درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The present study aims to predict the role of learning approaches, studying strategies, metacognitive strategies, and reflective thinking on students’ academic achievements. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in Iran. The statistical population encompasses the all 5000 students at Roudehen Islamic Azad University throughout 2020-2021. According to Morgan's Table, the sample size was estimated to be 384 persons. Five standard questionnaires including studying strategies, learning approaches, metacognitive strategies, reflective thinking and academic achievement were used for data gathering. Structural equations based on partial least squares were used to analyze the data. The results showed a moderate relationship between learning approaches and metacognitive strategies while a significant relationship was observed between learning approaches, studying strategies, and reflective thinking (P<0.05). There was also a weak relationship between learning approaches and academic achievement. Beside, a moderate relationship was observed between metacognitive strategies and academic achievement, and a significant relationship was revealed between reflective thinking and academic achievement. Numerous factors affect academic achievement. Managers and families by recognizing these variables and providing appropriate conditions could smooth the rate of success for students.

The objective was threefold: (a) to investigate the difference among online teaching performance of EFL student teachers at Iran University of Science and Technology who received peer feedback, expert feedback, and reflected on their own teaching practice; (b) to examine the difference between rating scores given by student teachers and those by instructor to online teaching; and (c) to determine student teachers’ best experiences, challenges, and lessons they learnt from expert feedback, peer observation, and reflection. The results of this mixed methods experimental research revealed no statistically significant difference in the three group’s scores on their second teaching practice; however, there was statistically significant difference between the scores of the first and second practices for all three groups. The results also showed that student teachers mostly underrated their first teaching, while they overrated their second teaching. The findings also indicated that their best experiences were related to using technological tools, working with Adobe Connect, making interesting materials, and using games and songs. Their challenges included lack of face-to-face communication, engaging all participants, and preparing suitable materials, whereas teaching new vocabulary in context, simplifying songs by pre-teaching their unknown words, and using online games and websites were the lessons they learnt.

This study examined the effect of rater training on promoting inter-rater reliability in oral language assessment. It also investigated whether rater training and the consideration of the examinees’ expectations by the examiners have any effect on test-takers’ perceptions of being fairly evaluated. To this end, four raters scored 31 Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ oral performance on the speaking module of the IELTS in two stages (i.e. pre- and post-training stage). Furthermore, following Kunnan’s (2004) Test Fairness Framework, a questionnaire on fairness in oral language assessment was developed, and after pilot testing and validating, it was administered to the examinees at both stages. The examinees’ expectations were taken into account in the second round of the speaking test. The results indicated that rater training is likely to promote inter-rater reliability and, in turn, enhances the fairness of the decisions made based on the test scores. It was also concluded that considering students’ expectations of a fair test would improve their overall perceptions of being fairly evaluated. The results of this study sought to provide second language teachers, oral test developers, and oral examiners and raters with useful insights into addressing fairness-related issues in oral assessment.

Examining the meaning of the words in the Qur'an plays a significant and special role in understanding the purpose of God and the precise application of divine commands. Semantics of the Qur'an is a methodical interpretation of the subject that, if based on the principles of the Qur'an, is able to present the meaning of words to mankind in the form of a divine worldview and explain it. Also the theory of semantic domain is very helpful in studying the semantic structure of words of any language and explaining the semantic limits of its lexical elements, because every word adopts a part of its meaning from other words of the same domain. The word "Sawwal" is one of the words that are used 4 times in the Quran. Examining words that have a low frequency in Quranic use will be able to be accurately understood only through semantic methods. One of these methods is constructive semantics, which will help to solve the problem of semantic analysis through the examination of lexical co-occurrence and substitution. Study the verses through constructivist semantics has made a great contribution to understand the divine meaning and purpose of the use of words, and it has been considered as an effective method in religious research. Examining the companionship and succession of the intended words in the Qur'an reveals the semantic areas related to the words and specifies the way of communication with each of the areas. The current research has discussed and investigated the word "Sawwal" with the aim of semantics in the semantic fields on the axes of companionship and succession. Semantic fields mean a set of words that have common semantic components. Therefore, in order to distinguish this type of words (having common semantic components) have been used the axes of companionship - verbal chain that are placed together - and succession - the connection of linguistic elements in the verbal chain with non-existent elements in that chain that can be placed Instead of any of the existing elements. Using the method of description and analysis, the present research has analyzed the word "Sawwal" in the Qur'an. The word "Sawwal" which in the dictionary analysis means seducing and adorning, has commonalities with many semantic fields. This word is used in the Qur'an to warn the audience and warns the believers about the possibility of falling into the trap of adorning. This word has been used in four verses, from "Tafʻīl" pattern which emphasizes plurality and gradualness, and it is in conjunction with the words "al-Shayṭān" and "Nafs". Therefore, in order to analyze the semantic fields involved with the word "Sawwal", investigated its substitutes, which include the words "Zayyin", "Iḍlāl", "Ighwā", "Nazgh" and "Vasvasah", and at the end, as result It was found that function of "al-Shayṭān" for "Taswīl" is to make religious affairs seem unimportant, which makes people dare to commit sins and ugly deeds. But "Nafs" is tool of "al-Shayṭān" for "Taswīl". The word "Zayyin" with the highest frequency in the relationship of succession with "Sawwal" emphasizes this fact that Satan adorns sin in the eyes of human. The word "Iḍlāl", like the word "Taswīl", uses the existential container of "Nafs" in the direction of deviating from guidance. "Nazgh" is the reason for strengthening the motivation of man to commit evil deeds, and "Waswasah" is the reason for his internal boiling in the process of "Taswīl". "Ighwāʼ" also, in the role of succession, intensifies the adorning which causes believable move toward sins. Therefore, the meaning that can be inferred from the interpretations and lexicographers of the word "S W L" is found in concepts such as "Adorning" and "Decorating", "Facilitating" and "Making easy", "Pretending" and "Making good". In Qur'anic research with the constructivist style, after examining the vocabulary and understanding the relationship between them and considering the lexical context, the overall structure and relationship between the words can be obtained. In the end, this method has been implemented in the figure (1) and has shown the way of semantic communication. The use of meaning in the recognition of words such as "Sawwal" can be effective in his attitude and lifestyle. For example, the role of the "Devil" and the "Nafs" in man's interpretation can be effective on self-control and change in his behavior. This is despite the fact that the understanding of this intellectual system could not be fully realized without a semantic view.

The need to use effective new strategies and instruments for the sake of reinforcing the EFL learners’ speaking fluency and accuracy is the main goal of the language learners and teachers. Hence, the present research aimed to discover the effect of online-based gamification on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners' speaking accuracy and speaking fluency by using a quasi-experimental design. Forty Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners from Gooyesh English Language Institute in Mashhad were selected through convenience sampling as the target participants of the study. At the outset of the study, a researcher-made pre-test of speaking fluency and accuracy was administered to the 40 participants of the study. Then, online-based games such as What Happens Next Game, Picture that Story, Online ESL Jigsaw Activity, Show and Tell Game, and ESL A- B gap Fill Game were used to expand the speaking fluency and accuracy of the experimental group's learners while traditional methods were utilized to teach speaking fluency and accuracy to the participants of the control group. Finally, a researcher-made speaking post-test was administered to the participants of both groups. Descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests were calculated to answer the research questions. The findings displayed that online-based games significantly improved Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners' speaking accuracy and fluency. However, there was no significant difference between the speaking accuracy and fluency of the participants of the experimental group after using the online-based gamification. Based on the findings of the study, gaming can be considered the most appropriate instrument in the process of learning speaking skills such as speaking fluency and accuracy.