فصلنامه روانشناسی تربیتی
سال هشتم شماره 26 (زمستان 1391)

Conducting an applied research, the authors of this article sought to investigate the strategies applied by foreign students for learning Persian as their second language. Learning strategies are defined by Oxford (1990) as “specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective, and more transferrable to new situations.” Different studies have supported the claim. While they have been repeatedly addressed in different languages, including English, only cognitive and meta-cognitive learning strategies have been studied by Iranian researchers. This research was conducted using the Oxford Learning Strategies Questionnaire (1990). First, the 50-question questionnaire was translated into Persian. Then, its reliability was calculated through a pilot test taken by 30 Persian learners. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.80. Therefore, the questionnaire was revised to some extent to compensate for the low coefficient. Words deemed difficult by the participants were replaced by less difficult ones. 156 students who studied Persian as their second language in Imam Khomeini International University filled in the revised questionnaire. The data were then analyzed by SPSS. The findings demonstrated that Persian language learners sometimes used Persian learning strategies. Moreover, they were shown to use meta-cognitive strategies more and retrieval strategies less than other strategies.

The present research was conducted to find out the Laplace transforms perception and their relationships in order to teach and assist students to learn in meaningful ways. Students majoring in Science and Engineering at Najafabad Islamic Azad University in academic year 2010–2011 constituted the statistical population. A random sampling technique was then used to select 108 students to do the test. Based on Bloom’s taxonomy of learning, the goal-content table was prepared, and the questions were designed. Their validity was confirmed by three members of academic staff who had taught this course for several years. Reliability of test for internal consistency was also checked by Cronbach’s alpha (0.817). Then, the structural model of concepts was compiled. Data analysis showed that there was a meaningful and direct relationship between ‘knowledge of definitions and rules’ (p<0.05), ‘knowledge of reverse transform and concept of complementary theorem’ (p<0.05), and ‘knowledge of reverse transform and its applications’ (p<0.05). The results suggested that meaningful learning could be achieved by paying attention to the relation of these concepts and especially its applications because meaningful learning only takes place when learner can use learned concepts practically.

Recent information surge has turned curriculum revision into a vital necessity in all university majors. As academic circles are expected to be among the first entities updating their information, they have no choice but to reconsider and revise their curricula. Educational technology is no exception, which has to be pioneer in innovation and using new methods and facilities. This research was conducted to (1) study the current curriculum, and determine the credits for pre-university, general, basic, core, specialized, elective, and pre-requisite courses, and (2) determine the course syllabuses for pre-university, elective, and specialized courses. To accomplish the first objective, educational technology curriculum was studied. The following measures were taken to meet the second (a) library and internet research to collect information on educational technology curricula of world’s prestigious universities, (b) surveys to ask academic experts’ opinions, (c) surveys to ask MA students’ opinions, (d) surveys to ask educational technology students’ opinions, (e) assessment of different educational research conference findings, (f) assessment of minutes of Supreme Council for Educational Planning. The results were finally used to design a curriculum.

Research indicates that homework generally has positive effects on students’ academic outcomes. Homework is a teacher-initiated method for directing students to study more effectively on their own in their out-of-school time. Not only does homework serve to convey academic knowledge to students, but it may also prompt them to engage in self-initiated and self-directed studying. The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to investigate the relationship between academic self-regulation, self-efficacy, and homework among students of high schools of Ahvaz. The sample consisted of 150 students who were selected by multi-stage sampling method from both sexes. All the students responded to academic self-regulation, self-efficacy, and academic homework questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multi regression method. The results indicated that there was a significant and positive relationship between academic self-regulation, self-efficacy, and homework. Stepwise regression analysis showed that academic self-regulation could best be predicted through academic homework and vise versa.

In a quasi-experimental study with two groups of pre-test and post-test design, 45 elementary third-graders of Karaj were selected through convenient sampling method and randomly divided into two experiment and control groups. After pre-test, control and experiment groups received education using integration method and concept mapping, respectively for 12 sessions during 3 months. Then, they took the post-test. Data were gathered using an achievement test which consisted of two parts and which evaluated students’ knowledge and meaningful learning in science. The results were analyzed using independent and paired t-tests by SPSS software. Both educational strategies were useful in enhancing students’ knowledge while meaningful learning had a significant difference between the two groups. Considering the impact of concept mapping method on students’ meaningful learning, it is recommended to employ this method in teaching courses which require deep learning and high level of understanding of the content.

The present research aimed to probe into the degree of correspondence among intended, implemented, and attained curricula of social studies in the first year of Tehran high Schools. It was an analytical–descriptive research, and the studied population of the research comprised the members of social studies curriculum planning council, school administrators, teachers, heads of educational groups, and students in the first year at high schools in the city of Tehran. The sample size was consisted of 20 school administrators, 200 school students, 19 heads of educational groups of social studies, 60 students as the representatives of student groups and 52 teachers in Tehran high schools. The sampling method used for teachers, administrators, students, and representatives of students was a randomly clustering multi-stage sampling. To collect the required data, in addition to the analysis of all related documents, views of the members of the social studies curriculum planning council, school administrators, teachers, the heads of educational groups, and students were sought. Moreover, 20 social studies classrooms across the city of Tehran were observed and the students therein were tested based on administering knowledge, attitude and skill tests, and finally the mean of end-course (summative assessment) and through the course (formative assessment) scores was computed.Despite the fact that social studies curriculum planning was appraised as well-planned, and that the results from the present research shed a clear light on social studies curriculum planning at three mentioned stages, they would probably be an indicative of many factors developers might have to deal with such as inadequate teacher training, insufficient facilities to facilitate learning, the difficulty level of contents, and so on at implementation stage. Besides, results of students’ scores during a schooling year and results from three tests including knowledge, skill, and attitude tests revealed that students’ performance in knowledge test was good and in skill test satisfactory, but their performance in attitude test was found to be weak.Given that lots of weaknesses were observed in implemented curriculum planning accompanied by not achieving skill and attitudinal goals, it is essential that the social studies curriculum planning council, school administrators, and teachers make further attempts to lessen discrepancies in three curricula, namely the intended, the implemented, and the attained related to social studies in first high school year through applying appropriate methods

Bullying is a low-level violence that has been attended lately by educational psychologists and researchers, and has two forms: traditional and cyber bullying. This research was conducted to study the prevalence of bullying and its relation to teacher–student relationship among female adolescents of public middle schools in Tabriz. It also sought to compare these variables between various grades. Therefore, 397 female students of Tabriz middle schools in the school year 2011-2012 were chosen by the multi-stage cluster random sampling method and Bullying Scale (Patchin & Hinduja, 2011) and Inventory of Teacher–Student Relationship (Murray & Zvoch, 2011) were used as the research tools. Data analysis by SPSS showed that prevalence of bullying behavior during the last month of study was 64.2%. Pearson correlation coefficient test displayed that there was negative correlation between bullying, its traditional and cyber forms, and teacher–student relationship quality (p<0.01). According to the results of regression, alienation from and trust in teacher predicted 19% variance of bullying variable; and alienation factor was a better predictor variable (ß=-0.32). Moreover, results of one-way analysis of variance demonstrated that prevalence of bullying among students of second and third grades was more than first graders, and their relationships to teachers were also more negative. Considering the experimental results, increased attention to the quality of teacher–student relationship is recommended for decreasing maladaptive and bullying behaviors of students, especially girls.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of epistemological beliefs and perception of constructivist learning environment on chemistry performance through the mediation of academic self-efficacy and high-level cognitive strategies. For this purpose, 646 high school students (318 male, 328 female) were chosen through cluster random sampling method and completed a questionnaire of epistemological beliefs, perception of constructivist learning environment, academic self-efficacy, and high-level cognitive strategies scales. The structural modeling analysis indicated that epistemological beliefs and perception of constructivist learning environment had a direct and significant impact on chemistry performance, and the result indicated that relationships between epistemological beliefs and perception of constructivist learning environment with chemistry performance was mediated by academic self-efficacy and high-level cognitive strategies. In this model, all regression weights were statistically significant and predictors explained 0.75% variance of chemistry performance. In general, the results proved the direct and indirect impact of epistemological beliefs and perception of constructivist learning environment (through mediation of academic self-efficacy and high-level cognitive strategies) on chemistry performance.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship of personality characteristics, motivational beliefs, and learning strategies to students’ academic performance. For this purpose, 240 students (male and female) were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling method from among the students of humanities and basic sciences at Tabriz University. NEO Five Factor Personality Inventory and Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) were used for data collection. Multiple regression analysis and Pearson correlation were carried out to analyze the data. The results showed that there was a positive and meaningful relationship between responsiveness and student's academic performance of basic sciences. Academic performance had a positive and significant correlation with the variables of motivational beliefs, self-efficiency as well as learning strategies (cognitive strategies and self-regulation) in academic performance of students of basic sciences and humanities. The results of regression analysis showed that self-efficiency and motivational beliefs played a significant role in academic performance of humanities students. Responsiveness or conscientiousness also had a great impact on the academic performance of basic science students.