Autoevaluación y Evaluación Docente en una Clase de Escritura de Inglés como Lengua Extranjera

The present study investigated how fifteen Iranian EFL learners developed the ability to self-assess their writings through having access to the rater’s scores. The participants were supervised for four weeks as they went through their first experience in self-assessment. They were provided with a detailed evaluation sheet for assessing their work, and after each self-evaluation they were able to have access to the teacher-assigned scores. The results indicated a high correlation between self-assessment and teacher-assessment. It was revealed that students’ self-assessment throughout the study turned out to be highly correlated with the teacher-assessment. It was also shown that the learners assessed different components of their writing in a manner comparable to that of the teacher. The findings confirmed that self-assessment could not only be viewed as a useful tool for evaluating learners’ performance but also be regarded as an efficient instrument for developing their writing skill.Este estudio investigó cómo 15 estudiantes iraníes de inglés como lengua extranjera desarrollaron la capacidad de evaluar sus escritos al tener acceso a las puntuaciones de los evaluadores. Los participantes fueron supervisados durante cuatro semanas al ser su primera experiencia en el proceso de autoevaluación. Se proporcionó una hoja de evaluación detallada a cada estudiante para que evaluara su trabajo y después de cada autoevaluación, los estudiantes pudieron tener acceso a las puntuaciones globales asignadas por el profesor. Los resultados indicaron una alta correlación entre la autoevaluación y la evaluación del profesor. Esto reveló que la autoevaluación de los estudiantes durante todo el estudio resultó estar altamente correlacionado con la evaluación docente. También se demostró que los estudiantes evaluaron diferentes componentes de su escritura de una manera comparable a la realizada por el profesor. Los resultados confirmaron que la autoevaluación podría no sólo ser vista como una herramienta útil para evaluar el rendimiento de los estudiantes sino también podría ser considerada como un instrumento eficaz para desarrollar sus destrezas de escritura

Self- and Teacher-Assessment in an EFL Writing Class.

The present study investigated how fifteen Iranian EFL learners developed the ability to self-assess their writings through having access to the rater's scores. The participants were supervised for four weeks as they went through their first experience in self-assessment. They were provided with a detailed evaluation sheet for assessing their work, and after each self-evaluation they were able to have access to the teacher-assigned scores. The results indicated a high correlation between self-assessment and teacher-assessment. It was revealed that students' self-assessment throughout the study turned out to be highly correlated with the teacher-assessment. It was also shown that the learners assessed different components of their writing in a manner comparable to that of the teacher. The findings confirmed that self-assessment could not only be viewed as a useful tool for evaluating learners' performance but also be regarded as an efficient instrument for developing their writing skill.Este estudo pesquisou como 15 estudantes iranianos de inglês como língua estrangeira e desenvolveram a capacidade de avaliar seus escritos ao ter acesso às pontuações dos avaliadores. Os participantes foram supervisados durante quatro semanas ao ser sua primeira experiência no processo de autoavaliação. Foi proporcionada uma folha de avaliação detalhada a cada estudante para que avaliasse seu trabalho e depois de cada autoavaliação, os estudantes puderam ter acesso às pontuações globais designadas pelo professor. Os resultados indicaram uma alta correlação entre a autoavaliação e a avaliação do professor. Este revelou que a autoavaliação dos estudantes durante todo o estudo resultou estar altamente correlacionado com a avaliação docente. Também se demonstrou que os estudantes avaliaram diferentes componentes da sua escritura de uma maneira comparável à realizada pelo professor. Os resultados confirmaram que a autoavaliação poderia não só ser vista como uma ferramenta útil para avaliar o rendimento dos estudantes como também poderia ser considerada como um instrumento eficaz para desenvolver as suas destrezas de escritura.Este estudio investigó cómo 15 estudiantes iraníes de inglés como lengua extranjera desarrollaron la capacidad de evaluar sus escritos al tener acceso a las puntuaciones de los evaluadores. Los participantes fueron supervisados durante cuatro semanas al ser su primera experiencia en el proceso de autoevaluación. Se proporcionó una hoja de evaluación detallada a cada estudiante para que evaluara su trabajo y después de cada autoevaluación, los estudiantes pudieron tener acceso a las puntuaciones globales asignadas por el profesor. Los resultados indicaron una alta correlación entre la autoevaluación y la evaluación del profesor. Esto reveló que la autoevaluación de los estudiantes durante todo el estudio resultó estar altamente correlacionado con la evaluación docente. También se demostró que los estudiantes evaluaron diferentes componentes de su escritura de una manera comparable a la realizada por el profesor. Los resultados confirmaron que la autoevaluación podría no sólo ser vista como una herramienta útil para evaluar el rendimiento de los estudiantes sino también podría ser considerada como un instrumento eficaz para desarrollar sus destrezas de escritura

Barriers to Pap Smear Test for the Second Time in Women Referring to Health Care Centers in the South of Tehran: A Qualitative Approach

Background: Cervical cancer is a preventable disease with a regular screening program. Many studies have reported a large number of barriers that women had for the first time, but this study decided to find other barriers for the second time pap smear. Methods: In this qualitative research, data were gathered through in-depth interviews and expressed through conventional content analysis in the form of constant comparison. The participants were 15 women with family profile at 30 health care centers who lived in the south of Tehran and had done Pap smear for one time but didn’t do it for the second time. Results: Three main themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: negative experiences of the first Pap test were as follows: results of the first time test, readiness for performing the test, getting the test itself, and the site of the first Pap test. Personal barriers to getting the second Pap test were: inattention to time, physical barriers to the second Pap test, and inhibitory beliefs. Perceived social barriers to getting the second Pap test with two sub-themes included social supports and abstract norms. Conclusion: This study provided other barriers about Pap smear including lack of the spouse’s support, the role of health care providers and physicians in screening program for early diagnosis in women

Investigating intestinal parasitic infections with emphasis on molecular identification of Strongyloides stercoralis and Trichostrongylus colubriformis in north of Iran

Currently, parasitic infections are one of the important health problems in the world, especially in developing countries. This study aims to investigate intestinal parasites with an emphasis on molecular identification through the analysis of mitochondrial COX1 and ITS2 gene sequences of Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) and Trichostrongylus spp. in north of Iran. Five hundred forty stool samples were collected from medical diagnostic laboratories affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari city, north of Iran. First, all the samples were examined using direct smear, formalin-ether sedimentation, and trichrome staining technique. Suspected samples of Strongyloides larvae were cultured in agar plate. Then, DNA was extracted from samples containing Trichostrongylus spp. eggs and Strongyloides larvae. To amplify DNA, PCR was performed and the samples with a sharp band in electrophoresis were sequenced by Sanger method. Overall, the prevalence of parasitic infections in the study population was 5.4%. The highest and the lowest level of infection was observed with Trichostrongylus spp. and S. stercoralis at 3% and 0.2%, respectively. No traces of live Strongyloides larvae were seen in the culture medium of the agar plate. The six isolates obtained from the amplification of the ITS2 gene of Trichostrongylus spp. were sequenced, all of which were Trichostrongylus colubriformis. The sequencing results of COX1 gene indicated S. stercoralis. In the present study, the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in north of Iran has relatively decreased that its main reason can be due to the coronavirus epidemic and compliance with health principles. However, the prevalence of Trichostrongylus parasite was relatively high that it requires special attention to apply appropriate control and treatment strategies in this field