Journal of Iranian Distance Education
Volume:5 Issue: 1, Winter-Spring 2023

This study aimed to examine the effect of educational software on 3rd-grade elementary-school students’ mathematical problem-solving skill. This was a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, controlled study. The statistical population comprised all 3rd-grade elementary-school male students in District 4 of Karaj (Iran) in the academic year 2018-2019. A sample was selected via convenience sampling, and the participants were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (20 each). On pretest, two tests of “numerical analysis” and “attention and concentration” (Wechsler test) and a researcher-made problem-solving skill test were administered. Then, the experimental group received eight 40-minute sessions of software training, while the control group received the class’s routine education. Finally, both groups took the posttest. The data were analyzed via univariate analysis of covariance and independent samples t-test. After the experimental intervention, the two groups demonstrated a significant difference (p < 0.001) at three levels of “problem-solving speed”, “attention and concentration”, and “numerical analysis”. The two groups also showed a significant difference at the level of “problem-solving strategy identification” (p < 0.05). Accordingly, the role of educational media, and especially educational software, can be highlighted in promoting students’ learning and mathematical problem-solving skill.

The purpose of the research is to investigate the seriousness of primary school students doing their homework during the CoVid-19 Pandemic and to identify challenges and solutions to overcome the problems using the lived experiences of teachers, parents and professionals. Qualitative and phenomenological methods were used in this research. The interviewees of the research included all teachers, parents and specialists of Ardabil city in the academic year of 2022-2023. To select the participants, targeted and saturation sampling was used and 23 teachers, 25 parents and 14 specialists were selected. Data were collected using interviews with open and semi-structured questions. Validity and reliability of interviews were determined through triangulation technique, member control technique, parallel accurate information acquisition technique and researchers' self-review. The findings showed that during the CoVid-19 Pandemic, teachers used assignments that had most of the main characteristics of an ideal assignment. And in order to make it more interesting, enjoyable and to do the homework in a creative way, they implemented various methods and of course they also faced many problems which solutions were presented to overcome them. Parents also expressed their lived experiences about the seriousness of their children in doing their homework and presented solutions to solve the challenges. Next, in connection with the challenges mentioned by teachers and parents, experts were interviewed, and in order to overcome them, the experts presented different solutions and in four categories of solutions; Solutions for teachers, solutions for parents, solutions for education professionals, and solutions for students were categorized.

The issue of culture is very important in the field of e-education. Accordingly, the purpose of present study was to investigate the learners’ cultural characteristics of e-education at PNU. The research method was descriptive and the instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire which was designed based on the four dimensions of Hofstede's cultural theory. These four dimensions investigated were power distance, uncertainty avoidance versus uncertainty acceptance, masculinity versus femininity, and collectivism versus individualism. Its content validity was determined by experts and its reliability was estimated using Cronbach alpha (83%). Participants were the students of PNU in Khuzestan province, who were studying in e-education courses in the academic year 2021-2022, and 897 participants responded to the online questionnaire using the available sampling method. Mean, standard deviation and one sample t-test were used for data analysis. The results compared with the test value of number three revealed: the mean of cultural characteristics of learners in PNU students in power distance are higher than that of the society mean, and the mean of the uncertainty avoidance factors is higher than the society mean and the mean of the factors of Uncertainty acceptance is lower than the society mean, in the dimension of masculinity verses femininity in both factors, the mean is higher than the society mean, in the dimension of collectivism verses individualism, mean of the factors related to collectivism is lower than the society mean and the mean of the factors related to Individualism was higher than the society mean. The research results provide guidelines for the design and implementation of e-learning courses.

The present study investigated the relationship between technology acceptance, electronic assessment (e-assessment) methods and the satisfaction of students at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran, using a descriptive-correlational design. The research population consisted of all the students (n = 14096) studying at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman in the academic year 2021-2023. A sample of 387 students was selected using quota sampling. The data were collected using the Technology Acceptance Questionnaire (Teo, 2009) and two researcher-made satisfaction and e-assessment questionnaires, whose validity and reliability were estimated as 0.96 and 0.88, respectively. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM). The proposed model was evaluated using a two-step approach (Anderson & Gerbing, 1988). The Baron and Kenny (1986) approach and Sobel’s test (1982) were used to test the mediating relationships in the proposed model and their significance. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between e-assessment and student satisfaction (β=0.78). There was also a positive and significant relationship between the degree of technology acceptance and student satisfaction (β=0.16), but no significant relationship was found between e-assessment and the degree of technology acceptance among the students (β=0.01). These findings imply that technology acceptance cannot play a mediating role in the relationship between e-assessment and student satisfaction at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. However, satisfaction acted as a mediating variable in the relationship between technology acceptance and the assessment method.

The purpose of this study was to provide additional research to investigate the effects of mnemonic techniques and digital game-based task on teaching vocabulary to Iranian EFL students through distance education. To that end, a quasi-experimental research method with a pretest posttest non-equivalent control group design was used . The participants of the study were 75 pre-intermediate EFL learners and were chosen from among female learners. After homogenizing the participants through the Oxford Placement Test (OPT), the vocabulary knowledge test (VKS), developed by Wesche and Paribakht (1996), was used as the pretest and the posttest. For measuring the reliability of the test, it was piloted with thirty students who were similar to main sample of the study, which was found to be acceptable in terms of Cronbach’s alpha. The only difference between the pretest and posttest was the order of the items to diminish the practice effect. Then the participants were randomly divided into three equal groups of 25 (two experimental groups and one control group). During a 30-day teaching period, students in the experimental groups were taught English vocabulary using mnemonic and digital game while students in the control group were taught lessons using the traditional methods. After 7 sessions, a posttest of vocabulary was administered. Results of data analysis showed that mnemonic and digital game-based task techniques had a significant effect on teaching vocabulary to Iranian EFL students through distance education. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the effects of the two techniques. The findings of this research may have implications for EFL learners, teachers and curriculum designers.

Multi-grade classes are one of the realities of our educational system. Academic motivation is known as a challenge for educational systems in developing countries. According to the rapid advances in science and technology, the utilization of blended learning seems to solve this challenge. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of blended learning on students' academic motivation in multi-grade classes. The study was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with the control group. The statistical population was all students of primary multi-grade classes in Ghaen (n=2200 with 160 classes). The statistical sample was 28 multi-grade students selected using the two-stage cluster sampling method. Also, to collect data, Harter's academic motivation questionnaire was used with Cronbach's alpha of 0.92. The SPSS application and covariance test used to analyze the data. The results showed that academic motivation scores in the experimental group were more than the control group (p≤0.05, f (25.1) = 4.23). According to ETA squares, the blended approach explains 37% of the variance of academic motivation post-test scores (p<0.05, ŋ2=37%). According to the findings and the challenges of teaching in multi-grade classes, this method is not just one option but seems to be the best solution for resolving multi-grade problems.

The purpose of this research is to know the lived experience of Ahvaz city teachers in teaching bilingual students and it was done by phenomenological method. The research community includes all primary school teachers in Ahvaz. Sampling was done in a purposeful way and all the samples were chosen voluntarily from among the teachers who dealt with bilingual students. The sample size depended on data saturation, which finally included 21 people. The data collection method is a semi-structured interview. After collecting the data, it was coded and analyzed. Analyzes have been done using thematic analysis. After analyzing the experiences of participating teachers, the findings include 6 main themes and 13 sub-themes. The main themes are: non-native language, inconsistency between the language of the teacher and the learner, learner's disability and teacher's fatigue, love to teaching, communication, local language, methods. The result of the research shows that establishing a friendly relationship with children, involving students and their parents in their children's educational affairs, using educational aids suitable for the local and environmental conditions of bilingual students are more effective in their education. Also, teachers of bilingual schools should participate in classes and workshops that provide the correct methods of interaction with bilingual students and relative familiarity with their language and culture.

The landscape of education has been revolutionized by the rapid advancements in digital technology, presenting both opportunities and challenges for educators and learners. In this context, the integration of technology into teaching and learning is no longer sufficient; educators must also embrace the power of networked learning to foster knowledge construction in a connected world. This expository article introduces the innovative framework of Connective TPACK, which seamlessly combines technology, pedagogy, content knowledge, and networked learning. By exploring the key elements of Connective TPACK and its implications for education, this article aims to empower educators and learners in navigating the networked environment and constructing knowledge collaboratively. From fostering connections and collaboration to nurturing a culture of self-directed learning, the Connective TPACK Framework paves the way for authentic, global, and learner-centered education. Embracing this holistic approach enables educators to leverage technology and networked learning effectively, preparing learners to thrive in the interconnected world with confidence and agency.

Using Critical Digital Pedagogy (CDP) considering the recent technological advancements in the field of education as well as the prevalence of critical pedagogy (CP) in the World educational systems. This qualitative study aimed to uncover ELT experts’ and English literature teachers’ perceptions of a technology-laden CP-based EFL teacher preparation program for the context of Iran within a basic interpretive design. A total of thirty male and female ELT experts with a PhD in TEFL who were selected through convenience sampling from among experienced university professors who had relevant research expertise in the field. They were university professors with PhD in TEFL with different years of teaching experience. To collect the data, a semi-structured interview was used. Data analysis was done by the MAXQDA. The results showed that the perceptions of ELT experts and English literature teachers were both in line with the tenets of CP and the use of technology in education. Further, it was indicated that the perceptions of ELT experts and English literature teachers of a technology-laden CP-based EFL teacher preparation program for the context of Iran were significantly different. The findings have some implications for EFL teacher education administrators, curriculum planners and educators. Key Words: Critical Pedagogy (CP), Critical Digital Pedagogy (CDP), EFL Teacher Education, Technology.

This study is investigated the effectiveness of science education with STEM approach, in a combined (face-to-face and virtual) method, on problem solving skill of the students of the middle school in the topic of energy. This research is a semi-experimental and pre-test-post-test type with the control group. The statistical population is all the 7th-grade male students from middle school in Tabadakan region, Mashhad 2021-2022. From this statistical population, 70 students were selected by the convenience sampling who were in two classes. One of the classes was randomly selected as the experimental group and the other as the control group. The control group received training through the traditional approach, whereas the experimental group underwent training using the STEM method. The research tool was Hepner and Patterson's (1988) standard problem solving skill questionnaire. In order to develop lesson plan with STEM approach, the proposed standard framework (STE(A)M IN INTEGRATED LEARNING SCENARIO) was used. Data from questionnaires was analyzed using SPSS, with statistical indicators calculated and normality. Also, hypotheses investigated using Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests and covariance analysis. The significant values obtained for problem-solving skill (0.033) and its subscales, including Confidence (0.022), Approach-Avoidance style (0.046) and Personal Control (0.025), indicated that the STEM approach was helpful in improving learners' learning and strengthening their problem-solving skill. Also, this study showed that students generally have difficulty learning scientific concepts and problem solving skills, but hybrid approaches such as STEM can improve educational processes and learner performance in developing countries such as Iran. Therefore, the role of STEM approach in education becomes highlighted.

Open Soft Software brings about a powerful learning environment, and it transforms the learning and teaching process in which students deal with knowledge in an active and self-directed way. However, over-reliance on conventional methods, lack of awareness, skills, knowledge, among others, are factors militating against the adoption of OSS for learning. This study examines the self-efficacy in the use of open-source software for instruction among undergraduate pre-service teachers in Lagos State. The population for this study were pre-service teachers in all universities in Lagos State. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the universities from where the student samples were drawn based on public universities that are on campus. The instrument for data collection was an adapted questionnaire. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to answer the research question and test the stated hypothesis with the aid of stastistical product and service solution (SPSS) version 20.0 at 0.05 level of significant . The findings indicated that undergraduates have low self-efficacy in the use of open-source software for instruction. Also, significant difference exists between male and female pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy on OSS for instruction in Lagos State.This study concluded that most pre-service teachers in Lagos State did not have the skills necessary to use OSS for learning. Therefore, the study recommended that government should organise training for pre-service teachers on the use of OSS for learning.Key words: Self-efficacy, Open-Source Software, ICT, Gender and Constraints

Learning musical instruments has been rapidly popular during the past decades. However, it is faced with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and lockdowns, which limit face-to-face music lectures. This research aims to design and develop an online instructional system named Nuance for learning musical instruments. The system performance is tested and analyzed to study the impact of the proposed system on cognitive and practical learning skills for a Persian musical instrument named Setar. This study uses a "quasi-experimental research" method for a population of 900 Setar elementary students in Sanandaj city during the 2021-2022 academic year. A convenience sampling method is used to form two homogenous groups, including control and experimental, each with 15 learners. The experimental group uses the Nuance system, while the control group receives online videos. The Shapiro-Wilk test is used to test the data normality, while one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests are used to analyze data and study the performance of the proposed system. The results show a significant difference between both the groups and support that the proposed system has a better performance for cognitive and practical music learning skills than the standard online system (P <0.05).