Developing and Validating a Model of Pluralistic Teacher Effectiveness for Iranian EFL Teachers

Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation

Fahimeh Karvandi ¹ , Afshin Soori ^{2 *} , Mohammad Ali Ayatollahi ³

1 - Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of English, Larestan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Larestan, Iran
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of English, Sepidan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sepidan, Iran

Received: 2024-01-27 Accepted : 2024-05-11 Published : 2024-05-11

Keywords: Effective teaching, pluralism, pluralistic education, teacher effectiveness,

Abstract :

This study aimed to develop and validate a model of pluralistic teacher effectiveness for Iranian EFL teachers through an exploratory sequential mixed-method design. Two groups of participants took part in the present study. The first group who participated in the study included male and female Iranian English teachers (n=51 in the qualitative phase and n=196 in the quantitative phase) who were selected through available sampling from private language institutes in Iran. The second group consisted of male and female Iranian intermediate EFL learners (n=46 in the qualitative phase and n=201 in the quantitative phase) who were selected through available sampling from private language institutes in Iran. A one-on-one semi-structured interview and a closed-ended questionnaire were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Cronbach's Alpha test. As revealed by the results, a pluralistic model of teacher effectiveness for Iranian EFL teachers emerged from the participants’ perceptions in three main categories including pluralistic classroom management, pluralistic pedagogy, and pluralistic ethics. Moreover, it was revealed that the developed model is valid and reliable. The findings have some implications for EFL teachers, teacher educators, and teacher education curriculum planners.

References:

Abdeli Soltan Ahmadi, J., & Sadeghi, A.R. (2016). Designing and validating multicultural curriculum model in Iran public education. Journal of Curriculum Studies (J.C.S.), 10(39), 71-108.
Aho, E., Haverinen, H. L., Juuso, H., Laukka, S. J., & Sutinen, A. (2010). Teachers’ principles of decision-making and classroom management; a case study and a new observation method. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 395–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.171
Anderson, L.W. (1991). Increasing teacher effectiveness. UNESCO: International Institute for Educational Planning.
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., & Sorensen, Ch. (2010). Introduction to research in education (8th ed.). Wadsworth Group.
Banks, J. A. (2008). An introduction to multicultural education (4th ed.). Pearson Education.
Banks, J. A. (2009). The Routledge international companion to multicultural education. Routledge.
Beqiri T., & Sylaj, V. (2021). The perception of multiculturalism and the impact on the social sphere of pupils. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 13(2), 261-282. http://doi.org/10.14658/pupj-ijse-2021-2-12
Bullock. M. (2015). What makes a good teacher? Exploring student and teacher beliefs on good Teaching. Rising Tide, 7(1), 1-27.
Colombo, M. (2013). Pluralism in education and implications for analysis. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 5(2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.14658/PUPJ-IJSE-2013-2-1
Copeland, K., & Tarver, E. N. (2020). Diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in higher education. In J. P. Freeman, C. L. Keller & R. L. Cambiano (Eds.), Higher education response to exponential societal shifts (pp. 313-329). IGI Global.
Creswell, J. (2015). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Pearson Education Inc.
Danielson, C. (2013). The framework for teaching evaluation instrument. The Danielson Group.
Daryai-Hansen, P., Gerber, B., Lorinez, I., Haller, M., Ivanova, O., Krumm, H. J., & Reich, H. H. (2015). Pluralistic approaches to language in the curriculum: the case of French-speaking Switzerland, Spain, and Austria. International Journal of Multilingualism, 12(1), 109-127. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2014.948877
Enyew, S., & Melesse, Ch. (2018). The integration of multiculturalism into the Ethiopian universities’ environment. Research in Pedagogy, 8(1), 52-62. http://doi.org/10.17810/2015.70
Ferrero, D. J. (2003). Embracing pedagogical pluralism: An educator’s case for (at least public) school choice. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 11(30), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v11n30.200
Hongladarom, S. (2011). Basing political pluralism on epistemology: the case of Thailand’s Southern violence. In G. Collste (Ed.), Implications of pluralism (pp. 35-54). Institute of Ethnic Studies.
Kaboodvand, M. A. (2013). Perceptions of effective language teaching in Iran. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Exeter]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Karvandi, F., Soori, A. & Ayatollahi, M. A. (2024). EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of Pluralistic Teacher Effectiveness: Iranian Teachers in Focus. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 12 (49), 11-22. http://doi.org/10.30495/JFL.2023.703378
Khojastehmehr, R., & Takrimi, A. (2008). Characteristics of effective teachers: Perceptions of the English teachers. Journal of Education & Psychology, 3(2), 53-66.
Kumar, T. (2018). Advancing culturally relevant pedagogy in secondary methods courses. Multicultural Perspectives, 20(2), 111-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2018.1447125
Lee, C. Y. (2019). Factors influencing teachers’ decision-making on reasoning-and-proving in Hong Kong. Eleventh Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. Hal Open Science. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02398450
Mostafazadeh, E., Keshtiaray, N., & Ghulizadeh, A. (2015). Analysis of multicultural education concept in order to explain its components. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(1), 1-14.
Motamed, H. R., Yarmohammadian, M. H., & Yusefy, A. R. (2013b). Comparative study of pluralistic & unitarianism approaches concerning elements of curriculum. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 83, 831-835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.156
Motamed, H. R., Yarmohammadian, M. H., & Yusefy, A. R. (2013). Designing a pluralistic curriculum model for the Iranian education system. Academia Arena, 5(9), 31-39.
Namdari, E., & Sahragard, R. (2021). Professional development needs of Iranian EFL teachers [Master’s thesis, Shiraz University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Nanggala, A. (2020). Citizenship education as a multicultural education. J Soshum Incentives, 3(2), 197-210.
Parker, J. L. (2019). Multicultural education as a framework for educating English language learners in the United States. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Higher Education, 4(1), 22-35. https://doi.org/10.32674/JIMPHE.V4I1.1404
Pourdavood, R.G., & Yan, M. (2020). Becoming critical: In-service teachers’ perspectives on multicultural education. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(2), 112-135. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.2.8
Ramos-Rodríguez, A. R., Medina-Garrido, J. A., Lorenzo-Gómez, J. D., & Ruiz-Navarro, J. (2022). What you know or who you know? The role of intellectual and social capital in opportunity recognition. International Small Business Journal, 28(6), 566–582. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242610369753
Reynolds, B. L., Liu, S., Ha, X. V., Zhang, X., & Ding, C. (2021). Pre-service teachers learning to teach English as a Foreign Language to preschool learners in Macau: A longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(2), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.720660
Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Sadeghi, A. R. (2012). Characteristics and necessities of developing a multicultural curriculum in Iran. Cultural Strategy, 18, 93-121.
Shishavan, H. B., & Sadeghi, K. (2009). Characteristics of an effective English language teacher as perceived by Iranian teachers and learners of English. English Language Teaching, 2(4), 130-143. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v2n4p130
Shojaei, R., Bagheri, M. S., & Rassaei, E. (2022). Reconsidering the global criteria of teacher effectiveness in the light of learners' perceptions and experts' observations. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 10(40), 153-169. https://doi.org/10.30495/jfl.2022.686700
Sleeter, C.E. (2008). Preparing white teachers for diverse students. In M. Cochran-Smith, S. Feiman-Nemser, & J. McIntyre (Eds.), Handbook of research in teacher education: Enduring issues in changing contexts (pp. 559-582). Routledge.
Starkey, L. (2010). Teachers' pedagogical reasoning and action in the digital age. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 16(2), 233-244. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540600903478433
Stika, P. (2012). The role of values in teaching [Bachelor thesis, Masaryk University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. http://is.muni.cz/th/327584/pedf_b/Petr_Stika_-_Bachelor_thesis_ _The_Role_of_Values_in_Teaching.pdf
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452230153
Strong, J. (2007). Qualities of effective teachers. ASCD.
Vassallo, B. (2020). Examining the link between multicultural education and equity schooling in changing Malta. The Online Journal of New Horizons in Education, 10(1), 37-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480221999133
Vogt, W. (1984). Developing a teacher evaluation system. Spectrum, 2(1), 41-46.
Wichadee, S. (2010). The impacts of cooperative learning on anxiety and proficiency in an EFL class. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 7(11), 51-57. https://doi.org/10.19030/tlc.v7i11.252
Wulandari, T. (2020). Concept and praxis multicultural education (1st ed.). UNY Press.
Zein, M. S. (2017). Elementary English education in Indonesia: Policy developments, current practices, and future prospects: How has Indonesia coped with the demand for teaching English in schools? English Today, 33(1), 53-59. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266078416000407
Zohrabi, Kh., Razmjoo, S.A., & Ahmadi, A.R. (2019). Developing and validating a pluralistic curriculum (PC) model for English teaching in Iranian high schools. Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 6(1),31-49. https://doi.org/10.30479/jmrels.2019.10021.1265