Social factors

Many factors may be involved in determining why some students are more and some are less proficient in language. This study tried to explore the factors affecting Iranian EFL learners’ proficiency. 221 students at second, third and fourth year of university, including 50 male and 171 female were selected randomly to participate in the study. A researcher-made questionnaire and a proficiency test comprised the data collection instruments. The researchers were able to identify three factors affecting language proficiency. They were classified as social factors, cultural factors and linguistic factors, Then a model was developed to represent the relationship among these factors and language proficiency. In line with Bourdieu’s (1986), the results of data analysis indicated that social factors are among the most dominant factors affecting the learners’ language proficincy.

Despite its direct relevance to second/foreign language learning, quality of life has been a neglected area within Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research. The present study sought to investigate the relationship between quality of life factors and speaking skill as one of the most challenging parts of L2 learning. To this end, an adapted version of life quality questionnaire originally devised by the World Health Organization (WHO) was administered to 100 female intermediate Iranian EFL learners. In addition, 30 of the participants were randomly selected to take part in follow-up semi-structured interviews which asked why the respondents felt the way they reported. The analysis of data obtained from questionnaire and interviews revealed that although all the four domains of life quality namely physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains had impact on the speaking ability of the participants, a number of facets in physical and psychological domains were more influential. Furthermore, the statistical Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between life quality factors dominating learner’s success in speaking tasks. The findings of this study have implications for teacher educators and educational decision makers in bringing about higher levels of speaking ability and Quality Of Life (QOL) among English language learners.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide an optimal model for the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education on graduate students in university. Methodology: This research was carried out in a mixed method. The statistical population of this research in the qualitative part included experts in the scientific community and academic experts who had executive backgrounds at decision-making levels and the quantitative part all graduates of the management faculty in the Islamic Azad University of Central Tehran branch, which were a total of 1500 graduate students. Using Cochran's equation, 305 subjects were evaluated. The subjects were randomly introduced from the statistical population and selected as the statistical sample. A researcher-made questionnaire was used for collecting data on a five-point scale containing 42 items. Its face and content validity was confirmed by 10 experts and its reliability in a preliminary test with 30 subjects for all variables studied was obtained above 0.7, which was acceptable. For data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics of structural equation analysis in Smart PLS software and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test in SPSS software were used. Findings: The findings showed that the cultural, economic, political, social, educational and demographic factors influenced entrepreneurship education. Conclusion: Entrepreneurship education is one of the most important categories in the field of education, which serious attention to it causes the economic, educational and social development of students. Therefore, raising entrepreneurs in the country can be considered as a first step in the development of education.

Although some factors affecting children’s participation in physical activity and sports are well known, the important social factors that influence children’s participation in physical activity and sports have not been properly identified. In this study, we aimed to design a model of social factors influencing children’s participation in physical activity and sports. The method used in the present research is descriptive-correlation based on the structural equation method. The statistical sample of the study consisted of 384 students who were selected through convenience sampling method. Social factors such as parental socioeconomic status, social support, social competence, and social acceptance were measured using standard questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze data. The results of the path analysis showed that parental socioeconomic status, social support, social competence and social acceptance had significant effects on motivation (all T>1.96). Moreover, motivation had significant effect on intention to physical activity (T=3.628). Finally, intention to physical activity had significant effect on physical activity (T=5.189). These results show that social factors can be considered in the process of children’s participation in physical activity and sports. In this regard, the role of parents, physical education teachers and friends is very important.

Purpose: The Covid-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to higher education institutions, necessitating a robust resilience framework to navigate disruptions and ensure continued educational excellence. This study aimed to design a resilience pattern for higher education institutions based on grounded theory, drawing insights from the experiences of stakeholders in Islamic Azad Universities in Tehran, Iran. Methodology: The present study in terms of purpose was applied and in terms of implementation method was qualitative. The target population was all students, employees, and faculty members of Islamic Azad Universities in Tehran, Iran. The sample size of this study was determined based on the principle of theoretical saturation, resulting in a total of 29 participants who were selected by the purposive and theoretical sampling method and were underwent to a semi-structured interview. Interview validity was established using triangulation, and reliability was assessed using the intercoder agreement coefficient method, yielding a value of 0.72. The data obtained from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding techniques in ATLAS.ti qualitative software version 9. Findings: The analysis showed that the resilience pattern of higher education institutions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic had 189 concepts, 39 subcategories and 10 main categories based on the systematic grounded theory. In this pattern, the central phenomenon was the resilient response of higher education institutions to the Covid-19 pandemic. Causal conditions were categorized into three main categories: individual (6 subcategories, 29 concepts), organizational (7 subcategories, 41 concepts), and social (3 subcategories, 11 concepts). Intervening conditions consisted of national factors (4 subcategories, 18 concepts), while context were represented by global factors (4 subcategories, 16 concepts). Strategies included prediction and prevention (3 subcategories, 17 concepts), response and coping (5 subcategories, 24 concepts), and adaptation and compatibility (3 subcategories, 18 concepts). Consequences were classified into short-term (2 subcategories, 8 concepts) and long-term consequences (2 subcategories, 7 concepts). Finally, the resilience pattern of higher education institutions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic based on grounded theory was designed. Conclusion: The proposed resilience pattern serves as a valuable guide for higher education institutions to proactively address the challenges posed by unforeseen disruptions, fostering adaptability and sustainability in an increasingly volatile world. The framework emphasizes the importance of resilience not only at the organizational level but also among students, staff, and faculty members. By incorporating this pattern into their strategic planning and operational practices, higher education institutions can enhance their capacity to navigate crises such as Covid-19 pandemic and emerge stronger amidst adversity.

At the current competitive world, managers of organizations should respect desires of customers and pay specific attention to factors affecting customer’s behavior to provide conditions for better realization of organizational goals and customer’s satisfaction. This study is a descriptive-analytical study and statistical population in this study consists of customers of Southeast Tehran Tejarat Bank Branches. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of social, cognitive and emotional factors on customer’s behavior of Southeast Tehran Tejarat Bank Branches. Sampling is done using two-step cluster sampling method and 300 samples are selected through the list of long-term depositors of bank (N=1400). The data have been collected using questionnaire and using SPSS software have been analyzed and descriptive and inferential statistical methods including Pearson correlation and linear regression. The results obtained from testing research hypotheses show that there is strong and significant relationship between social, cognitive and emotional factors with customer behavior of Southeast Tehran Tejarat Bank Branches. Therefore, it could be mentioned that paying attention to these factors has significant effect on supplying better services and gaining customer’s satisfaction.