Foreign Languages
Reza Taherkhani; Hashem Sharafi
Abstract
Since textbooks are one of the main learning resources in any curriculum, evaluating them for the benefit of the author and the audience, as well as their effect on students’ performance is an essential and valuable undertaking. This article evaluates English for the Students of Fabric and Garment ...
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Since textbooks are one of the main learning resources in any curriculum, evaluating them for the benefit of the author and the audience, as well as their effect on students’ performance is an essential and valuable undertaking. This article evaluates English for the Students of Fabric and Garment Design and Sewing Technology book authored by Akram Nasher (2017), from English for Specific Purposes (ESP) books series. To this end, the book was evaluated based on Mahmoodi and Ahmadisafa’s model (1393). Also, according to the model and for the purpose of gaining experts’ views in the field, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with three Fabric and Garment Design experts from Art, Al-Zahra and Science and Culture Universities of Tehran. The results indicated that despite problems and shortcomings in the texts, exercises and activities, the book has enough educational adequacy and can be used as a source of Specific English. At the same time; however, it requires serious revision in order to eliminate the existing deficiencies. To fulfill this need, the researchers and experts have made useful suggestions
Jurisprudence and Law
Majid Banaeioskoei
Abstract
The distinction between civil and commercial practices and the identification of commercial activities and transactions have long been the source of many effects that have gradually been accepted in most legal systems in a codified form and also in the form of commercial laws. The book “Commercial ...
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The distinction between civil and commercial practices and the identification of commercial activities and transactions have long been the source of many effects that have gradually been accepted in most legal systems in a codified form and also in the form of commercial laws. The book “Commercial Law”, Volume 1 has been compiled in accordance with the Iranian Commercial Code, stating the basics of commercial law and focusing on the rights and duties of businessmen, and identifying commercial practices for the undergraduate law course. The critique of the present book has been done using the known criteria and characteristics in order to evaluate the book and to identify its strengths and weaknesses in order to promote and improve the research. One of the most important shortcomings of the book is the lack of comprehensiveness of content and the weakness of analytical discussions, which has overshadowed the reasons for compiling the work. Since the book in question is one of the academic books, the need to complete and upgrade it will definitely be useful for both the author and the students. It is hoped that some issues will be modified in future editions.
Management and Policy Making
Karim Esgandari; Shadi Orafaye Jamshidi; Elmira Shakeri; Sheida Orafaye Jamshidi
Abstract
Due to the need to establish strong links between industry and academia to use scientific theories in industry, the use of case study in the management of organizational behavior is necessary. The purpose of this paper is to review and critique the book Case Studies of Organizational Behavior Management. ...
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Due to the need to establish strong links between industry and academia to use scientific theories in industry, the use of case study in the management of organizational behavior is necessary. The purpose of this paper is to review and critique the book Case Studies of Organizational Behavior Management. The method of evaluation and critique of this work is citation-analytical and in accordance with the model proposed by the Council for the Study of Humanities Texts and Books in the framework of general introduction, form and content study of the work. In general, in terms of the form of the work, the form quality of the work is good, despite these formal weaknesses of the work are: not using a specific symbol of management behavior in the design on the cover of the book, not using tables, charts and the bug is inside the text. In terms of content, the use of case study method in managing organizational behavior is one of the strengths of the effect. However, the work suffers from lack of logical order and content coherence, content inaccuracy, and content defects. In general, the analysis of the content of scientific and academic books can provide their possible strengths and weaknesses for the possible modification and change of content and form, in accordance with the set goals and scientific principles to the planners and authors of academic books.
Foreign Languages
Hossein Davari; Saeed Nourzadeh; Ailin Firoozian Pouresfahani; Ghodrat Hassani
Abstract
After around three decades of implementing the BA program in English translator training approved in 1990 which was accompanied by many serious criticisms, finally, in 2017, its revised version was approved and implemented. This revised program first aims at enhancing the students' language skills and ...
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After around three decades of implementing the BA program in English translator training approved in 1990 which was accompanied by many serious criticisms, finally, in 2017, its revised version was approved and implemented. This revised program first aims at enhancing the students' language skills and their translation competence and then making the major more specialized. Due to the importance of this considerable revision, in this paper, the researchers attempted to study and evaluate the program through the attitudes of ten faculty members from seven universities offering this major. The findings revealed that in their opinion, while the program has been considerably improved regarding some factors such as integrating up-to-date courses, paying attention to applied and local needs, attending to the Persian language, paying attention to new technologies and introducing various new references, it suffers from some weaknesses with regard to some courses, their syllabi, the proposed sources, and the prerequisites. In their opinion, with such weaknesses, the program will face challenges both in the process of its implementation and in achieving its aims.
Management and Policy Making
Gholamreza Godarzi; Mansooreh Moeini Korbekandi
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to review and critique the book Islamic Management (Models and Obstacles to its Realization in Society and Organizations). First, the book is evaluated in terms of method and then in terms of content and structure. Also, the extensible points of the book are mentioned in ...
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The purpose of this article is to review and critique the book Islamic Management (Models and Obstacles to its Realization in Society and Organizations). First, the book is evaluated in terms of method and then in terms of content and structure. Also, the extensible points of the book are mentioned in order to enrich the book and open other fields of research. The method of evaluation and critique of this work is citation-analytical and in accordance with the proposed model by the Council for the Study of Humanities Texts and Books in the context of the general introduction, the form and content of the work are examined. This work suffers from a lack of logical order and coherence of content, content inaccuracy, content defects and errors. The technical quality of the work is good and the general rules of writing have been observed. Despite these, the formal weaknesses of the work are simple book cover design, simple page layout, failure to observe the proportion of the volume of the seasons, excessive detail attached to the book, lack of attractive tables, and ack of list of tables, charts, and figures. In general, the analysis of the content of the academic books can provide the potential strengths and weaknesses of these books for the modification and possible change of content and form, in accordance with the set goals and scientific principles to the planners and authors of academic books.
Linguistics and Ancient Languages
Ahmad Ramezani; Abdossaeid Mohammadshafiei; Zeinab Yazdani
Abstract
The current study deals with the face and content analysis of the Language Learning, Sentence Construction and Writing Textbook, developed for the third grade. It is a descriptive-analytic research study, using both qualitative (including focus group and content analysis) and quantitative methods. For ...
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The current study deals with the face and content analysis of the Language Learning, Sentence Construction and Writing Textbook, developed for the third grade. It is a descriptive-analytic research study, using both qualitative (including focus group and content analysis) and quantitative methods. For the qualitative process, a targeted sampling technique was applied, and the data were gathered through semi-constructed interviews. Some strengths of the textbook were the good title, no racial/ethnic and gender biases, and attention to students’ favorite activities. However, the lack of appropriate content list, too heavy content, disregarding language competence or the ability of students with hearing impairment were among the weaknesses. Using the census method for the quantitative assessment, the statistical population consisted of teachers of third-grade hearing-impaired from Isfahan province (n=35). The quantitative findings revealed that the correlation between the scores of the two characteristics mentioned was 0.85 (p<0.01). The t-test value obtained for the two correlated sets of scores was not significant at the 0.05 level (t=0.103, df=33). To put it differently, there is no difference in the average teachers’ evaluation scores for content and face analysis of the Language Learning, Sentence Construction and Writing textbook.
Linguistics and Ancient Languages
Masoud Moshayedi; Mojtaba Maghsoudi
Abstract
In this study, the “Descriptive Glossary of Lexicography” compiled by Fariba Ghatreh has been described and evaluated. To do so, on the one hand, the formal appearance of the book concerning the principles of scientific writing has been taken into account, and on the other hand, the content ...
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In this study, the “Descriptive Glossary of Lexicography” compiled by Fariba Ghatreh has been described and evaluated. To do so, on the one hand, the formal appearance of the book concerning the principles of scientific writing has been taken into account, and on the other hand, the content of the book regarding the whatness and the importance of the materials presented has been scrutinized. Concerning the view that the author has been successful in compiling the first “Descriptive Glossary of Lexicography” in Persian, it is extremely valuable, but at the same time, some shortcomings meet the eyes while looking deeply into the book. From the formal point of view, mechanics of writing, proper use of some fonts and sizes for entries and subentries, italicizing or non-italicizing the entries, alphabetical order, reference system and layout of the pages, the book lacks some degree of inconsistency. From the content point of view, some faults are observed in the book, among which they can be referred to as the lack of crystal clear definitions for some entries, overlapping entries, the absence of some necessary terms in lexicography, some blind and confusing references and lack of examples and tables.
Management and Policy Making
Hossein Moghiseh; Esmail Kavoosi; Abdalrahim Rahimi
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the performance of the Council for Reviewing Books and Text in the Developing the Culture of critique of texts and books of the humanities, based on upstream documents of the council. Therefore, the combination method was used. The statistical population ...
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The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the performance of the Council for Reviewing Books and Text in the Developing the Culture of critique of texts and books of the humanities, based on upstream documents of the council. Therefore, the combination method was used. The statistical population included all experts and reviewed books in council as well as other institutions and publications in the 1390s. The samples of the study were: I) Almost all articles and critiques, II) 24 experts and practitioners, and III) 10 interviews published in the book of the Re-Reading Council that were selected by purposeful sampling method. A checklist and a questionnaire were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed by chi-square and binomial tests, and qualitative content analysis. The research findings indicated that the council had received an acceptable grade in five criteria of six criteria and had a positive performance. Of course, there were some shortcomings in each of these criteria. Thus, some suggestions were made to improve and enhance the status of the council. It is recommended to redefine the scope of its members and take advantage of the advancements in information and communication technologies to disseminate and inform about the activities of the council.
Foreign Languages
tahereh rezaei
Abstract
Selecting the book tailored for criticism and theory lessons is a challenge for the professors, affecting class success and students' sense of satisfaction. This course is offered to students in different academic disciplines in Iran, and therefore, a proper book to teach this course is needed in the ...
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Selecting the book tailored for criticism and theory lessons is a challenge for the professors, affecting class success and students' sense of satisfaction. This course is offered to students in different academic disciplines in Iran, and therefore, a proper book to teach this course is needed in the academic publication market in Iran. In this market, there are numerous books, most of which are translations of English-language texts. Since the course Criticism and Theory are among the most difficult lessons for students, selecting the right book can reduce the burden on the students and professors. In the present article, the author compares the Rutledge's Literary Criticism and Cultural Theory Handbook edited by Simon Malpas and Paul Vick with some examples of English criticism in English language and literature to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of this book, and evaluate in terms of educational value. It also presents suggestions for making it applicable in the classroom. Eventually, the author believes that the Rutledge's Literary Criticism and Cultural Theory Handbook is a considerable book for teaching the course Criticism and Theory, and a proper translation can meet the needs of other disciplines.
Foreign Languages
Reza Taherkhani; Mahsa Bayat; Shabnam Ghasemi
Abstract
Evaluation of teaching materials has a significant impact on the development and implementation of educational programs and it is by means of evaluation that course book developers and instructors can judge the influence of materials. The current study, using mixed method, evaluated third year high school ...
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Evaluation of teaching materials has a significant impact on the development and implementation of educational programs and it is by means of evaluation that course book developers and instructors can judge the influence of materials. The current study, using mixed method, evaluated third year high school English course book i.e. Prospect 3. 83 teachers and 470 students of this grade participated in the study, nationwide, to complete the questionnaires. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts under study, 10 teachers were also interviewed. The data collected by questionnaires were analyzed using two separate descriptive statistics. The results of two multiple regression analyses revealed that for teachers the component of skills and for students the components of practices and activities were the stronger predictors of book evaluation. It could be concluded that taking these results into account helps instructors to have a clear critical evaluation of the book and to devise a more comprehensive lesson plan.
Sociology
Mohammad abdolahpour chenari
Volume 18, Issue 12 , June 2019, , Pages 111-132
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is, in particular, to understand and evaluate Robert Dahl and Brackner's book, modern political analysis and in general, to provide a framework for analyzing a text. Today, the conventional way of examining a text with false assumptions, which actually lead to a lack of understanding ...
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The purpose of this paper is, in particular, to understand and evaluate Robert Dahl and Brackner's book, modern political analysis and in general, to provide a framework for analyzing a text. Today, the conventional way of examining a text with false assumptions, which actually lead to a lack of understanding and evaluation, is to presuppose definitions of understanding and evaluation, attention to semantic dimensions, and emphasis on face and content evaluation. But, is it really possible to evaluate without understanding the work? The main reasoning behind this article is that the conditions for the possibility of understanding and evaluating a piece of work, based on this assumption, are that understanding and evaluation are inextricably bound. The context of understanding requires the return of the text to the historical context and the context of the evaluation involves the propositional content. The result of the application of this interconnectedness is that the work has been written in the political atmosphere of "democracy" and "behaviorist" science. The verbs contained in the speech initially confirm the behavioral-oriented monistic methodology, then change into pluralistic affiliation. An increasing propositional content represents innovation in the thematic, political, and methodological context. Decreasing propositional content points to problems in the methodological domain of political sciences. For example, it is not able to provide a valid argument about how to obtain normative propositions from the empirical methods of studying the historical and metaphysical values. Therefore, the understanding and appraisal of political phenomena require Robert Dahl's methodological adjustments.
Jurisprudence and Law
Majid Banaei Oskoei
Volume 18, Issue 5 , September 2018, , Pages 45-66
Abstract
The commercial documents, as the paying mean of noncash, have a special position in the relationship between merchants, and many law books have discussed these issues. The third volume of the commercial law book has been written by an honorable author from different aspects such as Issuing, Transferring, ...
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The commercial documents, as the paying mean of noncash, have a special position in the relationship between merchants, and many law books have discussed these issues. The third volume of the commercial law book has been written by an honorable author from different aspects such as Issuing, Transferring, Paying and other subjects that are related to commercial documents. The present critique takes into account known standards and characteristics to assess and criticize the book. As a result, it aimed to identify its weaknesses and strengthens, and improve the quality of future studies. Of the most important defects of the book are lack of legal analysis and innovation. The present book, just provides a summative explanation of legal articles, and it fails to take into consideration other sources except the acts, so it is hoped that the suggestions of the present critique improve the quality of this book.
Educational Science
Abdollah Ansari
Volume 17, Issue 6 , November 2017, , Pages 41-62
Abstract
For appraisal of fundamentals of finance and budget (in education sector), the framework of inspection of liberal science texts and books council was used. The results of assessment showed that history of budget in the country, principles, and steps of budget classification and methods of income and ...
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For appraisal of fundamentals of finance and budget (in education sector), the framework of inspection of liberal science texts and books council was used. The results of assessment showed that history of budget in the country, principles, and steps of budget classification and methods of income and expenditure estimate have been explained in details. In some instances, people’s right to oversee government operations as a logic behind budget approval by parliament has been emphasized. The book is readable; the quality of print is relatively suitable, and the text is clear and easy to read for the most parts. Not all chapters include introduction, summary, test, picture, practice (sample) and final conclusion, and only for one chapter, practice (sample) has been presented. Phraseology general principle has not been followed in a section of the book. There is no scientific and literary editing as well. The most important shortcoming of this book is related to its lack of coverage of vast changes (advances) in public accounting systems and public financial statistics which have been used since 2003 which per se makes the majority of book outdated and old. Moreover, many regulations, institutions and methods have changed in government budgeting systems and education sector which are not reflected in this book. The other considerable shortcoming is related to lack of attention to financing education which connects theoretical issues of education economy to practical aspects like fundamentals of finance and budget in education sector. Another problem with the book is overlooking theprocesses and methods of distribution and allocation of credits among regions as well as programs and activities in education sector. Not considering political economy of budgeting as an area that operations take place is another shortcoming. Lack of attention to macroeconomic issues like government’s role in economy, budget deficit, and related views to economic concepts can also be seen. Updating book and discussing education finance issues with distribution of public credits in education sector are also suggested.
Foreign Languages
Hasan soodmand َAfshar
Volume 15, Issue 36 , November 2015, , Pages 105-132
Abstract
As a piece of mixed-method research, the present study scrutinized the English book, namely Prospect 1 or Book 7, for first- grade junior secondary school both subjectively and objectively. To this end, 21 teachers completed an expert-judged, 23- item five-point Likert-scale ELT book evaluation questionnaire. ...
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As a piece of mixed-method research, the present study scrutinized the English book, namely Prospect 1 or Book 7, for first- grade junior secondary school both subjectively and objectively. To this end, 21 teachers completed an expert-judged, 23- item five-point Likert-scale ELT book evaluation questionnaire. Ten of the teachers, who were selected randomly and whose informed consent was also obtained, sat a semi-structured interview as well. The researcher also evaluated Book 7 subjectively drawing upon the 23-criteria checklist mentioned above especially with regard to representation of such crucial critical discourse analysis features as gender and power relations. The results of descriptive statistics of the questionnaire and content analysis of interviews revealed although Book 7 enjoyed such advantages as emphasis on aural-oral skills, relatively proper physical lay-out, and availability of supplementary materials, it suffered such serious shortcomings as lack of authentic materials and existence of culturally- biased materials. The materials and topics were also found not to be of interest to both students and teachers and the situations and functions were found to be mainly restricted to a certain context (i.e. classroom and school). Also the results of inferential statistics (i.e. Chi- square analysis) revealed there was a statistically significant difference between representation of males and that of females in the Book. However, no significant difference was detected between equal and unequal power relations.
