فرح شورکی

This study aimed to investigate the foreign language learning needs of undergraduate engineering students enrolled in the faculties of architecture and electrical in Iran. A total of 133 undergraduate students aged between 20-25 years, along with 30 subject-specific instructors from Azad and State universities of Yazd, Iran, participated in the study. The study was conducted using a qualitative-quantitative survey design, which involved questionnaires and interviews. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with 20 subject-specific instructors and ten undergraduate students in their eighth semesters. The analysis of qualitative and statistical data revealed that most students needed to master the English language before they attended their specialized courses. Over one-third of the students expressed dissatisfaction with the teaching methodology, evaluation methods, amount of foreign culture taught in class, and content of the textbook. The subject-specific instructors also expressed dissatisfaction with their students’ language skills. It can be concluded that in Iran, the English for Specific Purpose (ESP) course does not fully prepare the students to embark on their studies, as it does not sufficiently take into account their learning needs, present level of foreign language proficiency, objectives of the course, resources available in terms of staff, materials, equipment, finances, and time constraint, as well as the skill of the teachers and the teacher’s knowledge of the specific area.

This non-experimental study aimed to figure out if Iranian novice and expert EFL teachers had differing attitudes regarding professional identity (PI). It also measured if gender and various social statuses of high, mid and low had any mediating role in novice and expert teachers’ attitudes towards PI. Therefore, a 20-item PI questionnaire to which demographic variables of, teaching experience, gender and social status attached was distributed through various means, including emails, social media platforms, and personal contacts due to sanitary protocols and in the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. These results indicate that regardless of experience level, gender, or social status, teachers' attitudes towards professional identity remain consistent. The study suggests that factors such as gender and social status do not play a significant role in shaping teachers' perceptions of their professional identity. Also, the findings of the study can be beneficial for teachers by highlighting that their attitudes towards professional identity are not significantly influenced by gender or social status. This can help alleviate concerns or biases related to these factors and encourage teachers to focus on their individual growth and development