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Virtual reality (VR) is used across the educational spectrum (higher education, high school, primary school, and even pre-school); however, primary school teachers' perceptions of using VR in their classrooms require further research. A brief review of the literature of 100 existing articles related to teaching within the primary school context was conducted. The articles were obtained by performing a word search within Google Scholar, with the keywords 'virtual reality primary school teachers 2018 - 2023'. Teachers indicated both hesitance and enthusiasm for incorporating VR. The findings of this study indicated that only a low number of articles (n = 11) addressed VR and primary school teachers, compared to the total number of articles reviewed (n=100). Researching VR and teaching assists in supporting the wider fringe aspects of e-learning practices, such as VR. It advances the compass of e-learning knowledge by integrating immersive learning tools into the primary school classroom.

Thanks to their advantages, technology-integrated tools have risen in English classes, especially in the last two decades. In this respect, a paucity of research has been conducted to measure the influence of web-enhanced tools in improving linguistic skills. However, a gap in the literature has been observed about the effects of technology-integrated instruction on EFL learners' grammar performance at the tertiary level in the Iraq context. In light of this, the present study aimed to explore the influence of Web 2.0 tool-oriented instruction in developing grammar on 40 EFL learners, chosen by systematic sampling method, studying at the language preparatory school of a private university in Erbil, Iraq, in the 2023-2024 academic year. The study lasted nine months and adopted the principles of a mixed-methods research design study. Control group students were exposed to traditional instruction, while experimental group students' lessons were enriched with web 2.0 tools via various websites on English language learning. The findings, analyzed by SPSS 26 and MAXQDA, revealed that experimental group students increased their grammatical competence, intrinsic motivation, self-confidence, and overall attitudes toward learning English more significantly than the control group students. In line with these findings, this study has certain pedagogical implications for integrating Web 2.0 tools into grammar lessons.

This study examines the extent of awareness among Iraqi English foreign language learners about the potential impact of reading literature on developing their creative writing abilities. Furthermore, this study investigates the relationship between those who partake in literature reading and their academic skills. It examines the participation of 120 Iraqi EFL learners currently enrolled in the faculties of Arts, Education, and Education in Qurna, affiliated with the University of Basrah. It employs a mixed methods approach, including a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The results demonstrate a significant correlation between reading literary texts and developing creative writing skills. Several literary elements enhance creative writing, including a comprehensive understanding of figures of speech, cultivating critical thinking skills, engaging in literature courses, practicing paraphrasing poetry, and exposure to various literary genres. The findings also demonstrate that EFL learners profoundly understand the impact of engaging with literary texts on their academic abilities.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a model of CALL competence to integrate technology into education. Cultivating attitudes of EFL teachers in light of online instruction and examining its relationship with TPACK seems to be a crucial aspect of current teaching practices. Thus, this correlational study attempted to explore the relationship between Iraqi EFL teachers' attitudes towards online instruction and TPACK components. Sixty teachers of English as a foreign language from Thi-Qar, selected via availability sampling, took part in the study. They responded to two questionnaires, one with 28 items on TPACK and the other containing 16 items on online teaching English. A series of Pearson correlation tests were conducted to examine the seven research hypotheses about the participants' attitudes towards online instruction and technological pedagogical content knowledge components, including CK, PK, TK, TCK, PCK, TPK, and TPACK. The findings demonstrated a range of low to moderate positive associations between instructors' attitudes towards online instruction and TPACK domains. It was indicated that the teachers with positive attitudes were also positive about their perceived TPACK. The present research increases our understanding of TPACK in relation to online teaching in contexts where EFL is practiced.

The ongoing underrepresentation of Iraqi school students in science, mathematics, and PE (physical education) (SMPE) in general, and especially in PE demonstrates the need to develop and implement strategic high impact practice, such as new effective teaching strategies that not only improve students' academic outcomes but also foster student development holistically. In Iraqi schools, there is a need to help students persist and remain interested in their discipline and academic level; hence, this study aims to explore the effects of various PE STA (spectrum teaching approaches), the TGFU (teaching game for understanding), and TTA (traditional teaching approach) on intermediate school students' HBS (basic handball skills). A total of 90 male students participated in the present study. In EGs (experimental groups), the STA and TGFU were employed for EG1 (experimental group one) and EG2 (experimental group two), while the TTA was used for CG (control group). The results of the SPANOVA test showed a significant effect of the STA and TGFU approaches in enhancing the BHS in favour of the STA. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the interaction between Test time and teaching groups. The value of research does not require only coming up with solutions to a problem (under study) but also revealing new concerns worthy of investigation and analysis, such as investigating this tool's effectiveness in teaching other sports.

At two higher education institutions in Kurdistan (Iraq), English as foreign language (EFL) programs aim to provide adult learners with language skills development that they need to excel in their majors and as professionals. A framework called the Community of Inquiry (COI), based on interactionist and constructivist-learning theories was used to create a needs analysis tool to inform the design, delivery, and evaluation of a collaborative mini-conference hosted by the two institutions during and post-COVID pandemic. The current study explores the use of the needs assessment, which measured instructors' beliefs following the sudden transition to online learning during the pandemic, and their awareness of principles of teaching and learning for EFL learners in particular within the context of Kurdistan Iraq. There are opportunities in and beyond the current setting to address issues of equity, capacity for integrating tech skills with pedagogy, and more empathy between public and private institutions of higher education that support EFL learners. The study gathered critical evidence through qualitative and quantitative research methods that assessed institutional, faculty, and student needs during the transition of online learning.

Schools have been considered critical institutions for refugee youth. However, Muslim refugee youth experience challenges navigating schools during an increasingly hostile sociopolitical climate for Muslim people. Drawing on the adolescent development framework, this phenomenological study explores how school-based experiences help to shape Muslim refugee youths' identities. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 refugee youth who attended high schools in Chicago. Findings highlight how Muslim refugee youth expressed negative feelings of school and overall adjustment to their local communities due to stereotypes or perceptions of them being "terrorists" or "violent," which often translated into discrimination and bullying directed at them at the school level. Second, Muslim refugee youth expressed a desire to be civically engaged in their schools and communities to demonstrate their capacity to be "good citizens" or active participants with a high moral compass. Recommendations are offered on how to support Muslim refugee youth in school settings.

The US-led invasion in 2003 created opportunities for Iraq to establish American-style universities. Drawing on policy borrowing and educational transfer theory and using interviews as the primary method of data collection, this study examines how the American-style universities are rationalized and appropriated by various actors at national, sectoral, and institutional levels. The analysis shows that the rationales for establishing American-style universities in post-2003 Iraq differ by how each was funded and politically and financially supported. The new American-style universities in Iraq in this study represented something for both the USA and for Iraq. For the USA, they are a source of public diplomacy and soft power, and for Iraq, an instrument that promises peacebuilding, social cohesion, transition to democracy, reforming the local higher education system, legitimacy, and probably a tool to 'revolutionize' Iraq's higher education and bring back its glory.

Although online learning has become ubiquitous worldwide, earlier research has neglected the relationship between its actual use and security concerns. Learners' lack of security awareness while using learning technologies remains rarely studied. This paper integrates Delone and McLean's information system success (D&M-ISS) model with the security triangle framework. Data from 2,451 higher education students at different universities and a wide variety of disciplines in Iraq were collected. In addition to the effectiveness of the D&M-ISS factors, the research findings based on the structural equation model suggest that the three constructs of the security triangle framework--namely, confidentiality, integrity, and availability--were significant predictors of students' use of online learning. This research can thus help academic organizations understand factors that can lead to the successful implementation of online learning and learners' security awareness.

The Multiple-choice (MC) item format is commonly used in educational assessments due to its economy and effectiveness across a variety of content domains. However, numerous studies have examined the quality of MC items in high-stakes and higher-education assessments and found many flawed items, especially in terms of distractors. These faulty items lead to misleading insights about the performance of students and the final decisions. The analysis of distractors is typically conducted in educational assessments with multiple-choice items to ensure high-quality items are used as the basis of inference. Item response theory (IRT) and Rasch models have received little attention for analyzing distractors. For that reason, the purpose of the present study was to apply the Rasch model, to a grammar test to analyze items' distractors of the test. To achieve this, the current study investigated the quality of 10 instructor-written MC grammar items used in an undergraduate final exam, using the items responses of 310 English as a foreign language (EFL) students who had taken part in an advanced grammar course. The results showed an acceptable fit to the Rasch model and high reliability. Malfunctioning distractors were identified.

Intercultural communication plays a crucial role in second language (L2) acquisition as it always happens in the context of another, usually very different culture. The present study sheds light on the benefits of using documentary videos in teaching intercultural communication to young students and how they can affect students' development of their cultural competence. The study research sample consisted of two groups of fifth-grade primary school students, with thirty participants each. Their prescribed book of English consisted of various parts related to different countries and their local culture. Therefore, documentary videos could be considered as adequate supplementary material. Data collection method was based on ideas adapted from The Cultural Intelligence Scale (CIS) (2005). In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted to reveal students' details and subjective feelings in addition to their attitudes and opinions. The t-test was used to reveal statistically significant the differences between the two groups. Results suggested that using documentary videos in teaching culture enhances students' cultural intelligence. Moreover, they show that the students had a positive attitude towards using documentary videos in teaching culture, which can significantly stimulate their motivation. This paper can be a pilot study that will stimulate further research into the needed topic.

Formulaic sequences, particularly idioms and collocations, have received increasing attention in English language learning settings to bridge the gap between daily and academic life. Thus, it is expected to increase students' motivation in English classes when they see reflections of formulaic sequences in their daily lives. Although the number of publications has risen exponentially to measure the effects of idioms and collocations on students' proficiency globally, a gap in the literature has been pinpointed about their roles in the Iraq context. In this regard, this study aimed to explore the potential influence of idioms and collocations on students' oral proficiency. Having chosen sixty first-year students by employing a convenience sampling method to represent two experimental and one control groups equally at a private university in Erbil, Iraq, in the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, the students went through the intervention spanning twelve weeks. Experimental group students received the education either with a collocation-enriched or an idiom-enriched format, respectively. However, control group students continued their education according to the prerequisites of the official curriculum. Data were collected via speaking exams and interviews to obtain quantitative and qualitative data in this quasi-experimental design study. Collected data, analyzed by SPSS 26 and NVivo, revealed that collocation and idiom-enriched groups outperformed the control group. Similarly, experimental group students had more positive views on collocation and idiom-enriched education with various compelling reasons, such as being catchy, handy, and effective. The findings of the study may have some implications for stakeholders who plan to implement formulaic sequences in English classes.

The Noval Coronavirus left a considerable negative impact on education worldwide in 2019. Therefore, different measures were implemented by governments to eliminate or minimize the risk of disease spreading. These measures included travel restrictions, mandatory quarantines for travelers, social distancing, bans on public gatherings, schools and universities closures, business closures, self isolation, asking people to work remotely from home, curfews, and lockdown. Many universities and colleges worldwide suspended classroom teaching due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, and switched to online teaching. Iraq was one of those countries that followed the lockdown rules and resorted to online education. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the dentistry teaching staff as well as psychological health and educational status of students who experienced the lockdown last year in Iraqi colleges. The study participants were divided into two groups: the first group included a total of 1250 participants from 28 different colleges of dentistry (public and private), who answered the questionnaire with a response rate of 71.76%; the second group included a total of 776 students (474 females and 302 males) with a gender ratio of 1.6:1. The results showed that COVID-19 pandemic lockdown affected the academic performance of most participants (82.2%) with varying degrees. Overall, the mean evaluation score for online education was 31.3±6.9, while that for the practical subjects was 68.6%±6.9. Although online education provided the students with an opportunity for self-study, it faced a serious challenge when offering the students the practical subjects in medical science. Since majority of the courses in medical science included practical subjects, the students experienced real difficulties receiving online education. As the result, academic staff and students found it difficult to fulfill the medical science requirements adopting online education system alone.

This abstract presents a research study that investigates the effects of technology integration (TI) through digital gameplay on English as a foreign language (EFL) college students' behavior intention. The study employs a mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. The quantitative phase involves a pre- and post-test design, measuring the behavior intention of EFL college students before and after engaging in digital gameplay activities. The qualitative phase involves in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to gather students' perceptions and experiences with using digital gameplay in their language learning process. The findings reveal that TI through digital gameplay positively influences EFL college students' behavior intention, including their motivation, engagement, and self-efficacy in language learning. The qualitative data provide insights into students' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of using digital gameplay, highlighting its potential for improving language skills, fostering social interaction, and promoting autonomous learning. The implications of the study suggest that incorporating digital gameplay in EFL college classrooms can be an effective approach to enhance students' behavior intention and contribute to their language learning outcomes. This study contributes to the existing literature on TI in language education and provides practical recommendations for educators and policymakers to leverage digital gameplay for enhancing EFL college students' behavior intention.

The purpose of this research is to review peer-reviewed articles on the effects of e-learning on the academic performance of university students. The SCOPUS database was searched for peer-reviewed articles. The data obtained were analyzed using the content analysis method. Twenty-seven articles were found in journals indexed in the SCOPUS database and considered suitable for this study. Two researchers used the content analysis method to determine the effects of the articles reviewed. The results showed that studies in this area have increased in intensity in recent years. These studies were generally conducted over five years. It was found that quantitative methods were predominantly chosen. Researchers published most articles in 2021 and 2022. Most of the studies reviewed used a quantitative design, and only seven articles chose an experimental research design. Most studies were conducted in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, India, Iran, and Turkey. The results show that different measurement instruments or tools were used to measure students' academic achievement. The impact of the peer-reviewed articles on the impact of e-learning on college students' academic achievement was examined in four categories. These categories are detailed in the results. Finally, pedagogical conclusions are drawn in light of the results obtained.

This study intended to investigate pre-service teachers' and teacher educators' perceptions of technological pedagogical knowledge and professional identity development. The research was conducted with 152 English Language Teaching (ELT) pre-service teachers and 73 teacher educators from various universities in Iraqi Kurdistan. Using a mixed-method, the data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews as well as a Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge survey questionnaire. Thematic analysis and SPSS 24 were employed for analyzing the interview responses and survey data, respectively. From this data, both pre-service teachers and teacher educators perceived a high rate of proficiency in their pedagogical content knowledge as well as familiarity with simple traditional technologies, while they lacked some knowledge of professional technologies. Participants also mostly agreed that pedagogical technologies are effective and affect their professional identity development. However, there were a few participants who believed these technologies were not more effective for their teaching practice and professional identity development. The implications of the study are stated, and some suggestions for further studies in this regard are provided.

The research on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing has garnered considerable attention over the years, particularly concerning the impact of corrective feedback (CF) on students' errors. However, in the context of Kurdish EFL students, this area of research has received limited attention, despite its potential to enhance their grammatical accuracy in writing tasks. This paper addresses this gap by examining the impact of Explicit Written Corrective Feedback (EWCF) on Kurdish EFL undergraduate students' writing accuracy in terms of "subject-verb agreement (SVA)." For data collection, the study employed a mixed-method approach and recruited sixty junior EFL undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (n=30) received EWCF on their SVA errors for five weeks, while the control group (n=30) received only implicit feedback without correction on SVA errors. Data was collected through questionnaires and pre-and post-tests, and the results revealed that EWCF was preferred by students and was more effective in enhancing their writing accuracy in terms of SVA, as evidenced in the post-test. The study has several theoretical and pedagogical implications, including the need for instructors to provide EWCF to enhance students' grammatical accuracy in writing tasks. Further, the study contributes to the limited body of research on EFL writing in the context of Kurdish students, highlighting the need for further investigation in this area.

Within the scope of this study, a psychoeducation program based on multicultural competencies and Berry's acculturation model was developed to improve the adjustment process of international students. In this study, an explanatory sequential design was used. The study group consisted of 34 international students who volunteered for the study. The quantitative results of the study indicated that the Culture-Based Adjustment Program significantly affected the personal and social adjustment of international students. However, it did not significantly affect the adjustment to the university environment, emotional adjustment, dating relationships, and academic adjustment. The qualitative analysis yielded five major categories: (a) expectations, (b) contributions, (c) evaluation of the program, (d) leader, and (e) suggestions. The findings of this study highlight the importance of psychoeducation programs in the adjustment process of international students.

Using authentic materials, such as books, videos, news, and podcasts has received increasing attention in English classes in the last two decades. Among others, Google Trends serves as a platform to choose authentic materials based on their popularity on a global scale. It has been displaying huge data about the most popular news, people, events, books, movies, and songs since 2004. To this aim, 40 Foundation English students who studied at a private university in Erbil, Iraq, were chosen through a simple random sampling method for the 2022-2023 Academic Year. Control group students kept their education according to the principles of the pre-defined curriculum, while experimental group students made a presentation about a trending topic on Google, prepared a listening quiz, and ran a speaking session. The data, collected by exams and surveys, were analyzed by SPSS 26 and NVivo application, revealing that Google Trends enriched teaching mode, increased students' listening scores and enhanced speaking performance significantly in the experimental group, whereas no noticeable progress was observed in the control group. Likewise, students' motivation towards learning English increased significantly in the experimental group, while it was less than noticeable in the control group. The findings of this study can have some implications for educators who consider integrating Google Trends into the curriculum to present authentic materials.

Assessment plays a vital role in English language learning as it helps students recognize their weak and strong points. Two main types of assessment are dynamic assessment (DA) and static assessment (SA) that their effects have not been examined on Iraqi EFL students' resilience, burnout, positive orientation (PO), and language academic achievement yet. Therefore, this research aims to close this gap. To do so, sixty intermediate EFL students were selected and divided into DA and SA groups to do so. The two groups were then given pretests on the four dependent variables. Subsequently, one group was taught ten reading literary texts with 100 new words using DA, whereas the other group was taught identical materials using SA. After the 8-week course, both groups took the post-tests on resilience, burnout, PO, and academic performance. The study's findings showed that the DA group did better than the SA group on the four post-tests. It can be concluded that using DA with the support of literary texts can produce positive effects in EFL classes. The current study has consequences for researchers, students, English instructors, and other stakeholders.

Global education is often framed in terms of standardised testing that makes comparisons across nations. This is particularly evident with international measures like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which tests 15-year-olds in member countries. Images on the PISA website provide representations of education that seem to clash with some of the contexts where we have conducted research. This prompted an investigation into educators' talk about local contextual realities, and how--or whether--they were impacted by global calls for quality education. The study focused on three different educational programs: education for adolescent girls in a refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, school education in a western Queensland rural/remote town in Australia, and the Migrant Education Program in rural Illinois in the United States. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field observations. Following data analysis, three case study narratives were constructed. A final step of analysis identified four shared pillars that made learning in rural and remote areas impactful and effective: context relevance, educators' openness to learning, flexibility of teaching/learning approaches, and responsiveness to learners' needs. The data demonstrated that the educators had a broader picture--national or global--in mind, but their main aim was to provide learning opportunities that were responsive, flexible and contextually appropriate to their location.

Considering the lack of data from Iraq on the challenges faced by academics regarding academic advancement, we aimed to explore the main challenges faced by academic faculty members in Iraq in achieving academic advancement and promotion. A cross sectional 24-item Google form survey was shared via social media; 130 Iraqi academics responded. Lack of research funding and poor research infrastructure were the most common barriers for academic advancement. Most academics agreed that the cost of promotion requirements is considered a lot compared to their income. This is the first study that has explored this issue in Iraq and suggests future strategies to overcome these barriers.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the integration of heritage language and culture in technology-enhanced bilingual education and examine the dominance of the English language and culture in computer-assisted language learning settings. Design/methodology/approach: This research used a narrative inquiry methodology. The data came from semi-structured interviews with 25 bilingual teachers in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and Texas. Findings: The study found a significant bias in the use of technology toward the target language, often at the expense of heritage language and culture. The curricula analyzed were predominantly focused on superficial cultural elements of the target language, leading to a neglect of deeper cultural engagement. Originality/value: This research highlights the phenomenon of cultural cringe within bilingual education and the skewed use of technology toward the target language.

The assessment process of readiness for adoption an educational system considers the lifeblood of the e-learning system in a particular educational organization and the ability to assess the organization's readiness among the main factors which contributes to the success and progress. The readiness models are instruments that assist educational organizations in measuring their capability level and identifying the gaps to develop a strategy for implementing and adopting e-learning system. Due to the sudden chaos that Iraqi educational institutions have been exposed to the COVID-19 epidemic since the beginning of 2020, the e-learning system has been adopted as a quick alternative educational system for the continuation of the educational process without taking into consideration the readiness of the basic components of the educational process, which comprises the readiness of the infrastructure, human and educational organization to adopt such systems. Despite increased attention by stakeholders and the government with the readiness assessment process recently, there is no comprehensive model for assessing e-learning readiness in Iraqi higher education institutions, the purpose of this study is to design a model of an e-learning readiness assessment for Iraqi universities based on the comparative studies and the experts' views. It is worth to mention that the proposed model has objectively designed according to particular features and local characteristics country. The fuzzy delphi method was utilized for the validation process of the proposed model. The main dimensions and all factors of the proposed model reached the experts' agreement except a number of measures that did not achieve the assessment requirements. The final analysis result indicates that the e-learning readiness assessment model includes 3 main dimensions and 13 factors with 86 measures. Iraqi higher educational institutions can employ the designed model to assess their readiness and identify the areas that need improvement and reduce the gaps failures in e-learning adoption.

The present mixed-method study focuses on levels of foreign language enjoyment (FLE), foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and foreign language boredom (FLB) among 168 Arab and Kurdish English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in both in-person and emergency remote teaching (ERT) classes. Statistical analyses revealed that learners experienced significantly more FLE, more FLCA and less FLB in in-person classes than in ERT classes. The qualitative data revealed a more nuanced picture about the things learners appreciated and disliked in both contexts. Sitting at home in front of their computer, many learners did feel more isolated, disengaged, distracted and missed the interactions with peers and teacher. Yet, some participants felt that ERT did allow relationship-building, lessened their fear of making errors and pushed them to develop new coping strategies. The main sources of FLCA in ERT turned out to be issues with internet connection rather than the anxiety of making errors in front of everybody. Boredom arose mostly from a lack of exciting social interactions and monotony in delivery which could induce disengagement. Some pedagogical implications are presented.

This paper investigates the linguistic and semiotic resources that NGO coaches draw on to create safe spaces in their English language lessons for psycho-social support in refugee settings. We do so by applying the rapidly developing concept of translanguaging, using data from a multi-site linguistic ethnography study in an NGO in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Interviews and classroom observations of six coaches were conducted in four different centres of the NGO across Erbil city. Detailed fieldnotes were recorded during the field visits and intensive observations of the translanguaging practices were made with follow-up interviews to ask about these practices. We analyse four discourse topics which are discussed through examples from the interviews and the video-recordings from the lessons. We argue that translanguaging spaces do not only create safe spaces but also generate new practices, while also providing opportunities to ensure positive identity and meaningful interaction within the English language classrooms we observed. The new practices in our data are the translanguaging practices which emerge every time the coaches and beneficiaries draw from their semiotic and linguistic repertoires. However, these were the outcome of unplanned translanguaging practices which were more often controlled by the coaches rather than the beneficiaries.

Purpose: Current article aims to investigate the positive link between knowledge sharing (KS), innovative culture (IC), quality of work life (QWL) and innovative behaviours (IB) at higher education institutions in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Design/methodology/approach: The study's data was gathered from academic staff at various universities in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. A total of 212 data were collected via survey questionnaire and analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings: It was discovered that KS has direct and significant positive effects on IC, QWL and IB; IC had direct positive effects on IB; QWL had no considerable influence on IB and IC had a significant mediation and moderation roles between KS and IB. As a result, it is advised that universities in the region are strongly support IC to increase IB among academicians. Research limitations/implications: Firstly, the data has been collected during the crises time that the lecturers were not receiving regular salary. This might change their quality work life perception. Secondly, data has been collected only from Sulaymaniyah city; other parts of the Iraq could have different perceptions. Lastly, sample size might be another limitation of the study. Practical implications: It is recommended that universities in the region should strongly support IC to increase IB among academicians, in terms of providing flexible working schedule and conditions, fair opportunities for promotion, and share decision making responsibilities. Social implications: KS and IC has significant impacts on IB among the academicians. Accordingly, university administrative should improve policies increase KS behaviours and provide IC that academicians feel more comfortable culture to be innovative. Therefore, current paper recommends, tolerance to failure, openness to new ideas and participation to the decisions to improve IB among the academicians. Originality/value: The paper is important that investigate KS and IC at the higher education institutions in Kurdistan region. Further, QWL perception has been investigated respectively. However, it has been observed that lecturers do not have quality of life perception at the investigated period of time.

Studies have disclosed conflicting evidence on the effect of oral reading (i.e., reading aloud in class) on various language measures. However, with online learning and teaching, personalized activities are employed to develop students' reading comprehension, improve motivation, and minimize anxieties. A qualitative research design was deployed to test the association between reading anxiety and reading proficiency of EFL learners in an online classroom using a correlational research approach to see if there was a correlation between reading anxiety and reading proficiency. Two hundred undergraduate students from a public university in Iraq participated in this study. The experimental group received oral reading intervention for six months in their daily lectures (where they were all invited to read orally before explaining the material), whereas the control group did not. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in the reading comprehension test scores between the group that received the reading intervention program and the one that did not. The novelty of this research is situated in the following three items, which, although replicated in previous studies to a certain extent, have received less to no attention in the literature on online teaching and learning of oral reading and its contributions. First, there is a negative correlation between reading comprehension scores and anxiety measures. Second, reading comprehension scores increased when reading and classroom anxiety decreased. Third, there was also a positive correlation between reading and classroom anxiety that heavily affected the reading comprehension scores of the participants. The teacher's observation suggests that accommodating oral reading in online instruction promotes motivation, rapport, and a conducive classroom climate, affecting reading performance and anxiety measures in an online foreign language classroom.

Purpose: This program evaluation aimed to investigate the benefits and challenges of an international, intercultural, e-community-engagement experience involving youth and higher education students. The authors sought to understand the meaning that participants would make of an international, intercultural, e-community-engagement experience. Design/methodology/approach: The program evaluation component of this project was qualitative, participatory and action-oriented. It was composed of online reflection sessions with small, international groups of higher education students from Iraq, India, Morocco, South Africa and the USA immediately following each of five interactive exchange sessions with youth from South Africa. It also included one culminating reflection session to which all of the higher education student participants were invited and a written questionnaire that was completed by the youth participants at the conclusion of the project. The reflection sessions were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts and survey data were reviewed for emergent themes. Findings: Cultural exposure emerged as the primary theme with participants valuing the opportunity to learn about different cultures and to connect with individuals from across the globe. Research limitations/implications: This program evaluation was not designed as a generalizable study. This pilot initiative provides evidence of the potential value and importance of international, intercultural e-community-engagement experiences for youth and higher education students. Practical implications: The potential value of technology to build exchange opportunities for young people is immense and largely untapped. International, intercultural e-community-engagement initiatives can be made available to students globally with relatively limited resources. A highly structured and focused plan provides clarity about expectations and requirements for students. A high level of commitment is required by all participants, including the faculty coordinators. Social implications: Although the project was brief, exposure to numerous countries and cultures allowed participants to challenge their assumptions about different peoples and places in the world. The potential benefits for greater compassion and understanding of communities and cultures in an international context are high. Originality/value: This program evaluation contributes to and extends the literature on the possibilities and challenges of international e-community-engagement; it demonstrates the potential for e-community-engagement across multiple countries to broaden students' exposure to and interest in global perspectives.

This collaborative co-authored article argues that performance is a portal that can connect 'infinite' and 'far' communities, and that portals can invite a sense of world-building through digital connections. For two months, a gold shipping container in Glasgow connected to other portals in Iraq, Rwanda, Mexico City, Palestine and Uganda for intimate performance encounters. Using performances created for the Climate Portals festival at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland during COP26 in November 2021, this article considers performance as a portal that provokes reconsiderations of space, place, and time.

Cloze tests are gap-filling tests designed to measure overall language ability and reading comprehension in a second language. Due to their ease of construction and scoring, cloze tests are widely used in the context of second and foreign language testing. Previous research over the past decades has shown the reliability and validity of cloze tests in different contexts. However, due to the interdependent structure of cloze test items, item response theory models have not been applied to analyze cloze tests. In this research, we apply a method to circumvent the problem of local dependence for analyzing cloze tests with the Rasch model. Using this method, we applied the Rasch model to a cloze test composed of eight passages each containing 8-15 gaps. Findings showed that the Rasch model fits the data and thus it is possible to scale persons and cloze passages on an interval unidimensional scale. The test had high reliability and was well-targeted to the examinees. Implications of the study are discussed.

Different factors play their roles in communication especially when the concern is a foreign language such as classroom environment, foreign language classroom anxiety and willingness to communicate. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship among EFL Iraqi learner's classroom environment, foreign language classroom anxiety and willingness to communicate. First, from among the available 260 English university students at Babylon university, 204 EFL intermediate language learners who studied English language were selected. The selection was based on their score in Cambridge Quick Placement Test 2004 (QPT). The participants, then filled three questionnaires of anxiety, classroom environment, and willingness to communicate. The three questionnaires were filled out by the participants. To consider the extent of the interrelationships among classroom environment, willingness to communicate and speaking anxiety, a model of associations among them was proposed. To analyze the obtained data, structural equation modelling (SEM) was used and the model was probed using AMOS. Results of SEM indicated a complete fit and significant interrelationship among the variables were found. The findings have several implications for EFL teachers and learners.

The COVID 19 pandemic, which started to be seen in Turkey in March 2020, required some changes to the education process in our country and all over the world, and during this period, the courses were carried out online. Therefore, education activities for foreigners residing in different parts of the world in Turkish education were carried out following the new situation. However, this situation has brought various problems. This study aims to detect the errors in the written texts created online by the students studying in the form of distance education at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University TÖMER in the spring semester of the 2020-2021 academic year. For this purpose, 26 students were given topics such as fellowship, friendship, family, travel, technology, daily life, memories, cities, and countries. Then, they were asked to write a text about any of the topics of their own choice. The texts written by the students were evaluated by content analysis from qualitative data analysis. A total of 517 errors were detected as a result of the review, and the errors were categorically collected under three headings: Narrative disorders, spelling errors and punctuation errors. Nearly half of the errors detected are due to narrative disorders (49.51%). In second place are spelling errors (32.30%) and punctuation errors (18.18%) in last place. When looking at the errors evaluated at the level of narrative disorders, it was observed that impairments caused 71% of the 256 errors detected in the grammar level and 29% were caused by disorders in the level of meaning. Accordingly, it has been concluded that the students did not have sufficient feedback from the teacher on the language level disorders in the written texts created by the students during the online Turkish teaching process and that the students did not succeed at the desired level in applying the grammar rules. In this context, it is recommended that the lecturers show the necessary sensitivity to the application process of writing skills in online Turkish teaching to foreigners.

While technology has undoubtedly improved and has become an essential component of modern life, technological advances' consequences have both beneficial and detrimental impacts on students' writing skills in the classroom. Technology has accelerated and simplified work for students, but it has also instilled the belief that there is no need to put significant effort into the texts they write. This study examines the effects of technology and auto-correction on students' writing skills at three different universities in Sulaimaneyah city, Iraq. Case studies and research into the impact of electronic and communication devices on English writing skills among university students has been analyzed to determine the effect of autocorrection on grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation. Furthermore, the study also aims to show that auto-correction affects students' writing and to compare auto-correction and handwriting to prove that students make mistakes while writing due to technology. In addition, the study examines writing tasks undertaken by students in the English language to assess students' lack of writing skills, particularly in spelling. Finally, the study identifies why students have poor writing skills and corroborate previous research into an auto-corrections negative impact on students' writing abilities.

The purpose of this study is to determine Turkish and refugee middle school students' views on their national belonging. The study employed the qualitative research approach aligned with the purpose; semi-structured interviews were conducted with Turkish and refugee students. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method. Results showed that the most important common features for national belonging of both Turkish and refugee students were the common language they spoke and the place they lived in and the difference of views regarding national belonging were in terms of discrimination. Regarding Turkish society's expectations of them, both groups emphasized universal values such as being hardworking and being a good person, but their perceptions of serving the state differed. As for what Turkish and refugee students should do for this society, Turkish students believed that they should be hardworking and refugee students thought that they should be good people. It can be said that the differences of opinion between Turkish students and refugee students who migrated to Turkey would decrease if both groups came together on the subject of universal values.

This study investigates how American and Iraqi writers utilize the evaluative resources in newspaper opinion articles (henceforth, op-eds) from a critical discourse analysis perspective. It explores how American and Iraqi writers of op-ed pieces draw on the evaluative resources to establish their attitudes, create rhetorical effects, and serve their ideologies in influencing readers' and addressees' feelings and attitudes towards certain subject matters. This study hopes to enhance the critical thinking of readers of an increasingly important journalistic genre in democratic societies. The main questions this study raises are: On which categories of attitude markers do American and Iraqi op-ed writers base their evaluation? Which types of referencing external voices are the most recurrent? And why? The researcher adopts Martin and White's (2005) appraisal theory and Van Dijk's (2006) ideology perspective to achieve the study's goals. After applying qualitative and quantitative analysis methods, the study finds that the significant ideological strategy of positive-self presentation and negative other-presentation significantly motivates the evaluative resources used by American and Iraqi op-ed writers. Both American and Iraqi op-ed writers use similar evaluative techniques in terms of distribution. The analysis also finds that there are variations concerning the overall frequencies and the frequencies of the sub-types of evaluative resources under examination across the corpus.

This paper is an attempt to deal with language learners' beliefs. Researchers used Elaine Kolker Horwitz's model (1988), Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory, and they applied it to explore the views of Kurdish EFL university students concerning language learning. The study aims to investigate and expose their opinions regarding language learning generally, then English language more precisely. Its significance lies in exploring the beliefs of Kurdish EFL university students about language learning. It mainly answers the question, "what are the beliefs of Kurdish EFL university students about learning English?". The researchers administered a Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) questionnaire to seven universities to achieve this aim. The questionnaire includes several viewpoints regarding the difficulty of language learning, foreign language aptitude, the nature of language learning, learning and communication strategies, and motivation and expectations. They collected and analyzed the questionnaire results and found out that the first category, the difficulty of language learning, has the lowest mean score among the five categories. In contrast, the fifth category, motivation and expectations, has the highest mean score. They ended the study with suitable beneficiary recommendations.

In an effort to support higher education in developing countries, partnerships between U.S. and international universities have surged, raising questions concerning the social equity of such linkages. Using a New Literacy Studies approach to discourse analysis, online transcripts from one such university partnership were analyzed to determine how language was used to negotiate a more equitable partnership through the adaptation of the social context of professional development activities. Discourse analysis of three relevant linguistic markers in the data suggests that cultural perspectives on professional development influenced the language choices made by university partners, reshaping the power structure toward greater social equity, and aiding in the completion of joint professional development goals. Findings underscore the importance of drawing on local knowledges in planning for and conducting transnational university partnerships.

Although the leadership styles of physical education teachers are important for increasing athlete satisfaction, choosing the most appropriate leadership styles is difficult for physical education teachers owing to the numerous leadership styles suggested by scholars and researchers. Therefore, this study attempts to answer the following questions: 1) What are the leadership styles of physical education teachers preferred by athletes? 2) Can the leadership styles of physical education teachers predict athlete satisfaction? A total of 136 athletes from 12 schools in Iraq are selected randomly, and the Revised Leadership Scale for Sport and Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire are used to measure the leadership styles of physical education teachers and athlete satisfaction, respectively. The data are analysed using SmatPLS 3.0, and results show that the democratic behaviour and training and instruction behaviour leadership styles positively affect athlete satisfaction, whereas the autocratic behaviour leadership style negatively affects athlete satisfaction. This study contributes to the expansion of theories on the leadership styles of physical education teachers in the context of the education sector in Iraq. To increase athlete satisfaction, this study recommends physical education teachers to employ the training and instruction behaviour and democratic behaviour leadership styles and refrain from using the autocratic behaviour leadership style.

The aim of the research is to build an educational-learning design according to the progressive inquiry model and to know its effectiveness in the mathematical excellence skills of second-grade intermediate students. To achieve the research objectives, the two researchers followed the experimental research method, and they adopted a quasi-experimental design with two equal groups with a pre-post test to measure the mathematical excellence skills. To achieve the goal, the following null hypothesis was formulated: there is no statistically significant difference at the significance level (0.05) between the mean scores of the experimental group students who studied the material according to the educational-learning design and the students of the control group who studied the same material according to the usual method in the pre-post test of mathematical excellence skills. The research community was identified, which represents all the students of the second intermediate grade in the governmental middle and secondary day schools of the general directorate of education in Baghdad / Rusafa I. The sample consisted of (63) students from the second intermediate grade students, (32) students for the experimental group and (31) for the control group from Al-Harith Intermediate School for Boys. As the test in its final form consisted of (30) paragraphs of the essay and objective type, and the appropriate statistical analyzes were conducted, and by adopting the appropriate statistical tools to analyze the results, the results indicated the existence of a statistically significant difference in favor of the students of the experimental group. Those who studied the prescribed subject according to the educational-learning design and among the students of the control group who studied the subject according to the usual method, and that teaching according to the educational-learning design according to the progressive inquiry model is effective in the skills of mathematical excellence.

The aim of the research is to identify the effectiveness of using a proposed strategy according to the (Marquqrd) model in the algebraic thinking skills of second-grade intermediate students in the schools of the General Directorate of Education in Babylon. To achieve the goal, the following null hypothesis was formulated: There are no statistically significant differences at the significance level (0.05) between the mean scores of the students of the experimental group, which were taught using the proposed strategy according to the (Marquqrd) model, and the control group that studied in the usual way in the pre-post test of algebraic thinking skills. The research community, which represents the middle and secondary schools for boys within the General Directorate of Education in Babylon, was identified, and the Yahya bin Zaid (p.) middle school was randomly selected, and the research sample consisted of (67) students from the second intermediate grade students, and two groups were chosen randomly, with (33) students for the experimental group, and (34) for the control group. For the purpose of collecting data for the research, a test of algebraic thinking skills was built, as the test in its final form consisted of (24) items of the objective type, multiple-choice. The appropriate statistical analyzes were carried out (difficulty coefficient, ease, discrimination coefficient and effectiveness of the alternatives), and the psychometric properties were ascertained. After the statistical tools were chosen to analyze the results of the application of the test, such as using the associated analysis of variance (ANCOVA), the results indicated that: (1) The students of the experimental group outperformed the students of the control group in the test of algebraic thinking skills. (2) The use of the proposed strategy according to the (Marquqrd) model led to an improvement in the algebraic thinking skills of the students of the experimental groups compared to the students of the control group.

The purpose of the current research is to identify the correlations between moral intelligence and both academic entitlement and academic performance; in addition to identify the mediating role of academic entitlement between moral intelligence and academic performance. Four hundred and forty-four students from (Yemen, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Jordan) participated in the research. The moral intelligence scale and the academic entitlement scale were applied to the participants and data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and path analysis. The results revealed that there was a statistically significant negative correlation between moral intelligence and academic entitlement and a significant positive correlation between moral intelligence and academic performance. Besides, results demonstrated the mediating role of academic entitlement between moral intelligence and academic performance. The results of this research can be employed in building programs and setting plans for developing moral intelligence and eliminating academic entitlement behaviors and beliefs to encounter the problems of secondary school students.

In this paper we present a case study of doctoral study at a distance, and we explore issues of belonging, pedagogy and learning as part of that process. As a team of one doctoral researcher and three supervisors, we critically reflect on the place of belonging in the context of doctoral study by distance. In this case study, the importance of belonging was heightened due to a high-risk and highly volatile context in which the doctoral researcher lived, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. We further explore the elements that developed a sense of belonging, aided by a range of digital technologies. Our findings suggest that the place of belonging in learning needs further examination in higher education contexts, especially when universities are keen to increase distance enrolments.

This study aims to determine the views of students with refugee status who have emigrated to Turkey for various reasons and are continuing their education in secondary and high schools about the Turkish education system. A total of 149 students (76 male, 73 female) in two different groups, who were attending grades 5-8 and 9-12 in the 2018-2019 academic year, participated in the study which used descriptive research and the survey model in conjunction with each other. The results showed that although the education staff welcomed refugee students, they could not make academic adaptations to suit the unique characteristics of these students. While it was found that the majority of students (51%) had adapted to school in Turkey, some (30%) were not actively attending school, and some (27%) had difficulty meeting their basic needs. The results regarding communication and cooperation showed that while these students could easily express themselves to their classmates and teachers, around 20% experienced undecidedness. Data obtained directly from refugee students in this study are crucial for developing policies and projects to give them access to education, enable them to adapt, and guide future studies. More studies are needed to monitor whether the inclusive practices used in Turkey and throughout the world indeed meet what is intended.

This inquiry into narrative explores the often-silenced migration narratives of three refugee students from Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq. It is centered around two particular wonderings based in a critical literacy framework. First, what tenets of critical literacy seem most prominent in the narratives of refugee students from the Middle East? Second, what critical understanding of their migration experience do refugee students bring to the classroom? The conceptualized framework is understood as "The Centrality of Experience in Critical Literacy," wherein experience is central and valuable. This study applies the framework using stories as the source from which to better understand how individuals make sense of their worlds. Through a five-phase analysis, which included: free coding, literature derived coding, analysis of time and sequence, narrative pattern coding, and analysis of language, I find rich understandings of 1) the political, non-neutral nature of the world, 2) a fight for access to knowledge, and 3) a hope for envisioned future possibilities as the students seek belonging, refuge, and dreams, reclaiming the power of their own narratives. This inquiry into narrative additionally contributes the three stories and two audio recordings as a cultural data set, which can be used in the classroom.

This case study uses an equity-focused research lens to accomplish two tasks using data from two North Carolina community colleges. First, it situates community college virtual exchange programming within a pre-existing program typology to explore the extent to which community college virtual exchange is included in current conversations in international education. Second, it examines the demographic characteristics of community college students who participate in virtual exchange and compares them to those of students who study abroad. The purpose of this second task was to identify the extent to which virtual exchange programs advance equitable access to international education at community colleges. Results indicate that community college virtual exchange programs are not fully represented in the program typology and that virtual exchange is more accessible to some demographic groups compared to others. These findings have clear implications for advancing equity in international education broadly, and at community colleges specifically.

Building a strong sense of citizenship and literacy via reading is essential. Students who are proficient readers may perform better in educational settings. Reading literacy has been connected to gender and regional inequalities in national and international studies. As a result, the research's main goal is to examine how gender disparities and regional influences affect Iraqi college students' reading literacy. Data were gathered from rural and urban students attending public sector colleges in Iraq for this purpose. According to descriptive statistics, male students in both urban and rural areas scored less than female students overall. Compared to rural areas, the female scores were higher in urban areas. The independent sample T-test used in inferential statistics shows that there are statistical differences between gender and region in terms of reading literacy. The study could assist governing bodies and educational institutions in effectively addressing gender and regional inequalities so that students' reading and literacy needs could be met, perhaps increasing their positive impact on Iraq's economy.

The ability of international graduates to grasp a foreign language has become increasingly important as the demand for English-speaking workers has grown worldwide. To this end, several strategies for encouraging the use of English in academic settings have been implemented. International students' academic success may suffer if colleges refuse to recognize English as their first language. As a result, the current study's purpose is to assess the impact of English language ability, multilingualism, and perceived linguistic challenges on international students' academic achievement (GPA). Data was gathered for this purpose from three foreign colleges in Iraq. The results of the multiple regression show that multilingualism and English language proficiency significantly impact students' academic performance (GPA) while speaking, reading, and listening skills, as well as writing difficulty, are unimportant factors. Speaking, reading, and listening difficulties are among the four perceived language difficulties (GPA). According to the study's results, most respondents valued English fluency while managing a university's academic atmosphere. The research may also assist the researchers in developing their current study to raise the significance of their work.