نازنین قاسمی

This study examined teachers’ experiences of implementing the English language curriculum in virtual learning environments in Iranian lower secondary schools. A qualitative approach was adopted in this study using a phenomenological research strategy. This study was carried out with English language teachers working in lower secondary schools in Zanjan Province. A total of twelve participants were recruited through purposive snowball sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis. To ensure the study’s validity, peer debriefing and participant feedback were employed, while reliability was established through Cohen’s kappa coefficient. The findings revealed a comprehensive categorization of teachers' experiences, comprising 143 basic themes, seven organizing themes, and one overarching theme. These organizing themes encompassed teachers' mental, attitudinal, psychological, and technological preparation; the status of educational platforms; the status of educational media, materials, and learning resources; the status of learning activities; the status of teaching strategies; the status of evaluation strategies; and finally, the status of teachers' interactions. This study confirms that Iranian EFL teachers have made notable progress in virtual education despite various challenges. A contextually adapted blended approach has proven to be effective, and the findings may inform similar educational contexts when accounting for teachers’ background variables.

This study investigates the impact of tourist participation on the performance of sports tourism complexes in Guilan Province, with green product innovation as a mediating variable. Given the concurrent expansion of the tourism industry and the paramount importance of sustainable development, this research addresses a critical intersection. The research is applied in purpose, descriptive-correlational in nature, and field-based in execution. The statistical population included managers and experts of tourism complexes, organizers of sports tourism tours, and adventure sports tourists in 2023. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires measuring customer participation, green product innovation, and sports tourism complex performance. Reliability was confirmed via Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability, while face and content validity were established by a panel of 13 sports management professors. Data were analysed using path analysis with PLS-SEM (version 4). The results demonstrated that tourist participation significantly directly affects both the performance (t = 2.783) and green product innovation (t = 33.004) of the complexes. Furthermore, green product innovation itself had a significant direct effect on performance (t = 10.313). Crucially, the mediating role of green product innovation in the relationship between tourist participation and performance was confirmed and statistically significant (t = 9.138). This study concludes that fostering tourist participation and integrating green product innovation are essential strategies for enhancing the performance of sports tourism complexes, leading to greater environmental compatibility and economic development.