Though dynamic assessment (DA) has gained strong theoretical and empirical support over the last decades, second language (L2) practitioners have blamed it for its applicability in large classes. To ameliorate this limitation, peer-dynamic assessment (peer-DA), rooted in the conceptualization of zone of proximal development (ZPD), can be…

There has been a growing call for listening to test-takers' voices across diverse assessment contexts. Within classroom assessment (CA), however, test-takers' voices on ethics are under-researched in the high school context of Iran. Hence, this study purported to disclose Iranian high school test-takers' (n = 15) perceptions of the ethical…

Traditional approaches to language assessment have been criticized for their inadequacy in taking account of language learners' potential for development. To obviate this pitfall in traditional assessment, language teachers and researchers have been paying increasing attention to dynamic assessment (DA), which is rooted in Vygotsky's (1978)…

Listening comprehension in English, as one of the most fundamental skills, has an essential role in the process of learning English. Non-parametric item Response Theory (NIRT) is a probabilistic-nonparametric approach to item response theory (IRT) which determines the one-dimensionality and adaptability of test. NIRT techniques are a useful tool…

Implicit theory (Dweck, 2000) suggests that learners' theories about the malleability of their individual traits (learning style, here) determine the extent to which they can stretch their learning style (Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014; Young, 2010) and benefit from the instruction that mismatches their preferred styles. The present study aimed…

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a hot topic in the field of applied linguistics, and it is getting more and harder to downplay the significance of the so-called theory in the growth of second-language learners (Deci and Ryan, 1985, 2000, 2002). The current study tried to test the theory in the Iranian EFL setting by throwing light on the…

Listening comprehension in English, as one of the most fundamental skills, has an essential role in the process of learning English. Mokken scale analysis (MSA) is a probabilistic-nonparametric approach to item response theory (IRT) which determines the one-dimensionality and scalability of test. Mokken scaling techniques are a useful tool for…

Research is an indispensable part of any educational endeavour generally and graduate/postgraduate studies particularly, since the Iranian educational system requires M.A. and Ph.D. candidates to submit a thesis or dissertation as partial fulfilment of the requirements for attaining their respective academic degrees. However, a review of the…

Despite English teachers' acknowledgement of the plurality of English and the emergence of different varieties of the language, the actual manifestations of this plurality and the associated principles do not seem to be equally embraced in their classroom approach. Against this background, this study investigated Iranian English teachers'…

Within the last two decades, theorizing and research on language teaching and teachers have witnessed a fundamental shift of attention and orientation towards socio-cognitive aspects of teaching. This epistemic shift has been paralleled by the global reach of the English language, inspiring scholars to call for a paradigm shift in Applied…

The purpose of this study was to examine gender and discipline-based Differential Item Functioning (DIF) and Differential Distractor Functioning (DDF) on the Islamic Azad University English Proficiency Test (IAUEPT). The study evaluated DIF and DDF across genders and disciplines using the Rasch model. To conduct DIF and DDF analysis, the examinees…

This study explores the possibilities and challenges of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) based on multiliteracies perspectives within New Literacy Studies (NLS). Teaching materials were developed for a group of Iranian EFL learners based on the four principles of NLS and were taught based on the same principles aiming at creating…

Mobile phones are turning into a growingly widespread educational tool across various contexts. However, the scope of research on teachers' role in mobile-oriented instruction is limited, much less examining how professional development influences their associated beliefs and practices. Grounded in sociocultural theory, this study aimed to fill…

This study examines the social experiences of Iranian female immigrants in schools in Toronto, Canada. Drawing on postcolonial theory and critical whiteness studies, I interrogate the ways in which 'Oriental' subjects are Othered among their peers, and how whiteness is established as the invisible norm. This study observes the role that having an…

Purpose: This study attempts to evaluate the effect of the corpus-based inductive teaching approach with multiple academic corpora (PICA, CAEC and Oxford Corpus of Academic English) and conventional deductive teaching approach (i.e., multiple-choice items, filling the gap, matching and underlining) on learning academic collocations by Iranian…