Factors affecting the use of new teaching methods among female teachers in Ilam province

The purpose of the present paper was to study factors affecting the application of modern teaching methods by female teachers of Ilam Province.

The research is being conducted descriptively and is of a correlational type and an applied one. The statistical population includes about 4800 teachers, out of which 320 (sample size) were selected through cluster sampling. The main tool for collecting data was questionnaire which was validated and its reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.84. The statistical tests including correlation test, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data.

The results indicated that age (P= 0.000, R= - 0.55), level of education (P= 0.000, R= - 0.47), and length of service (P= 0.000, R= - 0.45) have significant, negative relationship with application of modern teaching methods. Variables of social responsibility (P= 0.000, R= 0.48) and attitude (P= 0.000, R= 0.71) have significant, positive relationship with application of modern teaching methods. One-way analysis of variance showed that there is a significant relationship between teachers’ teaching level and the application of modern teaching methods, such that elementary-school teachers used modern teaching methods more than high-school teachers. In-service training course (P= 0.133, R= 0.10) was the only variable having no relationship with the dependent variable. The results of regression analysis showed that the four remaining variables of the model, i.e. attitude, age, teaching level, and level of education, could explain about 0.60 of variance of the dependent variable.

Considering the fact that teachers’ attitude plays the greatest part in prediction of application of modern teaching methods, the Education System authorities should take measures to change teachers’ attitude towards modern teaching methods.