نشریه مطالعات آموزش و یادگیری
سال چهاردهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 83، پاییز و زمستان 1401)

The current research aimed at studying the major challenges and obstacles hindering research among the teachers of East Azarbaijan province, Iran. This study adopted a qualitative approach and applied the phenomenological method of analysis. Purposeful criterion sampling was used, and 20 teachers were selected as the study participants. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. To assess the reliability of the findings, the four criteria of credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability were used. The findings led to the formation of 25 subcategories subsumed under the three main categories of thinking and knowledge (five subcategories), attitude and motivation (11 subcategories), and behavior and action (9 subcategories). Based on the findings, it can be stated that the above barriers hinder the successful implementation of “The Research-Centered Teacher Program” in education. Thus, to achieve the goals set for the aforementioned program, the above-mentioned challenges must be addressed.

This study aimed at studying the effect of collective positive thinking training on the academic emotions and academic optimism of male applicants participating in the university entrance exam in Khorramabad. This study used a pretest-posttest control group design. Random cluster sampling was used and 40 students were selected from the statistical population of the study. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups, namely, the experimental and control groups, with each including twenty students. Academic emotions and academic optimism questionnaires were used to collect data. Positive thinking was taught to the experimental group in 10 sessions, seventy-five minutes each. Multivariate analysis of covariance was performed and the results showed that training positive thinking improved positive academic emotions, reduced negative academic emotions, and enhanced academic optimism in university entrance exam student applicants. Based on the results, it can be stated that training positive thinking is a rewarding method to enhance positive academic emotions, reduce negative academic and promote academic optimism in students taking part in the university entrance exam.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of life skills training with and without mindfulness training on the emotional-social competence of students with physical abilities. This study adopted a pre-test and post-test experimental design with one control group. The statistical population of the study included all male students in special high schools for the disabled in Tehran. A purposive sampling method was used and 45 students were selected as study participants, who were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. Group one received life skills training and group two received life skills training along with mindfulness training. All three groups answered the Social-Emotional Competence Questionnaire, before and after the training courses and one month after the end of the course. Data analysis was performed using repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of covariance. The results showed that social-emotional competence, in general, and self-awareness, social awareness, and self-management, in particular, increased in group one compared to the control group. In group two, social-emotional competence and all its components increased. Overall, although social-emotional and cognitive competencies and their management increased significantly in both experimental groups, combining mindfulness training with life skills training did not have additional effects on the above-mentioned competencies. In brief, it can be said that life skills training can have beneficial effects on students with physical disabilities and enhance their social and emotional competencies.

This study aimed to investigate the structural relationship between academic resilience and academic well-being with the mediating role of emotional competence. This study adopted a descriptive-correlational design, and the statistical population included all high school students in Evaz, a city located in the south of Fars province, of which 292 (118 boys and 174 girls) were selected using a convenience sampling method. The participants were asked to fill in academic resilience scale, emotional competence, and academic well-being questionnaires. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling using SPSS-16 and AMOS-24 statistical software were used. The results showed that academic resilience predicted academic well-being both directly and through intrapersonal emotional competence though the mediating effect of interpersonal emotional competence was not significant. In addition, while intrapersonal emotional competence positively and significantly predicted academic well-being, interpersonal emotional competence did not significantly predict academic well-being. The findings of this study contribute to the literature both theoretically and practically. From a theoretical perspective, the findings highlight the importance of intrapersonal antecedents in enhancing academic well-being. From a practical point of view, the results show that students’ intrapersonal emotional competence and academic resilience can be promoted by providing them with the necessary training, which, in turn, can contribute to students’ academic well-being.

“Model” is one of the most important concepts in science, and modeling is an essential skill in science education. This qualitative research aimed to explore the modeling skills of secondary high school students in science, including physics, chemistry, and biology. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were used to explore the relationship between meta-modeling knowledge, on the one hand, and content knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biology and the level of meta-modeling learning (modeling competence) in 10 secondary high school science students in Iran. Even though the official science curriculum in Iran does not include scientific modeling skills, all the interviewees showed low levels of modeling competencies. The level of modeling skills was not related to content knowledge and subject matter (i.e., physics, chemistry, and biology), but the way to use models and the purpose of using them depended on content knowledge. The findings showed that the role of scientific models in science education was neglected in the science curriculum. Despite the limited and implicit use of models by students to describe, hypothesize, argue, and predict phenomena, students had little knowledge about those models since meta-modeling skills were not included as part of the learning objectives in science courses (i.e., physics, chemistry, and biology). To improve students’ modeling skills, it is recommended that students be supported in the classroom while employing models and be provided with more learning opportunities for modeling. Furthermore, teachers should be encouraged to pay more attention to the role of models in science learning and education. Also, science curriculum developers need to include modeling skills in the curriculum. Implementing the above recommendations can help students develop their modeling skills manifested in improved scientific reasoning, prediction, and problem-solving.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between class structure and counterproductive academic behavior mediated by the role of academic self-efficacy. Participants included 365 (214 women and 151 men) undergraduate students of Shiraz University selected by random cluster sampling. They completed the class structure questionnaire, academic self-efficacy scale, and the counterproductive student behavior scale. Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis were used to examine the reliability and validity of research tools, respectively. The findings showed that all instruments had a satisfactory level of reliability and validity. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the class structure had a significant direct effect on counterproductive academic behavior. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between class structure and counterproductive academic behavior. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that to reduce the likelihood of counterproductive academic behavior in students, class structure and students’ academic self-efficacy should be considered.

The present study was conducted with the aim of presenting a causal model that can be employed to predict online social presence based on cognitive presence in online learning with the mediating role of computer self-efficacy. This correlational and quantitative study was basic in terms of purpose. The participants, who were selected using multi-stage random cluster sampling, included 261 students attending online courses in the academic year of 2020-2021 at Payame Noor University in North Khorasan province. Research instruments included cognitive presence in online learning, online social presence, and computer self-efficacy scales. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling in AMOS-24 software. Based on the findings, cognitive presence in online learning positively predicted computer self-efficacy and social presence. Also, computer self-efficacy was found to positively and significantly predict social presence. Finally, cognitive presence in online learning predicted social presence through the mediating role of computer self-efficacy. Therefore, it can be stated that improving students’ computer self-efficacy and their social presence can enhance their cognitive presence in online learning.

This study aimed to identify the components and develop a conceptual model of Iranian students’ academic achievement motivation. Data were collected through an eight-question semi-structured interview with university students (n = 20) and experts in the field of educational psychology (n = 8) selected based on a purposeful sampling method. The collected data were coded in three phases using the grounded theory methodology. The results were arranged and presented in 43 sub-categories and 18 main categories. A paradigmatic model was developed that comprised six dimensions, namely, causal factors, the main category (utility and applicability), background conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. The main category, extracted through an interpretive analysis of the data, showed that the main conceptual core shaping Iranian students’ achievement-oriented efforts was the component of utility and academic applicability. Hence, one of the contributions of this study was to introduce the components of academic utility, applicability, and purposefulness to the literature on academic achievement motivation. Furthermore, it contributes to the advancement of theoretical knowledge in this field and deepens the current understanding of academic achievement motivation. The proposed conceptual model is an integrated coherent model since it takes into account all six dimensions of the paradigmatic approach and, simultaneously, emphasizes the interpretive weight of less known causes (e.g., utility and applicability) of academic achievement motivation. Equally important, the developed model highlights the role of external factors, including the education system, social values, and macro-political, -economic, and -cultural structures, in affecting students’ academic motivation. Finally, the developed model is hoped to provide students as well as educational policy-makers with a conceptual framework that can broaden their understanding of achievement motivation as a comprehensive, multifaceted concept.

The purpose of this study was to analyze students’ perceptions of strategies to prevent scrap learning and factors affecting the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of course contents in the field of educational sciences. This qualitative research adopted a descriptive phenomenological study. Participants included 27 students (10 undergraduates and 17 postgraduates; 6 male and 21 female) of educational sciences and its sub-disciplines selected from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, using purposeful sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and continued until data saturation was reached. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Researcher continued observation of and interaction with the participants, peer review, and triangulation were used to enhance the credibility of the findings. In addition, the three criteria of transferability, confirmability, and dependability were considered. The analysis of the data led to the identification of four themes concerning scrap learning, with the core category of solutions related to the educational and work environment. Furthermore, five and three themes were identified regarding the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of course contents, respectively, which were mainly based on attention to the needs, learners’ interests and conditions, and the theoretical and practical relevance of the courses. In sum, the results of this study showed that regular revisions in the curricula, attention to students’ needs and interests, and the practical application of the knowledge imparted to students played an important role in preventing scrap learning and enhancing the effectiveness of the course materials.

The present study aimed to predict academic engagement through the developmental assets mediated by the academic well-being of female high school students. The statistical population of the present correlational study included all female high school students in Isfahan in the academic year of 2021-2022, of whom 501 were selected by multistage cluster sampling. The data were collected using the school engagement scale, developmental assets questionnaire, and academic well-being questionnaire, and then analyzed by path analysis using SPSS-26 and AMOS-24. The results revealed that the proposed model properly fitted the data, and the mediating role of academic well-being in the relationship between developmental assets and academic engagement was confirmed. Also, there was a positive and significant relationship between internal and external developmental assets and students’ academic engagement. Finally, academic well-being was found to have a positive and significant relationship with academic engagement. Based on the results, it can be concluded that promoting developmental assets and academic well-being, increase female students’ academic engagement.

This study aimed to explore Shadegan elementary school teachers’ and students’ lived experiences of problems associated with students’ bilingualism in the academic year of 2021-2022. This qualitative study adopted a descriptive phenomenological approach. The statistical population of the study consisted of all teachers and students at the elementary schools of Shadegan, Khuzestan province, Iran. The selection of participants was done through purposive sampling and continued until data saturation was achieved. Participants included six teachers (three male and three female) and six bilingual students (three male and three female) selected from elementary schools. Colaizzi’s seven-step method of data analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings yielded four main themes, each consisting of a number of sub-themes. The first theme was “psychological issues and problems”, incorporating the sub-themes of feeling humiliation and despair and experiencing confusion and ambiguity. The second theme was “language issues”, including the sub-themes of failing to understand the educational materials and having difficulty in reading and writing. ”Educational issues” formed the third major theme, which comprised the sub-themes of decline and reduction in educational progress and increase in teachers’ responsibilities. Finally, the fourth theme was “structural and environmental factors”, which consisted of the sub-themes of economic and environmental factors, the incompatibility of the evaluation method with the ability of bilingual students, and bilingual families’ lack of language skills. The result of the study revealed that the elementary school teachers’ and students’ lived experiences of the problems related to students’ bilingualism were multi-dimensional and involved psychological, linguistic, structural, and environmental issues. These lived experiences can be improved through the cultural cooperation of families.

The purpose of this study was to compare the implementation of professional development programs for elementary teachers in Iran, America, Malaysia, Japan, England, and Finland. This qualitative research adopted George Bereday’s comparative method. The selection of countries was based on their success in implementing professional development programs for elementary teachers. The data were collected through reading books and documents and semi-structured interviews. The statistical population of the study included both information sources, such as documents related to the professional development programs of elementary teachers in selected countries, and human sources, including Iranian teachers who experienced teaching in Iranian educational complexes in selected countries and were well informed about the professional development in those countries. The study sample was selected using purposive sampling. The findings showed that the selected countries were similar in new methods of teaching and learning, curricula implementation in a cooperative and group manner, utilization of teachers’ experiences in implementing curriculum, employment of information and communication technology (ICT) in education and virtual education environments, new methods (e.g., problem-solving using a constructive and research-oriented approach). However, the same selected countries were different in terms of individual and group learning, examination of teachers’ experiences concerning lesson study, simulation, the teaching of cognitive skills, and a centralized system of education. In addition, the results showed that Iran followed a piecemeal and non-specialized approach to teachers’ professional development. Therefore, to improve the existing teachers’ professional development programs, education policy-makers need to pay careful attention to macro-planning in the area of teachers’ professional development, conduct continuous educational needs assessment, and consider new teaching and learning approaches.