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      • Open Access Article

        1 - Appraising the Generalizability of EFL Teachers’ Passion for Profession: Evidence from Teachers’ Perceptions and MSA Model
        Zohreh Sisiyan fazlolah Samimi Shahram Afraz
        Achieving success in teaching English requires teachers to demonstrate varying essential characteristics that consist of several underlying and interacting constructs. The purpose of this study was to orient the reader and succinctly identify the key variables of teache More
        Achieving success in teaching English requires teachers to demonstrate varying essential characteristics that consist of several underlying and interacting constructs. The purpose of this study was to orient the reader and succinctly identify the key variables of teachers' passion that leads teachers to success. In fact, the study tried to identify the components of a model of teachers’ passion which can be expanded based on teachers’ perceptions and MSA model. It delineated the characteristics of successful English teachers embedded within five central dimensions, along with their underlying structures. The data of the study were collected with semi-structured interviews. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data. By the research aim, this study identified 5 dimensions from 22 subcomponents and 65 concepts. Individual characteristics were determined as the first dimension of the study. The subcomponents under these categories identified as ‘Self-awareness’, ‘Personal Lifestyle’ and ‘Potential Ability. Psychological characteristics were determined as the second dimension of the study. The subcomponents under these categories included ‘Anger Management, ‘Emotion’ ‘Positive Attitude’ and ‘Flexibility’. In conclusion, teachers were passionate about being successful, effective working conditions, students’ desire for learning, being more autonomous, equitable and consistent implementations regarding with education approach. The present study can offer major practical implications for language teachers, language students and material developers. In the second language learning context, creating positive emotions and lessening the negative emotions both on the part of the teachers as well as the learners could increase motivation, effort and success. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        2 - Relationship between Reflective Teaching and Iranian EFL Learners’ Language Achievement
        Farzaneh Abazari Behzad Ghonsooly Shahram Afraz
        Language learning and achievement are related to the skills teachers practice and the presence of expert capability such as teachers’ reflectivity. The objective of the present study was to search the extent to which EFL teachers are involved in reflective instruc More
        Language learning and achievement are related to the skills teachers practice and the presence of expert capability such as teachers’ reflectivity. The objective of the present study was to search the extent to which EFL teachers are involved in reflective instruction, and test the level of growing teachers’ awareness of reflective teaching which leads to students’ language achievement. Data were collected by the following instruments: a) a TOEFL test administered to 350 Iranian EFL students, b) reflective journals written by 120 Iranian EFL teachers, and c) Reflective Teaching Inventory. For the qualitative stage, 120 male and female EFL teachers from two language institutes in Kerman, the center of Iran, were selected through convenient sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. After completing the treatment, a reflective teaching inventory as a post-test was given to the two groups to test the impact of the treatment. The results of the t-test indicated that the experimental group outdid the control group in taking advantage of reflective teaching components. This finding raises provocative questions regarding reflective teaching and teaching skills. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        3 - Pedagogical Remedies to Improve Translation Teaching at Iranian Universities
        Narcisse Memarzia Rahman Sahragard Seyyed Ayatollah Razmjoo Shahram Afraz
        The main priority for translation educators is to improve the quality and outcomes of translation courses at the university level. The process of planning and implementing the teaching process and the design of teaching materials are the translation teachers' two major More
        The main priority for translation educators is to improve the quality and outcomes of translation courses at the university level. The process of planning and implementing the teaching process and the design of teaching materials are the translation teachers' two major concerns among many. This research presents Iranian translation educators' views on the possibilities for improving the conditions in the English language departments of Iranian universities. The goal was achieved through conducting semi-structured in-depth interviews with some of the experienced faculty members of the Iranian universities involved in translation teaching, whose suggested guidelines and perspectives were extracted and synthesized. The discussions centered around applying the constructivist approach to teaching translation, which the interviewees believed could provide opportunities for students to play an active role in their own learning by integrating and activating corresponding knowledge, skills, and attributes specifically in the form of group work or collaborative learning in translation classes. Furthermore, local policies, based on needs assessment, implemented by each department were considered to be highly efficient to face translation teaching and learning problems. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        4 - Applying Scaffolding Types in Reading Classes: Different Experimental Situations
        Noushin Asadipiran Shahram Afraz Seyyed Ayatollah Razmjoo
        The present mixed-method research has been prepared to probate scaffolding types on EFL learners’ reading ability and reading strategy. To achieve this end, a multiphase design was implemented and the researchers recruited a total number of 80 intermediate student More
        The present mixed-method research has been prepared to probate scaffolding types on EFL learners’ reading ability and reading strategy. To achieve this end, a multiphase design was implemented and the researchers recruited a total number of 80 intermediate students from Azad University of Bandar Abbas in Iran. The sample was divided into four groups as soft scaffolding group, hard scaffolding group, reciprocal scaffolding group, and virtual scaffolding group. The participants of these groups sat for a pretest of reading comprehension, a posttest of reading comprehension, along a test of reading strategies. In addition, the students’ self-reports and portfolios and the researchers’ observations and notes through filling out the checklists were used. Considering the students’ reading ability development, the results indicated that complex scaffolding enjoyed the highest mean on the posttest of reading. Regarding reading strategies, the findings highlighted that different scaffolding treatments had effects on the development of global, problem solving, and supporting reading strategies among the learners. The hard-scaffolding group had the highest use of reading strategies followed by the virtual scaffolding group. The reciprocal and soft scaffolding groups similarly had less use of reading strategies. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        5 - Developing a Model of Identity for the Iranian EFL Context: with a Focus on Language Proficiency
        Amir Mirahmadi Kia Seyyed Ayatollah Razmjoo Shahram Afraz
        This study intended to develop a model of identity for the Iranian EFL context with emphasize on their language proficiency. Moreover, the study defined learners' opinions about the language and identity and that method would be the best to be taught. The project had a More
        This study intended to develop a model of identity for the Iranian EFL context with emphasize on their language proficiency. Moreover, the study defined learners' opinions about the language and identity and that method would be the best to be taught. The project had a cross-sectional quantitative research design, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data via interviews, questionnaires and language proficiency test. Considering a total population of EFL learners in Iran, a sample of 120 students were randomly se- lected to participate in the study. The students were surveyed by testing their identity perceptions in learn- ing English. As a result, language-specific effects on the learners' identities, and how much competency in language learning would be occurred were the most important aspects of this study. The importance of a second language learning skill alongside the native language was thoroughly explained and its relation- ship to the identity of the language learners was explored and was concluded that there was significant relationship between them. Apart from these discussions, it has clearly seen the importance of the identity of learners and the skill of the learners in the educational implications that have a great impact in this field. Implementation of the methods based on these findings facilitates the emergence and development of a second language system in the learner's mind during the process of learning, and prevents the inter- play of first language patterns with second language patterns. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        6 - Perceptions of English Language Learners about Teaching of Reading Comprehension Skills: A View of Task-based Language Teaching Method
        Azar Bagheri Masoudzade Ali Asghar Rostami Abu Saeedi Shahram Afraz
        The present research was an endeavor to determine whether or not the adoption of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) can be an effective means of increasing the students’ reading comprehension ability. Also, this paper explored the students' views towards the ment More
        The present research was an endeavor to determine whether or not the adoption of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) can be an effective means of increasing the students’ reading comprehension ability. Also, this paper explored the students' views towards the mentioned method. To fulfil the purposes of the study, a mixed method research was employed and 80 advanced EFL learners of university participated in the study that were assigned randomly to the experimental and control groups. Having instructed the two groups with the same texts but different methods of teaching during a term, the learners’ reading performance results were compared through administering a reading posttest to both groups. The researchers in the control group class followed her regular teaching practice through the conventional book-based method, but, she applied task based method in three stages in the experimental group class. The obtained data were analyzed using t-test to examine the effectiveness of TBLT method as on students’ reading performance. Moreover, the students' views of the experimental group were investigated through related questionnaire and interview. The findings revealed that the experimental group remarkably performed better than the control group. Therefore, TBLT had a significant effect on learners’ reading performance compared to traditional reading instruction. On top of that, findings of the interviews and questionnaires demonstrated the participants' satisfaction with implementing TBLT method, and also revealed that they had positive views towards it. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        7 - The Impact of Postmethod Pedagogy on Academic Achievement, Self-Efficacy, Emotions, and Self Esteem According to the Dynamic Systems Theory
        Yalda Hooman رضا رضوانی Shahram Afraz
        The current paper investigated the effect of postmethod pedagogy on senior high School students’ achievement, academic self-efficacy, achievement emotions, and self-esteem. The participants of this study included 120 female students in Zahedan located in the Irani More
        The current paper investigated the effect of postmethod pedagogy on senior high School students’ achievement, academic self-efficacy, achievement emotions, and self-esteem. The participants of this study included 120 female students in Zahedan located in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan. They were randomly recruited and categorized into two control and experimental groups. The students’ academic achievement was measured through a pretest. Subsequently, the Morgan-Jinks Student Self-Efficacy Scale (MJSES), Pekran Academic Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ) (2005), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were distributed among the participants in both groups. The control group received instruction based on the conventional method, while instruction in the experimental group was based on the new method during the academic year. Upon the completion of the study, the achievements of both groups were measured again through a posttest. The data obtained were analyzed to reveal that postmethod played an important role in teaching and the use of this approach could develop academic achievement, self-efficacy, emotions, and self-esteem among senior high school students. Manuscript profile