مطالب

The present study aimed to explore whether there is any significant relationship between Iranian EFL teachers’ traits in terms of personality type and their classroom management orientation. To this end, 130 EFL teachers from private language institutes and schools participated in this study. Three data collection instruments were used: a) personal demographic questionnaire, b) Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control inventory, and c) Five Factor Model personality questionnaire. The results showed that, out of five factors of personality trait and three factors of classroom management orientation, there were two significant relationships; there was a significant relationship between conscientiousness personality trait and instructional classroom management orientation, and there was also a significant relationship between conscientiousness and behavioral classroom management. No other significant relationship was found between other factors of personality and classroom management. The findings of this research can help raise awareness of teachers and teacher trainers alike of teacher personality traits and their possible relationship with classroom management orientation (of teachers).

This study aims to report on the literature related to the barriers to ICT (Information Communications Technology) integration into ESP (English for Specific Purposes) instruction that hinder promoting ESP instruction through this integration. The literature review has also shed light upon ways of addressing these barriers. To meet this end, the paper begins with discussing a review of some of the important Iranian and international studies on barriers to ICT integration in ESP instruction and then the paper highlights a number of first-order, second-order barriers, and ways of addressing them to help in promoting and changing traditional ESP instruction and materials. It is suggested that this review could be useful for those who make decisions about the ESP courses, for ESP material developers, and for ESP teachers to change from traditional ESP instruction, which is teacher-centered and text-based, to a new ESP instruction through ICT integration. This review has also implications for practice. Change is mostly challenging; reporting a review of previous studies on barriers to ICT integration at the tertiary level and proposing ways of addressing them may help defeat the barriers and may enhance acceptance of new ESP teaching and learning methods.

This study investigated the relationships between Iranian EFL teachers’ conceptions of assessment and their self-efficacy. For this purpose, 154 Iranian EFL teachers were selected through purposeful sampling and completed the 27-item teachers’ conceptions of assessment scale (TCoA) (Brown, 2006), and the 24-item teachers’ self-efficacy scale (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001). Multiple regression analysis and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The results showed that teachers considered assessment as a tool to determine how much have their students learned from instruction, assessment results can be used to modify teaching practices and assessment processes may be inaccurate. Moreover, they argued that assessment is an indicator of school performance and, at the same time, assessment results should be treated cautiously. In addition, the results showed that Iranian EFL teachers had a high level of self-efficacy, were good at asking appropriate questions and answering students’ difficult questions, can assess students’ learning, and provide alternative explanations and examples when learners are confused. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that school accountability and irrelevance predicted students’ engagement, students’ accountability predicted classroom management and improvement predicted instructional strategies. These results may have some implications for EFL teachers' professional development.