حسین احمدی

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to develop the principles of Islamic education with an approach of freshness and vitality for the elementary school. Method : In this research, the content analysis method has been used to be able to interpret and analyze the speeches and messages related to the topic, regarding the relationship between Islamic education and vitality in the religion of Islam, books on Islamic education and the Qur'an and hadith. Findings : The findings of the present study using content analysis method, indicate that theoretically ten principles of Islamic education with a freshness and vitality approach for elementary school (aesthetic principle, principle of tolerance, principle of beauty, principle of modification, principle of ease, principles have been referred to. Dynamics and vitality in school and class, the principle of reminder, the principle of continuity, the principle of awareness and the principle of individual differences) can be explained. That is, Islamic teachings can inspire the hypotheses and theories of Islamic education with a refreshing and invigorating approach for the elementary school. Conclusion : It is important to use the principles and perspectives in practice and to evaluate the performance of Islamic education with the approach of freshness and vivacity.

This study investigated the effects of English as foreign language (EFL) proficiency on what the authors of this study called pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic recognition of EFL learners. To elicit the data, the study used two types of pragmatic measures: a pragmalinguistic recognition (PLR) test and a sociopragmatic recognition (SPR) test. Both tests were developed by the researchers of this study based on the distinction made by Leech (1983) between pragmalinguistics and sociopragmatics. Subsequent to the development of the tests, 80 Iranian EFL students were divided into two groups based on their EFL proficiency level: the low level group (n = 41) and the high level group (n = 39). Each participant group was tested on the two pragmatic measures. Pearson correlation results indicated construct differences between PLR and SPR of speech acts. Moreover, independent samples t-test results revealed that there were developmental differences in pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic recognition of speech acts by EFL learners. The findings offer insights to EFL teachers and testers regarding pragmatic instruction and assessment.

Iran’s educational system has undergone new reforms during the last decades. To investigate the effectiveness of the new reform in English as the lingua franca of the world, the current study emphasizes the reading comprehension abilities of grade twelve Iranian female students in English as a foreign language. To this end, 167 students' responses per item of three tests of English reading comprehension were gathered from four different high schools of Malayer. Students' responses in three different item types (three literal, three reorganization, and three inferential comprehension items) from three different reading texts were analyzed altogether. A quantitative design was employed to descriptively analyze the students' responses. The results of the analysis revealed that grade 12 students in Malayer are stronger in literal comprehension compared to the other two comprehension levels: reorganizational and inferential items. This indicated the students' lack of skill in reading between the lines as well as the inability to synthesize and analyze different implicit information in the text that leads them to make meaning. The results can be beneficial for language institutes, English Teachers, and practitioners. Keywords: Inferential Comprehension, International Reading Comprehension Assessment,  Reorganizational Comprehension

This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of flipped instruction on the Iranian upper-intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ appropriate use of request and refusal. The participants of the study included 60 upper-intermediate EFL learners from a language institute in Tehran, Iran, who were selected through the Quick Placement Test (QPT) from a total of 80 learners who were originally picked up based on convenience sampling in the form of two intact classes. Then, the two classes were randomly assigned to two groups namely, flipping group and control group. The two groups were subjected to 12 treatment sessions wherein instruction on the appropriate use of request and refusal was offered to the flipping group through explicit flipped instruction and to the control group through non-flipped instruction. The instruments used to collect the data included the Quick Placement Test (QPT) and Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT). The results showed that flipped instruction significantly affected the EFL learners’ appropriate use of request and refusal. According to the findings, EFL teachers are recommended to use flipping methods in an attempt to enhance EFL learners’ appropriate use of request and refusal.

This inquiry investigates the impact of Computer Concept-Mapping on Iranian EFL learners’ writing complexity and accuracy. To this end, a total of 30 intermediate EFL learners aged 14 to 16 years were non-randomly selected, homogenized in terms of general proficiency, and classified into two treatment and control groups. Also, a pretest and a posttest on the participants’ writing performance were administered at the beginning and the end of the study.. Further, the ESL Composition Profile developed by Jacobs et al. (1981) was used as a criterion for evaluating the participants’ writing accuracy and complexity. The treatment group received computer-based concept mapping instruction, while the control group was instructed through conventional writing techniques. Then, the data obtained from the two groups’ pre- and posttests were comparatively analyzed through appropriate statistical tools. Parametric paired-samples and independent-samples t-tests as well as Pearson Correlation were also used to assess the inter-rater reliability indices of the participants’ writing tests. The results of data analysis indicated that computer concept-mapping instruction entails significantly better writing performance. This finding has implications for teachers and EFL programmers to use the latest methods and tools of instruction

Along with growing technology, the flipped learning model has emerged as an alternative to conventional teaching methods. The present study attempted to investigate the students' perceptions of a flipped learning classroom experience contrasted with those of a non-flipped or conventional classroom. To this end, 23 Iranian EFL learners were assigned to two groups. During the first ten weeks, non-flipped teaching was applied to class A and flipped learning to class B. After the midterm, during the next ten weeks, the teaching methods were reversed. The students were interviewed in-depth about their impressions of the learning experience. Also, a questionnaire and students' portfolios were used to draw comprehensive conclusions. The qualitative analysis of data revealed four themes: flipped or non-flipped, working with technology, group commitment, and student-teacher relationship. Overall, learners had contrasting views about learning in the flipped classroom. In general, they preferred non-flipped classroom.

Purpose: This paper addressed this issue by presenting a model for promoting the professional competency of EFL teachers in Iran. Methodology: In order to accomplish the purpose of the study, the grounded theory was adopted to investigate EFL expert teachers’ (key informants) articulations, experiences, and concerns about the subject and to develop a theoretical model across the participants; therefore, semi-structured interviews were conducted to 21 EFL experts (EFL faculty members, teacher trainers, supervisors and EFL teachers) who were selected by snowball sampling. Interview data, were analyzed with a grounded theory approach using constant comparison method. Findings: Major findings of the study suggested a multi-dimensional model of professional competency highly relevant to EFL teachers: cognitive/language skills competence; attitudinal/behavioral competence; and management competence. The interviewees also suggested that these competencies are under the effect of such influential factors in Iran as curriculum, individual characteristics, management and organization support, community, information technology, and media Conclusion: Furthermore, as a consequence of professional competency, it was clarified that EFL teachers' competencies affect their values, enthusiasm, communications and practice and most importantly supports their professional life long development. Policy makers and teacher training programmers can hopefully benefit from the presented competency model while making adaptations in teacher training both at pre-service and in-service levels.