مطالب

In recent years, the field of medicine in Iran has faced significant public scrutiny, influenced by two major health crises: the 2016 death of acclaimed filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami due to a medical error and the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines shifts in the emotional and discursive climate surrounding medicine and physicians on Persian Twitter before and after these events. Using relevant medical hashtags, over 131,000 tweets from 2015 to 2020 were analyzed through sentiment analysis, employing a rule-based approach with NVivo12 software. The findings reveal a sevenfold increase in tweets about medicine during Kiarostami’s death, accompanied by heightened negativity and associations of terms like "error," "negligence," and "mistake" with medicine which has resulted in the reconstruction of 'medical error.' Additionally, as a result of the association of the terms' error,' 'negligence,' and 'mistake' with 'medicine,' the obviousness of the physician's holiness and respect for medicine has deteriorated, and the association of the terms' value and credibility' with medicine has been de-naturalized. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sentiment shifted positively, reflecting greater appreciation for the medical profession. This study highlights how public sentiment towards medicine changes in response to major health crises, emphasizing the interplay between public sphere and trust in healthcare systems. Understanding these dynamics can inform strategies to rebuild trust and address public concerns about medical practices.

The use of smartphones in higher education has significantly impacted the global education landscape, particularly in Bangladeshi tertiary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Despite their importance in improving students' communicative competence, listening skills are often overlooked in these classrooms due to limited access to listening equipment. This study, at the very outset, seeks to address their challenges while developing listening. Furthermore, it focused on identifying the perception of the learners and teachers towards the appropriate and effective use of smartphones to minimize their listening difficulties. This research design followed the sequential explanatory mixed-method approach to align the objectives. Convenience sampling was employed to select 11 participants for the qualitative component, ranging from lecturers to associate professors, as well as 159 students from 25 universities across Bangladesh for the quantitative component. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview were used to collect data. The study utilized SPSS 25.0 to analyze quantitative data presenting mean, median, mode, and standard deviation for the descriptive study, and a deductive thematic analysis technique was employed for qualitative data. The results showed that learners believe smartphones effectively help them overcome challenges like context sensitivity, pronunciation, missed or misperceived words, natural speech rate adaptation, accent comprehension, and vocabulary deficits. This study also finds that using smartphones to improve students' listening abilities in tertiary EFL classes is highly doable. This study also recommends that EFL teachers and administrative authorities work together in order to successfully integrate cell phones in an EFL classroom.

The e-learning integration has emerged as an alternative strategy, significantly improving teaching and learning experiences in higher education worldwide. However, it has also presented different challenges and opportunities for teachers and students. This comparative, cross-cultural study explored the perspectives of German vs. Iranian EFL teachers on e-learning integration in higher education. The data were collected utilising a mixed-methods design and based on convenient sampling through two questionnaires on challenges and opportunities, semi-structured interviews, and observations from 26 German EFL teachers and 92 Iranian EFL teachers. The study focused on the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. The questionnaire findings revealed that both groups recognised significant challenges and opportunities in e-learning. German teachers appreciated organisational improvements and evaluative innovations, whereas Iranians valued stress reduction and access to materials. Both groups faced technological and administrative challenges, with Iranians reporting more severe difficulties, highlighting the need for tailored support and resources to enhance online education. Interviews indicated a preference for face-to-face instruction among Germans, with greater resistance to online formats compared to Iranians. Younger teachers in both contexts showed more positive attitudes towards e-learning, with a consensus on the future of blended learning. The observations also supported the findings. Results indicated significant differences and similarities between the two contexts, highlighting technological, academic, pedagogical, and cultural factors influencing e-learning integration. The study findings could offer practical implications for policymakers and material developers, emphasising the need for custom-made e-learning strategies for different educational contexts. This cross-cultural comparison could suggest insights for teachers interested in integrating e-learning into their teaching.