مطالب

Notwithstanding its cultural wealth, archaeologists have hitherto given little consideration to Meshkinshahr County of Iran’s Ardabil Province. The region is remarkably rich in graves, as is evident from the various types of graves with simple inhumation, dolmen, rectangular stone-built, and Kurgan. In the spring of 2019, a rare example of Kurgan was investigated near the city of Fakhrabad. Unlike all other graves excavated in northwest Iran, its structure consisted of a combination of stones and mud bricks. This paper presents the preliminary results from the excavation of this Kurgan. While introducing the Kurgan, an assemblage of small artifacts and its structure were examined, and a relative chronology was then proposed. The Kurgan arguably occupies a special place in archaeology of Iran and South Caucasus given a combination of stones with mud bricks it has in its construction. Such Kurgan type still remains unreported from the region.

The present study aimed at investigating Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ emotional experiences that could affect their professional identity. Due to the qualitative nature of the study, seven high school teachers of Mashhad and Zabol were selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Qualitative analysis of teachers’ interviews through open, axial and selective stages of coding resulted in the four components of 1) teachers’ sense of appreciation for teaching; 2) teachers’ sense of connectedness to other colleagues; 3) teachers’ sense of competence in teaching; and 4) teachers’ sense of commitment, which were found to influence their professional identity. The study's findings contributed to acknowledge the significance of teachers’ emotions as determining factor in their professional identity. On the practical side, teacher educators can gain insight into the importance of teachers’ emotions in shaping their identities in EFL classrooms. The study demonstrated that teachers’ emotional experiences can greatly influence the formation of their identities. Findings have significant implications for both teachers and students. When teachers are aware of their emotions and their effects on their professional identity, it can lead to better outcomes for learners. A teacher who is emotionally stable, confident, and motivated is more likely to inspire and engage students, resulting in increased student achievement, motivation, and engagement in the classroom. By equipping teachers with the necessary skills to navigate their emotions, teacher education programs can contribute to the overall improvement of teaching practices and ultimately enhance student learning outcomes.

Technology-enhanced language instruction has attracted researchers’ attention in language teaching and learning in recent decades. Accordingly, the present mixed-methods study attempts to investigate the effect of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on EFL learners’ vocabulary development and listening comprehension. In doing so, 60 intermediate EFL learners were conveniently chosen for the quantitative phase of the study and were divided into one experimental group (n=30) and one control group (n=30). The teacher-researchers taught vocabulary tasks and listening skills to both groups, using computer software for the experimental group and the traditional method for the control group for 10 sessions for 5 weeks straight. To look into the effect of CALL instruction, quantitative methodology was employed. By analyzing the mean scores of the learners’ pre-test and post-test, it was revealed that the incorporation of computer software in English Language Teaching (ELT) classes resulted in learners’ significant improvement in vocabulary learning and listening comprehension. Then, the qualitative phase of the study began and 24 learners from the same experimental group were invited to semi-structured interviews to share their experiences of CALL classes with the researchers. The qualitative analysis of learners’ data manifested two thematic categories: 1) technology is an asset to EFL learners, and 2) technology makes the input more comprehensible. The findings of the study contributed to the conscious use of technology-enhanced instruction through computer and mobile tools to provide an interactive learning atmosphere for EFL learners, and to help them develop language skills and sub-skills, which seems beneficial for both EFL learners and teachers as ubiquitous technology is becoming an inevitable member of teaching and learning community.

Aim: Emotional and cognitive components such as emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion have a significant impact on generalized anxiety disorder, and the above components are considered to be the main factors in the creation and continuation of this disorder. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare emotional intelligence, Alexithymia and thought-action fusion in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and normal people.Method: The present study was descriptive and causal-comparative in terms of its fundamental purpose and data collection method. The statistical population of the research was all generalized anxiety patients who referred to specialized psychiatry and counseling clinics in Qazvin city in the spring and summer of 1402, who were diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder by specialists. From this statistical population, 50 people with pervasive anxiety and 50 normal people were selected by available sampling method. The tools of this research were Bar-N's Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (1980), Toronto Alexithymia Questionnaire (1994) and Rachman and Shafran's Thought-Action Fusion Questionnaire (1998). Data were analyzed using SPSS-25 software and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Findings:The results showed that there is a significant difference between emotional intelligence (F=24.22 and P<0.01), Alexithymia (F=14.77 and P<0.01) and thought-action fusion (F=9.85 and P<0.01) exists in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and normal people. Conclusion:Therefore, it is recommended to pay special attention to the role of emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Also, experts can use the research results for the prevention and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.

Objective: The current study investigated the impact of family-oriented psycho-educational interventions based on integrating systemic approaches on the dimensions of family functioning. Methods: The research design is a pre-test and post-test experiment using two experimental and control groups. The statistical population included all the families referred to family and marriage counseling centers in Tabriz City under the supervision of the General Department of Sports and Youth of East Azerbaijan Province.  In response to advertisements published in these centers, the families volunteered to participate in a psycho-educational course to enhance their family functioning. The volunteers were examined using the family assessment device (FAD), and 20 couples whose scores were average to low were selected as sample members and randomly replaced in the experimental (10 couples) and control (10 couples) groups. The experimental intervention was implemented in 10 sessions, each lasting 120 minutes on the experimental group, and the control group did not receive any intervention. At the end of the intervention, the members of both groups were re-evaluated with the family assessment device. The data was analyzed using univariate covariance analysis. Results: The results indicated a significant difference in family performance between the groups, showing that the intervention has successfully improved the performance of the families. Conclusion: The use of systemic family therapy, especially in an integrated form, is effective in improving various family-related components.