نشریه راهبردهای آموزش در علوم پزشکی
سال پنجم شماره 2 (پیاپی 16، تابستان 1391)

The analysis of sexual health education in higher education textbooks can pave the way for its development in other fields. This study was carried out with the aim of investigating the content of higher education textbooks in terms of addressing the dimensions of sexual health. The two textbooks of undergraduate course entitled “Family planning” and “Life customs” were studied through content analysis method. Investigation was done through a content analysis checklist containing four main bio-psychological, religious-moral, educational-cultural and social-legal components and 39 subcomponents, which its reliability and validity was approved by experts. Chi-square test was applied for investigating the difference between the expected and observed figures. The components of knowledge about contraceptive methods, choosing partner, marriage and its criteria, the methods of stabilization and supporting the relationship in family, population control had the highest frequency in the book “Family planning” and sexual instincts, the methods of stabilization and supporting the relationship in family and healthy interpersonal relationship were more frequent in the book of “Life customs”. The educational-cultural content was discussed less than the expected level and the social-legal content was discussed more than the expected level in both of the studied books. The most emphasis is on social-legal aspect of sexual health education in the “Family planning” book and the most emphasis is on religious-moral aspect in the book of “Life customs”. Generally speaking, the educational-cultural content has been discussed less than expected and social-legal content has been discussed more than the expected level in both of the studied books.

Universities and scientific environments are involved in many challenges and changes; therefore, mental, spiritual and social support of the students and university academic members and having mutual interaction seems essential. This study aimed to assess the attitude of Babol Dental School professors toward educational counseling and counselors’ duties. This cross-sectional study was conducted among Babol Dental School academic staff in 2011. The study population consisted of 14 counselor professors of the Dental School of Babol Medical University who were selected by census sampling method. A validated researcher-made questionnaire was applied for data collection, which had three sections including the demographic characteristics, 16 attitude style questions related to counseling and 14 knowledge and attitude questions toward the features of appropriate counseling process. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software using descriptive statistical methods and Correlation tests, one-way variance analysis and regression. Almost half of the respondents (42.7%) were not aware of university counselors’ duties and (42.8%) of educational rules. Overall, university professors didn’t have a positive attitude toward the performance of counselors (35.7% poor, 42.9% moderate and 21.4% good). However, 85.7% were aware of the characteristics of the perfect situation and believed in it. There seems to be a positive attitude toward the duties of counselor professors in the studied university, but university professors don’t have a positive attitude toward their present performance in spite of knowing their duties.

Considering the importance of goal orientation and its effect on individuals’ performance, especially in educational situations and also considering the role of these orientations in the learning-teaching process, this study was carried out with the aim of determining the relation between the four-dimensional pattern of goal achievement and academic achievement and determining its predictive role in this field. This correlation study was performed in academic year of 2011-2012 in Dezful, Iran, on 609 students who were selected by random multistage sampling method. Data were collected using the Goal Achievement Questionnaire of Elliot & McGregor. The mean scores of the students were used as an index for academic achievement. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis using SPSS 18 software. There was significant relationship between mastery-approach, performance-approach, performance-avoidance and academic achievement (p<0.01). Regression coefficients also showed that mastery-approach and performance-approach orientation were positive predictors and performance-avoidance was a negative predictor for academic achievement. Findings of the study emphasize the importance of investigating different achievement goals and their influence on academic variables. In addition, implications for educational practice have been discussed.

Descriptive evaluation is an evaluating system in which competition and sensitivity to the obtained score is replaced with cooperation and also evaluating tools are applied. Creation of more compatible models is expected in this method in comparison with traditional evaluation method. The main purpose of this research was comparing the descriptive and traditional evaluation systems in respect to the fifth-grade students’ patterns of adaptive learning. This applied, non-experimental study with causal-comparative design was carried out in 2010 on 477 fifth grade students of Yazd elementary schools that were under traditional and descriptive evaluation systems. The study samples were chosen by cluster sampling method and were divided into two groups of students under descriptive evaluation project (251 students) and those under traditional evaluation system (226 students). Subjects answered the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scale Midgley. Data were analyzed by multivariate and two way analysis of variance using SPSS 16 statistical software. There was significant difference between the subjects of descriptive evaluation project and traditional evaluation system in performance-avoidance goal orientation and self-presentation of low achievement (p=0.0.2). Students of traditional evaluation system had superiority over the descriptive project students in none of the studied fields. The students of descriptive evaluation system have no superiority over the traditional evaluation project students considering most of the sub-scales of learning models. This issue probably indicates that the descriptive evaluation project has not been completely successful.

Since academic achievement is influenced by variables such as motivational orientations and learning strategies, the study of these variables is of great importance. The aim of this research was studying the relationship between motivational orientations, learning strategies and determining the role of each variable in predicting academic achievement. This descriptive correlation study was carried out in 2010-11 in Tehran, Iran. 600 third-grade guidance school female students in Tehran, Iran were selected by multistage cluster sampling. The data collection tools were the Academic Motivation Scale Vallerand and the Learning Strategies Questionnaire Winestein & Mayer. Academic achievement was measured using the average score. Data were analyzed by Pearson coefficient correlation and multiple regressions. Based on multiple regression results, the strongest predictor for achievement was motivational orientation. Among the components of the Motivational Orientation Scale, “amotivation” was the strongest predictor of academic failure. Learning strategies stood in the second position among which “elaboration strategy” had the highest role in predicting academic achievement. There is a positive relationship between academic achievement and learning strategies and also motivational orientations. There is also a negative relationship between amotivation and academic failure. Motivational orientations especially intrinsic motivation must be focused. In addition, instruction should be directed toward the learners’ interests and learning strategies.

Holding the courses of in-service training is essential for nurses since they compose they highest proportion of hospital personnel and are responsible for the most hours of patient care; therefore, assessing the effectiveness of such courses depends on the presence of appropriate assessment tools. The aim of this study was validating the questionnaire of nurses’ motivation for attending in-service training courses. This descriptive study was carried out in 2008 on 276 nurses of three selected military hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The study cases were selected by random sampling method. The data collection tool was the questionnaire of nurses’ motivation for attending in-service training courses that contained 34 questions and was applied after confirming its psychometric properties such as reliability and validity. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistical methods using SPSS 18 software. Five of the 34 statements of the initial questionnaire were excluded after passing the face and content validity process and some phrases were also modified. The exploratory factor analysis was carried out on the remaining 29 questions. The KMO test came out to be 75% and Bartlett's test of sphericity was statistically significant (p<0.001, df=406, X2 =1694.442). The studied assessment tool has proper validity and reliability with 29 statements in five-choice Likert scale. This questionnaire is an appropriate tool for assessing the four important dimensions of in-service training.

In Islam, the place of people is so high that in no other belief can be seen and with its original values, it has guidelines and procedures in accordance with all conditions of human life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of Islamic self-evaluation in students of Isfahan University.

This descriptive study was conducted in different field students of Isfahan University in 2010-11 academic years. 300 students were selected by purposeful sampling method. The measurement tool was a researcher-made Islamic self-evaluation questionnaire included 20 closed-answer items in Likert’s 5 part spectrum consisted of stipulation, calculating, meditation and expostulation components. Data analysis was done by statistical software SPSS 11 and using the correlation coefficient, one sample T and MANOVA tests.

The mean of all self-evaluation components were above average (p=0.0001; df=299). A significant positive relationship was between each self-evaluation components. None of the demographic characteristics were significantly associated with self-evaluation. The mean of Islamic self-evaluation in women was more than men, in undergraduate students was more than postgraduate students and in theology and psychology were more than other fields. There was a significant difference in opinion regarding field and level of education, but there wasn’t any significant difference in terms of gender, father's education and father's occupation.

Students of Isfahan University are in a nearly good position according to 4 steps of Islamic self-evaluation. Field and level of education of students are effective on Islamic self-evaluation level, but gender does not affect it.

Much of which the educational systems teach are planned and explicit, but there are others, are not explicit, but unplanned and hidden. The evidence of this duality could be found in a hidden curriculum, which is called educational black box. This study’s goals were to declare the nature of hidden curriculum aspects in social educational dimensions which result from educational setting structure, social context of educational system and interaction between teacher and learner, and to reveal the inhibitive aspects of hidden curriculum. As the hidden curriculum forms the dominant and pervasive aspects of educational systems, so what they teach, could be the most effective issues that a student learns in his/her educational period. So, the identification of deterrent aspects of hidden curriculum in social education of students can help to fulfill the planned and explicit aims of social education in educational systems.

Classroom should be an opportunity of repeating the action for learner, because learners pursue his/her unknowing and undoubtedly, in this way will face with successes and failures but the most important issue is that learners understand the value of knowing what he/she doesn’t know. In this case, students compensate their failures and learn how to evaluate and improve their performance. The goal of this study was to analyze the role of self-evaluation in the process of education and learning. Increasing the learners’ participation through their interference in actions is the transcendence of education and challenging the present situation and make changes due to innovation and creating learning opportunities is the transcendence of evaluation. Using self-evaluation in a continuous and dynamic way and preparing the grounds for learners to achieve it, could be an effective step towards achieving the goals of education and training and the establishment of this method in schools needs public will for development of this concept in all of education processes. It is necessary to provide a schedule for self-evaluation in order to harmonize different fields of education and so to unify the acts and establishing the self-evaluation system.

Nowadays, computer technologies are an important part of daily life for many teens and youths, and their popularity increases every day. From the most popular and most exiting computer technologies are computer games. Computer games have several advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages of the games are epileptic attack, physical injuries, cardiovascular problems and high blood pressure, and the advantages of these games are increasing the accuracy of visual, spatial visualization and visual-motor skill. According to research conducted, computer technologies improve psychomotor skills in surgery, particularly in laparoscopic surgery. Computer instruction technologies are practical teaching tools to enhance the psychomotor skills in surgery. Young surgeons, who deal with computer technologies, have a better performance in the surgery, especially in laparoscopic surgery than their colleagues. So, consideration of computer games in surgical training can help to improve surgeons’ psychomotor skills, and also can help the interaction between surgeons and screen interface in surgery.