the four walls of the classroom; in fact, m... more —Language learning has grown beyond the boundaries of the four walls of the classroom; in fact, most language learning occurs outside and informally. Informal learning, through a medium like ICT therefore, is a significant alternative environment for language practice and use. This study attempts to investigate the students' perceptions on the effectiveness of Facebook (FB) groups for teaching and improving writing. The authors see a need to carry out this study as it provides a platform to discover pedagogical implications that would benefit the Y-generation in terms of improving their writing skills in a Malaysian ESL context. The respondents of this research comprise 43 third year students completing their bachelor's degree in TESL, in the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The students' perceptions were measured through a questionnaire comprising 10 close-ended items and 3 open-ended ones. Respondents were required to participate in a Facebook group created by the researchers. The Facebook group, called 'Write Out Loud' was hosted by Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_193133474042344& ap=1. The findings showed that 'Facebook groups' is an effective tool in improving the students' writing skills, especially in the brainstorming of ideas before the actual writing. The results of this study may be beneficial to ESL educators in incorporating ICT into their teaching repertoire. It is suggested that future research should focus on the challenges of integrating Facebook groups for teaching and improving writing, and look into the perceptions of the teachers as well. In addition, experimental research could also be done to see how FB and FB groups help in improving writing skills.
In the current decade, there has been a growing interest in using information and communication t... more In the current decade, there has been a growing interest in using information and communication technology (ICT) in educational settings. Although the teachers try to minimize the discouraging factors preventing them to use ICT in instruction, there are a number of factors that motivate teachers to employ these new technologies in teaching and integrate them into the curriculum. This paper aims to explore the teachers' perceptions of the factors encouraging teachers to integrate ICT into the classroom. Therefore, a survey questionnaire was administered to 30 high school English teachers who were teaching in the high schools of Isfahan, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure selecting the proportionate number of teachers from all five educational districts in Isfahan. The descriptive analysis of the data revealed that various ways to integrate ICT into the curriculum and the ability to use ICT for sharing information and ideas with others inspire teachers to use ICT in the classroom. Moreover, evidence of the positive impact of ICT on teaching and learning is another important factor motivating teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum.
High-stakes tests, whose results are the basis upon which significant decisions are made, are pre... more High-stakes tests, whose results are the basis upon which significant decisions are made, are prevalent in most of the countries. A great number of studies have been conducted in different educational contexts to examine the washback effect of such tests on teaching and learning. However, language researchers still doubt whether high-stakes tests facilitate or hinder the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom. This paper aims to explore the teachers’ perceptions of the washback effect of high-stakes tests on using ICT in the classroom. To this aim, a validated questionnaire was administered to 30 high school English teachers who were stratified randomly selected from the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The respondents were requested to judge whether the high-stakes competitive Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran acts as a facilitator or barrier in using ICT in the classroom. The descriptive analysis of the results showed that the high-stakes EEU acts as a barrier preventing the teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. Moreover, the EEU explicitly directs the teachers to teach to the content and format of the test and ignore using ICT applications in teaching and learning.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is used in modern education to help teachers to perfor... more Information Communication Technology (ICT) is used in modern education to help teachers to perform administrative tasks more efficiently and students learn more effectively. As one of the pedagogical tools that involve the application of ICT, digital comics offer many advantages, particularly in the creation of an engaging learning environment. Using digital comics as a language-learning tool clearly seems to be one of the most effective ways to teach ESL writing to students who have low proficiency in the English language. This study aims to investigate the perceptions of teacher trainees with regard to the use of digital comics in teaching writing to low-achieving ESL learners. A questionnaire survey was administered to 30 TESL teacher trainees at a state university in Malaysia. The findings showed that the teacher trainees had a positive attitude towards using ICT in teaching writing and most of them agreed that digital comics enable them to help lowachieving language learners to write in English. At the same time, however, the teacher trainees perceived the use of digital comics in the classroom as time consuming and impractical.
—A number of studies have argued that the use of new technologies in education is essential in th... more —A number of studies have argued that the use of new technologies in education is essential in the information age. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning provides more opportunities for teachers and students to work better in an information age. However, some barriers may discourage teachers to integrate ICT in the classroom and prevent them to introduce supporting materials through ICT usage. Examining the barriers for using ICT in education can assist the educators to overcome the obstacles and integrate the ICT in everyday education. This study aims to investigate the teachers' perceptions of the barriers and challenges preventing teachers to integrate ICT in the classroom. Therefore, a validated questionnaire was administered to 30 high school English teachers who were selected from the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to select equal number of respondents from each educational district. The findings indicated that although teachers had a strong desire to use ICT in the classroom, they were encountered with some barriers. Insufficient technical supports at schools and little access to Internet and ICT were considered as the major barriers preventing teachers to integrate ICT into the curriculum. Moreover, the descriptive analysis of the results showed that shortage of class time was another significant barrier discouraging teachers to use ICT into the classroom.
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ... more The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development on country's scientific ranking as measured by H-index. Moreover, this study applies ICT development sub-indices including ICT Use, ICT Access and ICT skill to find the distinct effect of these sub-indices on country's H-index. To this purpose, required data for the panel of 14 Middle East countries over the period 1995 to 2009 is collected. Findings of the current study show that ICT development increases the H-index of the sample countries. The results also indicate that ICT Use and ICT Skill sub-indices positively contribute to higher H-index but the effect of ICT access on country's H-index is not clear.
The emergence of Internet and computer science in general has established to have great roles in ... more The emergence of Internet and computer science in general has established to have great roles in human's life through the World Wide Web. E-learning education is dependent on the web as an important advance in technology; therefore, it is crucial for the humans to access web applications. This applies to the learners with hearing problems as well. This study aims to investigate the deaf learners' level of interest and satisfaction towards a developed e-learning platform named e-HearMe (http://www.e-hearme.net), which offers e-ICT courses specially designed for deaf learners. To achieve the aim of the study, an interview protocol was used as a research instrument to interview teachers who were teaching in schools offering Hearing-Impaired Education Program. In total, 30 teachers were randomly selected from three schools which were executing the Hearing-Impaired Education Program in the whole Malaysia. The results of the interviews showed that the teachers were really satisfied with the existence of e-HearMe platform as a medium which offers e-ICT courses specifically developed for the deaf learners. The interviewed teachers also stated that they could share and exchange their knowledge with other teachers and students from all over Malaysia, regardless from educational or social purposes.
The aim of the present study was to illuminate the differences between Persian and English in onl... more The aim of the present study was to illuminate the differences between Persian and English in online headlines in terms of applying metadiscourse markers in the first two months of the year 2015. To fulfill this purpose, 100 Persian and English online headlines (each 50 headlines) were chosen randomly from English and Persian newscasts such as VOA, CNN, Bistosi (20:30), and Bashgahkhabarnegaran. The specific research areas of interest was whether online Persian and English headlines differed in making use of metadiscourse markers. The corpus was recorded and divided in two groups of Persian online headlines and English online headlines. According to Hyland's (2005) model, interactive and interactional metadiscourse markers were identified in online headlines. Corpus analysis showed that according to descriptive statistics, Persian and English were not significantly different in using metadiscourse markers in online headlines. The findings can help to keep journalism students aware of this aspect of metadiscourse.
Idioms and idiomatic language are some of the most interesting and creative vocabulary terms to l... more Idioms and idiomatic language are some of the most interesting and creative vocabulary terms to learn in any language. It is estimated that there are over 10.000 idioms in English, some relatively recent and some that have been used for more than 2000 years (Brenner, 2011). Most linguists, language teachers, language learners, writers, poets, or anyone who has ever thought much about their language will freely admit that idioms provide vivid descriptions and expressions that are more powerful and effective than literal and nonidiomatic language. The aim of this book is to introduce a number of animal idioms using their Persian translations and related pictures.
There are three basic types of verbs in the English language, namely the action verbs, the linkin... more There are three basic types of verbs in the English language, namely the action verbs, the linking verbs, and the auxiliary verbs. An action verb is a verb that expresses physical or mental action and tells us what the subject of our clause or sentence is doing-physically or mentally. Also, it expresses something that a person, animal, object, or process in nature can do. so, it describes what the subject of the sentence is doing. These types of verbs carry a great deal of information in a sentence and can convey emotion and a sense of purpose that extends beyond the literal meaning of the words.
High-stakes tests are defined as tests whose results are seen by students, teachers, administrato... more High-stakes tests are defined as tests whose results are seen by students, teachers, administrators, parents, or the general public as the basis upon which important decisions are made that immediately and directly affect them. These tests such as school-leaving examinations, employment exams, or university-entrance exams, can directly or indirectly influence the educational systems, and the reason probably lies in the fact that they usually involve a set of determining functions in testees' life ranging from employment and promotion to placement and achievement. There is also a clear tendency for students to study for a test by reviewing past tests and concentrating their efforts on the types of language and test items that are known to appear on such tests. The term washback or backwash refers to the influence of these high-stakes exams on the process of teaching and learning, which can be either positive or negative. This paper examines the notion of washback, introduces some studies on the washback of high-stakes tests in various countries, and focuses on the pedagogical implications for EFL teachers.
The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a multiple-choice high-stakes test that af... more The Entrance Exam of the Universities (EEU) in Iran is a multiple-choice high-stakes test that affects the teachers, students, parents and other stakeholders. The EEU is designed to screen the high school graduates for admission into higher education. This study aimed to explore the impact of this high-stakes test on the Iranian high school English teachers. To achieve the aim of the study, a validated survey questionnaire was administered to stratified random sample of 132 high school English teachers who were teaching in the five main educational districts in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The data analysis revealed that little attention was given to three language skills of speaking, writing, and listening in the classroom as these skills are not tested in the EEU. Moreover, the EEU negatively and implicitly influences English teachers to teach to the test format.
Pidgins, lingua franca and creoles are important stages in the process of linguistic development.... more Pidgins, lingua franca and creoles are important stages in the process of linguistic development. A pidgin is a simplified language with reduced vocabulary and grammatical structure which may expand when the pidgin is used over a long period. It has no native speakers and may arise when speakers of different language backgrounds try to communicate. Pidgins have various structural forms often including some unusual or marked structures from their source languages, as well as recurring universal properties, such as the preponderance of analytic syntax, and generic lexical semantics (Thomson and Kaufmann 1988; Foley 1988; Holm 1989; Bakker 1994, cited in Bresnan 1998). ‘Creole’; however, was first used in the Latin America to distinguish the offspring of European settlers from Native Americans, Blacks and later immigrant groups. While pidgins are usually thought of as incomplete and broken languages, creoles are languages that originated in interethnic contact situations, diverge structurally from their lexifiers and serve as vernaculars. Creoles are commonly thought to have started out as pidgins, which like creoles are contact languages mainly developed to facilitate communication. A creole has a more complex grammar and a richer vocabulary than a pidgin due to the fact that it has gained native speakers through years of use. When a pidgin becomes creolized, it undergoes considerable expansion of vocabulary and structure. A pidgin is distinct from a lingua franca, for people who come from the same community rarely use it to communicate with each other. Lingua francas facilitate the process of communication among people who have different mother tongues and do not share a common language. It is a third language which is different from native language of interlocutors. By and large, pidgins, creoles and lingua francas are significant linguistic phenomena which pave the way for accelerated communication among people of different communities.
This study investigated the problems of Iranian postgraduate students regarding their academic wr... more This study investigated the problems of Iranian postgraduate students regarding their academic writing problems in using conventions they are not familiar with at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The aim of the research was to explore the common errors made by Iranian students at postgraduate level and find out the main causes of these difficulties in English academic writing in order to develop viable solutions that will help them to efficiently perform academic writing tasks required as they pursue their postgraduate studies in a university where English is the medium of instruction. The required data were gathered via mixed-method approach: both interviews with and questionnaires from the selected samples of master and PhD students in the Faculty of Engineering, employing the needs analysis framework. Such understanding of their problems and the proposed solutions will be of benefit to both students and teachers. The study showed that students‟ low level of academic writing in English was perceived to be a significant problem among this group of students. Difficulties in both content and form in writing were the result of less attention to English as a foreign language in their home country. This was compounded by the weak foundation, environment and method of teaching-learning of the English language.
The study of integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning ... more The study of integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning is one of the most widely discussed issues in the field of education. The majority of researchers and educators believe that ICT, when properly used, improves teaching and learning and provides more teaching and learning supports for the teachers and learners. There is no doubt that using ICT in schools improves teachers' instructional process and facilitates students' learning process. Many research studies have shown the positive and motivating effects of technology aided instruction. However, some discouraging factors act as a barrier and prevent teachers to integrate ICT applications into the teaching process. This study aims to review the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT tools in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) reading and writing. 1. The Use of ICT in ESL Classrooms ICT has been proven to provide a good environment for general language courses (Mullamaa, 2010). The general layout of web-based activities in language classrooms included exercises as enrichment activities and they usually support what has been learnt in the classrooms. One of the earliest uses of ICT in education was word processing, used to help learners in the writing process. Our research shows that even today, word processing is one of the primary uses of ICT in ESL (Murray, Lloyd & McPherson, 2006). Educators have required learners to use word
Metadiscourse features are those components of a text which construct the explicitness of the org... more Metadiscourse features are those components of a text which construct the explicitness of the organization of the text, provide information about the writer's attitude toward the text content, and involve the reader in the interaction. The present study aims at examining the effect of explicit instruction of metadiscourse markers on writing performance between two groups of Iranian university students majoring at engineering and medical sciences at Isfahan University. To achieve the aim of this study, 50 Iranian university students majored in engineering and medical sciences at Isfahan University were requested to participate in this study. The participants were grouped in upper-intermediate and intermediate levels based on the results of Michigan Proficiency Test (MELAB 1992). After administering a pretest to assess their initial knowledge and metadiscourse markers, all four groups (two intermediates and two upper-intermediates) were exposed to the same explicit instruction of metadiscourse markers in six sessions. Finally, the writing ability posttest was administered to check the participants' realization of metadisourse markers after having been exposed to teaching the instructions explicitly. The participants’ scores on the pretest and posttest were compared to obtain the degree of improvement of each group. The findings showed that (as we are analyzing the obtained data, we do not know what the results will be after data analysis).
This paper aims to investigate the impact of using Thesaurus part of Microsoft Word software on E... more This paper aims to investigate the impact of using Thesaurus part of Microsoft Word software on EFL learners' vocabulary knowledge. To achieve this aim, fifty female senior high school students were selected, using convenience random sampling, as participants of the study and through simple randomization they were divided into two groups namely experimental and control. Then, 90 words chosen from "Essential Words for TOEFL" book, as treatment materials, were taught to experimental and control groups through using CALL and traditional approach, respectively. Collecting data using standardized pre and posttests and analyzing them, the present researchers found a significant difference between the two groups in terms of vocabulary knowledge. This difference was in favor of the experimental group due to the application of Thesaurus part of Microsoft Word software. This study offers some important implications for syllabus designers, language instructors and learners to make more advancement in vocabulary acquisition process through employing vocabulary teaching and learning softwares.
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