فصلنامه مطالعات اندازه گیری و ارزشیابی آموزشی
پیاپی 15 (پاییز 1395)

The purpose of this research was to assess the effect of sample size and test length on the equated scores and equating error of Kernel method (using different methods of chain and poststratification smoothing) as well as the merits and demerits of this method compared to classical equating techniques. Therefore, the population and sample participants were those who took part in Iranian National Tests (TOLIMO, Comprehensive Tests of Iran Educational Testing Service) administered in 2012-2013. TOLIMO had a number of 123 items including 17 anchor tests in each form. To analyze data collected from Comprehensive Tests of Iran Educational Testing Service, only those items related to common general-domain subjects of mathematics and physics, science and humanities were utilized. To investigate the effect of sample size on the accuracy of equating the above mentioned tests, three samples of 200, 500, and 1000 people were randomly selected from among data collected from all participants and analyzed. A 40-item sample (10 items from each subject) was randomly chosen from general subjects of comprehensive tests to examine the effect of test length on the accuracy of the results of equating. Thus, in comprehensive tests, two 100-item and 40 items sample tests were analyzed with samples of different sizes. The proper equating design in TOLIMO was NEAT design, but in Comprehensive Tests it was homogeneous groups design. Equating methods in the respective tests have been mean, linear, equipercentile, Circle arc and Kernel methods. On the whole, the larger the examinees sample whose scores were taken into account in the analyses was, the lower standard error of equating would be. The findings also showed that whenever there was an increase in both sample size and test length, an improvement was observed in the fitness related to Kernel smoothing as well. Generally, with small sample sizes, Kernel method is more advantageous than other methods of classical equating.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of military universities, based on the excellence and organizational development, through an applied, survey and correlational research. The research population includes educational experts, commanders of the line troops stationed in Tehran and learners during longitudinal and transverse military courses, who were selected by non-probability sampling method Accordingly, 125 individuals were selected .Required data were collected by questionnaires and by using content analysis and they were analyzed by means of inferential statistical tests (correlation coefficient, the mean of a population). The findings show that the performance of military universities with themean 2/7296 and the empowerment with the mean 2/7080 and the results with the mean 2/7512 are far from the desired status and there is a correlation of 0/425 between these two.The results showed that the performance of military universities in general and the empowerment and the results domain are weak and there is a correlation between these two .Therefore, we can expect that, by improving the empowerment domain, the results may improve as well.

Internal evaluation, as a purposeful phenomenon having positive functions in reforming and improving the academic quality, is an undeniable necessity. The present research aims to conduct an internal evaluation on the department of statistic of university of science and culture as the first nonprofit university, in an attempt to explain the objectives, processes and results. To this end, seven factors (organizational structure, organizational chart and management, faculty, students, courses, teaching-learning process, alumni, equipment), 22 criteria and 60 indicators were considered. The population consisted of dean, head of department, faculty (4 person) and teachers (5 person), students (undergraduate (263 person) and graduates (27 person)), alumni (37 person) and the librarian. The required information of bachelor students were collected using multi-stage sampling and those of the other participants were collected using a complete census sampling. Data collection instruments were questionnaires, structured interviews and checklists. To assess the validity of questionnaires, the comments of supervisors and advisors were used and, based on Cronbach’s alpha, the reliability of the questionnaires of faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni was calculated through 0/795, 0/919, 0/971 and 0/766, respectively. For data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics are used and to judge the quality of each factors of the whole three-level utility are used too. Totally from seven investigated factors, four factors are relatively favorable and three factors are unfavorable. Based on assessment results, strength and weakness points are identified and suggestions were made to improve the quality, including attracting experienced faculty, according to the research, the facilities, the evaluation and ….

The aim of this study is to assess the readiness of faculty members of Birjand University to adopt the process of knowledge management based on the integrated process adoption pattern.The study is a survey method and the data gathering tool was a questionnaire made by the researcher. Validity of the questionnaire was gained using the views of experts and professors and for reliability, Cronbach's alpha test (0/925) was used. The population investigated included all faculty members of Birjand University. According to non- proportional stratified sampling method, the number of selected people for sampling was 160. The overall readiness of Birjand University faculty members has been assessed as more than moderate (61%) and suboptimal (80%) based on the integrated process adoption pattern. Results showed that the readiness of faculty members of University of Birjand to adopt knowledge management process based on the components of the model was significantly different and lower than the desired level. The level of readiness was significantly different among faculty members in various subjects. Overall, there is a meaningful positive correlation between all factors of readiness and willingness of faculty members of Birjand University except for the structure factor in the former variable, considering separately.

Under certain circumstances, the hierarchical structure of the society necessitates the levels to be of latitude parallel to each other rather than of longitude; therefore, usual nested models cannot be applied. In such cases, it is required to use the cross-classified models as a subclass of the multilevel models. Disregarding the structural classification can significantly affect the direction and magnitude of the obliqueness observed in estimating the parameters. In this paper, by cross-classified modeling the total scores of the students admitted in the Iranian national-wide Masters graduate admission exam in 2013, and by using R software, the cross-classified model is compared to its corresponding multilevel model applying the deviance criterion. Based upon the full conditional distributions of the parameters, the corresponding estimators are derived through the Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. The deviance statistic was utilized to compare cross-classified model with its corresponding multi-level model. The results showed that modeling the random effects for the crossover populations using the cross-classified models is doing far better than the conventional corresponding multilevel model.

This study examines the effect of altruism on organizational innovation and strives to explain the role of work engagement as a mediator among the employees of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The research has applied a descriptive/correlational method. The statistical population consists of 132 out of the 630 members of the staff and the managers, selected via simple random sampling. Data collection instruments included two questionnaires and a scale, which were used after the approval of their validity and reliability. Statistical analysis showed that the employees’ altruism mean and employees’ work engagement mean are higher than the desirable levels; however, the organizational innovation mean is lower than the acceptable level. According to the research findings, there is a correlation between the three variables. Work engagement variable explain 47% of the variance of innovation and 11% of the variance of work engagement. But the altruism variable has not affected the innovation variables directly.

The purpose of this study was to identify and classify the generic competencies required for the students’ success in their academic and professional life. Accordingly, it was conducted as an applied research, and its data collection was carried out through mixed method. Firstly, in order to identify the generic competencies, the contents of studies, whether originally written in English or Persian, were analyzed. Then, the instrument of data collection was constructed. In order to identify the importance of these competencies, the department deans’ opinions at Shahid Bahonar University, who were selected through survey, were used (N = 57). The results of the study showed that 21 competencies in all of the analyzed studies were identified, which were classified in 4 categories as cognitive, interpersonal, systematic, and instrumental. The cognitive competencies were of the highest rank, and the instrumental ones were of the lowest rank in comparison to the others. On the whole, these 21 identified competencies in this research may contribute significantly to the success of academic and professional lives of students; therefore, it is necessary to be considered in the educational program and curriculum of higher education institutions.