Iranian Evolutionary and Educational Psychology Journal
Volume:5 Issue: 1, Mar 2023

The present study aimed to design a native happiness training package and examining the its effectiveness on grit, hope, resilience, self-control and academic procrastination in 10th and 11th grades high school students. The research method was mixed method, which used theme analysis in the qualitative part, and in the quantitative part, it was carried out as a semi-experimental pre-test - post-test - follow-up design with a control group. In the design and compilation of the training package, the positive and Islamic psychology texts were analyzed using the Attride-Stirling's theme analysis method. Then, based on the extracted themes, an educational package was compiled and validated by implementing it on 4 people as a group of evaluators. In order to investigate the effectiveness of training package on grit, hope, resilience, self-control and academic procrastination, 30 students of the 10th and 11th grades were randomly selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 students in each group). The experimental group was trained for twelve 90-minute sessions. To collect data, the Oxford Happiness Survey, Duckworth et al.'s Grit Scale, Miller Hope Scale (MHS), Connor and Davidson Resilience Questionnaire, Schneider's Self-Control Questionnaire, and Solomon and Ruth Bloom's Academic Procrastination Scale were used. Hypotheses were investigated using the repeated measures and covariance analysis. The results indicated that the happiness training package increased grit, hope, resilience and self-control and reduced the academic procrastination significantly and the effectiveness of the intervention was maintained until the follow-up period. Overall, the findings support the effectiveness of the happiness training package on motivational and emotional variables in high school students.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of emotional social learning training on academic well-being and spiritual health in high school male students in Zahedan, Iran. The research method was quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test with a control group and the statistical population of the study included all high school male students in 2021-2022. Participants were 30 students who selected by purposive sampling that after matching, they assigned in experimental and control groups. Emotional social learning training package (Sadri Demirchi and Ismaili Ghazi Volvi, 2016) was performed in the experimental group in 12 sessions of 60 minutes. The research instruments were the Academic Welfare Questionnaire (Tominen-Sweeney et al., 2012) and Spiritual Health Questionnaire (Pulotzin and Ellison, 1982). The validity of the research scales was measured by content validity, and their reliability was estimated by Cronbach’s alpha, yielding 0.88 and 0.93 for the academic well-being and spiritual health scales, respectively. For the statistical analysis of the data, univariate covariance analysis and multivariate covariance analysis was used. Covariance analysis results revealed that training in emotional-social learning improved and increased students' academic well-being (and its components) and students' spiritual health (and its components) as well. Our results supported the role of emotional and social factors in mental and spiritual health of students.

Executive functions play an essential role in the cognitive and social development of individuals. In recent years, executive functions have been studied as one of the most important neuropsychological variables affecting the reform and development of teachers' professions and as a result, better academic and social performance of students. This study aimed at designing and validating an executive function training program for elementary school teachers. The qualitative research method was used for the design and development part. To validate the program, the face validity method and the content validity method with a panel of 10 experts were used. To calculate the content validity, two relative content validity coefficients (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) were used. The minimum and maximum CVR for each item or component of the program were calculated. They were 0.80 and 1, respectively. Also, the minimum and maximum CVI rates for each item or component of the program were 0.80 and 0.93, respectively. Finally, the average content validity index for the whole program was 0.85. The results showed that the executive functions training program for primary school teachers has  face and content validity and has the necessary validity for use in educational centers, in-service courses,  and for research, and extracurricular classes in schools.

Family support resources at all times have an effective role in supporting members and family structure to deal with various issues, especially in critical situations. Support resources are determined by the culture in each region and the expectations and meaning they give to these support resources. The family has undergone changes in recent years, and we need research to show whether the role of support resources has changed with these developments. The aim of this study was to determine the role of family support resources in decreasing the psychological vulnerability after the earthquake crisis in Kermanshah. The research sample was based on the purpose of the information saturation with 24 participants. Using semi-structured interviews, the experiences of families from the moment of the earthquake crisis were collected up to six months after that and with the grounded theory Analysis was made. Data analysis led to the extraction of support resources in five general categories including spatial-temporal resources, local-native resources, media resources, cultural-religious resources and related resources. According the results, family support resources can be used as a basis for reducing the psychological vulnerability of families in the crisis process and lead to a change in attitude and increase their compatibility.

The present study was conducted to investigate the role of implicit vs explicit grammar teaching through teacher scaffolding in the improvement of speaking motivation and self-efficacy among Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners. To this end, In line with the objectives of the present study, a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design was used. 90 ESP students of architecture and art studying in Azad University of Yazd participated in this study through available sampling. These participants were divided into three groups (explicit, implicit, and control groups). The research instruments employed to collect data for this study were Oxford Placement Test, Hogan and Pressely’s (1997) Guidelines for Teacher Scaffolding, Gardner’s Attitude/Motivation Test Battery, and General Self-efficacy Scale. The obtained data were analyzed through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS software. The obtained results indicated that using scaffolding techniques accompanied by explicit/implicit grammar instruction had a significant effect on self-efficacy and motivation of Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners. Moreover, it was indicated that that using scaffolding techniques accompanied by explicit grammar instruction and implicit grammar instruction were equally effective on self-efficacy and motivation of Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners. This confirmed that scaffolding techniques have significantly affected self-efficacy and motivation of learners. This study has some implications for teachers and students involved in EFL context.

Professional development is considered a must for a teacher without which teachers’ knowledge is not up-to-date and he/she cannot provide students with useful and meaningful material. Teachers’ professional development plays a vital role in students’ achievement. With a view to this, the present study sought to explore Iranian teachers’ perceptions of professional development. This study benefited from a basic interpretive design within a qualitative paradigm by using a semi-structured interview. The participants of the study consisted of 50 male and female English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers who were teaching English at the university level in the universities located in southern cities of Iran including University of Velayat in Iranshahr, University of Sistan & Baluchestan, Chabahar University of Maritime Sciences, University of Zabol, Islamic Azad Universities, BandarAbbas branch, Qeshm branch, and Kish branch. They were selected through available sampling. The researcher benefited from a semi-structured interview for data collection. The collected audio-recorded data from the interviews was transcribed verbatim to be analyzed. Finally, the transcribed data was qualitatively analyzed through thematic analysis to extract the recurrent themes. The results of the present study revealed the following EFL teachers’ professional development needs as perceived by EFL teachers: Language knowledge, digital competence, content knowledge, evaluation skills, teaching methodology knowledge, verbal skills, critical thinking skills, reflective thinking skills, students’ needs analysis, classroom management ability, motivational strategies, and public relations skills. The findings have some implications for teacher educators, teachers, teacher education curriculum planners and researchers.

English language teaching is considered as an anxiety-provoking profession for the novice members of the teaching community. Indeed, their perceptions and practices might be influenced by this variable. Despite the full attention allocated to the English learners’ anxiety, teachers’ anxiety seems to have remained untouched. The current study attempted to explore the pre-service and in-service English teachers’ language teaching anxiety to see whether these two groups differed in terms of this trait. The study further aimed to investigate the possible relationship between pre-service and in-service English teachers’ interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences and their language teaching anxiety. To this end, a convenient sample of 120 pre-service and 120 in-service English teachers were asked to complete Capel’s Teaching Anxiety Scale and answer the relevant items from McKenzie’s Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire. The results of descriptive statistical analysis indicated the participants’ seemingly high level of teaching anxiety. The analysis further demonstrated the significant negative correlation between the participants’ interpersonal intelligence and their language teaching anxiety while no significant link was found between their intrapersonal intelligence and anxiety level. Moreover, the results of the independent samples t-test revealed a significant difference between pre-service and in-service English teachers in terms of their language teaching anxiety. The findings pointed to the necessity of informed educational actions to lower pre-service teachers’ teaching anxiety and breed a more strategic generation of English teachers who are empowered to rise to the challenges in their teaching profession in order to achieve more desired outcomes.

Chronic pain affects the type of thinking, function and feeling of the individual and causes various limitations in the person's life.  This study aimed at developing a structural model of pain perception based on early maladaptive schemata mediated by emotion regulation in people with chronic pain.

The research method was descriptive correlation and the statistical population included all patients who referred to pain clinics in Tehran in 2020 from which 300 people (175 females and 125 males) were selected by convenience sampling method. They responded to the Granfsky and Craig (2006) Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaires, Young's Early maladaptive Schema (1991), and the Visual Pain Scale. The research data were analyzed by structural equation modelling and hierarchical regression analysis. Findings showed that 1) Direct path coefficient between maladaptive schema and negative (β =0.559) and positive (β =-0.333) emotion regulation strategies was significant (P<.01). 2) The direct path coefficient between the maladaptive schema and pain perception was significant (P<.01). 3) The direct path coefficient between negative emotion regulation strategies and pain perception (β =0.107) was not significant (P>0.5), but the direct path coefficient between positive strategies for negative emotion regulation and pain perception (β =-0.115) was significant (P<.05). It was also found that the moderating role of gender in the relationship between negative and positive emotion regulation strategies with pain perception was not significant (P>.05. 4) The indirect path coefficient between maladaptive schemata and pain perception in patients with chronic pain was significant (β =.098,P<.01).  

People's tendency to use positive or negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies can be a determining factor in the relationship between maladaptive schemata and chronic pain perception.

Self-regulation strategies regarding writing can be referred to as learners’ initiative and self-directed behavior to achieve several goals to foster their writing skills. Based on the three main aspects of scaffolding; contingency, fading, and the transfer of responsibility, this study aimed at delving into the effect of the model of contingent teaching on improving Iranian language learners’ writing self-regulation strategies and its components.  The participants of the study aged between 20-30 included 60 intermediate language learners from a language institute in Tabriz, Iran. The participants were selected based on convenience sampling in the form of four intact classes. Then, they were randomly assigned to two groups: the control and the experimental group. The experimental group was exposed to treatment for 18 sessions. The Questionnaire of English Writing Self-Regulated Learning Strategies (QEWSRLS) was applied to both groups before and after the treatment. The questionnaire was designed as a multifaceted model, consisting of cognition, metacognition, social behavior, and motivational factors. The results of MANCOVA analysis revealed that teaching writing by the model of contingent teaching was influential in improving EFL learners writing self-regulation strategies (F=7.36, p<0.05, Wilks’ Lambda=0.38, Eta Square=0.61). Also, the main effect was exerted on text processing (F=26.4, P<0.05, Eta Square=0.35). The study offers some practical implications for teacher trainers, teachers, and EFL learners which are discussed.

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of life skills book training in improving the social skills, problem solving, and self-esteem of female students in Mazandaran province. The research method was experimental and the statistical population included all female students of the first year of secondary school in Mazandaran province. The sampling method was in random cluster sampling. Participants were 144 people that selected from six cities who were eligible and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group was trained once a week for three months during 12 two-hour sessions. Inderbitzen and Foster's social skill (1992), Eysenck 's self-esteem (1979) and Heppner's (1987) problem solving questionnaires were used to collect the data. The results indicated that the self-esteem of the experimental group after training the life skills book in the female students of Babol, Amol and Sari, and the problem-solving skill of the female students of Sari and Babol were significantly different from the control group (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the control and experimental groups in self-esteem of the female students in Neka, Chalous and Tonekabon, and problem-solving skills of the female students in Neka, Babol, Chalous and Tonekabon, and social skills of the female students in all the studied cities (p>0.05). Based on these findings, it was concluded that the effectiveness of life skills book training was different from improving the social skills, problem solving, and self-esteem in the female students of Mazandaran province.

This study examined the relationship between future orientation and well-being mediated by school connectedness. Data were collected from 380 high school adolescents in Shiraz (Iran) in 2021. Participants completed the Future-Orientation Questionnaire, the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale, and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) to assess their future orientation, school connectedness, and well-being, respectively. Results revealed that students’ future orientation (toward academic or career futures) was positively related with school connectedness (b = .78). Future orientation was also significantly associated with their feeling of well-being (b = .61). School connectedness was significantly associated with the feeling of well-being as well (b = .62). According to the results, future orientation had an indirect significant effect (b = .48) on the well-being; based on this, school connectedness played a significant mediating role in the relation between future orientation and well-being. The results recommend that school connectedness may be a mechanism by which adolescents’ orientation toward academic or career futures may have an effect on their feeling well-being.

The present study aimed to investigate the role of the feelings of security in possessing citizenship in predicting academic competence and quality of life in derelict and unsupervised adolescents. The current research is practical in terms of its purpose and correlation type in terms of method. The statistical population of this research included all derelict and unsupervised adolescents of Khorramabad (Iran) in 2022. The participants were 120 people (age range 15 - 18 years) from adolescents residing in boarding centers were selected using accessible sampling method. In order to collect data, Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (DiPerna & Elliott, 1999), Feelings of security in possessing citizenship Scale (Samara & Barzegar, 2015) and Quality of Life Scale (Skevington et al., 2004) were used. The hypotheses were examined by multiple regression. The results revealed that the association between feelings of security in possessing citizenship and academic competence and quality of life is significant (P < 0.01). Also, the regression results indicated that feelings of security in possessing citizenship accounted for 8.2% of the variance in the prediction of academic competence and quality of life (P<0.001). In general, based on the findings of the research, the feelings of security in possessing citizenship in derelict and unsupervised adolescents has a significant effect on their academic competence and quality of life. Based on this, it is possible to enhance the educational and social processes of derelict and unsupervised adolescents by improving awareness of feelings of security in possessing citizenship in them.

The present study aimed to compare defense mechanisms, impaired emotion regulation and intolerance of uncertainty in students with and without social anxiety. The research method was causal-comparative and statistical population included all students of the Islamic Azad University of Bandar Abbas (Iran). Participants were 120 people (60 students with symptoms of social anxiety disorder and 60 normal students) were selected by simple random sampling. The research instruments included: Social Anxiety Disorder, Defense Styles, Scale of Difficulty in Emotion Regulation, and Intolerance of Uncertainty. Data were analyzed Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The results indicated that there was a significant difference between two groups in the dimensions of defense mechanisms (developed defense style, immature defense style, and neurotic defense style) (F=6.86, p ≤ 0.05). Also, according to results there was a significant difference between two groups in emotion regulation disorders and their components (rejection of emotional responses, difficulty in performing purposeful behavior, difficulty in controlling impulse, lack of emotional awareness, limited access to emotional regulation strategies, and lack of emotional clarity). In contrast to the average dimension (difficulty in controlling impulse) in normal students is more than students with social anxiety (F=15.86, P ≤ 0.05). According to our results students with symptoms of social anxiety have more stress of uncertainty, negativity of unexpected events, avoidance, and uncertainty about the future compare to normal students.

The current research was conducted with the aim of identifying and presenting a control model of social harms of teenagers in the use of virtual social networks. The research method was of a mixed method type, which was operationalized and implemented in two qualitative and quantitative parts. The research method in the descriptive quantitative phase was a survey type and the statistical population included all specialists in the field of communication and modern communication media who were selected to participate in the research. The data collection tool in the quantitative part was a researcher-made questionnaire taken from the qualitative phase. The data were analyzed in the quantitative phase using the software package for social sciences and Smart PLS. The findings of the research showed that the convergent and discriminant validity indicators indicate the desirability of the validity of the variables and the values ​​of Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability indicated the accuracy of measuring the dimensions of all the variables. The estimated values ​​(factor loading, critical values ​​and significance level) indicated that the factor loadings related to the dimensions and items of all variables are in a favorable condition. In fact, the correlation of the variables with the dimensions and items related to these dimensions was high, so the convergent validity related to the dimensions of the variables at the level of the items is established. According to the results, the research model included the dimensions of mental and emotional injuries, weakening of social values, violation of sexual norms, moral injuries and changing behavioral patterns. The findings provide useful implications in the control and prevention of cyberspace harms.

The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral stress management training on marital commitment and communication beliefs in mothers with low marital satisfaction. This research was a quasi-experimental type and was implemented in the form of a pre-test-post-test-follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of mothers with low marital satisfaction in the 5th district of Tehran in 2022. Participants were 30 people, whom selected using the convenience sampling method, following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Before the intervention, both groups participated in the pre-test phase, and then the experimental group underwent cognitive behavioral stress management training in ten 60-minute sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention. Then both groups participated in the post-test phase and after 3 months the follow-up phase was done. To measure marital commitment, the standard marital commitment questionnaire of Adams and Jones (1997) was used, and for communication beliefs, the Eidelson and Epstein (1982) questionnaire was used. The data was analyzed using the mixed ANOVA by SPSS-24. The results indicated that stress management cognitive behavioral training had a significant effect on marital commitment (F=43.13, P<0.001) and communication beliefs (F=41.74, P<0.001). Overall, it can be concluded that marital commitment and communication beliefs of mothers with low marital satisfaction can be increased with cognitive behavioral stress management interventions.

Corona disease anxiety is one of the factors that threaten the mental health of working women, and it is very important to identify the psychological factors affecting it. This study aimed to investigate the structural relationship between Corona anxiety and cognitive flexibility and evaluate the mediating role of emotion regulation and early maladaptive schemas. The current research is a descriptive correlational study. Statistical population of this study was all the occupied women of Kermanshah city (Iran) in 2022, from which 364 people were selected by cluster random sampling method. The research tools include the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) (Alipour et al., 2018), the short form of the Young Schema Questionnaire (1998) (YSQ-SF), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) (Garnefsky and Kraaij, 2006) and Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010). The research data was analyzed using SPSS-25 software. Based on this, the path analysis method was used to analyze the research hypotheses. The evaluation of the proposed model had an acceptable fit. Path analysis identified the relationship between cognitive flexibility and corona anxiety, in addition, the findings indicated that cognitive flexibility is indirectly related to corona anxiety and predicts corona anxiety through the mediation of emotion regulation and early maladaptive schemas. In general, the findings showed that the implementation of interventions related to improving the psychological flexibility of working women by holding training classes and job webinars in the post-Corona era, in order to control and reduce anxiety, prepare and protect this group in possible relapses of infectious diseases is suitable.

The purpose of this research is to provide a model of excellence in the quality of educational-cultural services for families covered by the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. The present study is applied research in terms of purpose and qualitative research in terms of method. The strategy used was grounded theory and classification of information collected from experts. The intended statistical population consisted of experts familiar with the research topic (politicians and cultural educational managers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee). Sampling method was purposive and interview method was used to collect information. After interviewing 12 interviewees, theoretical saturation was achieved. Three types of open, axial, and selective coding were used in MAXQDA software for data analysis. The results revealed that the model of excellence in the quality of educational-cultural services for families covered by the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee has the main categories include executive policies, executive solutions, management departments, supervisory and control activities, educational and cultural quality improvement, employees related factors, equipment and educational environment and educational and cultural processes. At the end of the article, the findings were discussed and practical implications based on it were presented.

The present study examines the structural relationship of school well-being based on emotional regulation, test anxiety, and academic self-efficacy, considering students’ academic emotions as a mediating variable. The study was conducted as a descriptive-analytical work with a correlative nature. The sample group consisted of 384 male 9th-grade students in Islam Abad Gharb (Kermanshah Province, Iran). The participants were selected through multiple cluster sampling. The required data were gathered using the following five questionnaires: Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross and John, 2003), Test Examination Questionnaire (Friedman, Bendas-Jacob’s, 1997), Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Jinks & Morgan, 1999), Academic Emotions Questionnaire (Pekran, 2006), and School Well-Being Questionnaire (Konu et al., 2002). The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Overall, the results indicated that emotion regulation (r = 0.40), test anxiety (r = -0.36), and academic self-efficacy (r = 0.31) had a significant and direct effect on school well-being. In addition, the mediating role of academic emotions in the relationship of school well-being with emotional regulation, test anxiety, and academic self-efficacy was confirmed (P < 0.05). As can be inferred from these data, teachers, school principals, and educational officials can prepare the grounds for enhancing emotional regulation, academic self-efficacy, and test anxiety reduction. As a result, these factors can improve the students’ well-being.

Teacher evaluation is the regular process of rating and evaluating the teaching effectiveness of educators. Teacher performance evaluations aim to help promote a better learning experience for students and foster professional growth for educators. The purpose of the current research was to determine the dimensions and components of the teacher performance evaluation model in Qom province. This research is applied in terms of purpose, which was conducted using exploratory-qualitative method and Grounded Theory (GT). The studied population includes specialists, experts, evaluators and primary teachers of Qom province in 2021. Participants were 21 people who were selected by purposeful sampling using the snowball technique. A semi-structured interview method was used to collect data. Data analysis was done using content analysis of interviews and open, axial and selective coding. The results of the research revealed that the teachers' performance evaluation model has six components, including: classroom management, innovation and creativity, ability development, communication, commitment and information technology. The findings were discussed according to the discovered components and practical implications were presented for planning and implementing policies to improve teachers' performance.

The aim of the current research was to test the structural model of the relationships of knowledge management components in universities (Qom province universities) using structural equation modeling. The present study is an applied and correlation research. Participants were 247 faculty members of universities in Qom province selected via random sampling. The results of the model test showed that the effect of knowledge-oriented organizational culture, strategic planning of knowledge management, infrastructure of information and communication technology and knowledge manpower on knowledge management processes is positive and significant. The effect of knowledge management processes on knowledge-based human resource management, knowledge identification and goal setting, and knowledge team building is positive and significant. The effect of weakness in knowledge management rules and lack of motivation of employees and professors on knowledge-based human resource management, knowledge identification and goal setting, and knowledge team building is negative and significant. The effect of organizational structure and individual characteristics of employees and professors on knowledge-based human resource management, knowledge identification and goal setting, and knowledge team building is positive and significant. Finally, the impact of knowledge-based human resource management, knowledge-based identification and goal-setting and knowledge-based team building on knowledge-based universities, improving university performance, and improving individual performance is positive and significant. Findings can be used to improve knowledge management in universities.

The purpose of this study was to develop a model for identifying talents in elementary schools in Tehran using a qualitative approach. The sample consisted of 22 experts in the field, chosen through purposive sampling. Data was collected through interviews, and triangulation was used to validate the results. Reliability was established using a Kappa test of 0.651. Analysis of the data involved open, axial, and selective coding. The study resulted in the identification of 126 indicators, 21 components, and 5 dimensions. These dimensions are: students' talent (observing intellectual and behavioral habits, preparing checklists, organizing friendly competitions, conducting aptitude tests), multiple intelligences (logical and mathematical intelligence, physical and motor intelligence, verbal intelligence, naturalistic intelligence, musical intelligence, individual/social intelligence, visual/spatial intelligence), individual differences and learning (learning abilities, students' interests and hobbies, personality traits), quality of executive processes (employing professional teachers, improving the curriculum, supplementary and extracurricular education, guidance and counseling), and effective interaction between home and school (holding meetings with families, building trust, empowering parents). The findings could be useful for school counselors and psychologists in guiding students academically in the future.