A Rhetorical Move Analysis of TEFL Thesis Abstracts: The Case of Allameh Tabataba’i University

Abstract in every research paper has always been functioning as an attention-grabber which can encourage readers to keep reading the research or to dissuade it. Although abstracts are believed to play an important role in distributing the research findings, few studies have been done to evaluate the rhetorical organization of thesis abstracts, especially in the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Thus, the purpose of the present study was to analyze the rhetorical moves of the MA thesis abstracts written from 1988 to 2015 in the field of TEFL in Allameh Tabataba’i University (ATU), an Iranian university. To this end, 300 MA thesis abstracts were analyzed based on Hyland’s (2000) rhetorical move framework. To track the rhetorical move trends of the thesis abstracts and for the ease of analysis, they were analyzed in three time intervals. The results revealed that while in the first interval (1988-1997) the most frequent rhetorical moves were the “Purpose”, “Method”, and “Product”, in the other two intervals (1998-2007 and 2008-2015) the “Purpose” was the most used rhetorical move. In addition, the least frequent rhetorical moves were the “Introduction” and “Conclusion” for the three intervals. The findings, on top of these, indicated that the rhetorical move patterns of thesis abstracts moved from Purpose-Method-Product (P-M-Pr) to Introduction-Purpose-Method-Product-Conclusion (I-P-M-Pr-C). That said, it can be concluded that in the examined thesis abstracts, the highest average of information was provided on the “Purpose” of the study, while the other moves, especially the conclusion move, was not deemed important; moreover, an increasing rate of information provision was detected on the “Method” and “Product” moves. This research bears some implications for L2 learners to better know their community of practice and writing instructors to prepare genre-based writing materials

Exploring the English Language Needs of EAP Students of Humanities and Social Sciences in Iran: A Triangulated Approach

Given the fact that few studies have investigated the English language needs of EAP students in Iran, the present study was an attempt to analyze the needs of Iranian EAP learners of Humanities and Social Sciences. To this end, 114 EAP learners at different educational levels (BA, MA, and PhD) and with different English proficiency levels (elementary, intermediate, and advanced) were asked to provide their responses to a questionnaire. Moreover, ten EAP learners and eight EAP instructors were asked to write narratives about their experiences in EAP courses. Their narratives were then analyzed based on Strauss and Corbin's (1998) systematic approach. The results revealed that the EAP courses did not pay the deserved attention to writing, speaking, and listening skills, while the coverage of the sub-skills (grammar and vocabulary) was successful. Moreover, it was revealed that the EAP textbooks were insufficient in terms of the inclusion of language skills, community-specific cultural issues and conventions, and the topical knowledge. The analysis of the EAP learners’ needs also showed that not all interaction types happened in the EAP courses. Furthermore, the analysis of the narratives of EAP learners and EAP instructors indicated that the EAP curriculum, EAP textbooks and also EAP assessment should include the four language skills, provide a communicative venue for EAP learners to practice their disciplinary issues, and design communicative materials. It can be concluded that the current EAP curriculum needs revision to fulfill the EAP learners’ present and target situation needs

The Construct of Willingness to Communicate and Its Relationship with EFL Learners’ Perceived Verbal and Nonverbal Teacher Immediacy

Given the fact that developing an intimate relationship between teacher and students creates a safe learning environment (Harran, 2006), and because teacher immediacy is proved to increase students’ motivation for learning (Velez & Cano, 2008), this study was an attempt to explore the relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ perceived teacher immediacy and their willingness to communicate (WTC). To this end, first, a new WTC questionnaire, specific to EFL settings, was developed, piloted, factor analyzed, and then administered on 90 intermediate EFL learners. In the second phase, the participants were required to complete Gorham’s (1988) Verbal Immediacy Measure (VIM) and McCroskey et al.’s (1996) Revised Nonverbal Immediacy Measure (RNIM). The findings revealed that there are 7 factors underlying EFL learners’ WTC, one of which is teacher immediacy. Further analyses showed that there is a positive relationship between both verbal and nonverbal teacher immediacy behaviors and EFL learners’ WTC in EFL classes. It can be concluded that teacher immediacy is one of the constituents of EFL learners’ WTC and that their WTC is likely to increase when teachers demonstrate immediacy behaviors while teaching. The present study has implications for language practitioners as well as teacher trainers

Exploring Institutional Strategies for Attaining the Objectives of the Tehran Metropolitan Plan

The extreme spatial disparity and heterogeneity between Tehran city and other settlements in its urban area have led to a decline in spatial justice and amplified differences within the Tehran metropolitan area. This study aims to identify the key factors that influence the realization of the Tehran Metropolitan Plan objectives in the metropolitan area management system using an institutional approach and meta-synthesis method. A systematic review of scientific research articles published between 1390 to 1400 was conducted, and the meta-synthesis method was used to analyze the findings of 23 studies. The results indicate that the reformation of Tehran Metropolitan's organizational structure is the most crucial step toward institutional change, as per the proposed indicators. At the variable level, the study emphasizes the need for the adoption of a multi-centered development model that aligns with institutional change in planning systems, comprehensive and integrated management of the metropolitan area, shifting towards governance of the metropolitan area, centralization, creating a multifaceted functional network, transparency, accountability, and collaborative efforts

Developing a Competency Model for EAP Teachers: Insights from Internationalization of Higher Education

The teachers' competencies in the process of internationalization of higher education (IHE) are of vital importance (Brandenburg & Federkeil, 2007; van der Werf, 2012). The extent of IHE in a university is in a close relationship with the teachers' competencies (Harari, 1981). However, the required competencies of teachers in IHE are not a well-studied topic. Similarly, the "dearth of literature on EAP professional development" (Blaj-Ward, 2014, p. 113) has complicated exploring the EAP teachers' competencies. The absence of a competency model addressing the needs of EAP teachers to effectively engage in the education fitting the IHE objectives and policies gave impetus to this study. In line with this objective, an instrument measuring EAP teachers' competencies was designed and validated. The following steps were taken to develop the instrument: the theme extraction and item generation phase, the piloting phase, and the validation phase. The extensive review of the literature and interviews with IHE experts and EAP teachers yielded 8 competencies. This initial framework led to the development of the preliminary version of a 22-item questionnaire. The piloting phase resulted in 23 items. 74 EAP teachers from both camps (language and content) participated in the final administration. Various factor analyses, internal consistency, and correlation of all of the items were performed. The data obtained confirmed a sufficiently reliable and valid scale, consisting of 6 components (with the same underlying themes of 8 competencies extracted earlier) and 23 items for measuring the EAP teachers' competencies

Gender, Scaffolding Mechanism and Output Complexity in Task-based Language Learning

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of gender in Iranian EFL learners’ output complexity and scaffolding mechanism as they were performing the tasks. The participants were 18 intermediate learners from both genders who were selected based on a proficiency test and an interview. They were placed into three groups based on their gender. They were also assigned into nine different collaborative pairs and were required to perform four tasks while being tape-recorded for 36 sessions. The audio-recorded dialogues were then transcribed and divided into AS-units. Ohta’s (2001) seven types of scaffolding methods were used as a framework to analyze the data. The findings indicated that the interlocutors in female-female pairs scaffolded their struggling partners more than the other pairs and produced a more complex output; however, the interlocutors in male-male pairs underperformed the other groups. It can be concluded that gender plays an important role in EFL learners’ output complexity and scaffolding mechanisms they employ

Evaluation of mineralogical changes of sediments affected by Dar-e-Allo copper mine, south of Kerman: application for environmental studies

Abstract The present study has been performed to evaluate the prospective effects of activity mining on the mineralogy of sediments in the Dar-e-Allo copper mine, south of Kerman. Sediments affected by Dar-e-Allo mine are divided into six sedimentary groups including: natural background sediments, sediments of waterways leading to the mine, sediments of the Sarmashk River, sediments under the waste rock dump, sediments containing secondary phases, Fe-Mg oxy-hydroxide sediments, and evaporative sediments. Mineralogical studies of sediments as an indicator to evaluate the environmental effects of mining are classified into five main groups including primary and unaltered, carbonate, clay, sulfate and oxide minerals. Sediments in the operational area of the Dar-e-Allo copper mine are associated with extreme mineralogical diversity. The sulphide minerals are the most important source of acid mine drainage and secondary minerals such as gypsum, starkeyite, copiapite, magnesiocopiapite and natrojarosite are the most important temporary reserves of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and H+ ions. The dissolution of the mentioned minerals, especially during the initial flushing events in the wet season, cause a sharp increase in the acidity and concentration of PTEs in the surface runoff. Keywords: Sediments, Mineralogy, Environment, Daralo Copper Mine     Introduction Mining operation and extraction of sulphide ore cause the oxidation of a group of sulphide minerals (pyrite and chalcopyrite) and the production of acid mine drainage (Woo and Choi 2001; Milu et al. 2002; Sinclair 2007). Sediments play an important role in physical, chemical and biological processes resulting from acidic runoff. This research attempt to evaluate the impact of mining activities on the natural sediments of the area by studying the mineralogy of surface sediments. Determining the role of these sediments in the absorption and release of PTEs from the sediments and entry into the water as a threat has great importance. The Dar-e-Allo Cu mine is one of the largest copper mines in the southeastern part of the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Belt (UDMB), about 120km south of Kerman, Iran. The oldest lithologic unit of this region is Eocene in age. The petrology of the area is predominantly composed of igneous and volcanic rocks. The host of Cu ores in the Dar-e-Allo mine is a massive granodiorite (Alimohamadi et al. 2015). The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of mining activities on the mineralogy of sediments.   Materials and Methods Thirty-one sediment samples from five sedimentary systems were collected at the end of the dry season (September 2019), when evaporative phases are formed due to intense evaporation and the supersaturation process. The sampling locations included waste rock drainages, sediments along the natural streams, evaporative deposits, sediments containing ferrous compounds and natural background sediment. After drying, these samples were sieved. XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) analysis were performed on the samples for identification of minerals by the qualitative method at the Zar-Azma laboratory in Tehran.   Discussion of Results & Conclusions Mineralogical results confirmed the presence of 19 minerals in the composition of sediments. The identified minerals are classified into five main groups including primary and unaltered, carbonate, clay, sulphide and oxide minerals. Quartz, albite, orthoclase and hornblende are the most important primary minerals of lithogenic origin in sediment samples. Calcite and siderite are the only carbonate minerals identified in the sediment samples. The six minerals include chlorite, muscovite-illite, kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite and clinoptilolite are the important minerals resulting from alteration identified in the sediment samples. Moreover, five minerals including gypsum, copiapite, magnesiocopiapite, starkeyite and natrojarosite are the minerals that have stored sulfate ions in their composition. Oxide minerals include hematite and goethite. Mineralogical results show that each of the primary and secondary mineralogical compositions will show different environmental effects in the short and long term on the surrounding vital ecosystems. Albite and orthoclase as the major minerals through homogeneous or heterogeneous weathering (consumption of H+ or the production of HCO3-) can play an important role in reducing the acidity of weathering solutions and increasing the absorption of PTEs (Lottermoser 2003). Carbonate minerals neutralize the acid by forming HCO3- or H2CO3 (Skousen et al. 2000; García-Valero et al. 2020). Clay minerals can remove PTEs from Contaminated drains through cation exchange or surface adsorption (Ren et al. 2023). The consumption of H+ ions and the acidity of mine drainage decreases as a result of weathering of clay minerals (Elghali et al. 2021). As a result of the evaporation of sulfated waters, evaporate and secondary minerals with different compositions are deposited (Hammarstrom et al. 2003; Hammarstrom et al. 2005). The presence of copiapite minerals is proof of the acidic conditions of the sedimentation environment (Carbone et al. 2013). Gypsum is another important evaporative mineral in acidic drainage environments (Carbone et al. 2013). The formation of the starkeyite indicates intense evaporative conditions and the presence of Fe sulfide compounds (Sracek et al. 2004). The abundance of Na+ in the water of the mine area has provided suitable conditions for the natrojarosite formation (Bavi 2021). The Na+ required for the formation of natrojarosite is released from the weathering of albite, which is a common mineral in intermediate and acidic rocks (Desborough et al. 2010). The active presence of gypsum as a high degree of dissolution mineral in sulphide sediments (S23-S25) and very high to a dangerous degree of pollution (Bavi et al. 2023) are proof the temporary storage of H+ and PTEs in the mineralogical structure of gypsum. While sulfate salts containing Fe2+, Mn2+, Fe3+, and Al3+ (for example, starkeyite, copiapite, magnesiocopiapite, and natrojarosite) are insoluble (Lottermoser 2003) and are not easily to release H+ and PTEs to the aquatic system. The presence of these evaporite minerals with high dissolution intensity in acidic conditions (S17, S18, S23, S25) corresponds with a very high degree of contamination (Bavi et al. 2023). Hematite and goethite are stable iron oxides that have an active absorption surface and are capable of absorbing cations and anions from the surrounding environment (Carbone et al. 2013). Therefore, these minerals have a potential application in protecting the environment and absorbing PTEs from water and reducing their concentration in the solution phase. Sulphide minerals are the most important source of acid mine drainage, which depending on the composition of the host rock or sediments can cause acid production and the release of PTEs over a continuous time. In the studied area, the evaporate sediments have the highest amount of secondary minerals. The formation of these sediments only temporarily causes the storage of PTEs and H+ ions. Therefore, as a natural cleaning process, they play an important role in preventing the movement and transfer of PTEs into the environment. With the beginning of the wet season, especially during the first flood, water pollution will increase sharply; But with repeated rainfall, the intensity of pollution will decrease. Such a cycle of pollution transfer in the water environment and sediment will be repeated every year

A Contrastive Generic Analysis of Thesis Abstracts of TEFL and TPSOL

The notion of genre and its application in language teaching and learning has been given increasing attention in the past decades. Abstracts are an important area of inquiry in genre analysis. Therefore, identification and mastery of textual and rhetorical structures of abstracts can be beneficial. The present study sought to analyze the rhetorical structure of thesis abstracts in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and TPSOL (Teaching Persian to Speakers of Other Languages). To this end, 80 abstracts from the two disciplines (40 abstracts from each discipline) were chosen from among the theses submitted between the years 2008 to 2013 at Allameh Tabataba"i University. Following Hyland"s (2000) five-move model, the textual organization and rhetorical structure of each abstract were analyzed. The findings revealed generic variations across the two disciplines, indicating the obligatory and common moves in the structure of abstracts. TPSOL abstracts displayed a stronger tendency to omit the conclusion move (M5) in contrast to TEFL abstracts in which M5 was considered a fundamental and significant move. Another striking difference emerged in terms of patterns of reordering and repetition of some moves which appeared among some TPSOL abstracts only. It can be concluded that TEFL abstracts are more consistent with the international norms and genre of academic writing. The findings have pedagogical implications for students, ESP instructors, materials developers, and syllabus designers, and provide suggestions for further research

TEFL teachers’ and non-TEFL teachers’ perceptions on the relationship between SLA research and language pedagogy

This study explores TEFL teachers’ and non-TEFL teachers’ perceptions about the relationship between second language acquisition (SLA) research and language pedagogy with regard to familiarity, involvement, accessibility, consultation, relevance, and usefulness of SLA research in L2 pedagogy. To this end, 83 teachers, 40 TEFL teachers and 43 non-TEFL teachers, participated in this study. They filled out a questionnaire addressing their perceptions about SLA research and language pedagogy. The results revealed that the majority of TEFL teachers involved in doing research, at least as their educational term projects, while mostly no contribution was reported by non-TEFL teachers. In addition, TEFL teachers insisted that L2 teachers need to be involved in SLA research to be successful in their teaching career, while non-TEFL teachers were of the opposite opinion. Moreover, it was revealed that TEFL teachers considered the knowledge gained from research studies relevant and useful to their classroom actions, whereas non-TEFL teachers saw their experience more important for managing their classroom actions. Although both groups had contradictory perceptions of the relationship between SLA research and language pedagogy, they showed some common points in this regard. That is, both groups reported on their difficulty in having access to the research materials; they also expressed their willingness to do research