Leila Dobakhti; Mohammad - Zohrabi; Sevda Masoudi
Abstract
The present study made an endeavor to determine the degree to which online and flipped approaches to writing instruction affected the EFL learners’ writing ability. To this end, first, the researchers selected 75 intermediate-level female EFL learners in three intact classrooms of a private language ...
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The present study made an endeavor to determine the degree to which online and flipped approaches to writing instruction affected the EFL learners’ writing ability. To this end, first, the researchers selected 75 intermediate-level female EFL learners in three intact classrooms of a private language institute in Urmia (Iran) as the participants. These classes were randomly selected from among the online, flipped, and in-person classes of the relevant institute and were assigned to the online, flipped, and control groups. Second, the researchers administered the writing pretest of the study to all of the groups. Third, they used Adobe Connect learning management system to provide the online and flipped groups with the pertinent writing instruction treatment in ten sessions. Nonetheless, they provided the control group with in-person writing instruction. Fourth they administered the immediate and delayed writing posttests of the study to all of the groups immediately after the termination of the treatment sessions and one month subsequent to the end of treatment respectively. Finally, they used SPSS 24 to perform the data analysis. Based on the obtained results, although both of the online and flipped approaches had immediate and delayed positive impacts on the participants’ writing ability, the flipped approach was more beneficial than the online. The results may provide EFL teacher educators, course developers, syllabus designers, and teachers with guiding principles regarding the uses of online and flipped courses in foreign language contexts.
Najmeh Maghsoudi; Mohammad Golshan; Amin Naeimi
Abstract
Despite the increasing attention of researchers to digital multimodal composition in recent years and the importance of self-efficacy beliefs in the development of writing ability, the instruction of writing skill has still remained traditional in Iran. The present mixed-methods study was conducted to ...
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Despite the increasing attention of researchers to digital multimodal composition in recent years and the importance of self-efficacy beliefs in the development of writing ability, the instruction of writing skill has still remained traditional in Iran. The present mixed-methods study was conducted to examine the joint effect of digital multimodal composition and self-efficacy on the writing ability of Iranian EFL learners. In so doing, two intact groups including 59 sophomore students at a university in southeastern Iran participated in the study. The participants were assigned into two comparison groups of multimodal (n = 30) and monomodal (n = 29) compositions. The multimodal group composed five digital essays while the monomodal group produced five paper-based essays during the semester. Moreover, both groups’ self-efficacy beliefs were assessed through Second Language Writer Self-Efficacy Scale after they finished composing their essays. At the final stage of the research, semi-structured interviews were run to elicit the participants’ perception about digital multimodal composition. The result of two-way MANOVA revealed that the multimodal group outperformed the monomodal group in terms of content, communicative achievement, and organization, but not in language component. Additionally, self-efficacy had a significant impact on the writing ability of both multimodal and monomodal groups regardless of the type of writing they produced. Besides, the thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that highly-efficacious learners had positive perception about multimodal composition. The study concludes with the necessity of reshaping educational practices for English writing instruction in Iran and fostering the learners’ self-efficacy in the composition processes.
Masoud Azizi; Majid Nemati
Abstract
One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensuring learners’ attendance. The majority of the studies carried out on teacher CF have mistakenly presupposed learners’ attendance to and noticing of teacher feedback without any attempt to check ...
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One may not comment on the effectiveness of teacher corrective feedback (CF) before first ensuring learners’ attendance. The majority of the studies carried out on teacher CF have mistakenly presupposed learners’ attendance to and noticing of teacher feedback without any attempt to check or ensure them. The present study was an attempt to examine the effect of CF on learners’ writing ability when it is accompanied by Draft Specific Scoring, a technique designed to maximize learners’ motivation to attend to teacher feedback while minimizing the negative effect grading might have on learners’ attention (Azizi, 2013; Nemati & Azizi, 2013). In so doing, 57 intermediate students of English Language Literature at University of Tehran, in the form of two groups with one receiving CF and the other one receiving CF plus Draft-Specific Scoring (DSS), were studied. The results of the Split-plot ANOVA between the two groups’ pretest and posttest indicated that the treatment group could significantly outperform the control group in overall writing proficiency as well as the four components assessed in IELTS writing task 2. In addition, learners’ motivation, attendance, and attitudes were explored into using a questionnaire and a written interview. The participants experiencing DSS reported a high level of motivation and attendance. They also held a very positive attitude toward the technique they had undergone. The results indicate that it is possible to make teacher corrective feedback work if the intervening variables, more particularly motivation, are taken care of.
