English teaching
Sh. Zarinfard; M. Rahimi; A. Mohseny
Abstract
Background and ObjectiveS: The difference between students and their individual needs have been the focus of many pedagogues in recent decades. With the emergence and development of a variety of technologies and the expansion of access infrastructure to emerging technologies, the condition to access ...
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Background and ObjectiveS: The difference between students and their individual needs have been the focus of many pedagogues in recent decades. With the emergence and development of a variety of technologies and the expansion of access infrastructure to emerging technologies, the condition to access a variety of educational content has been met for a wide range of learners. The flipped classroom is one of the most ambitious ideas in education, which emerged in the last decade of the twentieth century with the aim of meeting the needs of learners and promoting learner-centered learning, using very simple technologies. The flipped class can affect the teacher's instructional practice and their interaction with students and even communication with parents. The main difference between the presentation method in the flipped classroom and the traditional classroom is that the teacher becomes a guide and facilitator of the learning process instead of the lecturer and controller of the teaching process. The flipped class gives students control over the teaching process by stopping and rewinding the teacher's teaching video. In this way, students with different levels of proficiency can listen to or see the teacher's teaching over and over again, without being accused of beingretarded by their classmates. Therefore, the students themselves take the main responsibility of planning for the lesson and learn the educational materials without any worries. This study investigated the impact of flipped classroom on the development of English reading comprehension. Methods:Two general English classes were selected based on convenience sampling and were assigned into control (n=25) and experimental (n=25) groups. The participants’ reading proficiency was assessed before and after the study by PET (Preliminary English Test). The scores of pre-test showed that the groups were homogeneous prior to the study. The experimental group received instruction based on flipped approach and the control group were taught based on conventional instruction. Findings: The result of MANOVA on post-test scores indicated that flipped classroom improved students’ reading comprehension significantly. Tests of between-subjects effects show that the groups’ means of posttest scores were significantly different in four parts of PET that focus on understanding the main idea and gist of meaning. The difference between the groups was not significant in Part 5 that assesses understanding the vocabulary and grammar in a short text. Conclusion: The results showed that the use of flipped instruction in general can improve learners' reading skills and comprehension. At the same time, this method has worked better in strengthening reading skills and comprehension of the general content and message of the texts than paying attention to smaller reading units such as vocabulary and grammar. This is logical given the theoretical underpinning of the flipped class in emphasizing higher-level cognitive skills and indicates the success of a model designed to teach GE. At the same time, it is necessary to help learners to strengthen low-level skills in the reading process by designing appropriate teaching aids and teaching learning strategies to them. Also, in order for this method to be successful in lower level cognitive activities, there is a need to continue using it and familiarizing learners with this method. In this study, due to the mediocre access of students to technology, advanced technologies (such as artificial intelligence, smart applications, etc.) were not used to prepare e-content. In addition, the flipped class was the first experience of the students participating in this study, and it is recommended to continued use of the flipped class (more than one semester) in other studies.
Educational Technology
M. Rahimi; A. Shahryari
Abstract
Background and Objective:With the expansion of technology infrastructure and the increasing penetration of smartphones, the use of new technologies and applications among the general public, especially the younger generation, is increasing rapidly. The use of these applications not only increases social ...
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Background and Objective:With the expansion of technology infrastructure and the increasing penetration of smartphones, the use of new technologies and applications among the general public, especially the younger generation, is increasing rapidly. The use of these applications not only increases social communication in the context of cyberspace, but also can accelerate and facilitate the process of homework and student projects from the beginning (resource search) to the end (report writing). Obviously, the use of new technologies requires the use of special skills and strategies for successful and beneficial interaction with virtual environments and technology. Research on information literacy provides a long list of skills needed by technology users in the 21st century to manage the challenges of using new technology tools. Definitely one of the basic and important skills that is needed when working with word processors is typing words quickly and correctly to enter data and receive appropriate feedback from the system or other users. The ability to type quickly and insert words correctly is essential in the use of cyberspace and the effective use of many applications, and not mastering how to enter information correctly can disrupt the process of installing or running applications. This study aimed at examining the role of autocorrect software use in learning English as a foreign language. Methods: 203 university students of General English courses participated in the study. Their use of autocorrect software was evaluated by Autocorrect Software Use Scale (ASUS). ASUS assesses autocorrect software use with respect to five components including the importance of spelling skills in learning English with autocorrect, students’ awareness of the way autocorrect works, its educational value, its error correction function, and its value in improving English spelling and writing skills. Achievement in learning English was assessed by both formative and summative evaluations in General English course. The data were analyzed by both descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation and regression methods). Findings: The results of correlation showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between learning English and ASUS and its four components; while the strongest correlations were related to factor 1, the importance of spelling skills in learning English (r= .215, p < .01) and factor 3, educational value of autocorrect software (r= .214, p < .01). The result of multiple regressions revealed that these factors function as the facilitator of learning English and can significantly predict more than 10% of its variance. Conclusion: The present study showed that the attitude towards using automatic word correction software has a significant relationship with learning English as a foreign language. The importance of spelling skills and awareness of the educational value of software was one of the facilitating components of language learning, while the general language course focuses on vocabulary learning, reading, and learning techniques. It is suggested that research be conducted on the role of automated software in classes that focus more on oral skills. The role of these software programs in sending text messages via SMS or micro-blogs (such as Twitter) in language learning should also be examine
English teaching
M. Rahimi; H. Azhegh
Abstract
While there is an expanding literature on the challenges and practicalities of implementing Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in East Asian educational setting, there is a dearth of research with regard to its effectiveness in foreign language settings and West Asian classes. The purpose of this ...
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While there is an expanding literature on the challenges and practicalities of implementing Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in East Asian educational setting, there is a dearth of research with regard to its effectiveness in foreign language settings and West Asian classes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of TBLT on Iranian university students’ reading comprehension ability and English achievement in an English-for-Specific-Purposes (ESP) course. Two intact groups of university students majoring in Mechanical Engineering (Production and Manufacturing) participated in the experiment. The control group received instruction in grammar-translation method through presentation, practice and production procedure with focus on teaching reading, grammar, vocabulary and translation. The experimental group experienced strong version of TBLT through pre-task, task, and post-task procedure. The experiment lasted for one semester. Students’ reading comprehension ability and achievement in ESP were assessed at the end of the experience. The results revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in both assessed variables, confirming the fact that TBLT is an effective way of teaching English to Iranian ESP students.
English teaching
M. Rahimi; Z. Nabilou
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between globalization and the necessity for EFL curriculum reform in Iran. It also analyzed challenges and opportunities created for curriculum and syllabus designers in this process. The qualitative analysis of the Perspective of Islamic Republic of Iran in 1404, ...
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This study investigated the relationship between globalization and the necessity for EFL curriculum reform in Iran. It also analyzed challenges and opportunities created for curriculum and syllabus designers in this process. The qualitative analysis of the Perspective of Islamic Republic of Iran in 1404, and Development Plans 4 and 5 was done in order to find out the country’s policy toward globalization. The status of EFL program in Iran was described by carrying out two further analyses: (1) a comparative study of Iranian and Middle Eastern examinees’ TOEFL scores from 2002 to 2007, and (2) a review study of problems of teaching and learning English in Iranian high schools. The results of the analyses showed that: (1) Iran has taken an active role in facing globalization by appreciating its Iranian-Islamic values; (2) EFL program in Iran has serious problems, and (3) EFL curriculum reform in Iran is essential and inevitable in the process of globalization