درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The role of games in improving EFL students’ motivation to participate in interactive practices has been highly emphasized in past research. Although Iranian students are reluctant to interact in online language classes, the current study explored the impact of using game-based tasks on Iranian students' virtual interaction in EFL classes. The subjects included 35 female students in the seventh grade of a junior high school in Tabriz, Iran were selected by convenience sampling method. Classroom Action Research was conducted in four stages: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. Innovative game-based activities, such as Roleplay, This or That, Café Owner, and Let's Make Salad were used to improve students’ interaction. Interviews, tests, and class observations were used to collect and triangulate the data. In this study, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the obtained data. The findings revealed that the use of games could improve students’ interaction in online language classes. The results can yield useful implications for language teachers and materials developers in increasing EFL students' virtual interaction through different game-based techniques.

The study investigates English language teachers’ beliefs and perceptions in understanding the notion of differentiated instruction strategy in secondary schools in Uzbekistan. To achieve this, the researchers designed a questionnaire consisting of 3 parts, a question list for semi-structured interviews and an unstructured observation sheet. The instruments were used after having verified their validity and reliability. Our teachers participated in the research who took the questionnaires, 20 sub-samples were interviewed and 10 of them volunteered to conduct the classes per 2 observations, that is 20 observations in total. The results indicate that teachers have different points of view on differentiated instruction strategies based on their experience.  There was a big difference among questionnaire and interview responses compared to what was observed in classes in terms of applying elements of Differentiated Instruction such as Content and Process. The analyses of data show that being familiar with DI is statistically significant toward the age, working experience, and grade currently teaching. The study recommends organizing workshops for language teachers to train them to differentiate instructions and increase their awareness of the strategies of differentiation along with organizing lesson observation of those teachers who already implement differentiated instructions in their classes.          

The current study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) as a statistical technique to test a hypothesized mediating model to uncover the underlying relationship between the L2 motivational self-system, L2 anxiety, and L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC). This study is significant because it considers the unique experiences of English as a foreign language (EFL) learner in the era of globalization by incorporating the L2 motivational self-system. The mediating effect of L2 anxiety was also accounted for, providing a deeper understanding of how emotional factors influence L2 WTC. The data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 260 students at six public universities in China. The results showed that (a) two subcomponents of the L2 motivational self-system (ideal L2 self and L2 learning experience) were positive predictors to L2 WTC; (b) the higher the degree to which learners were motivated by their ought-to L2 self, the higher the anxiety of English learning; and (c) L2 anxiety had a suppressing effect between the L2 motivational self-system and L2 WTC. Specifically, L2 anxiety weakens the direct positive effect of the L2 motivational self-system on L2 WTC, leading to a decrease in L2 WTC. Pedagogical implications and future research directions were also addressed.

As online learning gains popularity in educational settings, online exams have become efficient tools for evaluation. However, more research is needed on students' perceptions of online exams in developing countries like Iran. This study investigates the perceptions of 153 undergraduate students who have taken or are taking online general English courses at Yasouj and Shahrekord universities. The research aims to understand university students' perceptions of online English tests, including the ease and frequency of cheating, various forms of cheating, and reasons for cheating. A mixed-method approach was employed, incorporating interviews followed by a 19-item questionnaire. Parallel exams were conducted to compare students' performance. The analysis also examined differences in perceptions based on participants’ gender. The results indicate that cheating is easier and more prevalent in online exams than in traditional face-to-face exams. However, it does not occur more frequently in online English as a Foreign Language (EFL) exams than in other subject exams. The study identified various forms of cheating used by students and the reasons for cheating in online assessments. Additionally, gender was found to influence students' perceptions of cheating in online exams significantly. Based on these perceptions, strategies to combat cheating are proposed. The implications of this study are significant for educational stakeholders, particularly teachers and students, in their efforts to promote and maintain academic integrity.