درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The present study aims at scrutinizing the inference complexity level (henceforth ICL) of test items of the Iranian State University TEFL Ph.D. entrance exam (ISUTPEE) from 2010 to 2017 through the lens of Kintsch's construction-integration theory (C-I) (Kintsch, 1988, 1998). Though there is ample research on inferencing in the field of reading comprehension, the existing literature reveals a serious gap in relation to inferencing complexity of test items in high-stakes exams that exert profound effects on the academic achievements of the individuals. Inferencing is examined in this study to explore the ICL of the test items of the Special Knowledge Test (SKT) according to three levels of memory representations of Kintsch's model: the surface model, the textbase, and the situation model. To this end, the test items for eight consecutive years of the ISUTPEE were examined in relation to the three distinct kinds of mental representations. To ensure the reliability of coding by the researchers, two other specialist coders assessed the ICL of 33% of the items. The intraclass correlation among the three sets of codes was 0.91. The results of the study showed that a large number of questions, accounting for more than 80% of the items, merely activate the surface and the textbase model of information representations in memory. Furthermore, the ICL for each of the four parts of SKT was examined. This analytical study carries a stark warning regarding a deficiency of systematic attention to ICL in the development of test items.

Iranian high school students confront various challenges in understanding reading passages and learning vocabulary since appropriate process-oriented assessment techniques with constructive and communicative feedback are not practiced to consolidate instruction and learning. The effect of formative assessment (FA) retelling strategy on vocabulary knowledge and understanding passages was investigated and scrutinized in this quasi-experimental study in the EFL context. Thus, a sample of 48 intermediate EFL students was selected and assigned to two intact groups. The retelling assessment was implemented for the experimental group (EG), while the product-oriented summative assessment was applied to the control group (CG). The pre-test scores were taken at the first phase of the study followed by the eight-week assessment process. Finally, the post-test scores were taken. For the purpose of the analysis, the Independent Samples T-test and the one-way  ANCOVA were utilized to compare and contrast the mean scores. The findings were in favor of the retelling technique which developed the vocabulary command and text comprehension in the EG. Moreover, little or no significant impact was revealed for the product-oriented assessment in the CG. The findings can be pedagogically rewarding for learners, teachers and theoreticians and may cast light on SLA research in applying FA techniques.

Although information and communication technology (ICT) is discussed in different aspects of education for a long time and numerous scholarly works have been published by Iranian researchers in Persian and English, but a study that illustrates the whole status of published works is not yet conducted. There is no reliable source to display the body of knowledge produced in this field. For this reason, it is necessary to investigate state of the art of ICT in educational system of Iran through a systematic review of scientific published papers. The present research aims in identifying, interpreting and describing the topics and approaches used by the Iranian authors to study ICT in the educational system of Iran. Achieving the identity or knowledge base of this field is performed with an descriptive-interpretive approach in order to perceive the status of technology application in the educational system of Iran. The research population includes all articles published in the journals of Education and ICT. In this regard, research articles in the field of ICT in the educational system in both Persian and English languages were searched in databases between 2001 and 2022. By using the systematic review method, a list of related keywords and concepts were searched in Persian and English databases which include related journals. After conducting the initial search and applying the inclusion criteria, 112 articles were included in the study. Finally, a detailed review and in-depth investigation was conducted by using qualitative content analysis. Based on the results of the analysis, four dimensions of ICT in the educational system were extracted: “Leadership”, “Professional development”, “Assessment”, and “Teaching-learning process”. Analyses shows that these dimensions are not considered evenly. Sub topics of these four areas as well as ignored areas are discussed. Also, future directions are proposed

Background: Low back pain is a common debilitating condition and a major clinical and socio-economic problem in the most industrialized and non-industrialized countries. Aim : The aim of this study was to compare the effect of motor control exercises and PNF exercises on postural control, strength, endurance and proprioception in women with chronic non-specific low back pain. Materials and Methods: Forty-five women with non-specific chronic low back pain selected by convenience sampling and randomly divided into three groups of 15 (motor control exercises, PNF exercises, and control group). The pre-test included posture control, flexor and extensor muscle strength of the trunk, trunk muscle endurance, and proprioception using Y balance, dynamometer, McGill, and Goniometer tests, respectively. The subjects of the experimental groups performed the training program for 8 weeks under the supervision of the instructor and according to the training protocol. Then, the post-test was performed. Paired t-test and analysis of covariance at the significance level of 0.05 were used to collect data. Results: The results showed that motor control and PNF exercises improved proprioception, postural control, endurance, and strength of trunk flexor and extensor muscles in women with non-specific chronic low back pain (α≤0.05). The results also showed that there was no significant difference between the effects of motor control and PNF exercises on proprioception, postural control, flexor muscle endurance, and extensor muscle strength (α≥0.05). Discussion: Motor control and PNF exercises are effective in improving the proprioception, postural control, endurance, and strength of flexor and extensor muscles of the trunk with non-specific chronic low back pain, and both training methods are effective in treating chronic non-specific low back pain.

This research endeavors to introduce a novel concept in ethics, namely ethics based on the primacy of existence, drawing upon Aṣālat al-wujūd , the theory of the primacy of existence in ontology. Mullā Sadrā's philosophy, which has three basic tenets—the primacy of existence, substantial motion (Ḥarakat-i Juharī), and gradation in existence (Tashkīk-i wujūd)—is the basis for this doctrine. The primacy of existence holds that quiddity is a mental construct and that existence is fundamental. The writers distinguished between two conceptions of ethics in this regard: one based on existence and the other on quiddity. Human quiddity is fixed and does not grade, hence ethics based on quiddity's primacy will always be fixed and the same for every individual. Moral obligations are universal and shared by all individuals. On the other hand, moral obligations for humans might vary depending on their existential status, according to ethics grounded in the primacy of existence. Moral oughts and ought nots are established by human existential grades in this ethics. This ethical model is flexible and dynamic.

The impact of social media and cyberspace in promoting tourism destinations, especially when businesses are heavily affected by management Information system (MIS), is undeniable. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Virtual reality (VR) alongside Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMAs) through the state flow, subjective well-being, and continued use in future visits. Data were collected from a total number of 384 visitors through a non-probability convenience sampling method. In this study, the use of SMMAs in the context of MIS has been investigated. The results showed that VR and MIS are essential digital marketing instruments. Also, VR under the action of MIS play an essential role in revisiting tourist destinations.