سعید صیادچمنی

This study investigates the impact of teachers’ rapport on classroom interactions and students’ participation in class activities, comparing experienced and novice EFL teachers. Rapport, defined as a positive, harmonious relationship between teacher and students, is often cited as critical for effective communication and a supportive learning environment. Despite the extensive literature emphasizing the importance of rapport in enhancing student engagement, motivation, and classroom dynamics, limited research has explored the role of teaching experience in moderating these effects. The study involved 40 EFL teachers (20 experienced and 20 novice) from Safir Language Academy in Tehran, with data collected through classroom observations. An independent t-test was used to analyze the differences in classroom interaction and student participation between the two groups. The findings indicate no significant difference between experienced and novice teachers in terms of the impact of rapport on classroom interactions and student participation. The study’s results challenge previous research, suggesting that the level of teacher rapport, regardless of experience, does not significantly influence classroom dynamics or student engagement. These findings imply that other factors may play a more substantial role in shaping classroom interactions and participation, warranting further investigation into the complexities of teacher-student relationships and their effects on learning outcomes.

This study investigated the impact of teacher and peer scaffolding on the speaking performance of Iranian EFL learners. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, 60 intermediate-level female learners were selected from a population of 75, divided into three groups: teacher scaffolding, peer scaffolding, and a control group. The study employed the Preliminary English Test (PET) and speaking pretest and posttest to ensure homogeneity and measure the participants’ progress in speaking proficiency. The results of a One-way ANOVA indicated significant improvements in speaking performance for both scaffolding groups compared to the control group. However, no significant difference was found between the effects of teacher and peer scaffolding. These findings suggest that both types of scaffolding are equally effective in enhancing L2 speaking skills, supporting the theoretical framework of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The study underscores the importance of incorporating scaffolding into language instruction to foster better speaking outcomes.

The current study aimed to examine whether or not the explicit teaching of motivational regulation strategies significantly affected Iranian EFL learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) in general English online classes. Moreover, it endeavors to investigate if there was a significant difference between male and female Iranian learners' WTC in general English online classes regarding the explicit teaching of motivational regulation strategies. To this aim, a pretest-posttest design was used and 130 participants were randomly chosen out of 406 pre-intermediate level students. After the administration of the homogeneity test, 92 learners were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. There were 46 learners in the experimental and 46 learners in the control group with equal number of male and female participants in each. The findings revealed that the explicit teaching of motivational regulation strategies significantly affected Iranian EFL learners' WTC in general English online classes. It was also observed that female Iranian learners’ WTC was significantly higher than that of male learners' in general English online classes regarding the explicit teaching of motivational regulation strategies. The findings of this study could be of great importance for language learners, teacher trainers, and teachers.