عبدالله برادران

To launch an evidence source for successive judgment and decision making, program evaluation of any educational institute is an indispensable process, and language institutes are not the exceptions. In an attempt to propose a solution for a fundamental problem as the lack of a standard evaluation program for English language institutes, this study used a new method to be implemented in the context of ‘English language institutes (ELIs)’ of Iran. In this country, evaluation of nongovernmental centers, including ELIs, is carried out by the Ministry of Education (ME) using a performance evaluation framework which mainly collects the required data through a survey form (locally known as ‘Form 322’). We adopted and applied the survey form 322 into developing a specific questionnaire. Ninety ELIs administrators of Mazandaran were surveyed through an instrument that was piloted and validated through the obtained data. The extracted results from the questionnaire were sorted into the categories of “validation”, “improvement”, “redesigning”, and “researchers’ opinion”. The results showed that the original form, long used in the country, needs to be redesigned. To cross-validate the obtained data and the emerging results, fifteen volunteers from the participating institutes were interviewed for their ideas through Skype and direct interview. Consistent with the results, not only for Iran are an online platform and a standard evaluation and monitoring process recommended, but also an international integrated performance evaluation standard is strongly suggested for English language institutes.

The negotiated syllabus, also known as a learner-centered and process-oriented syllabus, was introduced as an alternative to a pre-determined syllabus a couple of decades ago. The review of the related studies shows the number of studies in the use of negotiated syllabus in English language teaching is scanty. This study aimed at delving into the impacts of the negotiated syllabus on undergraduate students’ reading comprehension, oral production, and the participants’ perspectives about the syllabus. A mixed-methods research design was employed. Data were collected through researcher-developed tests and an interview checklist. The quantitative section analyzed through independent samples-tests (p=0.05) verified that the negotiated syllabus had a significant effect on the experimental mean scores regarding reading comprehension and oral ability production. In addition, results of the qualitative phase indicated that the use of negotiated syllabus, despite some learner, teacher, and institute-related constraints, has some pedagogical advantages. In light of the results, teachers are recommended to minimize the limitations and implement the negotiated syllabus in teaching English programs to optimize the language learners’ motivation and language achievement.  

This article tries to delineate different aspects of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) in detail: MLE as a model of learning in psychology, MLE as a dynamic assessment methodology, and MLE as a basis for designing a course. This article tries to delineate different aspects of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) in detail: MLE as a model of learning in psychology, MLE as a dynamic assessment methodology, and MLE as a basis for designing a course. MLE, well-known as Feuerstein's theory, is presented as a model of learning in psychology for enhancing cognitive functioning and problem-solving skills in children with cognitive challenges. Some other studies and scholars such as Poehner (2008) consider MLE as a dynamic assessment methodology because in dynamic assessment, assistance emerges from the interaction between the mediator and the learner. The other studies look at MLE as a holistic and integrative approach which is able to prepare a course. Definition of MLE principles and a meticulous and elaborate analysis of the first five MLE principles in different studies, entitled as MLE Taxonomy, are presented in a table at the end of the article.

Mediate Learning Experience (MLE) posits that the quality and amount of mediated learning interactions undergone by a learner affects both his cognitive and psychological development and his functioning as an autonomous and independent learner. This study attempts to implement MLE theory in pedagogy by designing an MLE-based grammar lesson plan in respect of present continuous through operationalizing and activating MLE parameters in a grammar class. Through the application of MLE in pedagogy, not only do the teachers take on new roles like mediating lifelong learning and mentoring fellow teachers but also the learners experience innovative functions such as developing heuristics for solving problems and autonomous learning and thinking essential to the late modern knowledge-based era. Through the application of MLE in pedagogy, not only do the teachers take on new roles like mediating lifelong learning and mentoring fellow teachers but also the learners experience innovative functions such as developing heuristics for solving problems and autonomous learning and thinking essential to the late modern knowledge-based era.

This study explored the impact of critical pedagogy training for IELTS teachers on their students’ self-regulated learning. It also examined the relationship between students’ self-regulation and their IELTS performance, as well as how teachers implemented critical pedagogy principles in their classrooms. A mixed-methods research design was used, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. 30 IELTS teachers and 150 learners from a language school in Tehran were recruited based on non-random convenience sampling technique. Teachers received training in critical pedagogy, after which learners completed a self-regulation questionnaire both before and after the intervention. Language proficiency was assessed using two official IELTS mock tests. Classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with teachers provided qualitative insights into instructional practices. Results showed that learners whose teachers received the training had significantly higher self-regulation scores post-intervention compared to a control group. A positive correlation was found between self-regulation and IELTS performance. Observations and interviews revealed that trained teachers used more dialogic, student-centered methods that promoted autonomy and reflective learning. The findings suggest that critical pedagogy training can effectively enhance both learner autonomy and exam preparedness. These results have implications for improving teacher education and classroom practices in high-stakes language testing environments.

A standard correction for random guessing (cfg) formula on multiple-choice and Yes/Noexaminations was examined retrospectively in the scores of the intermediate female EFL learners in an English language school. The correctionwas a weighting formula for points awarded for correct answers,incorrect answers, and unanswered questions so that the expectedvalue of the increase in test score due to guessing was zero. The researcher compared uncorrected and corrected scores on examinationsusing multiple-choice and Yes/No formats. These short-answer formats eliminatedor at least greatly reduced the potential for guessing the correctanswer. The expectation for students to improve their grade by guessingon multiple-choice and Yes/No format examinations is well known. The researcher examined a method for correcting for random guessing (cfg) " no knowledge" on multiple- choice and Yes/No vocabulary examinations by comparing application and non-application of correction for guessing (cfg) formula on scores on these examinations. It was done to determine whether the test takers really knew the correct answer, or they had resorted to a kind of guessing. This study represented a unique opportunity to compare scores from multiple-choice and Yes/No examinations in a settingin which students were given the same number of questions ineach of the two format types testing their knowledge over thesame subject matter. The results of this study indicated that the significant differences were highlighted between the subjects' scores when cfg formula was applied and when it was not.