The study examined the relationship between the learners' self-efficacy and their writing performance across genders. Specifically, this study investigated the self-efficacy and writing performance of Makoo and Marand EFL students majoring in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). One hundred twenty learners, between ages 20-29, were chosen. Two instruments were used to collect data. At three different points in time, the participants were given writing assessments and also responded to the questionnaires on self-efficacy. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation statistic and independentsamples t-test. Results revealed that there was no significant relationship between male and female EFL students' self-efficacy and writing performance. It was also found that there was a significant positive relationship in self-efficacy between female and male EFL students. This study is expected to contribute to the related literature by shedding light on the relation of student self-efficacy and writing performance.

The research on the effects of metacognitive strategy awareness and self-regulation on second language reading achievements has come to confirmatory conclusions. However, the associations and possible interactions between metacognitive and self-regulatory capacities have been subject of debate. Theoretically, the relationship between the two global skills in affecting learning has ranged from rivaling alternatives to complementary associates. Accordingly, some recent perspectives have delineated the relative potency of the two concepts within models where metacognitive, behavioral, motivational and emotional dimensions of learning interact. This study resorted to structural equation modeling in outlining and testing the causal relationships between three types of metacognitive reading strategies, namely global, problem-solving, and support strategies, and selfregulation in affecting reading proficiency. The data were collected from 311 Iranian undergraduate students majoring in English using Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Questionnaire, Self-Regulation Questionnaire and reading proficiency test. By testing the hypothesized model against several fitness criteria, the causal relationships among the variables were confirmed indicating a positive ABOUT THE AUTHORThis article is the report of an MA thesis project carried out at Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University in Iran. Davoud Amini is assistant professor of TEFL at Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. His areas of interest are psychology of second language acquisition and second language skills. He has published books and articles in these areas. Currently, he is the head of the English Department at Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. Mostafa Hosseini Anhari is MA in TEFL. He is interested in second language learning strategies. Abolfazl Ghasemzadeh is associate professor of Educational Administration at Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. His main research interest lies in educational leadership, administration, and human resource development of educational institutions. He has published over 50 journal papers in these areas.

Flow is an optimal psychological state that has been described at length by Csikszentmihalyi (1990, 1993) as a state in which people become totally immersed in an activity and enjoy it intensely. According to Csikszentmihalyi, such a peak experience can emerge in any situation in which there is an activity to do. Researchers have indeed found evidence for flow during the execution of a large number of different activities including sports, work, and playing music. However, state of flow during language learning activities has hardly been studied. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between task-induced state of flow during vocabulary acquisition activities and the achievement in terms of short-term and long-term vocabulary acquisition. Sixty five learners at an English Language Institution took part in vocabulary acquisition tasks aimed at engaging learners cognitively and affectively in the state of flow. To measure flow state the “Flow Perceptions Questionnaire” in the Likert format (Egbert, 2003) was used. It was an instrument for gathering the data concerning students’ affective responses during task engagement. The researcher-made retention measurement was used to determine vocabulary learning efficiency. The result indicated that flow existed in the vocabulary learning classroom and that there was a significant relationship between the level of flow state and vocabulary retention both in immediate and delayed measurements. Also male and female learners of EFL were different in terms of vocabulary retention resulting from flow state.

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The purpose of this study was to explore multiple facets of the professional identities of Iranian in-service teachers in exceptional schools. The study adopted a qualitative design. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with 14 in-service teachers. The participants were selected through purposeful sampling. Each interview lasted up to 40 minutes. The whole procedure of the data collection was audio-recorded, and verbatim transcriptions were made. Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze the qualitative data. Three themes emerged: relationships, lower identity, and professional identity. The study has some implications for policymakers, curriculum designers, educational psychology, and teacher educators.