درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

This study attempted to explore to what extent each of the three techniques of culture narratives, culture capsules and culture training activities significantly affect the critical cultural awareness of Iranian EFL learners by comparing their means from pretest to post-test questionnaire after ten-session treatment. Furthermore, it investigated whether there are any differences in the effectiveness of these techniques. Regarding the participants, the testing group was 154 undergraduate English language translation students, including both male and female students, forming three experimental groups. This investigation used the quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. The sampling method was convenience sampling. The homogeneity test and a pre-post critical cultural awareness questionnaire were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed through Repeated Measures ANOVA and Simple Effect Analysis. Based on the obtained results, there were significant differences between the pretest and the post-test, which means that by applying the techniques mentioned above, the critical cultural awareness of learners increased. Also, there were significant differences between the three groups’ overall means on pre-post critical cultural awareness questionnaires. Considering the three groups, culture narratives, culture capsule and culture training activities, the former outperforms the others. Furthermore, between culture training activities and culture capsule groups, the culture training activities group performed better than the culture capsule group.

The present study focused on the effect of an in-service meta-pragmatics training course on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ pragmatic awareness and classroom pragmatic practices. A mixed methods design was used to achieve the objectives of the study. In the quantitative phase of the study, 300 EFL teachers were selected through convenience sampling and filled out the Pragmatic Awareness Questionnaire. In the qualitative phase, 60 of those teachers participated in a pragmatic training course. They were divided into experimental and control groups and underwent the processes of pretesting, intervention, and post-testing. Furthermore, 30 of these teachers were observed in terms of their teaching inter-language pragmatics both before and after the training course of meta-pragmatics. The results of the multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA) revealed that EFL teacher’s pragmatic awareness was relatively low. In addition, the findings unveiled a statistically significant difference between the EFL teachers’ meta-pragmatic awareness and their practices in terms of the 'language teacher' component. Moreover, the findings showed a statistically significant improvement in the EFL teachers’ pragmatic practices regarding teaching pragmatic features after receiving the instructions. The results of this study have some implications for stakeholders, namely EFL teacher trainers, EFL teachers, and EFL students.

The present study aimed to explore the strategies and challenges faced by Iranian teachers in classroom management. The importance of this study lied in its potential contribution to effective approaches in classroom management, professional growth of teachers, and research knowledge. To serve that end, it utilized a qualitative research design, employing semi-structured interview and open-ended questionnaire to gather data from a sample of Iranian teachers. The findings revealed that Iranian teachers were required to use different strategies to put their knowledge resources and practices of classroom management into the real context of classroom with high effectiveness. The study also indicated several challenges faced by Iranian teachers, such as students’ misbehavior, class communication, fulfillment of learner expectations, time management, care for and attention to learners, giving and receiving feedback, interactions with students’ families, flexibility, accountability and commitment, lesson planning, group work planning, and professional ethics. It can be concluded that teachers’ classroom management literacy is fed by different knowledge resources. Moreover, classroom management literacy is not formed overnight, but it is the product of various knowledge domains. More importantly, classroom management is not an easy task for Iranian teachers. These findings have significant implications for Iranian teachers, teacher educators and curriculum planners.