Somayeh safdari; Momene Ghadiri; Zohreh Kashkouli
Abstract
Scaffolding helps students improve their skills and handle complex materials (Cloud, Genesee, & Hayaman, 2009). Although a number of studies have been done on scaffolding in Iran, few studies have identified the types and techniques of scaffolding used in English language classes. Due to the importance ...
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Scaffolding helps students improve their skills and handle complex materials (Cloud, Genesee, & Hayaman, 2009). Although a number of studies have been done on scaffolding in Iran, few studies have identified the types and techniques of scaffolding used in English language classes. Due to the importance of scaffolding in the teaching process, this study aimed to investigate the types of scaffolding used by EFL teachers in Iran. Through availability sampling technique, eight EFL teachers in Isfahan were selected. Accordingly, their classes were all recorded, the discourse of which was transcribed, codified, and analyzed using the framework proposed by Wu (2010). The results of the study revealed that the EFL teachers mostly exploited cognitive, metacognitive, procedural, and context scaffolding. Motivational scaffolding, however, was not used in any of the classes. Moreover, the extent to which scaffolding was used in EFL classes equaled 35.8 %, of which 6.55, 11.71, 17.4, and 0.03 % was devoted to cognitive, metacognitive, procedural, and context scaffolding, respectively. This study puts forward the view that teacher educators and material developers should turn their attention to the development of tasks through which language instructors can take advantage of motivational and contextual scaffolds that actively involve students in learning.
Momene Ghadiri; Mansoor Tavakoli
Abstract
Explicit teaching may provide great opportunities for critical thinking to flourish. This paper examines the degree to which the need for developing such a critical view of language learning among English as Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) teachers is rigorously felt and is taken into consideration. ...
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Explicit teaching may provide great opportunities for critical thinking to flourish. This paper examines the degree to which the need for developing such a critical view of language learning among English as Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) teachers is rigorously felt and is taken into consideration. To this end, a researcher-made inventory, namely Criticality-oriented English Teaching Perceptions Inventory (CEPTI), was distributed among 150 EFL teachers. The results of the questionnaire and follow-up face-to-face interviews indicated that teachers were still not ready for a change towards explicit teaching of criticality-oriented skills inside the English language classes. Subsequent to assessing teachers’ perceptions, Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, Form A (WGCTA-FA) was given to a total number of 100 EFL learners. Findings revealed that learners did not score high on the WGCTA. The pedagogical implications of the study are discussed.
