Iranian University students

In recent years, the enrollment of English as a foreign language (EFL) has increased significantly in higher education. The aim of this study is investigating the impact of a group learning program which is implemented as online on learning motivation of English among Iranian university students. Forty four undergraduate university students (25 males and 19 females) with the age range of 18 to 30 participated in this study. The Dornyei theoretical framework (2005; 2009) was used to measure the three aspects of motivation (ideal L2 self, ought-to L2self, and L2 learning experience). A pre- and posttest survey and a semi-instructured interview were used as the main instruments. For identifying the differences of the scores of three aspects of motivation, a paired sample T-test was used. The findings showed that there was a significant difference in L2 learning experience prior to and after the program administration and no significant difference were observed regarding the two other aspects. The findings also showed the most motivating feature was interesting learning recourses and tools and the most demotivating feature was technology barriers. Moreover, the findings of the interviews showed that most of the students had positive experience of this project. With the increasing role of English in Iran in all aspects of teaching and learning as an international language, it is crucial for teachers and program developers to care about the motivational drives of learners due to the positive feedback of some programs as the project under the study.

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.

Due to the vital role of critical thinking skills in students' educational and non-educational success, the present research attempted to examine the impact of critical thinking skills in TBSIR approach on the computer-based English expository essay writing of Iranian university students. Participants of this study included 30 students at Gonbad-e-Kavous and Hazrat-e-Masoumeh universities in Iran. They answered to the Watson-Glaser critical thinking skills test (1980), then after two weeks of reviewing TSR structure, they wrote a computer-based English expository essay as pre-test. After four weeks of learning TBSIR structure, they wrote another computer-based English expository essay as post-test. The paired samples t-test and Pearson correlation were run and the results revealed the impact of critical thinking skills in the TBSIR approach on the computer-based English expository essay writing of Iranian university students. Also, the results indicate the positive and significant correlation between critical thinking skills especially analysis and interpretation and the computer-based English expository essay writing of Iranian university students, which helps the students to promote their educational and social lives. Finally, teachers, teacher trainers, syllabus designers and materials developers can benefit from the results of this study.