نشریه اندیشه های نوین تربیتی
سال هفتم شماره 4 (پیاپی 22، زمستان 1390)

The purpose of this study was to compare the content of primary school textbooks and Persian children journals regarding Iranian symbols. The statistical population contained all primary school textbooks and Persian children journals published in the academic year of 2007-2008. According to the results، the textbooks were ranked based on the frequency of emphasis on Iranian symbols as sociology، literature، mathematics، theology، and science textbooks. On the other hand، Iranian symbols in primary school textbooks were ranked as «geography of Iran»، «official signs of Iran»، «Iranian characters»، «Iranian culture»، «Iranian literature»، «history of Iran»، and «Iranian arts». Among Persian children journals، Dooste Koodakan، Soorosh، Poopak، Roshd Nooamoz، Roshd Daneshamooz، Melika، Shahed، Secharkhe، Roshd Koodak، and Koshesh included the highest frequency of considering Iranian symbols. In addition، the first to seventh ranks of Iranian symbols in Persian journals Belonged to «geography of Iran»، «Iranian characters»، «Iranian culture»، «Iranian literature»، «official signs of Iran»، «history of Iran»، and «Iranian arts.» In both sources، the geography of Iran was the most emphasized domain while the history of Iran and Iranian arts were considered the least. Other contents were different in ranking. Finally، based on the obtained results، some suggestions were delivered to better introduce Iranian symbols in textbooks and children journals.

The present study investigated some of the basic questions regarding the assessment of philosophy as a course for children. It also aimed to provide a framework for assessment of such courses through answering a number of questions. Self-dialectic method and descriptive analytical method were used to answer the questions. As a result، 7 elements including students، teachers، classroom and school، content، parents، education organization، and community (each consisting of other subgroups) were identified for the evaluation of input. For process assessment 6 elements including students، teachers، teachers and pupils، parents، school، and community were considered. Output evaluation comprised of 5 elements including general goals، intermediate goals، evaluation of the discussion process، evaluation of knowledge and attitudes. Feedback and outcomes assessment consisted of 5 elements including feedback evaluation at input، process، and output stages، and evaluation and feedback assessment. The suggested framework is the first to consider all elements of assessing the philosophy course for children.

The two-factor theory defines critical thinking skills as a combined effect of cognitive abilities and personality dispositions. This research was conducted to study the relationship between cognitive ability and personality characteristics and critical thinking. The subjects were 135 undergraduate students، selected from students of different fields of psychology، educational sciences، physical education، and library and information sciences at School of Education and Psychology، University of Tabriz (Tabriz، Iran). Data was gathered through California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST)، NEO Personality Inventory، and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that verbal comprehension ability (β = 0. 340)، openness to experience (β = 0. 322)، and extroversion (β = -0. 255) were important predictive factors of critical thinking performance. In addition، 33% of the variance of critical thinking skills was explained by linear combination of verbal comprehension ability، openness to experience، and extroversion. The present results can be used in teaching critical thinking to students. These findings also provide clear evidence indicating the need for nurturing attitudes and skills related to critical thinking.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the structural modeling of the relationship of academic procrastination with coping styles (task-oriented، emotion-oriented، and avoidance-oriented styles) and gender. Multistage cluster random sampling was used to select 310 subjects from all departments of Mashhad University (Mashhad، Iran). The participants then responded to 2 valid and reliable questionnaires، i. e. Lay''s academic procrastination scale and Endler and Parker''s coping style inventory. After exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the tests، the data was analyzed by mean، standard deviation، t-test and structural equations. The results of structural modeling analysis revealed that the proposed model fitted with data significantly. Moreover، task-oriented coping style had a negative effect on academic procrastination. Furthermore، the results of t-test showed no significant difference between boys and girls as far as the level of academic procrastination was concerned.

The present descriptive correlational study aimed to discover the relationship between appreciation and coping styles among university students in Tehran، Iran. Multi-stage cluster sampling method was used to select 299 students. The subjects completed the appreciation questionnaire (AS) and coping with stress-revised (CS-R) questionnaire. The research results showed significant positive relationships between appreciation and all components of problem-focused coping style and components of emotion-focused coping styles. Moreover، while appreciation was negatively associated with using drugs and behavioral disengagement، it had a positive relationship with wishful thinking. The regression analysis showed that appreciative people used useful coping styles more than inefficient styles. Emotion-focused، problem-focused and inefficient coping styles could best predict appreciation. In fact، it was concluded that there existed a mutual relationship between total appreciation grade and useful coping styles. Therefore، individuals with high grades of appreciation would probably tend to use efficient coping styles.

The main purpose of this study was to determine share of critical thinking attitude and cognitive ways of learning in prediction of students'' academic achievement. The statistical population of this study was all students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Isfahan، Iran). Stratified random sampling was used to select 165 students from a total number of 5739 students، including 2063 males and 3676 females were thus studies. These students completed the California critical thinking test، Kolb''s learning styles inventory using inductive probing (in order to measure cognitive ways of learning). The findings indicated that critical thinking attitude (β = 0. 123) and reflective observation (β = -0. 146) explained 5% of the students'' academic achievement. There was a significant correlation between active experimentation and academic achievement in the field of science (P ≤ 0. 05). In addition، there were differences in academic achievements and critical thinking attitude between various learning styles (P ≤ 0. 05). The convergent style had a relationship with the highest academic achievement in the field of science and with the highest critical thinking attitude. There was a negative relationship between critical thinking and reflective observation (P ≤ 0. 05). A positive relationship was observed between virtual conceptualization and critical thinking..

The present study was performed to predict the qualities of teachers'' organizational citizenship behavior based on the features of servant leadership of school principals in high schools in Naghade (a city in Iran). In a correlational descriptive study، 114 teachers were randomly selected according to sex and using stratified sampling proportional to size. Data was collected by Organ''s organizational citizenship behavior questionnaire and Laub''s servant leadership questionnaire. Management experts had confirmed the reliability of the questionnaires. The collected data was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The obtained results revealed appreciating and promoting employees، providing opportunities for leadership، sharing leadership، trust، and friendly relationships to have significant predictive associations with components of organizational citizenship behavior. Therefore، servant leadership qualities in managers have significant positive effects on organizational citizenship behavior.