Aprendizaje móvil para el desarrollo profesional docente: una evaluación empírica de un modelo ampliado de aceptación de la tecnología

This study explores how mobile learning (m-learning) can serve as a valuable resource for the professional development of Iraqi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research investigates the model's fit, structural relationships between variables, and potential moderating effects of gender and academic rank. Findings revealed that Iraqi EFL teachers generally demonstrated positive attitudes toward m-learning adoption, with identified challenges in self-efficacy and ease of use. Gender analysis indicated that females exhibited higher ease of use, self-efficacy, enjoyment, and positive attitudes and intentions toward m-learning adoption. Higher-ranked teachers perceived m-learning as more useful. The extended TAM displayed a good fit to empirical data, revealing significant positive relationships between variables. Gender did not moderate these relationships, but academic rank played a substantial role. The findings guide strategies for targeted professional development, addressing technical support concerns, and designing engaging experiences to facilitate successful m-learning integration in higher education, considering the unique needs and challenges of Iraqi EFL teachers.Este estudio explora cómo el aprendizaje móvil (m-learning) puede servir como un recurso valioso para el desarrollo profesional de docentes de inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL) en la educación superior en Irak durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Utilizando un Modelo de Aceptación de Tecnología (TAM) ampliado, la investigación examina la idoneidad del modelo, las relaciones estructurales entre variables y los posibles efectos moderadores de género y rango académico. Los hallazgos revelaron que, en general, los docentes de EFL en Irak mostraron actitudes positivas hacia la adopción del m-learning, identificando desafíos en la autoeficacia y la facilidad de uso. El análisis de género indicó que las mujeres mostraron una mayor facilidad de uso, autoeficacia, disfrute, y actitudes e intenciones positivas hacia la adopción del m-learning. Los docentes de mayor rango percibieron el m-learning como más útil. El TAM ampliado mostró una buena adaptación a los datos empíricos, revelando relaciones positivas significativas entre las variables. El género no moderó estas relaciones, pero el rango académico desempeñó un papel sustancial. Los hallazgos orientan estrategias para el desarrollo profesional dirigido, abordando preocupaciones de soporte técnico y diseñando experiencias atractivas para facilitar la exitosa integración del m-learning en la educación superior, teniendo en cuenta las necesidades y desafíos únicos de los docentes de EFL en Irak

Aprendizaje móvil para el desarrollo profesional docente: una evaluación empírica de un modelo ampliado de aceptación de la tecnología

This study explores how mobile learning (m-learning) can serve as a valuable resource for the professional development of Iraqi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research investigates the model's fit, structural relationships between variables, and potential moderating effects of gender and academic rank. Findings revealed that Iraqi EFL teachers generally demonstrated positive attitudes toward m-learning adoption, with identified challenges in self-efficacy and ease of use. Gender analysis indicated that females exhibited higher ease of use, self-efficacy, enjoyment, and positive attitudes and intentions toward m-learning adoption. Higher-ranked teachers perceived m-learning as more useful. The extended TAM displayed a good fit to empirical data, revealing significant positive relationships between variables. Gender did not moderate these relationships, but academic rank played a substantial role. The findings guide strategies for targeted professional development, addressing technical support concerns, and designing engaging experiences to facilitate successful m-learning integration in higher education, considering the unique needs and challenges of Iraqi EFL teachers.Este estudio explora cómo el aprendizaje móvil (m-learning) puede servir como un recurso valioso para el desarrollo profesional de docentes de inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL) en la educación superior en Irak durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Utilizando un Modelo de Aceptación de Tecnología (TAM) ampliado, la investigación examina la idoneidad del modelo, las relaciones estructurales entre variables y los posibles efectos moderadores de género y rango académico. Los hallazgos revelaron que, en general, los docentes de EFL en Irak mostraron actitudes positivas hacia la adopción del m-learning, identificando desafíos en la autoeficacia y la facilidad de uso. El análisis de género indicó que las mujeres mostraron una mayor facilidad de uso, autoeficacia, disfrute, y actitudes e intenciones positivas hacia la adopción del m-learning. Los docentes de mayor rango percibieron el m-learning como más útil. El TAM ampliado mostró una buena adaptación a los datos empíricos, revelando relaciones positivas significativas entre las variables. El género no moderó estas relaciones, pero el rango académico desempeñó un papel sustancial. Los hallazgos orientan estrategias para el desarrollo profesional dirigido, abordando preocupaciones de soporte técnico y diseñando experiencias atractivas para facilitar la exitosa integración del m-learning en la educación superior, teniendo en cuenta las necesidades y desafíos únicos de los docentes de EFL en Irak

Effect of Maximum Aggregate Size on the Strength of Normal and High Strength Concrete

Aggregates form 60% to 75% of concrete volume and thus influence its mechanical properties. The strength of (normal or high-strength) concrete is affected by the maximum size of a well-graded coarse aggregate. Concrete mixes containing larger coarse aggregate particles need less mixing water than those containing smaller coarse aggregates, In other words, small aggregate particles have more surface area than a large aggregate particle. In this research, about twenty-two mixtures were covered to study the effect of the MSCA, on compressive strength of (normal strength concrete) and Sixteen mixtures to study the effect of the maximum size of coarse aggregate on compressive strength for (high strength concrete). The concrete mixture is completely redesigned according to the maximum size of coarse aggregate needs and maintaining uniform workability for all sizes of coarse aggregate. The American design method was adopted ACI 211.1, for normal concrete. ACI 211-4R, the design method was adopted for high strength concrete. And use the MSCA with dimensions (9.5, 12.5, 19, 25, 37.5, and 50) mm for normal strength concrete and the MSCA (9.5, 12.5, 19, and 25) mm for high strength concrete. The slump was fixed (75-100) mm for normal strength concrete. Slump is fixed to (25-50) mm for high strength concrete before added Superplasticizer high range water reducer (HRWR). With Fineness Modulus (F.M) fixed to 2.8 for both normal concrete and high-strength concrete. According to the results of the tests, the compressive strength increases with the increase in the MSCA, of the normal concrete and also high – strength concrete. And the effect of the MSCA, on the compressive strength of normal concrete, is higher than that of high-strength concrete

Effects of Virtual Instruction on the Speaking Accuracy of Iranian High School English Learners with Varied Personality Traits during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examined the effects of virtual English instruction via the Iranian Student Education Network (SHAD) on the speaking accuracy of Iranian high school English learners with varied personality traits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants (n = 54) completed the Quick Oxford Placement Test and the Eysenck Personality Inventory before taking a speaking test based on the Vision English for Schools Series. The participants' voice-recorded responses to the speaking test were then analyzed for accurate verb usage. After completing 18 online sessions with diverse speaking tasks on SHAD, the participants retook the speaking test, and their performances were analyzed. The results indicated significant effects on the speaking accuracy of both extroverts and introverts, with introversion showing the most positive impact. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted to gather participants' perceptions of virtual education. The findings highlighted the challenges and opportunities faced by Iranian high school English learners in online classes, with implications for virtual language education and materials development

Exploring Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge among Iraqi High School English Teachers: A Comparative Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigates the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of Iraqi English teachers in public and private high schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examines the potential impact of gender and school type on participants’ TPACK perceptions. The results, derived from a TPACK survey (Baser et al., 2015), indicate significant differences between public and private school Iraqi English teachers in terms of overall TPACK scores and perceptions of individual TPACK constructs of technological knowledge, technological content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and technological pedagogical content knowledge. However, no significant differences were observed in the constructs of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. Additionally, the study found no significant disparities between male and female Iraqi EFL teachers in overall TPACK scores or perceptions of individual TPACK constructs. These findings offer insights into TPACK in Iraqi public and private high schools and shed light on how male and female Iraqi EFL teachers perceive their competencies when utilizing information and communication technology in English language instruction. Considering these findings, it is recommended to implement training and professional development programs to support teachers in effectively integrating technology into language education, especially within their classrooms

Transforming textual meaning during the revision process of research articles written by Iranian scholars

Publishing in English has brought about great difficulties for scholars whose first language is not English. After submitting their manuscripts to English-language journals, they usually receive comments from the reviewers on the quality of their English. One of these challenges is how links and transitions are managed in the flow of discourse. The present study aimed to investigate how the successfully revised text differs from its originally submitted counterpart within the framework of systemic functional linguistics. Based on our examination of the revisions made to our corpus, the increased use of marked theme is believed to contribute significantly to textual cohesion and coherence, and thereby to the achievement of the writer’s argument. This would contribute to transforming a relatively immature and unpublishable piece of writing into a well-crafted and mature version. However, this is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the texts to be published

Iraqi EFL Learners’ Preferences and Readiness for Mobile Learning in Higher Education during COVID-19 Pandemic

The expansion of mobile wireless technology into education in recent decades has offered an incredible opportunity to design learning differently and to enhance students' learning experiences that extend beyond the typical teacher-led classrooms. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent closure of educational institutions around the world, distance/mobile learning has become a widely accepted form of information and communication technology-enhanced education. Given the infancy of technology-enhanced education at Iraqi educational institutions, this study was conducted to determine how Iraqi EFL learners preferred information and communication technology-enhanced education and how ready they were to adopt mobile learning for English learning purposes in higher education. This study also examined whether there were any significant differences in the learners' preferences and readiness for mobile learning considering their gender. Methodological triangulation was undertaken using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with some Iraqi EFL learners at four public universities so as to seek the research objectives. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the data from the questionnaire. The data of the interviews were then analyzed using thematic analysis to identify and report the common themes of the two coders of the interviews. The findings revealed a plethora of evidence indicating learners' positive attitudes towards using mobile learning as a viable medium for language learning purposes in intra- and extramural situations, as it expanded the boundaries of learning beyond the limitations of traditional pedantic educational settings. Besides, no significant differences were found in the preferences and readiness of Iraqi EFL learners considering their gender for the adoption of mobile learning in higher education, though females liked mobile learning better than males

The Role of Religious Attitude in Coping with Psychological Distress and Emotion Regulation Difficulties of UT Students

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: There is strong evidence to suggest that psychological distress and emotion regulation problems have adverse effects on life. Given that, finding the underlying processes seems important. Besides, since religion is a determining factor in emotion regulation and mental health, this study aimed to investigate the role of religious attitude in emotion regulation difficulties and distress. (Depression, Anxiety, stress).Method: This descriptive-correlational study used multistage cluster sampling from all students at University of Tehran in academic year of 94-95. 211 students (120 female and 91 male) were selected. They were asked to complete Religious Attitude Scale-Short Form (RAS-R), difficulties in emotion regulation questionnaire (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale or DERS-16) and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Then, the data were analyzed with using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. In this study, the ethical issues were all considered and the authors declared no conflict of interest.Results: The results show that religious attitudes negatively affect depression, anxiety and stress. Also, anxiety has negative relationships with inner spirituality, worship and religious morality. Besides, morality had predictive power for anxiety. Moreover, among the four dimensions of distress, only anxiety negatively correlated with religious attitude (morality, inner spirituality and worship) and morality had predictive power for anxiety. Furthermore, the results indicated that morality had predictive power for difficulties in emotion regulation (limited access in emotion regulation, impulse control) and the inner spirituality had predictive power for non-acceptance of emotion.Conclusion: It can be concluded that different aspects of religious attitude can both directly and indirectly play important roles in anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation. Therefore, paying attention to religious attitude in pathology and treatment protocols of anxiety disorders is necessary.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here

Comparing early maladaptive schemas and defense mechanisms with religious attitude: A case of obsessive-compulsive disorder

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most challenging clinical issues. Due to considerable expenses associated with OCD, revisiting the related literature to take up a useful therapeutic option seems necessary. The present study aimed to compare the schema of the primary defense mechanisms incompatible with religious attitude among women with OCD and healthy women.Method: All women with OCD in Hamadan formed the participants of this causal-comparative study. Using simple random sampling, 100 women with OCD and 100 healthy women were selected based on clinical interviews, diagnostic criteria for DSM-V, and questionnaires. Research instruments were maladaptive schemas (YSQ-SF), defense mechanisms (DSQ-40) and religious attitude (RAQ). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). It is worth noting that all ethical issues required were carefully observed and the authors declare no conflict of interest.Results: The results showed a significant difference between clinical and normal groups in terms of five areas of early maladaptive schemas, namely disconnection and rejection, dysfunction, impaired limits, other-directedness, subjugation, and inhibition), (P<0.05). Furthermore, the scores of defense styles (mature, immature and neurotic) as well as religious attitude have demonstrated a significant difference (P<0.05).Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of preventive interventions in psychological symptoms among neurotic patients and broaden the horizons of clinical interventions when it comes to religion.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here

Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in North-East of Iran

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer, is a life-threatening disease worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology and clinical features of HCC patients who referred to Omid hospital in Mashhad, northeast of Iran.Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of patients who referred to Omid hospital – a cancer research center– in Mashhad during 1991 to 2012. Medical records of 29 patients with primary liver cancer proven with biopsy, CT scan or MRI were analyzed in this study.Results: Of 25 eligible cases, 68% were men and the rest were women. The majority of HCC patients were in the 60-69 age group. Also, 44% of patients were found to be hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) positive.Conclusion: The age distribution and male preponderance of HCC patients observed in the present study in line with other conducted studies in Iran and other countries. Since this is a retrospective study, a comprehensive study with a larger sample size in a case-control study is needed to establish other HCC-related factors in our province