State Universities In Iran Research Articles

We are still to learn from our learners: A hidden curriculum developed during the covid-19 pandemic

The present study was conducted to explore various aspects of the hidden curriculum in virtual instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants were 30 undergraduate students of educational sciences in a major state university in Iran. In this qualitative phenomenological study, data were collected via semi-structured interviews, and analyzed according to Strauss and Corbin's outline by open and axial coding. Nine major themes emerged: academic burnout, decreased academic resilience, self-directed learning, the prominence of the content, power distance between faculty and students, academic procrastination, academic dishonesty, educational inequality, and academic help seeking. Results showed that virtual instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic had created a hidden curriculum, impacting students' performance in academic and motivational areas. Students had also developed diverse attitudes towards education, their own learning, and teachers' practice.

Examining the effectiveness of an online EAP course in developing researchers' virtual conference presentation skills

Virtual conferences and webinars are increasingly transforming the nature of academic communications. In their transition from conventional to digital academic venues, researchers require guided mentorship, hands-on experience, and consistent feedback. In this study, the aim was to explore the effectiveness of an online EAP course in developing researchers' virtual presentation skills. The participants included the researchers (N = 20) from different departments of sciences in a state university in Iran. Through narrative interviews, the needs analysis phase was completed. The findings demonstrated that the researchers' virtual presentation needs are characterized by academic language competence, pragmatic communication skill, and remote audience engagement. To meet these needs, an online short-term EAP course was designed and held. Through participatory observations and peer feedback, the effectiveness of the course was investigated. The results showed the positive contributions of the course. The participants' attitudes towards their immediate learning experiences were further probed through focus-group interviews. The findings highlighted the researchers' revived self-confidence, live demo experience, digital academic competence, multimedia-enhanced presentation skill-building, collaborative community-based learning, awareness of audiences' affective engagement, and increasing attention to communicative language choices in this course. The findings have potential relevance and application to those involved in the design, delivery, and teaching of online EAP courses – and not only for academics from non-English speaking background, but also English-speaking background.

An exploration into the impact of augmented reality on EFL learners' Reading comprehension.

This study investigated how Augmented Reality (AR) impacted EFL learners’ reading comprehension and attitudes toward utilizing AR. A mixed-method was used with a sample composed of 64 upper-intermediate EFL learners in a state university in Iran. Independent and paired sample t-test were used to investigate the experimental group’s reading comprehension and possible differences between groups’ reading comprehension after utilizing AR. The quantitative findings indicated that the experimental group showed a significantly higher reading comprehension level than the control group. The thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews revealed that students enjoyed using augmented reality and preferred it to traditional reading comprehension methods. Furthermore, AR increased students’ interest in reading comprehension tasks and enhanced their willingness to use AR-based approaches in EFL classes.

Characteristics of an Effective University Professor From Students’ Perspective: Are the Qualities Changing?

This study investigates the characteristics of an effective university professor based on the evaluations made by students in different majors at a state university in Iran. Two-hundred forty BA, MA, and Ph.D. students’ evaluations of their teachers were selected via purposive sampling. The evaluations were then content analyzed to determine which characteristics build the profile of an effective teacher in the students’ eyes. The results confirmed the findings of many previous studies that a good university professor needs to possess certain essential qualities. However, the profile of an effective university professor, at least the importance of the qualities that make up this profile, was rather different. More specifically, the most important criterion for evaluating the teachers was their assessment policies and practices. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the characteristics of an effective professor are dynamic and open to contextual, cultural and temporal influences. In light of the results of this study, it is recommended that higher education institutions put in place programs that educate teachers about a more learner-centered pedagogy to maximize not only their own teaching efficacy but also their students’ motivation and learning.

The Setbacks for Research Practice in Higher Education: A Perspective from English Language Teaching in Iran

While research is abundant on academics’ research engagement in higher education, very little has been done to study the setbacks for research practices in English language teaching (ELT) in higher education. Adopting a qualitative research design, the present study explored the research setbacks for ELT in higher education. To this end, 10 masters students, 10 doctoral students, and 10 university instructors of ELT in different state universities in Iran took part in the study. A narrative frame was applied to collect initial data, followed by conducting individual semi-structured interviews to gain more in-depth knowledge about the participants’ research practices. Thematic analysis, used to analyse the data, uncovered a number of themes and categories addressing the masters and doctoral students’ and university instructors’ research setbacks in higher education. A number of themes were generated for the following categories of research setbacks: issues with research projects, insignificant contribution, and pressures from the immediate context. The findings are discussed in the light of the literature and the status of research practice in higher education, and implications are suggested for research practice in higher education.

Exploring the Effects of Mediation in Group-Dynamic Assessment (G-DA) Approach for an Iranian Undergraduate EFL Writing Course

The present study employed a cumulative format of Group Dynamic Assessment (G-DA), an assessment approach that integrates instruction into assessment, and adopted an interactionist approach to DA to conduct a semester-long mediation program in a writing course, which aimed at improving the writing ability of 15 (8 males and seven females) intermediate proficiency level sophomore students of English Language and Literature, in a State University in Iran. The students’ performances on non-dynamic writing pre- and post-tests and nine in-class dynamic writing tasks, completed during the DA sessions, were compared using independent samples t-test and mixed between-within subjects analysis variance (ANOVA), respectively. More specifically, the participants were divided into the two groups of more-skilled and less-skilled student writers, and then their performance was compared. The results indicated that the mediation offered had been highly effective in improving the writing competence of both groups of more- and less-skilled writers. They have been equally able to benefit from the mediation received and resolve their problems in writing. In addition, the dominant patterns of tutor mediational and learner reciprocity moves from a recorded DA intervention session were identified to see how they can lead to the learners’ writing development.

Development and validation of a rating scale for Iranian EFL academic writing assessment: a mixed-methods study

The present study reports the process of development and validation of a rating scale in the Iranian EFL academic writing assessment context. To achieve this goal, the study was conducted in three distinct phases. Early in the study, the researcher interviewed a number of raters in different universities. Next, a questionnaire was developed based on the results of the interview along with the related literature. Later, the questionnaire was sent to thirty experienced raters from ten major state universities in Iran. Results of the country-wide survey in this phase showed that there was no objective scale in use by the raters in the context. Therefore, in the second development phase of the study, fifteen of the raters who participated in the first phase were asked to verbalize their thoughts when each rating five essays. At the end of this phase, a first draft of the scale was developed. Finally, in the last validation phase of the study, ten raters were asked to each rate a body of twenty essays using the newly developed scale. Next, eight of the raters participated in a follow-up retrospective interview. The analysis of the raters’ performance using FACETS showed high profile of reliability and validity for the new scale. In addition, while the qualitative findings of the interviews counted some problems with the structure of the scale, on the whole, the findings showed that the introduction of the scale was well-received by the raters. The pedagogical implications of the study will be discussed. In addition, the study calls for further validation of the scale in the context.

Learning outcomes and perceptions of midwifery students about peer - teaching and lecture method in gynecology and infertility course

This study was conducted to compare teaching gynecology and infertility courses with both lecture and peer methods. In 2018, a quasi-experimental study was designed at the midwifery department of a state university in Iran. A total of 32 midwifery students were participated in the study. During the first eight sessions, 50% of the course content was taught in the form of same-level peer – teaching. The last eight sessions of the course were taught by lecture. At the end of each session, students were given a post-test, also midterm and final exam. At the end of exams, each student was asked to complete a questionnaire assessing students' perception about teaching methods. The average mid- term exam score for peer – teaching (34.5 ± 5.5 ) was significantly (p<0.01 ) higher than the lecture method (30.4 ± 5.8 ), as well as average final exam score (7.2 ± 1.5 vs. 5.8 ± 1.6 ). The average overall student perception score for the peer – teaching method was significantly (p<0.01 ) higher than the corresponding score for the lecture method (86.8 ± 11.5 vs. 74.1 ± 12.4 ). Using the peer education as a complementary method in teaching theoretical courses along with the traditional lecture method seems to be appropriate.

Interlanguage Pragmatic Learning Strategies (IPLS) as Predictors of L2 Social Identity: A Case of Iranian Upper-Intermediate and advanced EFL Learners

Interlanguage pragmatic learning strategies (IPLS) as particularly tailored language learning strategies for acquiring L2 pragmatic knowledge have been recently paid paramount attention in the pragmatics literature. These strategies are, therefore, related to some other social variables which are central to pragmatic development such as L2 social identity. Because of the importance of the IPLS and the rarity of research about the relationship between IPLS and with L2 social identity as a highly pragmatic-oriented variable, the current study tried to investigate the contribution of various forms of IPLS to L2 social identity among a randomly selected sample of 125 upper-intermediate to advanced EFL learners at a state university in Iran. During the two-phased data collection procedure, first, the participants filled out Locastro’s (2001) L2 social identity questionnaire, and then Malmir and Tajeddin’s (2015) IPLS inventory in two subsequent sessions. Data analysis using multiple regression revealed that all types of IPLS were significant contributors to L2 social identity except for the memory IPLS. Among the other five types of IPLS, social IPLS was a significant and strong contributor to L2 social identity. Affective and compensatory IPLS were significant moderate contributors to L2 social identity; however, metacognitive and cognitive interlanguage pragmatic learning strategies were weak albeit significant predictors of Iranian EFL learners’ social identity in English as an L2. The results of this study imply that L2 teachers can enhance social identity among the learners by fostering the knowledge of various forms of IPLS.

Higher Education Students’ Perceived Readiness for Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

The purpose of this research was to study the perceived readiness of higher education students for computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Moreover, the role of important demographic variables, such as gender, major of study, and computer ownership, was examined in students’ perceived readiness and its sub-scales. The data was collected from 326 higher education students of four study groups from a state university in Iran. MANOVA analysis was conducted to explore the possible role of the demographic variables in students’ perceived readiness for CSCL. Most of the participants showed high readiness for CSCL. The male participants demonstrated more online learning aptitude compared to females. A statistically significant difference was found in the online learning aptitude of the respondents majoring in engineering and basic sciences with the rest of the participants. Furthermore, the students with a personal computer, laptop, or tablet demonstrated higher levels of readiness for CSCL and online learning aptitude.

Developing customer satisfaction index in Iranian public higher education

PurposeThe present study seeks to design an index model of satisfaction among Iranian students who are studying at public universities in this country.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, data were collected in two stages: in the first stage, the data related to satisfaction indices were collected from 62 experts on pedagogical science and marketing management. In the second step, the data were collected from 1,404 students and were analysed by fuzzy analytic hierarchical process method, interpretive structural modelling and structural equation modelling.FindingsThe results of this study showed that three variables “perceived quality”, “organization image” and “Student relationship management” are reliable as indicators of student satisfaction. Also, contrary to the results of previous studies, the variable of expectations cannot predict the satisfaction of the students.Originality/valueModels of satisfaction have been designed in different fields. Also, in the measurement of satisfaction, attention to the field and customization is approved by researchers. Accordingly, the present study tries to design indices of satisfaction among students of state universities in Iran. It also pointed out the effect of customization on the formation of satisfaction at the Iranian and other universities.

How research is conceived and practised in higher education? Assumptions of Masters/doctoral students and instructors

ABSTRACT As part of a large-scale project, this study explored research conception and research engagement of English as a second/foreign language (L2) researchers as stakeholders of research in higher education communities of practice. To this end, 10 Masters students, 10 doctoral students, and 10 instructors in L2 education of English in different high-ranking state universities in Iran participated in the study. A narrative frame was used to explore the participants’ research conception and research engagement. Semi-structured interview was also conducted to explore the research questions of the study more deeply. The results of data analysis, guided by Grounded approach, revealed a number of themes for the following categories of research conception: contributions, procedure rigidity, research logistics, writing style, published articles, research topic, design, and researcher ability. The findings also generated a number of themes for the following categories of research engagement: instrumental purpose, professional development, course requirement, and research reading and doing processes. The findings are discussed in the light of the available literature and the postgraduate L2 education status in Iran.

Organizational justice, job stress, and work-family conflict: their interrelationships in universities' personnel

Presence of justice in an organization plays a crucial role on employees' well-being and remarkable success of the organization itself. This fair environment may be an important factor in lower levels of stress, which is associated with balancing demands between work and family domains among employees at university. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between distributive, procedural, and interactional dimensions of organizational justice and job stress, between work-family conflict and job stress, and whether the perception of organizational justice elements do influence work-family conflict. In sum, drawing upon 146 non-academic employees at 5 state universities in Iran, our result indicated that interactional justice had the strongest negative relationship with stress at work and work-family conflict. Moreover, the reciprocal correlation was found between job stress and work-family conflict. Hence, in order to decrease level of stress and to better manage the work and family lives, organizations need to promote justice in workplace.

Investigating the Role of Task Value, Surface/Deep Learning Strategies, and Higher Order Thinking in Predicting Self-regulation and Language Achievement

This study aims to identify and investigate the role of task value (drawn from expectancy-value theory), surface/deep learning strategies, and critical thinking for predicting language learners’ self-regulation and ultimate language achievement in a single framework. To this end, 190 participants, majoring in English at bachelor’s level at a state university in Iran, were selected based upon convenience sampling. A structural equation model showed that both motivational and cognitive components were significant predictors of language achievement and self-regulation. The results reveal that task value is a positive predictor of deep/surface learning strategies and metacognitive self-regulation, which provides evidence that awareness of the importance and value of a task, directs learners to choose more appropriate self-regulation strategies to monitor their process of learning and structure their own cognitive manners. The findings demonstrated that critical thinking predicts improvement in language achievement. Theoretically speaking, it has been argued that the ability to critically analyze learning materials and evaluate information enables learners with advanced proficiency to actively take part in the learning process, be further dedicated to their tasks, and more effectively and efficiently engaged in learning strategies, therefore making more successful learners. Finally, the implication for teachers and policy makers is discussed.

Interaction in a discussion list: An exploration of cognitive, social, and teaching presence in teachers’ online collaborations

AbstractDiscussion lists have gained a significant popularity in professional development research over the past few decades for the opportunity they provide for asynchronous interaction. This article presents findings from a small-scale case study that aimed at exploring the nature of teachers’ asynchronous exchanges in a discussion list. The data comprised the archived log of the messages in a Yahoo Group discussion list by five in-service English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers who volunteered to take part in a hybrid computer-assisted language learning (CALL) teacher education course in a state university in Iran. The discussion list was incorporated into the course to engage participants in professional dialogue on topics related to technology/CALL. During the initial data analysis, participants’ asynchronous exchanges were grouped as suggestions, questions, unclassified, answers, and delivery, drawing upon Oriogun and Cave’s (2008) SQUAD categorization, following the constant comparative method of analysis. Through a follow-up computer-mediated discourse analysis, cognitive, social, and teaching presence functional moves were identified in the data. Participants used the space not only for socializing and peer instruction but also for constructing knowledge. Despite an uneven pattern of contribution, asynchronous exchanges provided opportunities for knowledge construction at different levels of cognitive presence on topics ranging from technology tools and their affordances/constraints to computer-assisted language testing, materials development, and classroom management. The findings provide CALL teacher education researchers and course designers insights into the potential of asynchronous interaction for online and blended language teacher education.

On The Factor Structure (Invariance) of the PhD UEE Using Multigroup Structural Equation Modeling

The aim of the current study was twofold: (1) to validate the internal structure of the general English (GE) section of the university entrance examination for Ph.D applicants into the English programs at state universities in Iran (Ph.D. UEE), and (2) to examine the factor structure invariance of the Ph.D. UEE across two proficiency levels. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the responses of a random sample of participants (N=1009) who took the test in 2014 to seek admission to English programs at Iranian state universities. First, four models (unitary, uncorrelated, correlated and higher-ordered) were estimated and compared to find the model that best represented the data. Then, the factor structure invariance of the test across two proficiency levels was explored using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The higher-order and correlated three-factor model showed the best fit to the data. The result also showed that the structure of the test remained invariant across both proficiency levels. These results supported the multi-componential view of language proficiency. It was found that there is no relationship between levels of language proficiency and the structure of the test. However, the results called into question the score-reporting policy for the PhD UEE and led to the conclusion that a single total score does not reflect the structure of the test.

Organizational Justice, Job Stress, and Work-Family Conflict: Their Interrelationships in Universities’ Personnel

Presence of justice in an organization plays a crucial role on employees' well-being and remarkable success of the organization itself. This fair environment may be an important factor in lower levels of stress, which is associated with balancing demands between work and family domains among employees at university. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between distributive, procedural, and interactional dimensions of organizational justice and job stress, between work-family conflict and job stress, and whether the perception of organizational justice elements do influence work-family conflict. In sum, drawing upon 146 non-academic employees at 5 state universities in Iran, our result indicated that interactional justice had the strongest negative relationship with stress at work and work-family conflict. Moreover, the reciprocal correlation was found between job stress and work-family conflict. Hence, in order to decrease level of stress and to better manage the work and family lives, organizations need to promote justice in workplace.

A Comprehensive Look into the instruction of Listening Skill in Academic English Programs: A Case Study of two State Universities in Iran

The study reported here thoroughly investigated the instruction of listening skill in academic English programs. This was researched through a semi-structured interview. In this regard, in order to obtain a picture of listening requirements across the academy, data were collected from two different state universities of Iran. To compile the data, five listening lecturers from these two universities were invited to participate in the study. Topics investigated through the interviews included; the importance and objectives of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) listening in university study, the nature of listening in academic English programs, quantity and type of listening prescribed on courses, the integration of listening with other skills, and the evolution of changes in students’ listening requirements and practices. The analysis of the interviews revealed the two types of the courses; academic English-oriented courses and general English-oriented courses, each of them having their own perspectives regarding the various aspects of the listening. Regarding the changes in students’ practices, two types of transformations were found; transformation of the processes from bottom-up to top-down and transformation of the materials from textbook-oriented to more internet-oriented perspectives. The findings of the present study suggest some practical implications for the EFL students and teachers. In this regard, students need to equip and accustom themselves with more interpretive skills of listening and internet-oriented materials in their classes. Teachers are also required to balance between different types of skills and course materials in their classes according to their students’ needs.

An Empirical Examination of the Association between Individual Differences Variables and Writing Performance of Iranian EFL Learners

The present study was designed to initially test a model of the role of a set of cognitive (namely, aptitude and working memory) and motivational (namely, language learning goals, self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulation strategy use) individual differences variables in writing performance of a group of Iranian undergraduate EFL learners and, subsequently, to identify the possible differences in the writing quality and composing behavior of learners with different individual characteristics. A convenient sample of 125 BA level students of English Language Teaching and Literature from three state universities in Iran took part in the study. As for the data collection procedure, these participants, in various time intervals, wrote an argumentative essay, responded to the composing process scale, completed the aptitude and working memory measures and filled in the questionnaires exploring their motivational propensities, self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulatory strategy use in writing. The collected data were analyzed by using Path Analysis and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). Due to some problems like small sample size and idiosyncratic nature of the data, the model did not give satisfactory fit indexes. However, it was found that cognitive variables were more strongly correlated with the writing competence of the learners than the motivational ones. More specifically, the construct of foreign language aptitude had the highest potential to account for the writing competence of the learners and the learners having different levels of this construct were different from each other in terms of writing quality and composing processes employed while writing.

Boosting Vocabulary Retention through Adding a Video Component to the Vocabulary Building Classes in English for Specific Purpose Situations

As vocabulary is considered a foundation for the reading skills of the language learners, it becomes more vital for them to pay extra attention to their vocabulary issues. This study aimed at introducing videos to vocabulary building classes and measuring the subsequent effects it had on the level of word retention in ESP language learners. The 46 participants of the study were chosen from among the first year students of management based on their performance in the language section of the national exam for entering state universities in Iran, aka Konkoor; all of them scoring 35 to 40 out of 100. They were then divided into 2 groups randomly. Both groups attended classes for reading texts related to port management with special focus on the new vocabulary. The first class was treated with only texts and exercises. The second class was treated with the same texts and exercises with the addition of selected videos with the length of around 10minutes, also related to port management and specially selected to contain and discuss the same vocabulary. At the end of the classes, which lasted 16 weeks, 2 tests were administered to measure the students’ level of word retention; one immediately after the end of the week 16 and the other 3 months after the first test. The results showed the second group performed significantly better in both tests.