learning anxiety

This study explored the effectiveness of the two computer-assisted modes: cooperative and individual on improving Iranian high school students’ reading comprehension. It was also concerned with investigating the effectiveness of the two computer-assisted modes on the participants’ foreign language learning anxiety (FLLA). The sample of the study consisted of two intact groups, each containing 24 students, which were randomly assigned into a control and an experimental group. The control group completed the study according to the individual computer-assisted learning while the experimental group was taught via computer-assisted cooperative language learning. The participants in the experimental and the control groups, which consisted of 48 female students, took reading comprehension pretest and posttest. They were also given foreign language classroom anxiety scale (FLCAS) questionnaire both at the beginning and at the end of the treatment. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0. The results of the independent and paired samples t tests indicated that the experimental group, in which cooperative learning was integrated into computer-assisted language learning, outperformed the control group in terms of reading comprehension. In addition, the level of foreign language anxiety improved after the treatment in the experimental group. The findings of this study provide some insights for teachers to consider the integrating of cooperative learning into computer-assisted language learning setting.

The contributions of computer self-efficacy (CSE) to university students’ learning anxiety (LA) in online classes (OCs) has largely remained unexplored in the higher education context of Iran. Thus, this mixed-methods study aims to inspect the correlation between Iranian university students’ CSE and LA from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. For this purpose, a total of 290 undergraduate students, including male students (n = 64) and female students (n = 226) for the quantitative part and a sample of 18 undergraduate students, consisting of male students (n = 7) and female students (n = 11) for the qualitative part were chosen through a random sampling method at Ayatollah Borujerdi University, Iran. The participants were asked to fill out a Computer Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, an Anxiety in Online Classes Questionnaire, and a reflective written statement. The collected data were analyzed using a Pearson correlation coefficient test, a multiple regression analysis test, and a thematic coding approach. Findings documented that the participants’ CSE and LA were negatively correlated in OCs. Additionally, the results indicated that the participants’ LA was mainly affected by advanced and beginning factors of CSE. Furthermore, the qualitative findings yielded five overarching themes, including ‘high CSE leads to more risk-taking’, ‘high CSE leads to increased motivation’, ‘high CSE leads to useful experiences’, ‘high CSE leads to accessing additional knowledge sources’, and ‘high CSE leads to increased self-regulation’. The study concludes by offering some implications for pertinent stakeholders.