مطالب

The emergence of technological advances dramatically changed the status of foreign language teaching forever, making computer-assisted language learning (CALL) into a key area in foreign language teaching and later a distinct academic discipline at higher education level. The present study describes the intended curriculum of a two-year post-graduate technology-enhanced language teaching program launched at Al-Zahra University, a women’s university in Tehran, Iran, as well as the national context within which the program was developed. It begins with a background on the significance of technology in education followed by a brief history of education in Iran. The main part of the paper describes the intended curriculum of the program from different perspectives including the aims and rationales, significance of the program, student profile (who takes it) and sources of the M.A. admission examination, abilities intended for graduates, courses of the program, syllabus and recommended readings, and assessment of the course outcomes. The paper finally concludes by discussing what is not included in the curriculum as well as the implications for teacher educators and suggestions for further research.

Despite its recognized importance in preparing prospective teachers for the realities of the classroom, the practicum in Iranian TEFL programs faces several challenges that can significantly impact its effectiveness and hinder the development of competent and confident TEFL teachers in the country. This study, characterized as a comprehensive nationwide triangulated project, aimed at exploring and comparing the perception of the Iranian TEFL Preservice Teachers (PSTs) and the corresponding stakeholders on major issues, problems and challenges of the practicum program at Farhangian University. To these ends, a researcher-made practicum evaluation questionnaire was distributed among the participants (including 230 PSTs and 215 stakeholders) whose answers were analyzed through factor analysis. Based on factor loadings, nine major extracted factors in the two participant groups were compared through Independent Samples t-tests. The results showed that PSTs and stakeholders shared common perceptions on six factors while they held different perceptions only on three other factors. A semi-structured interview was additionally designed and conducted with 15 PSTs and 15 stakeholders. Finally, 10 practicum courses were observed to obtain an accurate understanding of the current situation of ELT PSTs’ internship education in Iran. The findings uncovered major issues and challenges with regard to ELT practicum including (a) limited adaptability and innovation in instructional approaches, resources, and materials utilized by the cooperating teachers who served as a role model for PSTs, (b) insufficient collaboration between educational institutions and universities, (c) lack of proper supervision by university advisors, d) insufficiency of time allotted to PSTs for teaching,  and e) huge gap between theoretical concepts related to the practicum principles studied in university courses with the practical realities faced by PSTs in the school environment, to name a few. The findings of the study might firstly give some insight to universities and schools in developing and implementing high-quality practicum programs that might contribute to the advancement of ELT teacher education programs. Moreover, the study can contribute to our understanding of the extent to which PSTs can integrate theoretical knowledge into their teaching practices.

Inclusion as an educational practice that has its roots in social justice promotes equal access to educational opportunities for all students irrespective of their special educational needs (SEN). The efficacy of such inclusive education largely depends on teachers, particularly their attitudes and skills for teaching students with SEN in mainstream classrooms. That being the case, teacher education programs play a crucial role in fostering these requisite skills and attitudes. This quantitative cross-sectional correlational study examines the attitudes, sentiments, and concerns of pre-service English language teachers regarding inclusive education. A total of 139 pre-service English teachers from five universities completed the Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education–Revised Scale. Descriptive statistics and correlational analyses were used to analyze the data. The results indicated moderate attitudes towards inclusive education among the pre-service English language teachers. While their sentiments and concerns about inclusive education showed variations based on their prior coursework experience, their attitudes remained stable. Moreover, the attitudes and concerns of the participants did not reveal a significant correlation with their policy knowledge, but the sentiment scores showed statistically significant differences in the two groups. Finally, the amount of previous experience with SEN students did not significantly differ in terms of attitudes, sentiments, or concerns about inclusive education. The findings provide implications for foreign language teachers, teacher educators, and initial teacher education program developers.

This study examined the impact of AI-driven feedback on the writing complexity of Iranian intermediate EFL learners using a quasi-experimental design. Through convenience sampling, 100 participants (male and female, aged 18-25) from two language institutes in Tehran were divided into four groups: two experimental groups receiving direct and indirect feedback from AI ChatGPT, and two control groups receiving the same feedback types from their teacher. Participants completed a pre-test, ten writing tasks over 14 weeks, and a post-test. Results, analyzed via descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA, indicated notable improvements in writing complexity across all groups. The AI direct feedback group showed the highest improvement, with a mean difference of 5.24 (p < 0.05), followed by the teacher direct feedback group, which also demonstrated significant gains. The AI indirect feedback group exhibited moderate progress, while the teacher indirect feedback group showed the least improvement. Analysis of syntactic measures revealed that AI feedback, particularly direct feedback, effectively enhanced sentence structures and encouraged the use of more sophisticated vocabulary. These findings highlight AI-driven feedback’s potential to enhance EFL learners’ writing complexity, with direct feedback yielding the greatest benefits.

With the expansion of natural sciences from the 15th century and the stagnation of the humanities in the 18th and 19th centuries, debates emerged among scholars regarding whether the humanities follow the rules of natural sciences or have their own distinct principles. Some thinkers believed that if the humanities adhered to the methodologies of natural sciences, they would be similar to them; others believed that the humanities have their own specific methods. The latter group strove to establish the foundations for legitimizing the humanities. In Iran society, influenced both by philosophical and methodological debates in academic circles and by the ideological and intellectual climate following the intellectual situation of Iran society, various interpretations of the humanities emerged. Among the Iranian thinkers who theorized about the humanities, influenced by these conditions, are Reza Davari Ardakani and Abdulkarim Soroush. The present study aims to examine the concept and methodology of the humanities in the thoughts of Iranian thinkers, focusing on the opinions and ideas of Reza Davari Ardakani and Abdulkarim Soroush. Reza Davari Ardakani and Abdulkarim Soroush, on one hand, were influenced by the intellectual and methodological debates of scientism and hermeneutics in international academic circles and, on the other hand, by the intellectual atmosphere of Iran society, engaged with the subject of the humanities. Reza Davari Ardakani regards the humanities as a product of the crisis of Western modernity, while Abdulkarim Soroush considers humanity method to be the same as that of natural sciences and understands it based on this method.

Research Objective: The present study aims to examine how Reza Shah's despotism influenced the Iranian legislative system in the contemporary era. This is primarily done through an analysis of the National Assembly's performance during its sixth to twelfth sessions. The study also aims to explain the mechanisms used to strengthen authoritarianism by intervening in the legislative process. Research Methodology: This paper utilizes the theoretical framework of patrimonialism and employs a documentary method with descriptive analysis. Historical sources, official documents, and legislative texts form the basis for data collection and analysis.Findings: The research findings indicate that Reza Shah successfully manipulated the legislative environment to consolidate his personal power. He achieved this by undermining the Assembly's independence, interfering in the composition of its representatives, eliminating political opponents, and leveraging authoritarian legitimacy. These interventions not only impacted the selection process of representatives but also significantly influenced the content of the laws passed. Conclusion: The study concludes that Reza Shah's despotism, by dominating the legislative body, played a crucial role in weakening political institutions and reducing the transparency of the legislative process in Iran. By offering a clear depiction of the interplay between authoritarianism and legislation, this study contributes to a more profound understanding of institution- building in contemporary Iranian history

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to provide a framework for innovative social media marketing strategies to address the impacts of health crises on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Method: This research is applied in nature, based on a survey-exploratory approach, and employs a qualitative methodology. The statistical population consists of experts in urban management and human resources management. Using the theoretical sampling method, interviews were conducted with 15 experts until theoretical saturation was achieved. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis. Findings: The research findings resulted in a comprehensive model comprising five main themes and eighteen sub-themes. These include: driving factors (online brand communities, social listening, customer participation marketing, prosumer (producer-consumer) influencer marketing, gamification), strategic factors (increasing engagement, product/service development, increasing brand awareness, creating word-of-mouth advertising, increasing brand credibility), facilitating factors (brand associations, strengthening brand identity), primary outcomes (correctly understanding consumer needs and opinions, creating value for consumers),  secondary outcomes (market development and new customer acquisition, sales promotion, loyalty promotion). Conclusion: The study provides a practical framework to enhance SME resilience through innovative social media strategies during health crises, emphasizing key driving, strategic, and facilitating factors along with their outcomes.