مطالب

Corporate social responsibility approaches are becoming increasingly widespread since environmental performance is a significant aspect of developing a firm socioemotional wealth, such as legitimacy, trustworthiness, and image. This study investigates the moderating role of managers’ emotional intelligence on the relationship between research and development costs and the social and environmental responsibility of manufacturing companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange. This research is applied and correlational. One hundred thirty-two companies were selected as sample companies that were active in the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2010-2020. The data is collected from the actual financial statements of the companies through the Kodal website, and it is compiled using Excel software. The method of testing the hypotheses is moderator regression (hierarchical), and Eviuse 12 software is used to test the hypotheses. The findings reveal that research and development costs have a meaningful relationship with the social and environmental responsibility of manufacturing companies, and the emotional intelligence of managers has a moderating role in the relationship between research and development costs and the social and environmental responsibility of manufacturing companies. The results can help all stakeholders evaluate the level of attention of companies to research and development costs and corporate social and environmental responsibility.

This paper aimed to critically investigate Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, in terms of Louise Althusser’s concepts of ideology and Interpellation. Kazuo Ishiguro’s sixth novel, Never Let Me Go, explores the tragic condition of clones living in an imaginary England of the late 1990s. Out of the parts and pieces of the main character’s fragmented memory and unclear descriptions, the reader finds out that Kathy and her friends are clones created to give certain vital organs to ordinary people. However, the main characters in this dystopian novel are not looking for emancipation, and very little could be observed in terms of resistance or objection. Applying Althusser’s theories of ideology and interpellation, this study tried to discover the reasons for the characters’ passivity and submission. The findings showed that certain beliefs and values despite being shockingly violent were internalized, naturalized, and justified in the decisive ages of childhood through the dominant ideological system. Moreover, the effect of educational system as one of the most important ISAs (Ideological State Apparatus) in interpellating the individual characters into subjects is analyzed in this novel.

This study is aimed at investigating the writing skills of students with attention deficiency (attention deficit disorder). As a part of their assignments, middle school and high school students in India are required to write character sketches. In this study it was observed that students faced difficulties in imagining different aspects of the character. As a result they wrote short, incomplete and poorly detailed character sketches. According to a study , the problems students face while writing in English include grammar, syntax, spelling, punctuation and choice of vocabulary. This study is aimed at investigating the development of writing skills in students diagnosed with an attention deficit. Bronfenbrenner’s ‘Nature vs Nurture’ model was used to create a template for writing character sketches. Character sketches written by 10 students with AD were examined before and after the introduction of Bronfenbrenner’s model using a rubric. When Bronfenbrenner’s model was introduced to them, their ability to write a character sketch increased by 50 to 70 percent. The incorporation of Bronfenbrenner’s model helped the students form fuller character sketches by considering the different influencers in Bronfenbrenner’s ‘systems’ and their interactions with them.

Critical thinking is a fundamental cognitive skill that significantly influences our thought processes. Without it, reaching impartial and accurate conclusions becomes challenging. This skill holds profound importance in educational settings. The focus of the present study was to examine how teaching critical thinking skills enhances the critical thinking and reading comprehension abilities of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A group of 40 in-service EFL teachers from Farhangian University in Iran underwent pretests on reading comprehension and critical thinking. Critical thinking interventions were systematically integrated into the course curriculum at 4-week intervals. Following the instructional period, posttests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the critical thinking intervention program. Results indicated a notable improvement in both the knowledge and attitudes towards critical thinking. Moreover, the program positively impacted the students' reading comprehension levels, particularly their ability to critically approach reading comprehension tests. This highlights the significance of creating an environment where students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts without the fear of judgment. Educators play a crucial role in fostering optimal critical thinking behaviors and attitudes through effective modeling. Promoting a culture of open expression and critical thinking is key to nurturing well-rounded learners.

Metaphor, as a conceptual and cognitive tool, plays an important role in language learning and teaching. It was once thought to be a stylistic problem, but now it is recognized as an essential part of both ordinary and specialist language and, more significantly, as a basic process of how people conceptualize the world. The use of metaphor in language, thought and communication has been examined in second language (L2) learning. The present paper examines roles of using metaphor in language learning and teaching. First and for most, this paper aims at shedding light on a new facet of Gardner’s (1983) multiple intelligence that is metaphoric intelligence. Second, it focuses on the overall history of its utilization in language learning and teaching. Third, a plethora of strategies and activities for its implementation will be discussed in details. Last but not the least, some problems of its application and justification of its implementation will be touched upon.