Papers by Reza Taherkhani
Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2022
The impact of humor on language acquisition has been documented in scholarly accounts. Hence, thi... more The impact of humor on language acquisition has been documented in scholarly accounts. Hence, this study investigated Iranian pre-service and high-experienced and low-experienced in-service EFL teachers' beliefs and practices of humor in the classroom. In order to collect data, the researchers adopted four distinct instruments including pedagogical humor questionnaire, semi-structured interview, observation checklist, and field notes. A total of 182 Iranian EFL teachers participated completed the questionnaires, while 10 in-service EFL teachers engaged in semi-structured interviews. Additionally, the second researcher observed 36 classes. The results indicated that both pre-service and in-service EFL teachers believed that humor was effective. Notably, high-experienced in-service EFL teachers displayed more pronounced positive beliefs in humor compared to their pre-service and low-experienced counterparts. The results also disclosed that humor was a routine practice for high-experienced teachers. Based on the findings of the present study, it can be suggested that it is essential to train and educate both pre-service and in-service EFL teachers in order to integrate humor into different EFL classrooms.
Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2022
The impact of humor on language acquisition has been documented in scholarly accounts. Hence, thi... more The impact of humor on language acquisition has been documented in scholarly accounts. Hence, this study investigated Iranian pre-service and high-experienced and low-experienced in-service EFL teachers' beliefs and practices of humor in the classroom. In order to collect data, the researchers adopted four distinct instruments including pedagogical humor questionnaire, semi-structured interview, observation checklist, and field notes. A total of 182 Iranian EFL teachers participated completed the questionnaires, while 10 in-service EFL teachers engaged in semi-structured interviews. Additionally, the second researcher observed 36 classes. The results indicated that both pre-service and in-service EFL teachers believed that humor was effective. Notably, high-experienced in-service EFL teachers displayed more pronounced positive beliefs in humor compared to their pre-service and low-experienced counterparts. The results also disclosed that humor was a routine practice for high-experienced teachers. Based on the findings of the present study, it can be suggested that it is essential to train and educate both pre-service and in-service EFL teachers in order to integrate humor into different EFL classrooms.
Journal of Academic Ethics, 2024
The current study aimed to explore effective strategies for preventing cheating in online examina... more The current study aimed to explore effective strategies for preventing cheating in online examinations by surveying students to determine their cheating strategies. A total of 406 Iranian students at BA, MA, and PhD levels in four programs, including English language teaching, English literature, Linguistics, and English language translation, participated in
this study using a convenient sampling technique. The sample was drawn from 83 universities across all 31 provinces of Iran. The researchers developed a 30-item questionnaire and a 4-item interview to collect data. The results revealed that searching in PDFs and using social media groups were the most commonly used cheating strategies. To prevent this
form of academic dishonesty, teachers used various strategies, the most effective being the use of conceptual questions and one-by-one oral exams with turned-on webcams. The main reason for students to cheat was their desire to perform better. The implications of this study are relevant for educational stakeholders, particularly teachers, and students, in promoting academic integrity.
Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies, 2024
Nowadays, teachers are expected to demonstrate a notable level of digital competence. Therefore, ... more Nowadays, teachers are expected to demonstrate a notable level of digital competence. Therefore, the current study investigated Iranian male and female pre-service and in-service EFL teachers' digital competence. The study employed a mixed methods approach and three instruments including a questionnaire, structured interviews, and observations were utilized. Therefore, 157 Iranian in-service EFL teachers completed the DIGIGLO questionnaire. Also, 15 in-service and 15 pre-service EFL teachers participated in structured interviews. Moreover, 30 classes were observed. To analyze the qualitative data, thematic analysis was used and in the phase of quantitative analysis, descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests were used. The results indicated that the level of Iranian in-service EFL teachers' digital competence was moderate to high. In addition, some similarities and differences could be seen in the interview questions between in-service and pre-service EFL teachers. Moreover, it was revealed that there were no significant differences between male and female in-service EFL teachers' digital competence. Furthermore, it was found that a majority of teachers incorporated digital technologies into their teaching practice. The results of this study can help curriculum developers and teacher educators realize a better conception of Iranian pre-service and in-service EFL teachers' digital competence and their practices of using digital tools.
The Journal of Asia TEFL, 2023
Although demotivation is as important as motivation to be investigated in second language acquisi... more Although demotivation is as important as motivation to be investigated in second language acquisition, it has been scarcely explored and is a relatively new issue. Therefore, the present nationwide mixed methods study attempted to probe demotivating and remotivating factors among Iranian BA and MA students studying English. The participants included 226 students from different universities across the country. To collect the quantitative data, Sahragard and Ansaripour's (2014) questionnaire containing 40 items on a 5-point Likert scale was used to unpack the demotivating factors. To collect the qualitative data, the researchers ran semi-structured interviews with 10 BA and 10 MA students to examine their perceptions regarding demotivation in more detail. Also, semi-structured interviews with 20 BA and 20 MA students were run to examine their perceptions regarding remotivation. The results of the questionnaire revealed that for both BA and MA students, economic problems had the most influential effect on demotivating them. For MA students, encouraging students and boosting their self-confidence, and for BA students, improving teachers' behavior and attitudes was the most important remotivating factor of learning English. The findings can have implications for different stakeholders, including teachers, universities, researchers, educators, and policy-makers.
Forum for Linguistic Studies
The current meta-synthesis study investigated the effective strategies for improving critical thi... more The current meta-synthesis study investigated the effective strategies for improving critical thinking ability among EFL/ESL learners, and the relationship between language learning skills and critical thinking ability. To achieve this aim, meta-synthesis was selected as the design of the study. Therefore, some databases were searched using the defined key terms, in order to select the related qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies. As a result, 550 articles were found, 43 articles of which were included in the final review. Using thematic analysis, the obtained data from these 43 articles were analyzed in 6 steps and then coded for each research question. Although no single method was proposed in this study as the best to improve critical thinking, it was indicated that a number of them together can be effective when properly implemented. It was shown that all 4 language skills can be improved by enhancing the level of critical thinking ability among EFL/ESL learners.
Academic Publishing Pte., 2023
The current meta-synthesis study investigated the effective strategies for improving critical thi... more The current meta-synthesis study investigated the effective strategies for improving critical thinking ability among EFL/ESL learners, and the relationship between language learning skills and critical thinking ability. To achieve this aim, meta-synthesis was selected as the design of the study. Therefore, some databases were searched using the defined key terms, in order to select the related qualitative, quantitative, and mixedmethod studies. As a result, 550 articles were found, 43 articles of which were included in the final review. Using thematic analysis, the obtained data from these 43 articles were analyzed in 6 steps and then coded for each research question. Although no single method was proposed in this study as the best to improve critical thinking, it was indicated that a number of them together can be effective when properly implemented. It was shown that all 4 language skills can be improved by enhancing the level of critical thinking ability among EFL/ESL learners.
University of Tabriz, 2023
This mixed methods nationwide research aimed to examine the relationships between three variables... more This mixed methods nationwide research aimed to examine the relationships between three variables; namely, self-efficacy (S-E), emotional intelligence (EI), autonomy (A), their sub-constructs and reading comprehension ability of Persian second language (PSL) students. Participants were 141 PSL students from 28 different countries studying at 12 universities across Iran. Data were collected through S-E, EI, A scales, and a reading comprehension test and were analyzed using Pearson correlation. The results revealed that there were significant links between the variables and their sub-constructs and reading comprehension ability. Also, structured interviews were administrated with 45 participants, the results of which confirmed those obtained from quantitative instruments. Moreover, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to access more in-depth perception of the variables and explore the strengths of the causal relationships. The three independent variables strongly predicted reading comprehension, with S-E being the strongest predictor. Also, three out of four subconstructs of EI, and two out of three sub-constructs of A were powerful predictors of reading comprehension. In terms of the increasing number of PSL learners, the findings of the present study could be helpful for L2 (particularly PSL) teachers, learners, and academic policymakers.
Urmia University Press. Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Urmia, 165, Iran; Tel: +98-44-32752741; Fax: +98-44-32752746; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/, Jul 1, 2019 Many studies have addressed the issue of collaborative teaching in EAP courses; however, there is... more Many studies have addressed the issue of collaborative teaching in EAP courses; however, there is a gap in the literature concerning EAP teachers' cognitions and actual practices regarding collaborative EAP teaching, especially in contexts like Iran where EAP courses are taught by either language teachers or content teachers -subject specialist teachers -with little or no cooperation between them. Therefore, the current nationwide study explored the cognitions and practices of language teachers and content teachers at medical sciences universities in Iran regarding collaborative EAP teaching. The participants were 128 representative language teachers and 190 representative content teachers, teaching at all five types of universities across the country. The instruments included questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that the differences between the two groups of EAP teachers overshadow the similarities between them. The findings also disclosed inconsistencies between the two groups of EAP teachers in terms of their cognitions and actual practices. The conclusions outline implications for the EAP community throughout the world and specifically accentuate the urgent need for teacher education programs in Iran and micro-and macropolicy reforms in the Iranian EAP educational system.
Foreign Language Annals, 2022
The Challenge The role of individual differences in the process of language learning, particularl... more The Challenge The role of individual differences in the process of language learning, particularly in reading comprehension, has been recognized as very influential. No research has been conducted to explore the possible effects of S-R, EI, and WTC on Persian foreign language (PFL) learners' reading comprehension ability. Can S-R, EI, and WTC predict PFL learners' reading comprehension ability? What is a valid model of interrelationships among S-R, EI, WTC, and reading comprehension? By answering these questions, this nationwide mixed methods study tries to fill the gap in the literature.
This study examined the effect of collaborative peer-and teacher-scaffolding on Iranian EFL learn... more This study examined the effect of collaborative peer-and teacher-scaffolding on Iranian EFL learners' intentional and incidental grammar learning in writing at Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan. 18 students took part in the study, all were in term 2, studying English Translation. There were 11 collaboration episodes in each of which, there was a scaffolder, a scaffoldee and the teacher (the first researchers). The first five groups were the intentional group and episodes 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 were the incidental group. The student in episode 8 had no errors in her essay. There were three topics to choose from and the subjects were asked to write an essay about one of them. Then, each student was given an essay in order to take it home and correct it. Based on Aljaafreh and Lantolf's (1994) Regulatory Scale, the scaffolders were asked to correct their classmates' errors/mistakes, within their 'zone of proximal development' (ZPD). Whenever needed, the researcher entere...
This study was designed to explore the relation pattern of cultural intelligence, cultural identi... more This study was designed to explore the relation pattern of cultural intelligence, cultural identity, autonomy, and self-efficacy and second language achievement of Iranian EFL learners. The participants were 247 undergraduate students. Data were collected nationwide, from different parts of Iran; that is, from Kerman, south of Iran; Hamadan, west of Iran; Mashhad, east of Iran; and Gorgon, north of Iran. The participants' ages ranged from 18 to 26 and they were mostly juniors and seniors. They completed the following questionnaires: Cultural Intelligence Questionnaire (Ang, et al., 2007), Cultural Identity Clarity Scale (Usborne & Taylor, 2010), Learner Autonomy Questionnaire (Cotterall, 1995, 1999) and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Pinitrich, Smith, Garcia & Mckeachie, 1991). The participants’ GPA of three general English courses were considered as their second language achievement. Responses from questionnaires were collected through convenience sampling. The design of the stud...
This study examined the effect of collaborative peerand teacher-scaffolding on Iranian EFL learne... more This study examined the effect of collaborative peerand teacher-scaffolding on Iranian EFL learners' intentional and incidental grammar learning in writing at Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan. 18 students took part in the study, all were in term 2, studying English Translation. There were 11 collaboration episodes in each of which, there was a scaffolder, a scaffoldee and the teacher (the first researchers). The first five groups were the intentional group and episodes 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 were the incidental group. The student in episode 8 had no errors in her essay. There were three topics to choose from and the subjects were asked to write an essay about one of them. Then, each student was given an essay in order to take it home and correct it. Based on Aljaafreh and Lantolf's (1994) Regulatory Scale, the scaffolders were asked to correct their classmates' errors/mistakes, within their ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD). Whenever needed, the researcher entered the col...
Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 2018
Abstract Exploring English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teachers' cognitions and their actual ... more Abstract Exploring English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teachers' cognitions and their actual pedagogical practices in EFL contexts is a fresh and under-researched area, especially in Middle Eastern countries such as Iran. Likewise, there is a pressing need to address the aforementioned issues in educational contexts where EAP courses are taught independently by two groups of teachers with different specializations; i.e., language instructors and content teachers. Accordingly, this study explored the similarities and differences between language instructors' and content teachers' cognitions, and practices in teaching reading, speaking, writing, and listening at Iranian medical sciences universities. A wide range of instruments including a questionnaire, observations, semi-structured interviews, and field notes were utilized. Sources included a representative sample of 128 language instructors and 190 content teachers. The results indicated inconsistencies between the two groups of teachers. The findings suggest that close cooperation between language instructors and content teachers is highly necessary in order to enhance the teachers’ choice of methodological options in EAP instruction. The findings also accentuate the urgent need for developing more systematic EAP teacher education programs.
The systematic study of EAP teachers’ pedagogic content knowledge and their actual teaching pract... more The systematic study of EAP teachers’ pedagogic content knowledge and their actual teaching practices in class is a fresh avenue in applied linguistics, especially in contexts like Iran, where, EAP courses are taught by two groups of teachers with different specializations; i.e., language teachers and content teachers. This study explored the similarities and differences between language teachers’ and content teachers’ PCK, and teaching practices, and students’ beliefs about their EAP teachers’ methodology at Medical Sciences Universities across Iran. In order to answer the research questions, a wide range of instruments including questionnaires, observations, semi-structured interviews, and field notes were utilized. Sources included language teachers, content teachers, students taught by language teachers, and students taught by content teachers. Representative samples of 318 EAP teachers and 1573 students participated in the study. The results indicated substantial inconsistencie...
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Papers by Reza Taherkhani
this study using a convenient sampling technique. The sample was drawn from 83 universities across all 31 provinces of Iran. The researchers developed a 30-item questionnaire and a 4-item interview to collect data. The results revealed that searching in PDFs and using social media groups were the most commonly used cheating strategies. To prevent this
form of academic dishonesty, teachers used various strategies, the most effective being the use of conceptual questions and one-by-one oral exams with turned-on webcams. The main reason for students to cheat was their desire to perform better. The implications of this study are relevant for educational stakeholders, particularly teachers, and students, in promoting academic integrity.
this study using a convenient sampling technique. The sample was drawn from 83 universities across all 31 provinces of Iran. The researchers developed a 30-item questionnaire and a 4-item interview to collect data. The results revealed that searching in PDFs and using social media groups were the most commonly used cheating strategies. To prevent this
form of academic dishonesty, teachers used various strategies, the most effective being the use of conceptual questions and one-by-one oral exams with turned-on webcams. The main reason for students to cheat was their desire to perform better. The implications of this study are relevant for educational stakeholders, particularly teachers, and students, in promoting academic integrity.