مطالب

Teaching English through virtual online platforms has been practiced by language teachers during Covid-19 pandemic. The present mixed-methods study aimed to investigate EFL learners’ and teachers’ perceptions of virtual online classes and examine the potential (non)alignment between their perceptions as well. To do so, 80 learners and 30 teachers took part in the quantitative part and then, 18 learners and 12 teachers of English were selected for the qualitative part of the study. In the quantitative part, the participants responded to a self-report questionnaire on their experiences with online classes. In the qualitative part, the participants took part in online semi-structured interviews. After the questionnaire data provided a general profile of the learners’ and teachers’ opinions, analysis of the qualitative data resulted in the emergence of two major themes of 1) using online instruction as a productive device in language learning; and 2) efficient learning through communication. EFL teachers’ data revealed their belief in 1) fostering interactive classroom through online instruction; and 2) learners’ involvement and enthusiasm for classroom participation. It was also found that both learners and teachers expressed satisfaction with virtual online classes and creation of an interactive learning atmosphere through virtual classes, which indicated the existence of relative alignment between their perceptions. The findings of the study contributed to the EFL teachers’ awareness of applying online instruction in order to create an interactive learning environment for EFL learners and assist them to be enthusiastically involved in classroom communication.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the influential factors and the consequences of managers’ growth in the Red Crescent Society of Tehran, Iran. METHODS: This is a practical quantitative and qualitative study. The statistical population in the qualitative part of the study included experts and specialists (n=20) working in the Red Crescent Society of Tehran, Iran, who were selected using a non-random sampling method and interviews. The quantitative part of the study included 257 employees working in the Red Crescent Society of Tehran, of whom 152 were selected using a random cluster sampling method. FINDINGS: According to the results, seven factors were recognized as the requirements for designing the maturity model of the managers of the Red Crescent Society in Tehran. CONCLUSION: Based on the obtained results in this study, organizational factors were considered causal conditions, which consisted of seven components (managerial, structural, organizational culture, organizational training, organizational justice, organizational sociability of managers, and psychological contracts of managers with the organization). Moreover, five effective dimensions of managers’ growth led to employees’ participation, employees’ commitment, the organization’s productivity, the organization’s performance, and the manager’s self-efficacy.

Background: Many investment decisions are not only affected by economic indicators and rationality, but also categories such as work experience, social responsibility, risk, investor self-confidence, etc. affect investor’s behavior and their decisions. The main purpose of this study is to present a financial behavior model based on psychological and moral factors. Method: The present study was mixed. In the qualitative part, the Delphi technique was used. The statistical population of all experts and managers of brokerages, investment funds, investment portfolios, traders and analysts had professional qualifications and high experience, of which 12 people were considered as snowball technique as a sample. It was an interview tool and finally the data were analyzed by fuzzy Delphi method. In a small part, the descriptive-survey method was used. 287 members of the investor community were considered as a sample. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Finally, using AMOS software, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation design were investigated. Results: Finally, the analysis model in this study was approved. Based on the importance of investors' behavior and the importance of moral and psychological characteristics in the capital market, it was shown that the expected return formed has a direct effect on the psychological characteristics of optimism, distrust, risk aversion and emotion, as well as ethics. It was also shown that psychological and moral characteristics affected turnover, trading volume, risk sharing, risk appetite. In addition, one of the most important results is a combination of behavioral factors (optimism, overconfidence, emotion, risk aversion and ethics) and market efficiency (trading volume, turnover, risk appetite and risk sharing). Conclusion: The obtained results indicate the effect of emotional and psychological and moral characteristics and characteristics on the behavior of investors and is important to drive the market towards rationality and on the other hand as a basis for designing investment strategies for investment managers.

Purpose: Epistemology as one of the philosophical foundations in the field of education can play an important role in blended learning, ie using more than one method, strategy and technique for learning. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of designing and validation the epistemological model in blended learning Methodology: The present study was applied from type of qualitative-quantitative. The population of the qualitative section was the documents related to epistemology and blended learning in the years 1990 to 2020 which 80 books, 60 dissertations and 60 articles were selected by purposive sampling method and in addition, included experts in the field of philosophy of education and distance learning which based on the principle of theoretical saturation number of 10 people of them were selected by purposive sampling method. The population of the quantitative section were faculty members and doctoral students of the department of philosophy of education and distance learning of Payame Noor University in 2020-2021 years which based on Krejcie and Morgan's table number of 200 people of them were selected by stratified random sampling method with using the teacher and student ratio. The tool of the qualitative section was the recording of books, dissertations and articles and interviews with experts, and the tool of the quantitative section was a researcher-made questionnaire whose psychometric indicators were confirmed. Data were analyzed by coding method in MAXQDA software and exploratory factor analysis and one-sample t-test in SPSS software. Findings: Findings showed that the epistemological model in blended learning had 60 subcategories in 9 categories including purpose, evaluation, educational correction, content, teaching method, teacher, learner, media and cognitive presence that its model was drawn. Also, validation of model indicated that the factor load of all 6 questions related to validation of model was higher than 0.30, their validity was higher than 0.50 and their reliability was higher than 0.70. In addition, the mean of all 6 questions was higher than the hypothetical mean of the population (P<0.001). Conclusion: The findings showed that the designed model for epistemology in blended learning had good validity. Therefore, curriculum specialists and planners can use this model along with other models to improve blended learning

Purpose: The efficiency of various organizations, especially educational organizations, depends to a large extent on the accountability of their principals. Therefore, the aim of the present research was to analyze the dimensions and components of promoting the accountability of secondary school principals. Methodology: This was an applied qualitative study. The study population included academic experts in educational management and educational sciences of Hormozgan province in 2020-2021. According to the principle of theoretical saturation, the sample size was estimated to be 10 individuals who were selected by purposive sampling method. The data collection instrument included a semi-structured interview. The validity of the above instrument was confirmed by the triangulation method and its reliability was calculated 0.85 using intercoder agreement coefficient. Finally, data analysis was carried out by open, axial and selective coding method in MAXQDA ver. 2018. Findings: The results of the present research showed that promoting the accountability of secondary school principals consisted of 32 indices, 9 components and 3 dimensions as follows: social accountability with two components of commitment to others and justification of an action to others, organizational accountability with four components of monitoring mechanisms, reporting, downward accountability and internal accountability, and functional accountability with three components of individual accountability, transparency and participation. Finally, the model of promoting the accountability of secondary school principals was drawn. Conclusion: According to the results of the current research, in order to promote the accountability of secondary school principals, it is necessary to promote social, organizational, and functional accountability dimension and their indices and components.