Journal writing is believed to be a significant tool to promote reflection. Some studies have been carried out to test that, most of which have been solely concerned with the participants’ perceptions, leaving the actual application of reflective practice in EFL teaching practice untouched. Hence, to fill this gap in the literature, the researchers initiated this study. The participants were 24 EFL teacher trainees at a teacher training center in Guilan province. A questionnaire, including closed- and open-ended items, and an observation checklist were utilized. The researchers conducted matched t tests to investigate the possible differences between the perceptions and application of reflective practice before and after treatment. The questionnaire and checklist data were analyzed quantitatively and descriptive analyses were run. A qualitative content analysis was also employed for the open-ended item of the questionnaire. The results indicated that journal writing had a significant effect on promoting reflective practice in teacher trainees. There was also a significant difference between participants’ perceptions and application of reflective practice before and after treatment. پرونده مقاله

This research aimed at comparing the peer tutoring strategies with teacher guiding strategies on the improvement of Iranian EFL vocabulary knowledge and their attitudes toward learning English vocabulary. The initial population of the study was 70 students. They were studying English at Shokooh English institute in Tehran. After administering TOEFL test as a proficiency test, 40 students (17 males and 23 females) were selected as the participants of the study. They were divided into two groups of experimental and control. The students assigned to the experimental group were involved in an active work with their classmates’ peers, and received instruction based on peer-tutoring. The control group received instruction based on normal syllabus of the class that is teacher guided instruction The findings showed that there is a statistically significant difference (α= 0.01) between the two adjusted means of the students’ scores due to the two different learning strategies in favor of the experimental group. پرونده مقاله

This qualitative study aimed at exploring the causes of writing anxiety from an expansive learning perspec- tive. Given the centrality of writing for both EFL learners and teachers, writing anxiety was explored through a longitudinal study spanning two years with 25 EFL learners and teachers who participated by providing comments, diaries, and documents. The participants were also observed and interviewed follow- ing Mwanza's model as a guide. The obtained data in the whole process was constantly thematized by means of a qualitative software, NVIVO 10. The main themes on writing anxiety were extracted from teachers and learners by applying contradictions as a principle of expansive learning theory. To help learn- ers become transformative agents of anxiety, an intervention process was carried out in the form of an online collaborative writing task. The findings recommend applying contradictions as an initiative point for problem-solving and a driving impellent of activity which may lead to expansive learning. Besides, the dy- namic and developmental process is hoped to help learners expand and transform their writing anxiety. Con- tradictions may also become an initiation for future studies on language learning. پرونده مقاله

This qualitative study aimed at exploring the causes of writing anxiety from an expansive learning perspective. Given the centrality of writing for both EFL learners and teachers, writing anxiety was explored through a longitudinal study spanning two years with 25 EFL learners and teachers who participated by providing comments, diaries, and documents. The participants were also observed and interviewed following Mwanza's model as a guide. The obtained data in the whole process was constantly thematized by means of a qualitative software, NVIVO 10. The main themes on writing anxiety were extracted from teachers and learners by applying contradictions as a principle of expansive learning theory. To help learners become transformative agents of anxiety, an intervention process was carried out in the form of an online collaborative writing task. The findings recommend applying contradictions as an initial point for problem-solving and a driving impellent of activity which may lead to expansive learning. Besides, the dynamic and developmental process is expected to help learners expand and transform their writing anxiety. Contradictions may also become an initiation for future studies on language learning. پرونده مقاله