CURRICULUM PLANNING KNOWLEDGE & RESEARCH IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
Year:2015 | Volume:12 | Issue:19 (46)|Papers Count:19

Philosophy is known as one of the effective programs in training thinking in children. in order to produce the intended results; this program should firstly be adjusted with the national curriculum. Once being localized, the contents are to be designed. The aim of the presel1l research was presenting the philosophical fundamentals (epistemology) of philosophy for children in Iran. The method being used was of qualitative content analysis, while applying deductive category application and adaptive combination method. The data were collected through utilizing library research and then were analyzed using the comparative analysis of categorization system. The results obtained indicated that there were some similarities and differences between epistemology fundamentals of philosophy for children in the West and the national curriculum in Iran. The fundamentals of epistemology of philosophy in [ran which were extracted using the adaptive combination indicated the two states of epistemology namely as "real" and "presumed"; human's capability to discover and create awareness. While being dynamic, awareness is stable, too. Different means for reaching to awareness are as: senses, imagination, contemplation, intellect, intuition, and discovery; the limits on understanding the human being and attending to minimal realism. Awareness is a comprehensive outlook to the human's essentials in order to improve his material and spiritual conditions. It is also a research method used for examining philosophical issues. Inspiration, nature, and intellect are the different resources of awareness.

This study examined the effectiveness of deductive and exploring teaching methods on the creativity of primary students in empirical Sciences. The statistical population included all the primary students (fifth grade) in Karaj. Amongst whom, 60 students in two separate classes were selected as the first and the second experimental groups. The applied method was of semi-experimental, pre and post tests and the first and the second experimental group type. Torrance A-Tests of Creative Thinking was used as the measurement tool. After one and a half month of training, the collected data were analyzed by means of covariance analysis. The findings showed that exploring method is much more effective than inductive method to foster creativity, in general, and to develop originality and elaboration skills, in particular. However, both methods are effective to expand the components of fluidity and flexibility.

Because of the importance of learning, People have always been trying to find the factors affecting learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of teaching the strategies of learning and reading on the level of learning and retention of Physics course among the first grade students in high school. 44 students, by applying a quasi-experimental design and cluster random sampling were divided into the experimental and the control groups. The statistical population included all the girl students in first grade of high school in Gomishan city. Initially both groups answered the questions of a teacher-made achievement test (pre-test). there was no significant difference between two groups. Then, the experimental group received 10 educational sessions about the learning and reading strategies. At the end of the teaching period, a post- test was performed for two groups. After three weeks, both groups answered the retention test questions. Data, then, were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOYA) and t-test was analyzed, too. The results indicated that teaching learning and reading strategies can enhance the learning and retention of physics in the experimental group.

Focusing on the USA, the UK, Germany, and Japan, this study aimed to identify the characteristics of technical and vocational educational system in such countries to improve the vocational and technical educational system in Iran. This study was a comparative survey. Data were collected using documentary method and libraries research as well as surfing the related websites as UNESCO and Ministries of Education of the studied countries. The used pattern was George Brady. Based on the findings, improving the quality of educational system, building confidence, promoting the employment efficiency, entrepreneurship, and adopting with the international markets were the determined purpose of such countries in this very field. Developing a national qualifications framework, using an eclectic approach for teacher training, allocating more hours devoted for the internship. communicating teachers with companies, continuing corporation under the supervision of an expert, having evaluation by using a variety of different types (lasting, formative, continuous), considering the emotional factors, professional ethics, and grouping evaluation were highly noticed in these countries. Taking the successful models of developed countries into consideration and applying them in our vocational and technical educational system in our country would provide more occupational chances for graduate students.

The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of problem solving training on reduction of math anxiety among the students with field-dependent cognitive style in Hamadan city. The used method was of quasi experimental type. In this research pre-test and post-test with control group were used. 148 male students, in control group, completed the math anxiety test. Then the students with math anxiety completed the group embedded figures test so as to be identifies as those with field-dependent cognitive style. Then, 40 students with field-dependent cognitive style were randomly divided into the experimental and the control groups. The experimental group received training in problem-solving method and the control group did not have any intervention. The results indicated that the problem solving training reduced the math anxiety among the male students with field-dependent cognitive style. Thus, using problem-solving techniques and skills can reduce math anxiety of male students with Fi.

Focusing on the math curriculum goals and content of the first-grade math textbooks in Iran, Japan and the USA, this research aimed to study about the process of teaching addition and subtraction. The math curriculum goals and content of the first-grade math textbooks of these three countries were considered as the statistical populations of the study. To collect the data documentary research was utilized and comparative method was used in order to analyze the data. The findings showed that the American curriculum focused on enhancing the ability of “problem solving“; whereas, the Iranian program focused more on the “making sense and understanding the concept”. On the other hand, Japan's curriculum emphasized on “understanding and exploring adding and subtracting ways” by the students themselves. During the process of teaching these two operations, American textbooks introduced the largest number of teaching methods. In the beginning of teaching addition and subtraction, except the new version of Iranian book (2011), all the books, initially teaching addition and subtraction, focused on the combination aspect of addition and reduction aspect of subtraction.

This research aimed to study about the relationship between academic self-confidence and academic achievement in physics course based on the intervention of academic motivation among the secondary school students in Isfahan. The research method was of correlational descriptive type. The Statistical population included 57004 secondary school students in Isfahan in academic year 2012-2013. At first, three districts out of six educational districts in Isfahan were selected randomly through multistage cluster sampling method. Then considering the size, stratified random sampling method was applied and sample size was calculated as 381 people. The research tools included the academic motivation questionnaire, researcher-made questionnaire on academic self-confidence as well as the final score of the students in physic. Data were, then analyzed by means of Pearson correlation tests, structural equitation, Spss 19th version, and Lizrerl software. The findings obtained from statistical analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between the academic motivation and the academic self-confidence or the academic achievement Academic motivation rolled as a mediator between the academic self-confidence and academic achievement. Additionally, between the variables of self-confidence and motivation, only was academic self-confidence which predicted the promotion in Physic in a best way.

This research investigated the effect of cooperative and E5 teaching methods on academic achievement and social skills of fifth grade male elementary school students in empirical science course, in Gouchan city, in academic year 2012-2013.The applied method was quasi-experimental one. The study tools were the educational texts, researcher-made academic achievement and social skills tests whose content and face validities had been confirmed by relative experts. The reliability of the academic achievement test was estimated by Kuder-Richardson20 method as KR20=0.79 and the reliability of the social skills was examined as KR20=0.90. Data were, then, analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of academic achievement and social skills of students who were taught by E5 teaching method and those being taught by Cooperative teaching method. In other word, E5 method had a more noticeable effect on academic improvement and cooperative method was more effective in social skills.

Illustrated textbooks have a highly significant influence on providing new prospects for students. Thus, this study was conducted to identify the relationship between the text and the image in elementary school science textbook in Iran. Communicative and descriptive content analysis was used in this study. The second and the sixth grade science textbooks were selected as the statistical population. In descriptive content analysis, written part of the textbooks were analyzed based on Merils model, believing on four main elements of any textbook as facts, concepts, procedures, and principles . In communicative content analysis, the relationship between the text and the image was examined based on the researcher- made model. The results showed that, “Concepts” in the second grade science textbook and "principles" in the sixth grade science textbook had the highest attendance. Moreover, 59.5% of the total written part of science textbook of the second grade, and 56.6% of the total written part of science textbook of the sixth grade had been covered by illustrations. More detailed illustrations than text, in both books, had been utilized. Furthermore, in both books, most of the images were illustrated allegorically.

The aim of the present research was to investigate about the comparison of misunderstanding of the third grade high school students and B.A and M.A students about the concept of electricity. The research method was descriptive survey. The population of the study was consisted of all high school students in Tehran, all students of Computer Engineering (Software Engineering), the students of Information Technology (B.A) and the students of solid-state physics (M.A) in Tehran Payame Noor University, Robatkarim, in academic year 1391-1392.285 participants consisted the sample, including 125 students from high school (68 from math major and 57 from empirical science major), 130 undergraduate students (72 Computer Engineering students and 58 Information Technology students) and 30 M.A students (Solid-State physics). A diagnostic test comprising six questions with multiple-choice format was used to collect the required data. To ensure the content validity of the instrument, a panel of 20 teachers of physics verified the questionnaire. The reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha as 0.87.The test was given in a normal condition with no in advance awareness. After the test was run, the frequency, frequency percentage, the tables and corresponding graphs were used. To assess how well students understood, the conceptual evaluation method was applied. In this method, the options were categorized in four types as: full understanding, partial understanding, misunderstanding and lack of understanding. The findings showed new misunderstandings about the concepts of static electricity. Based on these findings, it seems so necessary that physics curricula and instructional materials which are about to be recently revised by the Ministry of Education be taken into more considerations so as to organize the concepts of static electricity and its modeling in related textbooks.

Because of the importance of adulthood and the vast amount of leisure time during this period, the leisure curriculum has been highly noticed. Since leisure activities are of the necessities of students' life, this research was conducted to study about the effect of leisure curriculum on Leisure Skills. The research method was quasi-experimental and one group pretest -posttest design was used. The statistical population was composed of 2996 male secondary school students in Mashhad who had participated in recreation programs during the summer. The sample size consisted of 268 student were selected by Kukran formula. Cluster random sampling was used, too. To collect the data, a questionnaire (including126 questions) was utilized to measure the skills of leisure time including self-awareness, leisure awareness, decision making, social skills and the self-regulatory. The validity of the instrument was obtained through content validity and its reliability was measured by Cronbach's alpha as 0.76. For data analysis, t-test was used. The results indicated that leisure curriculum significantly increased the students' leisure skills (p>0.000). in other words, leisure curriculum has a great impact on students'' leisure skills.

Educational teachings from the perspective of Islamic jurisprudence and laws have performance bond. From the perspective of Islamic jurisprudence and laws, believing in God and feeling responsible for the learnt issues and applying them are necessary factors of education. The present study aimed to investigate about ethic and education from the perspective of religious jurisprudence and Islamic laws. Descriptive research methods, along with content analysis and library resources were utilized. The findings showed that the dynamic religious jurisprudence has always made an effort to present innovative solutions to the mentioned issues. What is really needed today is becoming religious not making a religion; in this regard, the vital thing is getting to know the religious laws and regulations so as to become prepared for entering into the social life; not just learning common theoretical phrases which are often learnt in all sections and are usually forgotten in a short period of time. Therefore, the need of applying religious laws and regulations in educational and ethical trainings is strongly felt and it, then, becomes one of the reasons that the religious books and lessons no longer appears unimportant, marginal, or compulsory.