دوفصلنامه پژوهش های آموزش و یادگیری
سال یازدهم شماره 1 (بهار و تابستان 1393)

Secondary education students could effectively do their multi-tasks, improve condition of themselves and their society, and confront with life’s difficult situations and society’s changes and complications as the society’s active members just when they are provided by well-prepared life skills comprehensive curriculum. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is identification of damages existing in components of life skills curriculum according to Frances Klein scientific model from viewpoint of education specialists, teachers, and students of state high schools in Tehran and provision of solutions for its improvement. This is descriptive survey and statistical population includes education specialists, teachers, and students of state high schools in Tehran. Also the sample contains 19 education specialists, 64 teachers, and 378 students and data measurement tool is structured questionnaire. Descriptive data analysis methods were frequency, percentage etc. and deductive ones were single sample t-test, Kruskal Wallis one-way analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney U test. Findings indicated that damages existing in components of life skills curriculum were goals, content, and training time from education specialists; learning activities, evaluation, and time from teachers’ view; and finally educational material, learning activities, evaluation, categorization, as well as time and space of the education.

The purpose of this study is survey on the relation of self-effectiveness resources and self-effectiveness beliefs level with mathematical performance of male and female students in 3rd academic year of middle school and 3rd academic year of high school (human science field of study). For this purpose, 300 students in 3rd academic year of middle school (180 males and 120 females) and 277 students in 3rd academic year of high school (158 males and 119 females) were randomly selected as the sample from the schools in Sardasht. They answered the questionnaires on mathematical self-effectiveness beliefs and self-effectiveness resources. Performance of students in mathematics was obtained through final examination. Findings indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between self-effectiveness resources and self-effectiveness beliefs in both levels. Also, there is a significant positive relationship between self-effectiveness resources and mathematical performance in both levels and both genders. In middle school no difference was observed between performances of both genders while in high school level females had better performance compared to males. Significant difference between self-effectiveness beliefs of both genders was not sensed in any academic courses.

This paper has employed a novel approach for determining effectiveness of electronic learning systems. This new approach employed importance and satisfaction structures for measurement of electronic learning systems’ effectiveness from viewpoint of their users. Hadith Science Virtual College in Rey was surveyed as case study. Two matrix analysis tools of “importance-satisfaction matrix” and “Lewis benchmarking” were used for data analysis. These tools were used for the first time by Lewis for measuring effectiveness of electronic learning systems. This is descriptive survey and statistical population contains all of the students in bachelor and master level in virtual fields of study in 2009-2010 academic year including 1926 students, 325 of them were selected as the sample by available sampling. Lewis’ questionnaire for importance-satisfaction measurement of electronic learning systems’ properties was data gathering tool. Content, structure, and form validity methods of for determination of tools’ validity while Cronbach’s alpha was applied for determining reliability. Reliability rates for importance and satisfaction structures were respectively 0.95 and 0.94. Findings showed that there is no significant relationship between importance and satisfaction structures and they are different and separate structures. In addition, results of “matrix analysis tools of importance-satisfaction matrix” showed effectiveness of the considered electronic learning systems (Hadith Science College) was relatively average for each one of four dimensions (technology and support, course content, teacher, and learner), and partly average for the whole system. Data analysis through Lewis benchmarking indicated that effectiveness of the considered electronic learning systems was relatively average for each one of four dimensions (technology and support, course content, teacher, and learner), and average and partly desirable for the whole system.

Educational media have significant importance in education due to different authorities and capabilities provides for professors and students. The purpose of this study was to compare educational media used by professors of medical science, technical engineering, and human science colleges in teaching-learning process from students’ viewpoint. This was descriptive survey research. For this, 224 students were selected by stratified random sampling. The applied tool was structured questionnaire “media use rate”. Statistical tests used for data analysis were mean, standard deviation, Hotelling t-test, pair t-test, Scheffe’s test and variance analysis test. Findings indicated that there is significant difference between different types of media used by professors from students’ viewpoint as the highest average was for visual media (2.96) while the lowest average was dedicated to movement/motion media (1.77). Comparison of different type of media used by professors categorized by college showed that there is significant difference between audio, movement/motion, read/write, and visual media. Also, results represented gender differences in relation to visual media and mutual influence between gender and college was significant only for movement/motion media.

The present survey was conducted aimed to investigate effectiveness of two approaches of private teaching and educational consultation on academic success, classroom behavior, and self-esteem of students with educational decline threats. The strategy of survey was quantitative and test approach was used through three-group pretest-posttest with one control group. Statistical population included male students in junior year of high school in Sanandaj. 88 students were selected by multi-stage random sampling (in 4 groups, each one containing 22 students). Dependent variables were measured through Coopersmith self-esteem inventory, classroom behavior checklist, and math course final score. After group interfering in 3 test groups, dependent variable rate in all 4 groups was re-measured. Multi-variable covariance analysis was employed in order to study influences of pretest and interference method. Findings showed that there was a significant difference between subjects of experimental and control groups to dependent variables. Effectiveness of private teaching, educational consultation and combined method on academic success, classroom behavior, and self-esteem of students was approved. Effectiveness of combination of private teaching and educational consultation was more than their separate use. The findings confirm that when teachers in cooperation with schools consulters and by parents’ assist provide some services for students with educational decline threats, it causes satisfaction in academic success, classroom behavior, and self-esteem.

The purpose of this research was survey of relation between hidden curriculum components and dimensions of students’ tendency to critical thinking. Methodology of the research was descriptive correlation. The sample included 381 students of Shahed University and two indicators of measurement of university hidden curriculum dimensions and standard index of tendency to California students’ critical thinking (2001) were used. Validity of indicators of measurement of university hidden curriculum dimensions was approved by some of relevant experts while its reliability in two positive and negative aspects by Cronbach’s alpha was respectively 0.88 and 0.86. Index of California students’ tendency to critical thinking had appropriate validity and according to Cronbach’s alpha its reliability was 0.90. Findings showed that: 1- there is significant correlation between hidden curriculum components and seven dimensions of Shahed University students’ tendency to critical thinking (some of positive and negative aspects of hidden curriculum components had significant positive and negative correlation with some special dimensions or whole tendency to critical thinking). 2- The correlation between all positive components of hidden curriculum and tendency to thinking broadly was direct and significant. 3- The correlation between all negative components of hidden curriculum and dimensions of analysis, curiosity, maturity in judgment, truth seeking, thinking broadly, as well as whole dimensions of tendency to critical thinking was reverse and significant. 4- Regression models in form of four-variable equation for analysis of relative share of hidden curriculum components for prediction of tendency to critical thinking (whole) indicated that components of “negative aspect of content of major’s courses” (b= -0.174), “negative aspect of evaluation of academic success” (b= -0.149), “positive aspect of content of major’s courses” (b= -0.142), and “positive aspect of professors’ methodology” (b= 0.100) totally have provided 30.2% of total variance for students’ tendency to critical thinking including significant negative (reverse) or positive (direct) relations (sig= 0.000; F= 20.21).

The purpose of this research is survey on rate of fulfillment for life skills (skills which are taught in elementary school by books) goals among 4th and 5th academic year students in cities of Tehran Province. Statistical population is 4th and 5th academic year students (191143 students) and their teachers (5526 teachers). Research sample include 1000 male and female students and 200 man and woman teachers which is calculated through stratified estimation of sample volume and Neyman’s assignment sampling. Valid and reliable structured questionnaire was used for data gathering. SPSS software, Chi-squared test, t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient were applied for data analysis. Results indicated that life skills goals related to creative thought, decision making, social communications, self-awareness, empathy, interpersonal relationship, problem solving, as well as dealing with anxiety and stress have been fulfilled in 4th and 5th academic year students in cities of Tehran Province. There was not significant relation between 4th and 5th academic year students for fundamental life skills and it could be noted that there is no change in life skill by change from fourth academic year to the fifth. Also, there was significant relation between genders in relation to fundamental life skills as females had more life skills compared to males. In this subject, there was not significant relation between geographical locations. In other words, type of geographical location does not influence quality of students’ life skills. There was not meaningful relation between teachers’ ideas focused on type of educational degree in relation to students’ fundamental life skills. In other words, associate degree represented more difference rather than other two levels but it was not significant. Totally, it could be concluded that elementary school goals have fulfilled fundamental life skills in students.

Current growth of philosophical and educational theories and computer technology has provided new forms of education in the world. Modern world has features such as communication, non-congruence, and flexibility. Therefore, web and other multimedia technologies are just information and application resources unless could provide learning field and content. The purpose of this study is reconstruction of education designing with new epistemology approach and development of constructive learning theory for web-based learning designing. This paper analyzes constructivism approach in order to open new horizons for web-based learning. What refers does have constructivism epistemology for web-based learning? Article process includes: 1- Study of constructivism epistemology and review of literature and principles of social and cognitive constructivism learning theories. 2- Construction of conceptual framework for constructive education. 3- Development and construction of web-based distance learning (WBDL) as knowledge production tool and applying these models in educational designing. Among designing paradigm change, premium idea of educational designing necessitates consideration to these two aspects: 1- Epistemology for educational designing: our first duty is conceptualization and embodiment of useful principles for establishment of epistemology of designing knowledge and its learning process. Subjects such as knowledge and awareness are in the field of epistemology which is related to main assumptions of knowledge achieving in the world in which we live: what is knowledge? How could designing be perceived and recognized? Since each special epistemology provides different perception of designing knowledge, referring to epistemology principles and achieving appropriate view for construction of designing knowledge and its learning method for teachers and designers seems to be important. 2- Integration of computer technology: the other aspect that paper focus on it, is confirmation of comprehensive approach of computer technology integration in relation to designation of problem solving opportunity and its content learning. The problem teachers and designers are faced with is that there is not yet relation between methods of computer technology application as a learning subject and methods of computer teaching as its tool.