Zanco Journal of Human Sciences

Developing Students' Cognitive Skills through Reading: from Teachers' Perspectives

Haval Hussein Saeed — 2026-06-15

This study examines the effect of reading on the development of students' cognitive skills through Kurdish textbooks in the sixth grade, specifically from the perspective of Kurdish language teachers. The aim is to present their views on the impact of reading on cognitive skills, identify reading strategies, and explore challenges faced during reading instruction. This study seeks to answer the following questions: Does reading affect the development of students' cognitive skills? What strategies and challenges do teachers face during instruction? Descriptive and analytical methods were employed, with a survey involving 115 primary school Kurdish language teachers. The results showed that most teachers believe reading Kurdish textbooks in the sixth grade significantly impacts cognitive skill development. Teachers also use various strategies, the most common of which are question and answer, discussion, and explanation. They face several difficulties, the most common of which is the large number of students in the classroom.

The Effect of the Fishbone Strategy on Motivating the Academic Achievement in the Subject of History among Seventh Grade Students

Begard Ali Sadiq — 2026-06-15

The study aimed to determine the impact of fishbone strategies on motivating the academic achievement in the subject of history among seventh grade students. The researchers used the experimental approach to achieve their goal. The sample consisted of 60 male and female students, randomly divided into two groups, the control group: 30 students, who studied all social subjects in a normal way, and the experimental group: 30 students, who studied the subject according to the fishbone strategy. The researchers prepared the Achievement Motivation Scale by conducting all psychometric procedures, and then found its stability. The researchers found that the stability coefficient by Spearman Brown is (0.917) and according to Cronbach's alpha is (0.90). The researchers prepared (12) teaching plans for the experimental group that studied according to the fish strategy and (12) other teaching plans for the control group that studied the lessons in the usual way from (13/10/2024) to (26/11/2024). After the end of the period and applying the experiment to the groups, extracting the results and analyzing them using the statistical program (SPSS), the researchers reached the following

result: There is a statistically significant difference at the level of significance (0.05) between the average scores of the experimental group that studied the materials through the bone strategy, and the group judged to study the materials in the usual way, and in the post-test to develop achievement motivation resolved in favor of the experimental community

The Sociology of Poetry: The Poems of Qani as an Example

Srusht Jawhar Hawez — 2026-06-15

This study attempts to analyse the poetry of Qani from a sociological perspective, highlighting the multidimensional relationship between the poet and society. It explores how Qani, one of the most renowned poets, sought to influence social consciousness through his poetry, consistently striving to raise awareness and inspire positive societal transformation. His works reflect a profound sense of responsibility, as he employed poetry as a means of enlightenment, self-reflection, and critique. Readers of his poetry can clearly discern this commitment to social awareness.

The socio-political conditions of his time shaped his poetic vision, making social engagement and collective awareness central themes in his work. Methodologically, this research adopts a historical-analytical approach to examine the intersection between literature and society. The findings underscore that the sociology of poetry investigates the intricate relationship between poetry and social structures, revealing how poetic expression serves as a tool for social awareness across different societal strata. This study concludes that Qani’s poetry was instrumental in conveying messages of social consciousness and transformation.

Linguistics Hedges in Judicial Texts

Agreen Shawkat Hadi — 2026-06-15

Linguistic hedges are a linguistic strategy which is directly related to discourse analysis, as linguistic hedges are meant to reduce emphasis on different discourses. Judicial linguistics and linguistic hedges are two different topics, but they share a common denominator, namely, the use of language. Judicial linguistics uses language information and methods for legal frameworks from criminal investigations to courtroom procedures, i.e., through utilizing linguistic hedges are identified in criminal investigations and cases. Linguistic hedges are words, sentences, and texts that do not have a clear meaning, as the meaning of the statements and writings are vague and the speaker does not express his true statements directly or definitively, so that he does not take responsibility arising from a situation he may face in the future. This study discusses the use of linguistic hedges in judicial texts where the claimants, defendants, and witnesses during the investigations and taking statements try to distance themselves from the truth of the matter and not to incriminate themselves due to the consequences that will affect the decisions of the court. The research method focuses on one of the criteria of the Scientific Content Analysis Method. This study consists of two parts: the first part is theoretical, and the second part focuses on the relationship between judicial linguistics and linguistic hedges, followed by the analysis of several judicial cases.

Style, Techniques and Principles of discourse Discourses of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government in the Ninth Government as an example

Kamaran Aba-bakr Khudhur Khoshnaw — 2026-06-15

Discourse, like any other genre of literature, has its own ideas, principles and styles. It is a sensitive and influential field in directing and showing the course of any society the direction of others has been provided, which has kept the genre alive and spread to all areas of life. There, due to the progress of wisdom has seen significant progress, various methods and techniques for presenting emerged, from this perspective, some of the speeches of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, which he presented in the cabinet (9), Therefore, the research consists of two main parts. The first part is theoretical; It is dedicated to discussing the concept and definition of discourse, principles and structure of discourse and speaker and its characteristics, the role of body language in speech We are more in the field of encouragement, development and development of the sector (economy, education, reform, statehood, etc...). A clear language can be seen in the speeches Listeners feel peace, security and well-being in Pali.

The liberty committee of Fulfilling 11 March Agreement 1970 – 1971Historical Study

Rojin Chalabee Muneer — 2026-06-15

One key objective of the revolution and wars in the state is obtaining the liberty and rights of conquered people in a society. Hence this liberty which this study is going to explore conducted after happening many war between Iraqi government and the Kurdish liberation movement created a committee which is known as a Liberty Committee and its significance duties among the Kurds in Iraq from )March 1970 to 1971(, within showing its leaders and members attempts in fulfilling the agreement of )11 March 1970( and resolving obstacles and problems that were happened in the Kurdish areas and obstacles of fulfilling the) 11 March( agreement articles.

This research attempts to answer some critical questions relating to this committee such as had this committee fulfilled its duties properly? To what extent this committee fulfilled the agreement of 11 March agreement articles? Did this committee resolve some problems and obstacles? Had this committee connected to the Kurdistan Democratic Party Mullah Mustafa Barzani? Had this committee taken Barzani’s thoughts into consideration for resolving the issues or not? Answer of these questions and some others have been answering in this study.

Fanqulat Imam Al-Khazin in the Interpretation of Surat Al-Kahf -Analytical Study-

Renas Dendar Hussein — 2026-06-15

This study examines the exegetical Fanqulat formulated by Imam Abu Al-Hasan Al-Khazin in his interpretation entitled (Lubab al-Ta'wil fi Ma'ani al-Tanzil). Fanqulat are numerous forms scattered throughout the books of exegesis, elucidating linguistic secrets and highlighting the rhetorical aspects of the Book of God Almighty, in addition to their use in dispelling doubts. Imam Al-Khazin employed them to dispel doubts, relying on the most famous and widespread form among scholars: "If you say... I say."

The study monitored the six Fanqulat in this exegesis from Surat Al-Kahf on various topics, beginning with the issue of denying God Almighty's taking a son and what is said about it. It also addresses the issue of the adornment of the earth, which the righteous predecessors stated encompasses everything on earth. Does it include scorpions and animals? In addition to the doubt about the use of the word years instead of year when mentioning the duration of the sleep of the People of the Cave, as was said in defense of the Almighty’s saying… where it is said that it contradicts abrogation, and also a shift was observed in the issue of the comparison between the Prophet of God, Moses, and Al-Khidr - peace be upon them - and why the former was shown utmost respect for the latter, Imam Al-Khazin concluded his shifts with the issue of Al-Khidr’s attribution of actions to the self and to God, explaining the wisdom behind it.

The Use of Social Media and Its Relationship with Mental Health among Youth

Jeyran Sabah Abdulla — 2026-06-15

The current study aims to assess the level of social media use among youth, the level of mental health within the study sample, and the significance of statistical differences in social media use and mental health based on variables (gender, age, duration of social media use). Additionally, it seeks to explore the relationship between social media use and mental health among youth. The study population consists of youth in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with a simple random sample of 312 individuals selected. The researcher developed a social media usage scale comprising 20 items; after verifying face validity and discrimination power, one item was removed, resulting in a final scale of 19 items. The researcher also used the (Leonard, R. Derogatis, S. Lehman, and Lenore Kovi) mental health scale, initially consisting of 90 items, from which 20 items were removed, resulting in a final scale of 70 items. The researcher employed the split-half method to determine reliability, resulting in a reliability coefficient of 0.79 for the social media usage scale, which increased to 0.88 after correction with the Spearman-Brown formula. The mental health scale showed a reliability coefficient of 0.94, which increased to 0.97 after correction. The findings revealed that the sample displayed high social media use and lower-than-average mental health levels, with no statistically significant differences in social media use or mental health based on gender or age. However, significant differences were found in favor of youth who use social media for less than an hour.

The Media Discourse of Al-Thawra Newspaper Towards the Anfal Campaigns and Kurds Genocide in 1988

Chnar Namq Hasan — 2026-06-15

The research topic lies in the dominance of the media in presenting a media discourse that lacks truthfulness about the Kurds. The problem revolves around the formulation of the discourse to distort reality and mislead public opinion in order to achieve specific goals to manipulate minds and legitimize the violation of their natural rights, including the right to life. These facts emerged as a result of the systematic genocide campaigns during the 1980s.

The study aims to monitor the content of the media discourse published in Al-Thawra newspaper regarding the genocide of the Kurds, to identify the methods used in disseminating news to gain the support of local and international public opinion. The research is a descriptive type of research that relies on the media survey method using the content analysis tool. A purposive sample was selected consisting of Al-Thawra newspaper, as it is the official newspaper of the Ba'ath Party. The content was analyzed for a period of three months, including the headlines of the media articles published in the newspaper during the campaigns of genocide against the Kurds during the period (March - April - September 1988). The journalistic arts in the newspaper during the period (research) numbered (96) media articles.

The research results showed that the newspaper presented an epic image, as a result of distorting facts, concealing and covering up crimes in its authoritarian discourse at the time, by controlling information, its formulation and the way it was presented. Al-Thawra employed the journalistic image by displaying images of regime loyalists to influence Kurdish public opinion, display their strength and gain support from the Kurdish street, making them feel weak. Al-Thawra newspaper also used the front page for headlines about the Anfal campaigns and the Ba'ath Party's victories, with the news about the Anfal campaigns taking first place on the front page, while the interviews took second place. Al-Thawra newspaper focused on press interviews continuously, through journalistic interviews with advisers (National Defense Regiments) loyal to the Ba'ath Party who participated in implementing the genocide campaigns. Al-Thawra newspaper tended to present the glory achieved by the Ba'ath Party as a result of the killing and genocide of the Kurds, with the aim of spreading fear and terror among the Kurds in order to suppress them and relinquish their rights. The revolution adopted a denial approach, and the newspaper exploited the weakness of Kurdish citizens by interviewing them and displaying their photos in the newspaper. It also followed a media blackout approach regarding the crimes it committed against the Kurdish people and concealed the facts.

The Grammatical purpose of the Phenomenon of preposing and postposing in Quranic Expression - The Behavior of Believers as example.

Hamzah Ali Ahmed — 2026-06-15

This research attends to study the Phenomenon of preposing and postposing in verses that mentioned the behavior of believers، for observe the grammatical purposes that included themselves. Given that any interchange in the order word of a structure in the Arabic language system necessarily results in a mean variation in the newly formed sentence، the research proceeds from this principle to observe instances of preposing and postposing in these verses، explaining their purpose and clarify reasons. this research depends on the descriptive، inductive، and analytical approach method، through two main sections، started by an introduction and a preface and ended with a conclusion. The preface is dedicated to clarifying the concepts of grammatical meaning، grammatical phenomena، and preposing and postposing. The first section examines preposing with the intention of postposing، where the preposing element retains its original grammatical role before being preposing. The second section addresses preposing without the intention of postposing، where the preposing element part from its original grammatical role to a new one. Both sections are supported by the analysis of examples from verses describing the behavior of believers to clarify the semantic subtleties that prompted the preposing. The research concludes with the most important findings and results from this research، including: Quranic expression has employed the phenomenon of preposing and postposing، adapting it to produce specific meanings with full intentionality، rather than try to do it like sometimes happened in poetry and literature.

Comparison and Study of the Text of the Additional Psalms in the Manuscripts of the Book of Centuries and the Qumran Manuscript 11QPsa

Luma Aphraim Khudher — 2026-06-15

The Book of Centenaries by Elia al-Anbari has attracted the attention of some scholars since the last century, following the discovery of the Qumran manuscripts near the Dead Sea. One of the Qumran Hebrew manuscripts, numbered 11QPs^a, contains some psalms previously known only from Syriac manuscripts, such as the Syriac Liturgical Codex 12t4 and the Book of Centenaries by Elia al-Anbari, which includes these additional psalms. The additional psalms were compared with several Syriac manuscripts containing the additional psalms, located in various libraries and museums, to reveal the differences between the texts. However, the Syriac manuscripts in Iraq were not available to scholars. This study is a continuation of the work of previous researchers. Its results show that the texts of the Psalms in the Syriac manuscripts of Elijah al-Anbari found in Iraq are consistent with the texts previously studied by researcher W. Baar in 1972. However, some of the manuscripts of Elijah al-Anbari's Centenaries found in Iraq do not contain the texts of the five additional psalms. When comparing Manuscript 12t4 with the Anbari manuscripts, there are clear differences between them in terms of the order of the psalms, their introductions, and some of the vocabulary used. Furthermore, when comparing the Syriac manuscripts together with the Qumran Hebrew manuscript 11QPs^a, it becomes clear that there is a convergence, but there are some important differences between them, most notably the Qumran manuscript in Psalm 151 and Psalms 154-155. This suggests the possibility of different sources for both 11QPs^a and the Syriac manuscripts, which each relied on to write the Psalms.

The Effectiveness of Implementation Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA): A Case Study in The Standard Concrete Company in Duhok

Salam Rasheed Fathi AL-Mizori — 2026-06-15

This study aims to explore the role of Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) in enhancing both financial and environmental performance in industrial companies. The importance of this research stems from the fact that MFCA is one of the most advanced techniques in environmental management accounting, providing quantitative and monetary data that contribute to improving cost control and supporting decision-making processes, thereby achieving competitive pricing advantages. The study adopted a descriptive–analytical approach by analyzing data and reports of Standard Concrete Company in Duhok during the study period. It tested the research hypotheses, highlighted the main challenges facing MFCA implementation, and demonstrated the limitations of traditional costing systems. The findings revealed that the application of MFCA effectively reduces costs and supports competitive pricing policies, as it provides accurate data on emissions, waste, and costs related to both positive and negative products. The analysis showed that positive outputs accounted for 96.126%, while negative outputs represented 3.874%, which included 77,745 liters of water, 5,874 electricity units, 4,226 liters of fuel and lubricants, 261 tons of cement, 460 tons of sand, 280 tons of gravel, and 453 cubic meters of concrete debris. The study concluded that MFCA can be successfully implemented in Standard Concrete Company and plays a pivotal role in reducing waste, cutting costs, and promoting cleaner production. It recommends expanding the application of MFCA in other industrial firms and emphasizes the importance of forming specialized and well-trained teams in modern cost and management accounting practices to address environmental and technological challenges.

Pedagogical Approach to Applied Linguistics Module: Implementing KUD- and 4H- Based Instruction for Improving Third-Year Students’ Performance

Bekhal Latif Muhedeen — 2026-06-15

Using a quantitative research design, the current study investigates the impact of Know, Understand, Do (KUD) and Head, Heart, Hands, Health (4H) instructional strategies on the academic performance of third-year Kurdish EFL university students in the subject of Applied Linguistics. Forty-five students were grouped equally into three sets: two experimental KUD and 4H, and a control group exposed to traditional forms of instruction. The researcher designed a thirty-item test comprising both objective and subjective items, aligned with the content of the designated Applied Linguistics textbook. A total of 25 lesson plans were prepared for each group. Following instrument validation and sample equalization, a pre- and posttest design was implemented. Subsequently, the necessary statistical analyses were conducted, yielding findings that indicated improvement across all groups in mastering the designated material. The results also showed that both experimental groups outperformed the control group, with the KUD group achieving the highest academic performance among the three groups. In addition, the 4H group also exceeded the control group in terms of academic performance. In light of these results, the adoption of these instructional strategies in pedagogical practice is recommended to enhance instructional effectiveness and student outcomes.

Challenges and Effectiveness of Continuous Professional Development for English Department Teachers at Salahaddin University

Reka Husamaddin Yasin — 2026-06-15

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is essential for enhancing the skills and teaching strategies of university educators. This study explores the challenges and effectiveness of CPD programs for faculty members in the English Department at Salahaddin University, focusing on their impact on teaching practices and professional growth. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining surveys from 77 faculty members and 15 in-depth interviews. The data revealed that time constraints and financial limitations are the primary obstacles to CPD participation, with 77.78% of respondents citing scheduling conflicts. Regression analysis showed that institutional support is the strongest predictor of CPD success. Thematic analysis from interviews reinforced these findings, emphasizing the need for language-specific training and better integration of technology in teaching. The study concludes that while CPD programs positively influence faculty development, challenges such as time limitations and insufficient funding reduce participation and impact. Effective institutional support, flexible scheduling, and tailored content are crucial to overcoming these barriers. By addressing these factors, universities can enhance CPD outcomes, ultimately improving teaching quality and academic performance within higher education.

Exploring Factors of English-Speaking Anxiety Among Kurdish EFL University Students

Fouad Rashid Omar — 2026-06-15

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing English-speaking anxiety among Kurdish EFL university learners to enhance pedagogical practices and interventions. This research employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, to comprehensively explore and understand the various dimensions of English-speaking anxiety among Kurdish EFL university learners. A mixed-method approach, using a questionnaire for the quantitative component and interviews for the qualitative component, was employed to explore students’ perceptions and experiences. The questionnaire results highlighted the factors contributing to Kurdish EFL learners' anxiety inside the classroom, encompassing fear of making mistakes, fear of negative evaluation, test anxiety, and lack of confidence. The results obtained from the interviews discovered that the factors that cause Kurdish EFL students’ anxiety while speaking English outside the classroom were fear of making mistakes, concerns about being understood, fear of judgment and accent concerns, flawed pronunciation, and lack of confidence. The findings suggest implications for educators and policymakers in fostering a supportive classroom environment, tailoring interventions for individual challenges, and adopting a communicative language teaching approach to mitigate English-speaking anxiety among Kurdish EFL university learners

The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Higher Education Governance: An Analytical Study of Universities Administrators Erbil Governorate

Hoshmand Rafiq Ibrahim — 2026-06-15

The governance of higher education receives vital enhancement through transformational leadership to improve performance in university institutions. Transformational leadership principles help universities reach their strategic targets through organized and efficient operations. This research evaluates transformational leadership practices on higher education governance through an investigation of administrators working in Erbil educational institutions, the Kurdistan Region - Iraq. The study defines transformational leadership as the independent variable, which includes Idealized Influence with Inspirational Motivation together with Intellectual Stimulation and Individual Consideration. The research investigates higher education governance as its dependent factor through four essential elements that include the Decision-Making Process, along with Policy Development and Institutional Effectiveness, and Efficiency. The research used structured questionnaires to collect data, which were distributed to 393 participants, but only 106 respondents. Research findings regarding leadership relationships between transformational leadership and governance effectiveness help institutions and policymakers draw significant constructive conclusions. The study recommended Supporting Leadership Gender Diversity: Universities must support the increase of women in leadership positions at different academic levels and administrative functions, since university settings include male and female students equally. Universities that promote gender inclusivity will gain better decision-making outcomes because they bring diverse perspectives within their governance structure.