CURRICULUM PLANNING KNOWLEDGE & RESEARCH IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
Year:2015 | Volume:12 | Issue:18 (45)|Papers Count:17

Recently, epistemological relativism has been mentioned in philosophical thinking as an effective thinking movement. It has also been entered in other fields like education, too. The purpose of this research was to study about the role of epistemological relativism in education. The research questions included: 1-what dose epistemological relativism mean? 2- How dose epistemological relativism affect on the education fundamentals (the purpose of education, learning content and teaching methods)? Based on the epistemological relativism, it was concluded that there was no concrete and understandable standard for rationality and no criterion could distinguish honesty from dishonesty. In the education process, the epistemological relativism is discussed as a constructive view. Therefore, based on the purpose of education; more emphasis should be on fostering critical thinking and deep thinking. Also, content of the textbooks should have the capability of being changed or reviewed. The epistemological relativism emphasizes on an indirect or student- centered education. Once applying the found results, it is expected that so many problems in the field of education to be tackled and acceptable educational outcomes to be gained.

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the dimensions of an effective professor, from the students' viewpoints, and learning styles of post-graduate students of Islamic Azad University, Khorasgan, in academic year 1391-92. Descriptive-explanatory method was applied in this research. The population included 3548 post graduate students; 350 of whom were selected by Morgan Table and stratified random sampling method. Data collecting tool included a researcher-made questionnaire, focusing on the dimensions of an effective professor in four areas (personality characteristics, classroom management, teaching process, demographic features) with 89 items, and Kolb questionnaire of learning styles which included 12 questions. For validity confirmation of the questionnaire of the dimensions of an effective professor, content and face validity were used; for reliability, Cronbach Alpha Coefficient was applied (0.96). The reliability of Kolb questionnaire of learning styles was calculated as 0.79. Data were, then, analyzed on two descriptive an inferential statistics levels. The results indicated that teacher's personality characteristics, classroom management, and teaching process were related to the students' learning styles. However, no significant statistical relationship was observed between demographic features of the professor and learning styles of the students. That is to say that the characteristics of an effective professor and learning styles of the students were significantly related. The results also indicated that there was no statistical difference between learning styles of the students and the characteristics of an effective professor according to the gender and faculty.

Focusing on the students of Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan, this study was carried out to investigate about the relationship between hidden curriculum and students' instructional burnout. The method used was of a descriptive-correlation type. 1359 senior students studying in the academic year 1391-1392 were selected as the statistical population. Based on Morgan table of sampling, 302 participants, as the statistical sample, were selected through stratified random sampling. Data using a questionnaire were collected, then. In order to analyze the data, once taking all the hypotheses into account, Pearson Correlation and Multivariate regression were used. The findings showed that between hidden curriculum and students' instructional burnout, there was a negative significant relationship. Also, such a negative relationship was found between hidden curriculums and different dimensions of instructional burnout (emotional exhaustion, pessimism, inefficiency).

This present research was conducted with the aim of studying about the degree of attention paid to human rights concepts in formal curriculum. The statistical population of this research was consisted of all social science textbooks of the high school (three books) in the academic year 2011-2012. With regard to the nature of the subject of this research and the limitation of the statistical population, no sampling was applied and the total population was used as sample size, too. In this research Shannon entropy content analyses method was used. The units of analyses were text, questions, exercises, and pictures. Data were collected via lists of content analysis of textbooks which were formulated after studying theoretical foundation. The validity was approved by educational science and human rights experts. The findings showed that human rights concepts were not focused identically in all the social science textbooks in different grades of high school. That is to say that from the total of 361 human right concepts, about 179 topics (50%) were focused in the first grade; whereas, 90 topics (24%) and 92 topics (26%) were mentioned in the second and the third grade, respectively. In addition, there was no specific order in terms of sequence and presentation of such concepts, as well.

Based on the view points of the teachers about the criteria and standards of ideal textbooks, the present study was conducted in order to evaluate the social sciences textbook of the first grade of the guidance school. 120 social sciences teachers of the first grade of the junior high school in Kerman city were selected as the statistical population. The sample size once using census was equal to the population. finally 105 of the teachers completed the questionnaire. Data collecting instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire which was designed based on the 20-fold criteria of an ideal textbook. To verify the reliability, Cronbach' alpha was used (91%). To analyze the data as well as to rank the criteria, one sample t-test and non-parametric ranking test were applied. What this research focused on was finding to some extent the textbooks were consistent with intended purposes, lesson plans, and psychology of learning as well as ranking the criteria. According to the findings, there was a full consistency between the context of the social sciences books and intended educational purposes; whereas, lesson planning and psychology of learning were to some extent consistent with the curriculum aims. From the teachers' point of view, amongst the criteria "relevance of the presented contents with everyday life “was the most perceived one and “providing the opportunities for extracurricular activities out of class” was the least perceived criterion.

With the aim of studying about the Junior high school students' and teachers' points of view in Mehriz town in academic year 2011 on composition course, this research was carried out. The statistical population of the research was consisted of Junior high school students and teachers in Mehriz town. Amongst them, 16 teachers and 282 students were selected thorough relative random sampling. The findings indicated that from the junior high school students' and teachers' viewpoint composition curriculum was very important and no meaningful difference was observed between their attitudes. Concerning different dimensions as purpose, content, educational methods, and method of evaluation, teachers deemed this course appropriate. There was no meaningful difference between teachers' viewpoints based on gender and grade. However, from students’ viewpoints, this course was inappropriate in terms of content and method of evaluation. There was also no meaningful difference between students’ viewpoints based on gender and grade. In terms of content and method of evaluation, the teachers found this course to be performed improperly; whereas, students identified improperly performed dimensions as content, educational methods, and method of evaluation.

The overall objective of this research was to study about the effect of occupation access on the entry of women into master degree period and fulfillment of their expectation thorough curriculum syllabus in university of Isfahan. Used method was descriptive survey. To collect the data, a researcher-made questionnaire and semi-structured interview were used. The validity was confirmed by some experts and the reliability was verified by using Cronbach's alpha (0.89). The Population included all senior female students at the University of Isfahan in the academic year 1390-91. Then, the sample size was estimated as 254 persons using Cochran's sample size formula. Quantitative results indicated that occupation access was not significantly related to the desire of students for MA education. However, the interview results were not consistent with the findings of the questionnaire. The findings, also, showed that students with low economic status were more willing to continue their education than those with good economic status. Quantitative conclusions showed that students' expectations were not fulfilled by the curriculum syllabus and this was consistent with the results of the questionnaire, too.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different educational styles (including interventional, interactional, non-interventional) on self-efficacy of female students of second-grade of high school in Physic 2 course. The research method was of quasi-experimental type (using pre-test and post-test with control group design). With the total number of 420, the statistical population was consisted of all female students in second-grade of high school. The statistical sample being selected by means of cluster random sampling included 60 students. The applied instrument was the standard questionnaire of self-efficacy measurement of Sherer and colleagues (1986). In previous researches, the validity of this questionnaire had been reported to be at an acceptable level. Its reliability, also, had been confirmed by Cronbach's alpha (0.78). Descriptive statistic indices and one-way ANOVA and LSD post hoc tests were used so as to analyze the data. The findings showed that there was a significant difference between students' self-efficacy in experimental and control groups F ((3 and 56)= 5.441 and P=0.002); in that, the students' self-efficacy increased through interactional and interventional styles. Moreover, different educational styles had different effects on self-efficacy parameters including the purpose concentration, purpose reflection, intrinsic motivation, problem solving ability, and students' self-assessment.

Entitled as "a proper thinking method", mathematics is one of the basic courses in the world education systems. comprehensively evaluating this course as well as identifying it's relation with learning theories indexes would pave the way for better instruction and learning. Regarding TIMSS (2007), this study assessed the use of learning theories indexes in instruction process and its role in math application in Islamic nations that were equal in Gross National Product (GNP). This research considering the effectiveness of learning theories on math application was of correlation type. Amongst the Islamic countries, Bosnia, Algeria, Tunisia, Iran, and Jordan were selected. All eight grade students during the academic year of 2007 in these Islamic countries were considered as the statistical population. The statistical sample, then, was selected thorough three stage stratified cluster sampling. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire with 17 items about learning strategies (by reliability of 0.83) and a math application test with 88 questions. Then, the validity of instruments was approved by the psychometric and educational psychology experts. Required data derived from TIMSS and PIRLS website. Taking the constructivism theory into consideration, Jordanian students with the mean score of 3.17 were the first and Iranian students with the mean score of 2.77 were the last. In information processing theory, Jordanian students with the mean score of 2.99 ranked first and Bosnian students with the mean score of 2.51 ranked last. Considering social-cognitive theory indices, Jordanian students with mean score of 3.16 were the first; whereas, Tunisian students with the mean score of 2.69 were the last. In achieving the applied goals of math, Bosnian students with the mean score of 441.47 gained the first place; however, these were the Algerian students who were the last, with the mean score of 412. Multiple regression analysis results showed that learning theories variables significantly explained the math usage variance. Also in all countries except Algeria, social-cognitive theory was a significant factor in math usage.

This study was carried out with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of synectics and lecturing teaching methods on increasing the creativity of students in the third grade of elementary school. Quasi- experimental method was used in the study. the participants were 103 students who were categorized randomly into experimental (25 schoolgirls and 23 schoolboys) and control group (28 schoolgirls and 27 schoolboys). The measurement instrument was Torrance creativity test (form A).The synaptics teaching method was performed for experimental group by teaching experimental science, social science, and composition. The control group, however, did not receive any intervention. The results of covariance analysis indicated that there were significant differences between the mean scores of the experimental group and control group in the pre- test and post-test. Also, significant relationship was observed between the increased scores in creativity regarding fluidity, flexibility, and originality components and the total score of creativity.

The purpose of this study was to contently analyze the training textbooks used in teacher training centers based on declarative and procedural knowledge. This research was of a content analysis type and quantitative content analysis method was used, here. All training courses used in teacher training centers were chosen as the statistical population. The sample and the population were equal in terms of the number. Data, then, was analyzed by means of descriptive statistics as percentage, frequency, and chi- square. The findings showed that general psychology book has the highest level of declarative knowledge and the least amount of procedural knowledge; whereas, mathematics teaching book has the highest level of procedural knowledge and the least amount of declarative knowledge.

Constructivism approach is a relatively new approach in the field of instructional designing. The aim of this study was to identify and explore the experiences of the students and teachers of instructional designing based on the constructivism approach and constructivism learning environment design pattern. The research method in this study was qualitative method and was of the phenomenological type. All the students and the teachers of Beheshti Teacher Training Center of Mashhad Elementary Education who had enrolled in this center in the academic year 2012-2013 were chosen as the statistical population. Then, 15 students and teachers were chosen through the target sampling. Due to data saturation, the researchers found this number sufficient. The instrument being used was semi-structured interview. To validate the results of this study, the outcomes and extracted issues were confirmed by the participants. Deductive coding methods, then, was used to analyze the data and the interviews. Applying Johnson's model in the classroom resulted in gaining very significant experiences for both the students and the teachers. Independence, autonomy or self-sufficiency, problem-solving ability, dominance in research, retrieval and storage of information, effective interactions and depth learning were the factors being concluded from the interviews. According to these findings, it can be concluded that this very model and the other models which are based on constructivism approach can have a significant impact on the performance and success of students in different courses.