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Tasks are as useful devices for identifying learners’ needs and thus for designing specific purpose courses. Hence, the present study aimed at examining the viable effects of three varieties of task manipulation, i.e., oral reproduction, role-play, and group discussion, on the accuracy and fluency components of Iranian EFL learners’ oral speech. For the sake of homogeneity of the participants, 60 L1 Persian EFL students were selected through Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and divided into three 20-participant comparison groups: Oral Reproduction Group (ORG), Role-play Group (RPG), and Group Discussion Group (GDG). Each of the three comparison groups was treated just through a single task. ORG, RPG, and GDG were treated by oral reproduction, role-play, and group discussion tasks, respectively. The participants were pretested and posttested by the speaking part of Preliminary English Test (PET). The three groups were exposed to ten sessions of treatment, each of which lasted one hour and thirty minutes. The results of the study, obtained through ANOVA and Post Hoc analyses, revealed that the three types of task manipulation had significant influence on the fluency and accuracy of the participants’ speech. It was also revealed that GDG, treated through group discussion type of task manipulation, outperformed the other groups in terms of accuracy and fluency achievement. Tasks are hence recommended to be used in EFL teaching and testing contexts in that they are assumed to be effective tools to enhance the accuracy and fluency of English learners’ oral speech.

This study scrutinized the probable significant relationships among Iranian EFL learners’ academic self-efficacy, metacognitive reading strategies, and reading comprehension test performance. Relevantly, the significant predicting roles of the learners’ metacognitive reading strategies as well as academic self-efficacy for reading achievement were statistically investigated, increasing the depth of the study. Furthermore, the probable significant differences between the learners’ academic self-efficacy as well as the utilization of metacognitive reading strategies were investigated across three reading proficiency levels. To this end, 100 BA students, majoring in English Language Teaching at Islamic Azad University-Neyshabur Branch-Iran participated. Three standard instruments were employed, including academic self-efficacy and metacognitive reading strategies questionnaires along with the reading comprehension section of a TOEFL test. The study followed a quantitative correlational design. Since the normality of data was proved, the parametric statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, multiple regression analyses, and one-way analysis of variance were employed. The findings demonstrated significant positive relationships among the learners’ reading achievement, academic self-efficacy, and utilization of metacognitive reading strategies. In addition, it was found that metacognitive reading strategies can better predict reading comprehension than the learners’ academic self-efficacy. Academic self-efficacy was also proved as a significant predictor of the learners’ utilization of overall metacognitive reading strategies. No significant differences were proved between three proficiency levels in the utilization of metacognitive reading strategies as well as academic self-efficacy. The findings have some insightful pedagogical implications as well as some useful hints for language teachers and syllabus designers.

Background and Objectives: Today, strategic planning is considered a way to help increase productivity and achieve organizational goals, and it has become more necessary at Farhangian University as a new organization. Therefore, the current research was conducted to develop Farhangian University's strategic educational program. Methods: The research method is mixed, quantitative, and qualitative. The statistical population included all professors, officials, deputies, and education experts of Farhangian University of Alborz Province. In the qualitative section, sixteen people and in the quantitative section, 50 people were selected based on random sampling. The research tool was a semi-structured interview in the qualitative part and a researcher-made questionnaire with reliability (0.943) in the quantitative part. Findings: Findings showed that threats (3.49), weaknesses (3.48), strengths (3.22), and opportunities (3.21) are more effective, respectively. As a result, a suitable teaching strategy at Farhangian University is a defensive strategy. The proposed solutions are presented in 4 sections: Conservative (so), Conservative (St), Defensive (wt), and Defensive (WT). Conclusion: As a result, the university has developed quantitatively and qualitatively using a suitable defensive strategy.

Given the transformative potential of technology-enhanced methods in language education, this study investigated the effect of AI-scaffolded learning-oriented assessment (LOA) on Iranian EFL learners' vocabulary acquisition. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with 40 male intermediate-level learners non-randomly assigned to an experimental group (AI-supported Nearpod platform with adaptive scaffolding) and a control group. The Oxford Placement Test ensured homogeneity, while the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale measured vocabulary gains. The experimental group received AI-driven scaffolding, including real-time adaptive feedback, tiered support, and interactive peer-review tasks aligned with LOA principles. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in post-VKS scores (M = 130.05) for the experimental group compared to the control group (M = 99.85), with a large effect size (t = 39.38, p < .001, d = 1.96). These results demonstrate that AI-scaffolding, when integrated with LOA, substantially enhances vocabulary learning by personalizing feedback and promoting active engagement. The study highlights the efficacy of AI tools like Nearpod in EFL contexts while underscoring the importance of pedagogical design, such as balancing automation with teacher guidance, to maximize learning outcomes. These findings advocate for the strategic adoption of AI-scaffolded LOA in language curricula, though challenges like digital literacy and equitable access warrant further exploration.

Critical thinking in students' education is associated with the analysis of received information. Students provide the basis for the development of critical thinking in their future careers by cultivating this skill. This study is conducted to predict the relationship between learning style and critical thinking skills with the mediating role of distance education technologies in students of Payam Noor University. This is an applied study in terms of objectives and also a descriptive-correlational one since it describes the existing situation. The statistical population includes 253 distance learning students of Payam Noor University in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, of which 153 were selected as samples using the Cochran formula and simple random sampling. The population was asked to answer the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (12 questions), the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) (24 questions), and the researcher-made distance education technology questionnaire (10 questions). Due to the standard questions of the questionnaires, it could be argued that they are highly valid. The reliability of the questionnaires was checked through Cronbach's alpha using SPSS software, and it was found that all three questionnaires were sufficiently reliable. The data were analyzed using SPSS, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses using LISREL software. The results showed that the development of critical thinking skills to select, analyze, and apply information to solve problems in everyday life should be the focus of education and training systems in this era rather than inventing and applying methods of memorizing and processing information in memory.

Studying a foreign language in a rewarding and motivating atmosphere will create a perfect setting to enhance language proficiency. It appears that course books and class activities are crucial in this context. This experimental research aimed to find the efficacy of supplementary materials designed based on multiple intelligences on learners' attitudes towards classroom activities (enjoyment, engagement, choice, and challenge). To that end, a two-phase study was planned. First, the researchers developed tasks for each lesson of Vision series, the book taught in the high schools of Iran. Then, the experimental groups (N=60) were exposed to the designed tasks and the course book while the control group (N=60) were exposed just to the course book for four months The Babel proficiency test, along with the translated edition of the Students’ Perceptions of Classroom Activities Scale was given to the experimental and control group participants as the pretest and posttest to examine the impact of the developed tasks on their perceptions of classroom activities. The results of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that the designed tasks had positive and significant effect on the students’ interests, challenge, choice, and joy.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine how psychological problems—such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, insomnia, and sleep issues—affect distance learning. Based on the experiences of experts and educators, this study will identify problems and potential solutions.Methodology: The study takes a qualitative approach, gathering and analyzing data using a phenomenological method. Twenty Ardabil primary school teachers and fourteen specialists from around Iran were among the participants, who were chosen via purposive selection until theoretical saturation was reached. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, and they were done both remotely and in person. Themes from the instructors' replies were found and categorized, and their frequency and percentage were then presented. The coding approach developed by Strauss and Corbin (2008) was used to examine the replies from the professionals. Triangulation, member checking, parallel data verification, and researcher self-review were used to guarantee the correctness and reliability of the interviews.Findings: The findings revealed that teachers encountered significant psychological challenges in the context of distance learning. To address these challenges, several strategies were proposed. Subsequently, specialists were consulted regarding the identified challenges, and solutions such as establishing a structured study routine, managing rest and sleep schedules, enhancing social interactions, providing psychological support services, training in stress management techniques, introducing flexible scheduling, prioritizing physical health, delegating tasks effectively, using visual aids, incorporating regular short breaks, reducing screen time, practicing breathing and relaxation exercises, applying cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and preventing avoidance behaviors were suggested. A more detailed presentation of these solutions is provided in the findings section.Conclusion: Education stakeholders are advised to implement the suggested strategies from teachers and specialists to identify and address the psychological challenges associated with distance learning effectively.

Teachers' and students’ perceptions play a crucial role in textbook evaluation. This paper examines English teachers' and students' perception of sociolinguistic features of Vision text books at senior high schools in Iran. To do so 5 male English teachers from various provinces of Iran, namely: Ilam, Lorestan, Kermanshah and Khouzestan, with an age range between 25 and 44, with 4 to 20 years experience and with a variety of academic degrees (1 PhD, 2 masters, 2 bachelors) were chosen to participate in the study, along with 5 high school students (1 grade 10, 2 grade 11 and 2 grade 12). The semi-structured interview consisted of 7 items, used to obtain participants' perceptions regarding textbook sociolinguistic features. An inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The target culture, gender and religion were represented in the deductive phase of analysis, and new themes emerged from the data in the inductive phase, including representation of races and ethnicities, dress codes, and traditions and customs. According to the findings, the majority of teachers and students believe that newly published EFL textbooks do not provide opportunities for students to improve their communicative competence and cultural awareness in the target language. Furthermore, they believed that male characters dominated the Vision series' texts and illustrations and Islamic ideology was dominant in the Vision series. Teachers, students, and ELT administrators, as well as textbook designers and materials creators, may benefit from the results of this study.

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between job self-efficacy, sense of coherence, and spiritual well-being among adults with hearing impairments. Specifically, it sought to determine the extent to which sense of coherence and spiritual well-being predict job self-efficacy in this population. A cross-sectional study design was employed, involving 300 adults with hearing impairments. Participants were recruited from rehabilitation centers, support groups, and online platforms. Data were collected using three standardized instruments: the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13), and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS-27 to explore the relationships between the variables. The mean job self-efficacy score was 28.56 (SD = 6.43), the mean sense of coherence score was 70.28 (SD = 14.92), and the mean spiritual well-being score was 92.65 (SD = 16.37). Job self-efficacy was significantly correlated with both sense of coherence (r = 0.53, p < 0.01) and spiritual well-being (r = 0.47, p < 0.01). The regression analysis revealed that sense of coherence (β = 0.37, p < 0.001) and spiritual well-being (β = 0.32, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of job self-efficacy, explaining 37% of the variance (F(2, 297) = 87.92, p < 0.001). The study highlights the significant roles of sense of coherence and spiritual well-being in predicting job self-efficacy among adults with hearing impairments. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing these psychological and spiritual dimensions could effectively support job self-efficacy in this population. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and explore additional factors that may influence job self-efficacy.