Investigating the challenges of Iranian ESP teachers at medical schools: The role of video presentation on subject related critical incidents

Abstract

English for Specific Purposes has become increasingly popular in college English courses in recent years, posing a significant challenge for all English teachers. As a result, it is critical to investigate the challenges that ESP teachers face. This mixed method study looked into teachers' perception toward pedagogical challenges and their effects on the quality of teaching ESP courses at Iranian medical universities as well as the role of video presentation on constituents' disturbance. As a result, this research was divided into two phases. In the first phase, which was a qualitative research, 10 ESP teachers were interviewed. In the second phase a questionnaire was used to conduct a quantitative and descriptive survey to investigate the impact of using video presentations on teachers' challenges. The participants of the second phase were 79 female and 29 male instructors with the age range of 31–40 years (M = 45.3) and the average teaching experience of 6–10 years in ESP courses. In the analysis of quantitative research findings, linear regression was conducted to determine their perception toward using video presentation in ESP classes. The questionnaire results revealed that using audio-visual tools to teach ESP courses is especially beneficial for both students and teachers. Appropriate video material can make students more interested in the subject, more engaged, and more confident in communicative language learning competencies. The study's findings can help policymakers and stakeholders understand how to provide funds and management support for ESP courses, as well as reform policy and regulations. Furthermore, ESP educators can take advantage of technological resources to help medical students solve problems with medical terminology and expressions and improve classroom efficiency. Future research should focus on learners' challenges in evaluating their perception of all language skills, as well as the implementation of various teaching methods.