مطالب

A flipped classroom, as one of the participatory learning techniques, is based on group dynamics and social interactions. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom technique in promoting academic motivation and self-efficacy among high school students. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included all female high school students in Ahvaz city in the academic year 2019-2020. Using the purposive sampling method, 30 ones were selected and divided into experimental and control groups (n=15 per group). The research instrument included the Academic Motivation Questionnaire and Student Self-Efficacy Scale. The experimental group received the flipped teaching program during eight 90-minute sessions; however, the control group received the traditional teaching method. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the flipped and traditional teaching methods in experimental and control groups (p<0.0001). The flipped classroom technique was effective in increasing academic motivation and self-efficacy among students. The study findings indicate that the flipped classroom method can be used to promote academic motivation and self-efficacy and decrease academic failure among students.

The purpose of this descriptive-internet survey was to examine whether Persian- English bilinguals express different personality traits when they switch language when responding to Big Five Inventory (BFI) as a measure of personality once in Persian and once in English. It has been proposed that language activates cultural specific frames and bilinguals represent different personality patterns in each language. In this research 60 Persian- English sequential bilinguals living in the United States were selected by volunteer sampling method. They were asked to respond to an online version of BFI in both languages. The result demonstrated that, bilinguals had higher levels of Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Openness in English than in Persian where as their scores for Neuroticism were lower in English. These findings support the effect of language on personality and demonstrate the function of language as a strong cue for Cultural Frame Switching (CFS) since language was able to activate CFS for Agreeableness, Extraversion, Openness, and Neuroticism.

The present study attempted to probe into the effects of four planning time conditions (pre-task, extended task, free writing, and control) over the frequency of employing metacognitive strategies in argumentative and expository writings of 108 participants. Employing an experimental writing task design under four planning time conditions and implementing a retrospective questionnaire, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted. Through implementing the retrospective questionnaire, an 8-point Likert-type scale was used and the associated statistical procedures were employed. The results showed that the frequency of the use of Generation of Ideas strategy was significantly higher in the argumentative writings than in the expository writings. The use of Elaboration of Ideas strategy was significantly different from Thinking about Language Aspects strategy and Thinking about the Essay Structure strategy and it was the lowest. The highest strategy use belonged to ‘Thinking about Language Aspects strategy’, followed by Thinking about the Essay Structure, Generation of Ideas, Organization of Ideas and Elaboration of Ideas strategies respectively. The use of ‘Thinking about Language Aspects strategy’ in the extended task condition was different from the other groups, and it was the lowest. In ‘Thinking about Language Aspects strategy’ use no significant differences were observed among argumentative and expository writings. The study can help broaden the understanding of EFL writers’ metacognitive writing processes involving planning and, the results may have pedagogical implications for EFL writing instructors and theoretical implications for EFL writing researchers.