Journal of Research in Educational Systems
Year:2008 | Volume:1 | Issue:2-3|Papers Count:8

The goal of this research was to survey and explore the constraints and facilitating factors in using virtual in-service training system in the Ministry of Education. For this purpose, the viewpoints of virtual training specialists and in-service training experts were investigated. The results showed that one of the restrictive factors in virtual training was managers' insufficient familiarity with ICT capabilities. Moreover, one of the facilitating factors of virtual training was having a program for ICT development in the Ministry of Education.

This paper focused on comparing the personality profile and inventory of athletic and non-athletic female and male high school students in Tehran in order to see if the personality traits of these students stemmed from their gender. The sample included 260 high school students randomly selected in Tehran (130 girls and 130 boys, with 65 athletes and 65 non-athletes in each group). Gordon's personality questionnaire with the desired validity was used in the study. The questionnaire had eight variables (ascendancy, responsibility, sociability, emotional stability, cautiousness, original thinking, personal relations, and vigor). To answer the research hypothesis, MANOVA's multivariate variance analysis was used, yielding the following results: athletes scored high in all eight research areas except for cautiousness, while non-athletes scored low in all these areas. Athletic male students scored higher in sociability and cautiousness, while athletic female students ranked higher in emotional stability, original thinking, vigor, and ascendancy. As far as responsibility is concerned, there was not a significant relationship between athletics and gender. In general, students scored highest in ascendancy but lowest in personal relations. Overall, male athletes ranked first in cautiousness and personal relations, while female athletes ranked first in all other six areas.

The aim of this study is to compare educational progress, sport progress, legality and discipline, and satisfaction of girl students of high schools implementing Proportionate Plan with non-implementing high schools. The research population is girl students of high schools implementing the plan and non-implementing high schools in Tehran province. Through random sampling, 420 students out of each group (totally 840), were chosen. To measure students' educational progress, sports progress, legality and discipline, their annual average scores, sports scores, and discipline scores in the educational years 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 were used. To measure students' satisfaction, a questionnaire based on P-C-P model was utilized. Results of this research show that students' satisfaction in implementing high schools is higher than nonimplementing ones, students' annual average scores in implementing high schools are higher than non-implementing ones, students' sports scores in implementing high schools are equal to non-implementing ones, and students' discipline scores in implementing high schools are lower than non-implementing ones. According to the four effectiveness indicators studied, high schools implementing Proportionate Plan, have a better situation compared to non-implementing high schools.

Actors in the taxi driving system can be divided into three main groups i.e. drivers, passengers, and taxi organization and control staff. The two groups of drivers and passengers are analyzed in this article emphasizing their interactions. The basic questions are: how much do the actors pay attention to the norms in the taxi driving system? What are the normative conflicts that the actors have? How do the actors evaluate each other's negative roles? Binomial test was used to determine the significant differences between the two groups of normal and abnormal actors. The results show that while the two groups of drivers and passengers are dependent on each other for their needs, they have conflicts in their interests too. Thus breaking the rules is mutual and disintegrates the total system. Neither group is satisfied with the other because each one thinks that the other threatens their benefits. The structural situation, therefore, neither allows them to be orderly nor pay attention to the norms. Not being familiar with the norms, actors threaten the structural situations. Conflict of interests has led the actors to hostility while they are mutually dependent on each other.

The purpose of this study was to determine entrepreneurial intentions among students in Agricultural Science and Technology Center in Qazvin province with regard to their learning styles. The population consisted of students in Agricultural Science and Technology Center in Qazvin province (N=264). Using Cockrans' formula, a sample of 156 students was selected based on stratified random sampling. A three-part questionnaire was used. The first part collected demographic information; the second part collected information on entrepreneurial intentions using Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ), and the third part investigated learning styles using Individual Learning Preference (ILP). The reliability and validity of both instruments i.e. EIQ and ILP were estimated for the study. Data was analyzed through T-test and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that students had moderate intention to engage in entrepreneurial behavior. Moreover, this moderate intention varied significantly across disciplines. The results of learning styles analysis showed that intentions to involve in entrepreneurship activity did not differ across gender. The results also indicated that female students were extravert, intuitive, feeling, and judging. In contrast to their female counterparts, male students were more introvert, sensitive, thinking, and perceptive. If entrepreneurial educators consider students' learning styles in their teaching, the entrepreneurial intention could be enhanced.

This study investigated the influence of learning style on the self-efficacy of students enrolling in the College of Agriculture. The research population was senior students enrolling in the College of Agriculture at Razi University (N=200). A sample of 130 students was drawn out of the population of senior students by stratified random sampling. The sample size was determined using Krejcie and Morgan's table of sample sizes. The Group Embedded Figures Test and the General Self-Efficacy Scale were used to gather data on students' learning style and self-efficacy. The results showed that students had a field dependent learning style, and their self-efficacy was lower than moderate. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between students' learning style and self-efficacy.Moreover, there was a significant difference between female and male students regarding learning styles and self-efficacy. Nevertheless, there was not a significant difference among self-efficacy of students at different majors in the College of Agriculture.

A major change in the Iranian higher education domain in the last two decades is the growth of higher education institutions and universities and the high rate of university enrollments.Indeed the 24 times increase in the number of enrollments at the present decade, compared to three decades ago, shows the bulk of growth and the possible consequences.The aim of the present survey was to figure out the importance of the above-mentioned phenomenon and its consequences from the elite and intelligentsia perspectives.The data collection technique was questionnaire. The population was the experts of the Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology and the faculty members of universities. The results of the survey showed that such a breakthrough was expanding and reshaping the Iranian middle class. The respondents believed that among others, class mobility and the fair distribution of wealth and power in society could be counted as the positive side of change. However, the study demonstrated the weakness of the Iranian economical system to embrace the mass of graduates.