This study investigated the effect of in-service education and training (INSET) courses on grade 11 EFL teachers' knowledge base employing Kirkpatrick's four-level (reaction, learning, behavior, result) evaluation model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006). To this end, the researchers designed a study at four stages. At the first stage, a standardized questionnaire, English language teachers' knowledge base (ELTKB), was administered to thirty 11 th grade teachers to examine their views regarding the INSET classes (reaction). Then ten teachers were interviewed, and their classes were observed to explore to what extent the INSET courses had affected teachers' perceptions and actual job performance (learning). In the next step, 126 students filled in the students' questionnaire (SQ) regarding their perception of their teachers' teaching performance in the English classes before and after their attendance in INSET classes. At the final stage, the performance of the 126 students on a language proficiency test was measured to study to what extent their teachers' performance had affected their achievement. The result of the ELTKB questionnaire, SQ, interviews, and observations revealed the beneficial role of INSET classes in teachers' reaction, learning, and behavior. Moreover, the result of the program was positive since grade 11 students' language learning improved after their teachers' INSET class attendance. This program evaluation can be illuminating for stakeholders, policymakers, and curriculum designers.
The variety of activities and techniques suggested for improving the writing skill shows that EFL/ESL learners need scaffolding to gain mastery over it. The present study employed the reader-response approach to provide the assistance EFL learners require for writing argumentative essays. Five upper-intermediate EFL learners in a private class participated in the qualitative case study. The participants were not selected from the fields related to the English language and did not have any previous instruction on literary texts. During the treatment that took 20 sessions, each session 2 h, the participants read five short stories. Different classroom activities were used as sources of information, which helped the researcher to collect the required data. The classroom activities consisted of group discussions, writing tasks, and responses to the short stories that helped the learners to reflect on the short stories. Think-aloud protocols helped the researcher to learn about the participants' mental processes during writing. The semi-structured interviews provided the researcher with the information necessary for a deeper understanding of the efficacy of the classroom procedure. As the results of the study showed, successful writing requires manipulation of meta-cognitive strategies and thought-provoking activities. Although the findings of the study cannot be generalized, they can inspire EFL/ESL teachers and material developers to seek a variety of procedures in their approaches to teaching writing.
This quasi-experimental study examined whether TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talks could improve the listening skills of Iranian EFL learners. The study also explored whether the different media of instruction could have differing impacts on the students’ learning. Sixty intermediate level male learners aged between 18 and 20 in three intact classes (n1=n2=n3=20) were the participants selected through convenience sampling. The groups were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group after ensuring that they were at the same level of language proficiency. One of the experimental groups watched TED talks via mobile devices, another group watched them through laptops, and the control group practiced listening through DVDs and CDs of the course textbook (American File 2) for ten sessions. It is worth mentioning that the mobile group watched the videos outside of the class, whereas the laptop and control groups practiced listening in the class. Every session, the participants answered some comprehension questions to enable the researchers to measure their development. The repeated measures ANOVA showed the improvement of the listening skills of all participants in the three groups during the treatment. The results of the one-way ANOVA and post hoc comparison revealed statistically significant differences between the mobile group watching the TED talks and the control group, but no differences were found between the mobile group and the laptop group or between the control and the laptop groups. The researchers inferred that the observed difference was due to using TED talks via mobile devices in the study. They could also conclude that TED talks are useful sources of practicing listening skills. The study shows the efficacy of self-directed learning via mobile devices and has implications for teachers and practitioners who are seeking ways to extend language learning beyond the confinements of the classroom.
Abstract-The present study aimed at investigating whether two types of computerized techniques, namely Computerized Input Enhancement (CIE) and Computer-Assisted Marginal Glosses (CAMG) had any significant impact on vocabulary recall and retention of a group of Iranian EFL learners. After designing two programs for the purpose of the study, the CIE group was exposed to texts in which the words were blinking in a different color while for CAMG group the new words were presented in the margins of the texts along with relevant pictures whenever the learners moved the cursor. Subsequently, nine passages with appropriate readability scores were selected and uploaded for further use. Next, 47 pre-intermediate level language learners in two intact classes were selected from a language school in Tehran, Iran and were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. Based on Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS), 42 unknown words from the reading texts were identified. During the treatment, the participants were expected to read the texts and check the meanings of the unknown words. After the treatment, the participants took two posttests (immediate and delayed), the results of which were analyzed through repeated measures ANOVA. A statistically significant difference between the two groups showed that CAMG outperformed CIE.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.