درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The integration of robotics in education has garnered increasing attention, particularly in the realm of special needs education. As technology evolves, so does its potential to enhance learning experiences for students with disabilities. This letter explores the current state and future prospects of using robotics in special needs education, drawing on recent research to highlight both the challenges and opportunities. The future of robotics in special needs education holds immense promise. By enhancing academic skills, boosting motivation and engagement, and supporting social and emotional development, robotics can significantly improve the educational experiences of students with disabilities. However, to realize this potential, it is essential to address the challenges related to design, accessibility, and educator training. Continued research and innovation will be crucial in ensuring that robotics can serve as an effective tool in special needs education, providing tailored support that meets the diverse needs of all students.

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of drama therapy on friendship quality and emotion regulation in adolescents with physical disabilities. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 40 adolescents aged 13-18 years, randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving drama therapy (n=20) or a control group (n=20). The intervention comprised ten 60-minute sessions over three months. Measures used included the Friendship Quality Scale (FQS) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, with analyses performed in SPSS version 27. Significant improvements were observed in the intervention group compared to the control group. For friendship quality, the intervention group’s scores increased from a mean (M) of 55.12 (SD = 5.47) at pre-intervention to 68.25 (SD = 6.23) post-intervention and slightly decreased to 66.84 (SD = 6.01) at follow-up. Emotion regulation scores in the intervention group increased from 36.45 (SD = 4.12) at pre-intervention to 45.78 (SD = 4.96) post-intervention and slightly decreased to 44.67 (SD = 4.81) at follow-up. ANOVA results showed significant main effects for group and time (p < .001), with significant interactions between time and group for both variables (p < .001). Bonferroni post-hoc tests confirmed significant pre- to post-intervention and pre- to follow-up improvements in the intervention group (p < .001). Drama therapy significantly enhances friendship quality and emotion regulation in adolescents with physical disabilities, with effects sustained at a three-month follow-up. These findings support the incorporation of drama therapy in therapeutic programs for this population to address their unique psychosocial challenges.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of scaffolding genre knowledge and metacognitive strategy use on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ academic writing skills. The initial population was 100 EFL students from M.A. English language teaching (ELT) students who took academic writing course at Islamic Azad University, Tehran and Alborz branches. To homogenize the sample, Oxford placement test (OPT) was administered, and based on its results, 75 advanced learners were selected for the purpose of the study. After that, they were divided into 3 groups, namely the experimental group A (scaffolding genre knowledge), the experimental group B (metacognitive strategy use), and the control group. IELTS academic writing task 2 was administered as the pretest and posttest. The treatments lasted for 16 sessions. To explore the learners’ perceptions regarding the instructions qualitatively, the semi-structured individual interviews were administered to 20 students who were chosen from the experimental groups. The results showed that scaffolding genre knowledge and metacognitive strategy use had significant impacts on the Iranian EFL learners’ academic writing skill. In addition, the findings indicated that there was a significant difference between the effects of scaffolding genre knowledge and metacognitive strategy use on the Iranian EFL academic writing skill in which scaffolding genre knowledge had more significant effects on Iranian EFL academic writing skill than metacognitive strategy use. Furthermore, the qualitative findings showed that the learners adopted positive views towards scaffolding genre knowledge and metacognitive strategy use in developing their academic writing skill.