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The gap between teaching, assessment, and learning: EFL teachers' perceptions and strategies
Get PDFRecent discussions of language education have increasingly emphasized the integrated nature of teaching, learning, and assessment. In this regard, Earl’s (2013) framework (assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning) provides a comprehensive account of the connection among teaching, learning, and assessment. However, little research has examined how teachers view the connection among these three aspects in light of Earl’s framework. The present study explored the perceptions and practices of Iranian EFL school teachers about this connection based of Earl’s framework; moreover, it investigated the strategies that the teachers use for reducing or maintaining the gap between these three aspects. To this aim, a qualitative approach was adopted in which in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers. The findings showed that the teachers had both summative and formative relationship between these three aspects, and they used different strategies for these goals such as: 1) stress reduction and creating a space for interaction, 2) assessing before, during, and after teaching, and 3) asking, answering, and giving feedback. The findings promise some practical implications for different groups of stakeholders in general education and L2 education in particula
Implementing formative assessment in Malaysia: Teachers’ viewpoints
Get PDFThe paper aims to study the implementation of one of the dimensions of formative assessment i.e., assessment as learning. It has specifically attempted to investigate the practices of peer- and self-assessment among teachers in schools. Considering the recent growth in implementing formative assessment around the world; both in schools and higher learning institutions, this study aims to shed some light on the practices of it in schools, which can help policymakers adjust their policies in higher learning institutions. This study employed a quantitative method, in which a questionnaire is distributed among teachers in four states in the northern region of Malaysia. This paper offers insights into how teachers attempted to practise peer- and self-assessment in schools in the northern region of Malaysia. As this is a washback study, it not only reports the factors that were discovered, but it also attempts to report the factors mediating the washback. This study can be considered a contribution in terms of shaping the research into assessment as learning at its early stage
A Personal Tribute to the Life and Work of Jack C. Richards
Get PDFThis paper is a tribute to J.C. Richards, whose publications over 50 years have inspired many thousands of language teachers and student-teachers. Particular attention is paid to the three editions of Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, co-authored with Theo Rodgers, which are reviewed in detail. The author has known Jack Richards for thirty years, whose professional life has influenced his own, especially in terms of encouraging emerging scholars to co-author academic articles and co-edit volumes of case studies. Jack Richards’ contributions to academic society extend beyond language teaching and applied linguistics to embrace music, literature and the fine arts, for which he has been honored by many universities. He has been recognized by the international TESOL organization as one of the most significant applied linguists in the world
Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives of Using Mother Tongue in EFL Classes at a Higher Education Institution in Vietnam
Get PDFThe use of mother tongue to teach a second language has been a controversial issue in the field of second language acquisition. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of using mother tongue (Vietnamese) to teach a foreign language (English) under the pressure of the implementation of an English-only policy at the tertiary level in Vietnam where English is taught as a foreign language. The mixed-methods approach was conducted to contrast the perspectives of 11 teachers participating in semi-structured interviews, and 255 students answering 5-point Likert scale questionnaires. These research instruments were carefully designed by the researchers adopting the factual and behavioural criteria proposed by Dörnyei and Taguchi (2009). The results show that the minimal use of Vietnamese is utilized as a necessary pedagogical tool to teach English. The empirical results propose that the English-only policy can be effective if the actions such as more English learning time, English entry tests, English materials and teaching aids with techno-facilities are seriously taken into consideration. To adopt the English-only policy in EFL classes, school administrators have to renovate the foreign language regulations while teachers must adapt their teaching methodology to meet the requirements of the learner-centered approaches
Investigating Learners’ Perspectives towards MOOC Learning Environment in Selected Indian Universities
Get PDFMassive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have recently grown in prominence and acceptance among both academics and business professionals. Along with being accessible, these courses give students the chance to study a range of subjects from around the globe at a speed that can be adjusted to suit their individual needs. The open - source nature of MOOCs allows students to explore a variety of fields for little to no money, but it also enables educational institutions to reach a wider audience, improve their brand recognition, and introduce pedagogical innovations. At a global level, MOOCs have the potential to become a platform for attaining Sustainable Development Goal No. 4, which is to "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for everyone." There is a lot of knowledge regarding the advantages of MOOCs for both students and teachers, but there have also been some difficulties, which if investigated could lead to improved teaching and aid students in meeting their learning goals. The benefits and difficulties that have surfaced as a result of primary qualitative research are discussed in relation to MOOCs as a learning channel. The data gathered are then subjected to a thematic analysis for the purposes of this study. In its last section, the article tends to offer some suggestions for improving learning outcomes for students through curriculum design, material customization, and alignment with their individual characteristics and goals
The Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas and Emotional Knowledge in Predicting Employees’ Illness Anxiety
Get PDFThe present study was conducted to investigate the role of early maladaptive schemas and emotional knowledge in predicting employees’ anxiety. The current research is of a descriptive-correlation type. The statistical population included all employees of companies (Aida Nar, Arshida, Sobh Farda and Avijeh) in Tehran from October to January 2021. Using available sampling method, 135 people were selected. The respondents filled in Young & Brown, 1994 (1994) schema questionnaire, Grant et al.’s (2002) emotional awareness, and Ahadi and Pasha’s hypochondriasis questionnaire (2001), and finally, regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The obtained findings showed that initial maladaptive schemas and emotional knowledge can predict employees’ illness anxiety (p<0.05). Accordingly, disconnection area (β = -0.37), disrupted constraint area (β = -0.24), autonomy area (0.10), Emotional self-awareness (β = 0.05), other areas of orientation (β = 0.04) and area of autonomy (β = 0.10) had the highest coefficient of influence in predicting illness anxiety, respectively. According to the results of this research, early maladaptive schemas and emotional knowledge can predict illness anxiety; hence, counselors and psychologists should prioritize early maladaptive schemas and emotional knowledge in the study of anxiety
Financing Public Health Expenditure in an Aging Society: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Health
Get PDFFinancing public spending on health is a challenge in an aging society. One option may be the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), which carries out long-term initiatives of great social importance. Health, very relevant to society, integrates Brazilian public accounts and is supported by the Unified Health System – SUS. The growing and significant aging of the population has been demanding more health services, with an impact on the SUS. The balance of the country's finances reinforces the need to resolve the public deficit, a situation that has afflicted Brazil for decades. The resumption of tax benefits, other financing opportunities and the reduction of tax expenditures are possible advantages of adopting PPPs, since the internalization of the proposal can be a potential gain, as it will allow investment to be deconcentrated from serving the poorest cities. populous to places less favored by the existing health network
Book Review: Task-based language teaching and assessment: contemporary reflections from across the world, Edited by N. P. Sudharshana & Lina Mukhopadhyay (2021). Springer Nature, Hardcover: 373 pages, $129, ISBN-978-981-16-4225-8.
Get PDFBook Review: Task-based language teaching and assessment: contemporary reflections from across the world, Edited by N. P. Sudharshana & Lina Mukhopadhyay (2021). Springer Nature, Hardcover: 373 pages, $129, ISBN-978-981-16-4225-8
Book Review: Technology-assisted language assessment in diverse contexts: Lessons from the transition to online testing during COVID-19, edited by Karim Sadeghi (2023). Routledge, paperback: 274 pages, $44.95, ISBN-9781032117690 (paperback).
Get PDFThe pandemic COVID-19 has posed unique challenges to the educational landscape worldwide (Chung, & Choi, 2021) including language assessment. It has forced many language educators and language assessment specialists to rethink their approach to assessment and explore new ways of evaluating language proficiency resulting in innovation in language assessment territory (Ockey, 2021). While there is available literature (Chapelle & Douglas, 2006; Winke & Isbell, 2017) on the planned use of technology for assessing language proficiency in technologically rich contexts, little is known about online language assessment at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the book Technology-assisted language assessment in diverse contexts: lessons from the transition to online testing during covid-19 is an epochal contribution offering a detailed overview of technology-assisted language assessment in various contexts, with a particular focus on the transition to online testing during the COVID-19. The book has 3 sections with 16 sub-sections. 
Decision Making in English Language Teaching: Unpacking Novice Teachers’ Pedagogical Reasoning
Get PDFTeachers are constantly involved in the act of decision-making in every moment of the classroom. These decisions are underpinned by pedagogical reasoning, which entails situated knowledge about particular teaching episodes and is reconstructed through teaching practice. The present case study sought to explore the pedagogical reasoning skills that novice English language teachers use in making classroom decisions. Results from a combination of lesson plans, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews revealed that novice teachers applied their pedagogical reasoning to achieve syllabus objectives and deal with learners' misbehavior. In the absence of previous teaching experiences, they did not tend to reflect on the decisions they made to deal with learners' learning and their teaching. They also lacked consistency in their reasoning process, disrupted by their changing beliefs about learning and teaching. These findings imply the need for the improvement of teachers’ pedagogical reasoning through teacher education programs