Inspecting Mixed-Ability Group Challenges within Iranian EFL Public High Schools: An Exploratory Study Fatemeh
Subject Areas :fatemeh naddafi 1 , Marjan Vosoughi 2 , Mohammad Ali Kowsary 3
1 - English Department, Sabzevar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sabzevar, Iran
2 - English Department, Sabzevar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sabzevar, Iran
3 - English Department, Torbat-e-Heydarieh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e-Heydarieh, Iran
Keywords: challenges, Classroom Management, heterogeneous classrooms, teacher strategies,
Abstract :
The nature of heterogeneity issues within the context of Iranian, English language learning contexts in high schools is one of the under-researched lines of inquiry. For this aim, a researcher-made, Likert-type questionnaire whose items were initially validated through a multi-stage, exploratory research design among 30 teachers was distributed among some 67, Iranian EFL teachers with different degrees of experience (less vs. more) to find the teachers’ concerns/challenges and their strategies to tackle them. The findings suggested that the concerns behind heterogeneous classes were not consistent regrading weak and strong students. In the second place, it became evident that the order of tendency towards adopting the four enunciated strategies was not the same in the two less and more experienced teachers. Possible interpretations regarding teacher outlook as mapped on ‘teacher experience’ to target heterogeneity issues were presented in the end.
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