The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between teachers' selfefficacy perceptions and their instructional practices. The mediatory role of the teachers' occupational characteristics such as their disciplines was also examined. For this purpose, a total of 70 teachers from the soft science, hard science and English language teaching (ELT) disciplines were compared. This study was situated within a mixed-methods design in which questionnaires as well as observation and semistructured interviews were used to measure the efficacy-teaching practice. Results of Pearson correlation coefficients revealed that the self-efficacy of soft science and hard science teachers was significantly correlated with their teaching practice, with the ELT teachers' efficacy-teaching relation not reaching a statistical significance. Results obtained from the observation and interviews further explained the teachers' practices and the challenges that they faced in their classroom practices. Findings are discussed in light of both individual and societal perspective, offering important implications for the classrooms.

The present study was an attempt to shed light on university level teachers’ self-efficacy perceptions in relation to their reflective practice and instructional practice. For this purpose, 70 teachers from both public and private universities in Iran took part in this survey research. Participants were asked to fill out three Likert-type questionnaires: Teacher Efficacy Scale, The Instructional Practices Survey, and Teacher Reflection Questionnaire. The collected data were quantitatively analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results of Pearson correlation coefficients revealed that although teachers’ self-efficacy perceptions were significantly correlated with both their instructional practice and reflective practice, the former established a relationship with a higher effect size than the latter. Implications of the results with respect to teacher development are presented and directions for further research are offered.

In order to better understand the mechanisms of washback, the present study aimed to explore the washback effect of the entrance examination in Iran on language learners’ achievement in reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was also to examine ways in which the washback effect could modulate the selection of reading texts in the classroom, their difficulty level, and their effectiveness from the perspective of test takers. A total of 48 state and private university students studying English language teaching (ELT) at the MA level took part in this study. Participants were asked to provide answers to a researcher-developed questionnaire as well as to open-ended questions. The results of data analysis revealed that the entrance exam had a positive washback on learners’ reading comprehension in a number of ways. Furthermore, it was found that textbooks with a moderate level of difficulty were perceived as more effective by test takers. Implications for policymakers and suggestions for further research are presented.