نشریه مطالعات آموزش و یادگیری
سال سیزدهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 81، پاییز و زمستان 1400)

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of perspective taking skill, with the two forms of imagine-self and imagine-other, training on forgiveness and gratitude virtues through the use of Forum Theater Method. Furthermore, the study was to compare the two forms of perspective-taking in this regard. Accordingly, a pretest posttest quasi-experimental design including two experimental groups and one control group was used for conducting this study. The participants consisted of 72 female fifth graders in Shiraz, Iran, who were selected based on cluster sampling. Of the two experimental groups, one received the imagine-self perspective-taking skill training and the other received imagine-other perspective-taking skill training. The data was then collected using the Forgiveness Scale (Chiaramello et al., 2008), and the Gratitude Questionnaire (McCullough et al., 2002), and analyzed by running MANOVA. Based on the results, the imagine-self perspective-taking skill training could affect participants' “lasting resentment”, and imagine-other perspective-taking skill training could affect participants' “lasting resentment” and “sensitivity to the circumstances of the offence”. However, the experimental groups' training had no statistically significant effect on “willingness to forgive” and “willingness to revenge”. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between the two experimental groups in forgiveness mean scores after receiving training. Concerning participants' level of gratitude, perspective-taking skill training was revealed as effective in both experimental groups. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two experimental groups in their mean scores of gratitude. Based on the overall results of this study, it can be concluded that the use of Forum Theater method for provision of perspective-taking skill training to students can extol their positive moral virtues.

This study was conducted to compare the effect of education programs based on PERMA model and psychological empowerment training on the future orientation and self-actualization of junior high school students. This study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population of the study consisted of all ninth grade students in Shiraz, Iran, in the 2019-2020 academic year. Purposive sampling was used to select 175 students. The sample consisted of three intact classes with 87 girls and three other intact classes with 88 boys. The six classes were randomly assigned, based on the type of instruction offered to them, to three groups, namely PERMA =55, psychological empowerment= 47, and control =73. Considering data collection, the Future Orientation Questionnaire (Di Maggio et al., 2016), and Ahvaz SelfActualization Inventory (Ismaeelkhani et al., 2001) were distributed among participants at pre, post, and follow up phases. The experimental groups were taught based on either PERMA or psychological empowerment packages for eight 90-minute sessions. The control group, however, received no intervention. ANCOVA results showed a significant increase in post-test mean scores concerning participants' future orientation in both PERMA and Empowering groups (P=0.01). Similar finding was concerned in relation to participants' selfactualization. However, only the effect of PERMA intervention on selfactualization was significant in the follow-up phase. Based on the overall findings, it can be concluded that the two types of intervention can be helpful in overcoming the adolescent crises and in increasing students' empowerment and self-actualization.

The objective of this study was to investigate the mediating role of parent-child conflict in the relationship between family communication patterns and emotional maturation in teenage girls. This research was a correlation study. The statistical population consisted of all female high school students in Kashan, Iran, in the 2019-2020 academic year. Of the statistical population of the research, 250 students were selected through the use of cluster sampling. Data were gathered by the questionnaires of Fitzpatrick & Ritchie Family Communication Patterns, Singh & Bhargava Emotional Maturation and Straus Parent-Child Conflict. Data analyzed by Pearson correlation and Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that model had a good fit. Conversation orientation dimension had a significant negative effect on emotional immaturity and conformity orientation had a significant positive effect on emotional immaturity. Moreover, family conversation orientation had a significant negative effect on parent-child conflict and conformity orientation had a significant positive effect on parent-child conflict. Additionally, parent-child conflict had a mediatory role in the relationship between family communication patterns and emotional maturity of teenage girls. It was also revealed that conversation orientation can reduce parent-child conflict and lead to increase emotional maturation. Conformity orientation, however, increased parent-child conflict, and thus had a negative effect on emotional maturity of teenage girls. Based on the overall results of this study, family communication patterns and parent-child conflict play important roles in emotional maturity of teenage girls.

The objective of this study was to investigate the mediating roles of different types of self-efficacy, namely social self-efficacy, academic selfefficacy, emotional self-efficacy, and creative self-efficacy in the relationship between mindfulness and academic engagement. Considering the study sample, cluster sampling was done for selection of 293 Shiraz University undergradiate students, as participants of this study, who comprised of 167 females, 116 males, and 10 unspecified subjects in the 2019-2020 academic year. The participants, then, filled out Reeve's Academic Engagement Questionnaire, Muris's Self-efficacy Questionnaire, Karowski's Creative Self-efficacy Questionnaire, and the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. After data collecting, the hypotheses were tested using AMOS 23 and by running path analysis. Based on the results, the direct effect of mindfulness on academic engagement was statistically significant. The results also revealed that interect effect of mindfuless on academic engaement through academic, creative and emotional types of self-efficacy was statistically significant. However, the mediating role of emotional self-efficacy was not statistically significant. Based on the overall results of this study, it can be concluded that university professors and authorities can improve the academic engagement of students by enhansing their academic, creative and emotional self-efficacy and mindfulness skills.

The objective of this study was to evaluate reliability and validity of Team Learning Questionnaire (Bersou et al., 2008). This research was a correlational study. The research population consisted of secondary school teachers in Kurdistan province, Iran, from whom a sample of 346 teachers was drawn using proportional stratified random sampling method and based on Cochran sample size formula. Concerning the instrument for data collection, the Team Learning Questionnaire by Bersou et al. (2008) distributed among the participants. The reliability of the questionnaire was then assessed by using Cronbach's alpha and the validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by computing the content validity ratio and running a second-order confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS25 and LISREL10.30. Based on the results, the questionnaire had a reliability coefficient of 0.86, and the content validity ratio of the questionnaire was revealed to be 0.80 and the fit indices indicated a good model fit. The results of the second-order confirmatory factor analysis showed that twenty items in relation to the four dimensions of continuous improvement seeking, dialogue promotion and open communication, collaborative learning, and strategic and proactive leadership, which can promote team development, could explain 55% of the variance of team learning scores. The result of this study can help Iranian researchers use a validated research instrument for assessing team learning in education organizations.

The The objectives of this study were to investigate the validation of the community of ethical inquiry in moral education of university students and the effect of this educational approach on their tendency towards prosocial behaviors. This quasi-experimental study was based on a pretest-posttest control group design. The research population comprised of all undergraduate students at Shiraz universities. Of the study population, 32 ones voluntarily chose to take part in this study. The experimental group consisted of 14 students who were taught based on the community of ethical inquiry and the control group consisted of 18 students who were taught based on the conventional method of teaching. Then, the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (Ricketts & Rood, 2005), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1980), and the Multidimensional Measure of Prosocial Behavior (Nelson et al., 2017) and the Prosocial Tendencies Measure, Revised (Carol Et al., 2010) were used as the research instruments of this study and for collecting data in both pretesting and posttesting stages. Based on the results of multivariate analysis of covariance, a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in their critical thinking, creative thinking, caring thinking and prosocial behaviors after intervention. Accordingly, the community of ethical inquiry approach was revealed as effective in promoting students' critical thinking, creative thinking, and caring thinking. The Community of Ethical Inquiry Approach, focuses on all existential dimensions, such as cognitive, emotional, aesthetic, and behaviorial dimensions, in moral education and is based on dialogue and collective understanding; therefore, it can have a great influence on students’ prosocial behavior.

The main objective of this study was to synthesize the findings of different studies on positive psychology and gain a general understanding about the relationships between the elements of positive psychology, including psychological well-being, optimism, happiness, resilience, and hope, and academic achievement. The study was also to identify and resolve possible contradictory findings about the issue. In line with these objectives, a meta-analysis design was used to conduct this study. The educational resources of this study were selected from all the available articles on the relationships between elements of positive psychology and academic achievement. After establishing inclusion and exclusion criteria, 19 studies were selected as the sample and from these studies, 35 r-type effect sizes were extracted and analyzed using CMA2 software. The results revealed a statistically significant combined effect size for both fixed and random effect models; however, the identified relationships were found to be low. Furthermore, the effect size of the relationships between happiness, hope, optimism, psychological capital and academic achievement was small, and the effect size of the relationship between resilience and academic achievement was moderate. Base on the overall results of this study, it can be concluded that improvement of positive psychology elements can make the education process more enjoyable and can increase individuals' ability to respond to educational challenges in their learning environment more effectively.

The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate the mediatibng role of coping strategies in the relationships between effortful control and academic buoyancy and social self-efficacy. In line with this objective, 388 sixth graders, i.e. 206 boys and 182 girls from Yazd, Iran, and their mothers took part in this study. Participants were selected by cluster sampling. Considering data collection, the students completed the Academic Buoyancy, the Self-Efficacy, and the Stress Response Questionnaires and their mothers filled out the Child Behavior Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was then run for analyzing the obtained data. Based on the results, effortful control could positively predict social self-efficacy both directly and indirectly through the mediating role of engagement coping. In addition, effortful control could positively predict academic buoyancy through the mediating role of engagement coping. Disengagement coping, however, did not have a mediating role and was a negative predictor of both academic buoyancy and social self-efficacy. The overall results of this study showed that an increase in students' effortful control and ability to deal with stressful issues would be accompanied with an increase in their academic buoyancy and social self-efficacy.

The aim of any education system is to develop learners' creativity and elementary school is the place where the early social experiences are formed. Elementary school can be a potentially great opportunity for developing social creativity and the role of elementary school teacher in stimulating and encouraging social creativity cannot be ignored. Considering this, investigating teachers' lived experiences can improve our understanding of how to improve students' social creativity and overcome barriers against it. Therefore, the aim of this study is to gain a phenomenological understanding of elementary school teacher's lived experiences about cultivation of social creativity in students. In line with this, a qualitative research approach and a phenomenological research design were used to conduct this study. Accordingly, 14 teachers with at least 10 years of teaching experience were selected from among elementary school teachers in Shiraz. Participants were then semi-structurally interviewed via telephone. The interviews were next analyzed by doing a thematic analysis and using Colizzi's seven-step method. After thematic extraction and classification, four main categories, namely student characteristics, divergent questions, teacher-student relationship style, and knowledge sharing, and eight sub-categories, namely perseverance, curiosity, openness to experience, tolerance for ambiguity, divergent questions in textbook, teacher’s divergent questions, mentoring style, and the participation principle, were identified. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that teachers' experiences can be useful for developing students' social creativity and overcoming the passive approaches to knowledge acquisition. Considering the dialectic of social creativity and with regard to the competitive education system of Iran, it can be theoretically recommended that upstream documents, such as the country's National Curriculum Document, be revised and focus be placed on the development of social creativity in students. Practically considering, too, some courses should be devoted to improving students' social creativity in teacher training centers.

The aim of this study was to provide a causal explanation of students' academic avoidance based on their mindfulness and academic selfconcept. The statistical population of the study included high school students in Zarghan City, Fars Province, Iran, who were studying in the academic year 2019-2020. From the study population, 348 students, i.e. 125 boys and 223 girls, were selected based on cluster sampling. The Participants, then, filled out the Adolescent and Adult Mindfulness Scale (Droutman et al., 2018), the Academic Avoidance Questionnaire (Khormaei & Saleh Ardestani, 2017), and the Academic Self-concept Checklist (Chen & Thompson's, 2004). The results indicated that the direct effect of mindfulness on academic avoidance was not statistically significant. However, mindfulness had a statistically significant effect on academic self-concept and indirectly, through the mediating effect of academic self-concept, affected academic avoidance, too. The overall results of this study showed that mindfulness and academic self-concept can explain academic avoidance. It can be concluded that to reduce students' academic avoidance, their mindfulness and academic selfconcept should be taken into consideration.

The objective of this study was to investigate the mediating role of academic motivation in the relationship between parents' and teachers' attitudes towards school and students' sense of belonging to school. The participants of this study were consisted of 160 fifth-grade boys and girls, their mothers, and 32 of their teachers at Shiraz, Iran, who were selected based on multistage sampling method. Students’ Sense of Connectedness with School Questionnaire (Brew, Beatty & Watt, 2004), Parents' Attitude towards Schooling and Education of Children Questionnaire (Samal, 2014), Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS, 2013) and Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (Ryan & Connell, 1989) were used for collecting data in this study. According, Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis were run to determine reliability and validity of each of the aforementioned instruments. Based on the results, the questionnaires were both valid and reliable. The obtained data was then analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. Next, the goodness of fit of the model was examined and confirmed. As the results indicated, parents' attitudes towards school were positive predictors of students' sense of belonging to school and both directly and indirectly through mediating of academic motivation affected it. However, teachers' attitudes towards school affected students' sense of belonging to school only directly. Additionally, although the control and self-independence dimensions of motivation beliefs were both positive and significant predictors of students' sense of belonging to school, the self-independence dimension was a stronger predictor of it. Based on the overall results of this study, it is recommended that school education system pay more attention to parents' and teachers' beliefs about and attitudes towards school, and thus provide the basis for increasing students' academic motivation and sense of belonging to school.

The main objective of this study was to represent teachers' experiences of the teachinglearning process in overcrowded classrooms. The study, benefitting from a grounded theory method, was an attempt to answer the following questions: What are the main causes of overcrowded classrooms? What is the central phenomenon? What are the causal processes and conditions of overcrowded classrooms? What specific issues may affect the central phenomenon? Due to the selected strategies what kind of consequences should be expected? The participants of this study were 30 elementary school teachers in Sanandaj, the Kurdistan Province, Iran who had several years of teaching experience in overcrowded classrooms. The participants were semistructurally interviewed and the obtained data was subjected to coding and analyzed by using constant comparative analysis. Based on the findings, 117 open codes, 50 axial codes, and 19 selective codes were identified. The findings also revealed how unequal educational, financial, and human resource allocation, lack of parental involvement, and improper school admission criteria had led to overcrowded classrooms. The findings further indicated that teachers in overcrowded classrooms faced such common challenges as maintaining classroom discipline, creating an active learning environment, and carrying out evaluations of students' progress in learning. Overall, overcrowded classrooms can lead to some negative consequences, including ignorance of students' individual differences, teachers' lack of self-improvement, low-quality teaching, and stadium-like classrooms. All of these can lead to marginalization of learning and difficulty in classroom management. The findings of this study provide both teachers and education system with valuable insights about teaching in overcrowded classrooms which is a school life challenge and requires teachers who are equipped with some essential skills for overcoming it.