Undergraduate students

The current study aimed at investigating the academic learning needs of Iranian undergraduate students of English Language and Literature from the perspective of 320 stakeholders including undergraduate students (n=252), graduates (n=51), English literature instructors (n=7), and language instructors (n=10). To this aim, atriangulation of the most important data collection instruments of needs analysis (i.e., questionnaires, class observations, and semistructured interviews) was adopted for data collection at eight different Iranian state universities. The results of data analysis revealed that the above-mentioned students are not adequately equipped with learning and communication strategies during their academic and preacademic studies. The results of the current study may promise implications for the provision of some extracurricular EFL courses at the tertiary and senior high school levels in order to enhance students’ sociocultural and strategic competence based on the shared decision-making process among different stakeholders in the course design community

Based on the learning-centred approach to needs analysis, the current study aimed at investigating the academic target needs of undergraduate students of English Language and Literature in Iran as a non-native context nationwide by employing a triangulation of instrumentations namely, questionnaires, class observations, and semi structured interviews. To this end, 320 stakeholders from eight different Iranian state universities participated in the current study. The results of this study revealed a discrepancy between the target needs of the students and the actual EFL courses they undertake during their academic and pre-academic studies. During pre-academic studies, students are not adequately equipped with critical thinking abilities, study skills, and general English proficiency which are required by their prospective academic needs. Likewise, the prevalent lecture-based teaching methodologies as utilized by Iranian content specialists at the tertiary level, seemed to be ineffective in sufficiently equipping the students with sound literary knowledge as well as professional writing and reading skills. The findings may promise implications for establishing a consistent nationwide pedagogical framework for EFL instruction at the non-native academic and pre-academic levels by a synthesis of different communicative and learning-centered approaches to language teaching based on a systematic cooperation among different stakeholders.

Purpose: This study examines the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) and social competence (SC) on career readiness among senior undergraduate students. With the evolving demands of the professional world, understanding these attributes provides essential insights into preparing students for successful career integration. Methodology: A cross-sectional design was utilized involving 330 senior undergraduate students selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie table for appropriate sample size. The Career Readiness Scale (CRS), Social Competence Inventory (SCI), and Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) were employed to measure the respective constructs. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses performed using SPSS version 27. Findings: Descriptive statistics indicated average scores of 3.45 (SD = 0.88) for career readiness, 4.12 (SD = 0.75) for social competence, and 3.98 (SD = 0.81) for emotional intelligence. Pearson correlation results revealed significant positive relationships between career readiness and social competence (r = 0.61, p < 0.01), and between career readiness and emotional intelligence (r = 0.56, p < 0.01). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that these variables collectively accounted for 38% of the variance in career readiness (R² adjusted = 0.38, F = 14.36, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The findings highlight the significant predictive power of both emotional intelligence and social competence on career readiness in undergraduate students. These competencies are crucial for educational and professional development programs aiming to enhance students' transition into the workforce.