رامین اکبری

Performance evaluation is one of the important components of each organization, and educational organizations are not the exceptions. Teachers are believed by many researchers as the single most important factor influencing student academic success or failure. Therefore, they need to be at the center of attempts to improve or reform the educational system of any country. Considering the pivotal role of teachers, educational systems need to be assured that teachers perform their best to enhance student learning, and also they should try to improve by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of teachers' practice for further professional development. The present study tries to examine the effectiveness of the current teacher evaluation system in Iran from EFL teachers’ perspectives. For that matter, a survey consisting of both Likert-scaled and open-ended questions was developed based on theoretical underpinnings of purposes for teacher evaluation, experts’ views, and the purposes of foreign language education as stated by the National Curriculum. 423 English language teachers were asked to answer the questions included in the survey. The results indicated the current teacher evaluation system did not contribute to teacher professional development nor could it assure teacher accountability. The results of the study as well as the requirements for developing an alternative model for EFL teacher evaluation are discussed

This work supports the effectiveness of the employment of communication strategies for bet-ter and more efficient communication. Communication strategies varies as a function of dif-ferent factors such as personality traits, pedagogical setting, L2 context, etc. The present re-search aimed at delving into the relationship between shyness, task nature and the frequency and type of communication strategies used by the subjects. The subjects of the study were 168 male and female students at Ilam university and Islamic Azad University of Tehran (South Branch). The subjects took a Michigan test of language proficiency. Out of 168 sub-jects taking the Michigan test, 106 were found to be homogenous and qualified to take part in three different communicative activities: Free Discussion, Translation, and Story Recon-struction. Out of the 106 subjects 102 took part in the above-mentioned activities. They were also given to fill up the Stanford Shyness questionnaire. The statistical procedure of Chi-Square was used for the purpose of the study. It was shown that shyness affects the adoption and choice of communication strategies negatively. i.e. non-shy students use more communication strategies than their shy counterparts, and also that non-shy students use more achievement strategies vis-à-vis their shy friends, while the latter group preferred to use more avoidance strategies. The study, however, couldn’t establish and confirm any relationship between the type of task and the type of communication strategies used by the subjects.

Consequential validity, a component of construct validity as a unified concept introduced by Messick(1989), deals with the impacts of tests on teaching, learning, individual test takers, teachers, society, and educational system within a country. Although the impacts of language tests on teaching and learning have been somehow studied, the consequences of ESP tests on individual test takers and teachers have not been given appropriate attention. The present study aimed at exploring the possible consequences of ESP tests, as parts of master and doctoral entrance examinations to post graduate universities in Iran, on the stake holders and society. In doing so, a qualitative research method was applied. The participants were 31 master and doctoral students, and 5 ESP instructors. The data were analyzed in terms of the content. Four main themes with a variety of sub-themes emerged from the content analysis. The results indicated that ESP tests have negative psychological (anxiety, stress, disappointment, self-confidence, teaching efficacy, disappointment), social (deprivation from education, ethical issues, acceptance of nonqualified candidates), financial, and family consequences on the learners and teachers. The society is also influenced as the result of ESP tests scores.