درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Saudi foreign policy was mostly affected by its strategic relations with the United States as its primary and sole security provider. However, since the rise of Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia further developed its relations with permanent non-Western members of the United Nations Security Council, respectively China and Russia. This study mainly contends that this transformation took place through strategic hedging, with regional and global consequences. It is contended that Saudi Arabia has adopted a triangular foreign policy through hedging, in order to balance its foreign relations with America and achieve regional supremacy. In this article, through a thematic analysis, we will investigate the ways in which Saudi foreign policy adopted hedging, the reasons for this action, and the motifs behind this decision. Saudi Arabia has tried to pursue national interests through hedging. This attempt is affected by a post-Cold War environment, preparing for a possible multi-polarization of the international system. Saudi Arabia also tries to improve its image alongside this approach in foreign policy. Correspondingly, this diversification of Saudi foreign policy is noticeably compatible with its domestic policy of opening up and adopting rapid modernization, which is analyzed through hedging and Neoclassical Realism.

Despite its recognized importance in preparing prospective teachers for the realities of the classroom, the practicum in Iranian TEFL programs faces several challenges that can significantly impact its effectiveness and hinder the development of competent and confident TEFL teachers in the country. This study, characterized as a comprehensive nationwide triangulated project, aimed at exploring and comparing the perception of the Iranian TEFL Preservice Teachers (PSTs) and the corresponding stakeholders on major issues, problems and challenges of the practicum program at Farhangian University. To these ends, a researcher-made practicum evaluation questionnaire was distributed among the participants (including 230 PSTs and 215 stakeholders) whose answers were analyzed through factor analysis. Based on factor loadings, nine major extracted factors in the two participant groups were compared through Independent Samples t-tests. The results showed that PSTs and stakeholders shared common perceptions on six factors while they held different perceptions only on three other factors. A semi-structured interview was additionally designed and conducted with 15 PSTs and 15 stakeholders. Finally, 10 practicum courses were observed to obtain an accurate understanding of the current situation of ELT PSTs’ internship education in Iran. The findings uncovered major issues and challenges with regard to ELT practicum including (a) limited adaptability and innovation in instructional approaches, resources, and materials utilized by the cooperating teachers who served as a role model for PSTs, (b) insufficient collaboration between educational institutions and universities, (c) lack of proper supervision by university advisors, d) insufficiency of time allotted to PSTs for teaching,  and e) huge gap between theoretical concepts related to the practicum principles studied in university courses with the practical realities faced by PSTs in the school environment, to name a few. The findings of the study might firstly give some insight to universities and schools in developing and implementing high-quality practicum programs that might contribute to the advancement of ELT teacher education programs. Moreover, the study can contribute to our understanding of the extent to which PSTs can integrate theoretical knowledge into their teaching practices.

With the increasing popularity of virtual education following the COVID-19 pandemic and the advancement of technology in education, new opportunities and challenges have entered the realm of education. So it is necessary to pay attention to the preparation of schools for this type of learning as well as the self-efficacy of teachers in using information and Communication technology (ICT) skills and the stress they experience in using technology in their jobs. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of Computer Self-Efficacy and E-Learning Readiness Mediated with Technostress in Teacher Professional Competence. This study was applied in terms of goal and fell under descriptive-correlational research in terms of data collection. The statistical population consisted of all teachers of Tehran’s District 15 working at high school levels from 2021 to 2022 (675 people), as 194 people were selected through convenience sampling. In order to collect data from Technostress and Computer Self-Efficacy questionnaire (Dong et al., 2020); E-learning Readiness questionnaire (Keramati et al., 2011); and Teacher Professional Competence questionnaire (Motahhari-Nezhad & Jahangard, 2016) were used. After calculating the scales’ reliability, data were analyzed by SPSS and LISREL Software. The results showed that: computer self-efficacy and e-learning readiness had a direct, positive and significant effect on teacher professional competence. computer self-efficacy and e-learning readiness had  a positive and significant indirect effect on teacher professional competence through technostress. Also technostress had a direct, negative and significant effect on teacher professional competence.