contextual conditions

Since its introduction in 1980, the concept of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) has attracted much attention. Although many studies have been conducted in science and mathematics, there are insufficient studies to capture the PCK of EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers. Accordingly, the present study aimed to unearth EFL teachers' PCK through a grounded theory approach in the Iranian context. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 English teachers at senior high schools in three provinces of Ilam, Lorestan, and Kermanshah. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using coding procedures. The results yielded five main dimensions of EFL teachers' pedagogical content knowledge: English language proficiency knowledge, pedagogy knowledge, student knowledge, curriculum knowledge, and assessment knowledge. Data analysis also revealed the sources of EFL teachers' PCK construction and demonstrated that contextual and intervening conditions influence EFL teachers' PCK enactment. The findings may have theoretical and practical implications for high school EFL teachers, educators, and education programs.

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays, government officials seek ways to monitor, control, and manage events and crises due to the concerns of the general public and social media as informative tools. Regarding this, the present study aims to identify and analyze the factors affecting the crisis incidence in Iranian stadiums. METHODS: The present interpretive qualitative research was performed based on a grounded theory method and latent content analysis technique. The data were collected by the implementation of in-depth interviews with 19 people consisting of the Ministry of Sports and Youth experts and executives, sports management professors, and crisis management specialists. The participants were selected using non-probability and snowball sampling techniques. The interviews were continued until reaching theoretical saturation regarding the research questions and objectives. The gathered data, in form of audio recording and text, were analyzed by MAXQDA software (version 18). FINDINGS: The interview data were analyzed based on open and process coding. Afterward, the researcher categorized the identified factors into causal, contextual, and intervening conditions. In this regard, the causal factors consisted of the following items: 1) nature of crisis, 2) technical and specialized factors, 3) infrastructure and equipment, and 4) environmental and equipment hazards. With respect to the contextual factors, they included: 1) human resources, 2) nature of sporting events, 3) security factors, 4) vandalism, 5) welfare facilities, and 5) management factors. Finally, the intervening factors were found to entail: 1) stadium atmosphere, 2) political and social crises, and 3) information and communications technology. CONCLUSION: According to the obtained results, the officials are recommended to consider the paradigmatic model of factors leading to crisis management in stadiums in the crisis management programs adopted for sports venues, especially large stadiums. The consideration of the factors constituting the given model can lead to the improvement of crisis management in the country's sports venues.

Despite a strong background in education and human resources, teachers’ Individual Development Planning (IDP), as a reflective tool for further learning, has remained untouched in the domain of ELT. Therefore, the current study is an attempt to investigate EFL teachers’ IDP in light of the grounded theory approach in an Iranian context. To do so, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 17 expert participants selected through purposive sampling in the field of IDP from all over Iran. Interviews were transcribed and labeled as open, axial, and selective codes. The results led to 9 main categories of EFL teachers’ IDP: identifying EFL teachers’ current status, identifying EFL teachers’ duties, tasks, and educational needs, school and teachers’ mutual agreement, setting goals, providing resources, planning for an IDP, implementing an IDP, self-evaluation, and reformative acts. Data also unveiled the causal, contextual, and intervening conditions in the way of developing and implementing an IDP. The findings of the study can have theoretical and practical implications for EFL teachers, school principals, and educational policymakers.