درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Abstract Since student L2 achievement is the primary objective of all language education contexts, a huge number of inquiries have explored the role of various elements including teachers’ qualities in promoting their L2 achievement. Teachers’ qualities, such as professional commitment, have been shown to affect students’ achievements; however, some factors such as academic burnout seems to play a role in disturbing teachers’ commitment, even though the association between two concepts is not crystal clear. Due to the importance of commitment and burnout, this qualitative research intends to systematically uncover Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions towards the dynamic interaction between academic commitment and burnout. To this end, a sample of 50 EFL teachers from high schools and language institutes of Urmia, Iran was selected based on the convenience sampling and they were interviewed to express their perceptions towards different types of commitment (to school organization, to the teaching profession, and to students) they experienced, the role of burnout and its relationship between professional commitment and burnout level. Based on the thematic analysis, the results indicated that teachers in both high schools and private institutes were aware of three types of commitment and they believed in the negative interplay between the two concepts. The majority of the participants indicated that they feel stressed and anxious due to the heavy workload and low salary that resulted in limited opportunities for professional development.

This essay undertakes a critical investigation of Wang Anyi’s short story, The Destination , employing Erich Fromm’s humanist psychoanalysis to elucidate the complex interplay between societal transformation, the erosion of authentic love, and the resulting existential anxieties within the context of contemporary Chinese modernity. The analysis focuses on the protagonist, Chen Xin, and his return to a radically transformed Shanghai, a disorienting architectural and bureaucratic maze that disrupts historical continuity. This spatial disorientation, the essay argues, mirrors Chen Xin’s strained familial ties, which exemplify Fromm’s notion of alienated pseudo-love, wherein genuine emotional intimacy is replaced by commodified social exchanges operating under the pressures of a state-capitalist regime. Fromm’s contrast between a way of life focused on owning and controlling things, versus one that emphasizes being present, growing as a person, and forming meaningful relationships, reveals a subjectivity caught between the pressure of inherited ideologies and the basic human need for love, care, and real emotional connection in a globalized and increasingly commodified society.

This study explores the emotional and psychological impact of assistive technologies on adolescents with visual impairments. A qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured interviews with 20 adolescents with visual impairments recruited through online platforms. Theoretical saturation guided data collection, and NVivo software was used for thematic analysis. The study examined participants’ emotional responses, psychological adaptation, and the social and educational impacts of assistive technology use. The results revealed that while assistive technologies enhanced empowerment, independence, and self-esteem, they also introduced challenges such as frustration, technological overwhelm, and social stigma. Many participants reported emotional attachment to their assistive devices, highlighting their role in fostering confidence and reducing dependence. However, rapid technological advancements contributed to anxiety and stress, particularly when transitioning to new tools. Psychological adaptation strategies included trial-and-error learning, seeking technical support, and developing resilience. Social support from parents, teachers, and peers played a crucial role in shaping participants’ experiences, with inadequate support leading to increased frustration. The digital divide further influenced participants’ emotional well-being, as access to advanced assistive technologies varied across socioeconomic backgrounds, impacting academic performance and social inclusion. Assistive technologies significantly shape the emotional and psychological well-being of adolescents with visual impairments by promoting independence and confidence while also posing adaptation challenges. The findings highlight the need for better accessibility training for educators, increased social support, and user-centered technological designs to reduce cognitive load and frustration. Bridging the digital divide is essential to ensure equitable access to advanced assistive technologies, fostering positive developmental outcomes for visually impaired adolescents.

Improving the way of designing syllabus by making it more tailored to the needs and interest of the learners has been an important objective in language teaching, which leads to selecting and grading instructional materials with a consistent attention. This study focused on studying some dark areas of material selection in language teaching, aiming to make instructional materials more attractive to learners. There was also an attempt to see if learner's interest could affect reading and grammar differently. Lastly, the research also sought to find learners' perception on the use of interest in material selection and its possible effect in their performance. A mixed-method design was used to answer the research questions. The findings and results revealed that the use of interest in selecting class materials helped learners have better performance in reading, and the improvement showed a high correlation with learners' performance in grammar learning. Furthermore, the results of the questions asking for learners' perceptions disclosed the effectiveness of integrating interest to teaching materials in language learning. Researchers and teachers are suggested to seek ways to assist the syllabus planners to grow achievement by changing the materials to be more interesting, which can facilitate the language teaching and learning.

With the advent of advanced technology, a substantial proportion of reading takes place online. Reading engagement is an important factor which makes considerable contributions to reading comprehension. However, there is no valid and reliable measure for assessing learners' online reading engagement. Accordingly, this study constructed and validated a scale to gauge LORE. Initially, 20 EFL learners and 20 teachers were interviewed and based on the results of thematic analysis and extant components in the literature, an initial draft of the LORE was prepared. This draft became subject to expert opinion in a panel of three PhD holders in TEFL. Afterwards, the scale was distributed to 335 learners. The results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's Alpha yielded satisfactory psychometric properties for the 21-item scale consisting of six factors including affective, behavioral, cognitive, linguistic, agentic, and social dimensions. The analysis of aggregate means revealed that learners were highly engaged in behavioral and affective aspects, moderately engaged in the cognitive and agentic facets, but they had low levels of engagement in linguistic and social dimensions. Based on the results, the scale can be safely used to measure EFL learners' online reading engagement. Moreover, it is recommended that EFL teachers take measures to foster learners' linguistic and social engagement.