Studying the nurturing and instructing effects of self-directed management education model in religious science on student's self-directed behavior and academic achievement

Teachers’ teaching and students’ learning have become highly professional, in this age. Teaching methods need to be responsive to today’s education and learning complexities. The goal of this research was to study the nurturing and instructional effects of self-directed management education model in teaching religious science on students’ self-directed behavior and academic achievement. The amount of students’ self-directed behaviors concerning their ability in learning planning, be independent, accountability, interest, evaluating and critical thinking, creativity, self-arrangement and interaction were studied through semi-experimental research method using pre-test and post-test design with control group. Two ninth grade classes randomly selected as experimental and control group with the size of 29 and 24 in Imam Reza School in Nirugah District in Qom. Fourteen 75 minute sessions were conducted in the classes during eight weeks. The tools for collecting data were a valid questionnaire confirmed through a panel of experts, its construct validity through factor analysis, and its reliability by Cronbach's alpha coefficients. The tool for measuring academic achievement in three areas of knowledge, skill and attitude respectively were teacher paper and pencil test and checklist. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Independent T and Covariance). The results indicated the use of self-directed management education model in religious sciences has positive nurturing effect on students’ self-directed skill and their academic achievement. Therefore, the use of self-directed management education model as a new approach in religious education for nurturing students’ self-directed skills and their academic achievement was recommended.