INNOVATION IN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION (JOURNAL OF MODERN THOUGHTS IN EDUCATION)
Year:2011 | Volume:6 | Issue:3 (23)|Papers Count:10

The present study investigated the relationship between learning style, personality traits, and problem-solving styles in state-run and private universities in Khouzestan Province. 300 students were selected through a multi-phase random method. Three questionnaires, Kolb's list of learning styles, Neo's Personality Test (FFI-NEO), and Adolescent-Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (A-Cope) were administered. To examine the research hypotheses, MANOVA, post hoc Tukey test, and Pearson correlation were used. The results showed that there is not a significant difference between people with accommodating and converging styles regarding psychopathic behaviors. Also, there is a significant difference between students with converging and diverging learning styles, on the one hand, and those with assimilating and accommodating styles, on the other hand. Findings also indicated that there is a significant difference between problem-solving styles among students with accommodating and converging learning style. The ultimate result of the study showed a significant relationship between problem-solving styles and personality traits in the way that those with psychopathic behaviors use unhealthy ways of solving problems and those with diverging and assimilating styles use healthy ways to solve the problems.

The present study aimed at conducting an initial standardization of Wells' Metacognitive Test on the students in Islamic Azad University Roudehen Branch. To this end, 490 students (230 male and 260 female) were selected using multi-stage random sampling method to whom Wells' Metacognitive Test was administered. The results indicated that reliability index of the test was calculated through Cronbach's Alpha as 0.896 for all the students, 0.902 for male students, and 0.858 for female students. The test's Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) was calculated to be 6.875 since the standard deviation was 21.319. The validity was acceptable which was measured through two methods. The results of factor analysis also underlined the existence of only one underlying factor being measured by the test.

This study investigated the degree of reading comprehension through reading passages whose sentences were connected with connectors in comparison with another way, i.e., reading comprehension through reading passages whose sentences were connected with conjunctions. To do this, the researcher selected two reading classes and divided students randomly into two 30-student groups. Then, the study started and it continued for five sessions. Five sets of tests were administered with a one-week interval and the results were analyzed using T-tests and ANOVA procedure. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the two groups: the experimental group, the group who read passages whose sentences were connected with connectors outdid the other group (all five tests t=11.084, significant at p<.05). The research also proved that there is a significant difference between both groups (all tests F=41.761, p<.05) and the results of the Scheffe tests showed that this difference is due to the methods applied not gender.

Mental Health as one of the two pillars of health is the requirement of a good, effective and satisfactory life for an individual. Mental health for the members of any society, especially those effective and productive ones, is a requisite for dynamicity and development of them. Considering the prominent and unique role of students as future managers and creators of any society, the need to provide mental health and to identify and remove the negative factors affecting their mental health is necessary. The study was descriptive and the population included all the students enrolled in the universities in Ilam province in the academic year of 2009-10. The sample size consisted of 1000 students who were selected using stratified random sampling. General Health questionnaire (GHQ28) and Barahani's religious attitudes questionnaire were administered. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient to determine the correlation between variables and t test for comparing boys and girls. Results indicated a significant relationship between subjects and the average score in General Health Questionnaire and their religious attitudes (t=-0.302 for the religious attitude, t=2.8 for mental health and P<0.005). Other findings indicated the differences between the mental health of students in different universities of Ilam province, female students, rather than male students, have higher mental health and better religious attitudes. Also, students who are living out of the dorms compared to students who are living in dormitories show a higher mental health and better religious attitude. Mental health is respectively high in Payam Noor University, Azad, Applied Science, Ilam, Ilam Medical Sciences, and Bakhtar universities, while regarding their religious attitudes, they are arranges as such respectively: Payame Noor, applied science, Azad, Ilam, Ilam Medical Sciences and  Bakhtar universities. From the students' field of study perspective, students in art, basic science, engineering, humanities, agriculture, veterinary, and medical science have higher mental health respectively. In respect to their religious attitude, they are arranged as such: art, basic Science, engineering, humanities, agriculture, veterinary, and medical science. The results of descriptive statistics for the students' area of study show that while in mental health  students in arts, basic sciences, engineering, humanities, agriculture and veterinary and medical sciences are respectively high, in their religious attitude, students in engineering, basic science, humanities, agriculture, veterinary, medicine science are better. The results indicate that students with better religious attitude enjoy greater mental health.

The aim of this study was to investigate the "morphic field", using language skill as a sample of various skills which people try to learn. The research method was casual-comparative. Three hundred female and male students from Islamic Azad University, South Tehran branch have been selected by cluster sampling method. They were all studying in humanities except foreign languages. By using Power point software twenty correct and twenty incorrect Swahili pair words slides displayed for them about 10 seconds. Participants selected and wrote any word they thought they were correct. Internal consistency of these words by Cranach Alpha was 0.84 and its test-retest reliability was 0.87. The results of "binominal test" indicated that participants in % 50 of cases selected 13 words out of 20 correct words. Also, they selected the correct words in %56.25 of the cases. Furthermore, there is significant difference between selection of correct and incorrect words of Swahili language. In addition, there isn't any significant difference between female and male in selection of correct and incorrect Swahili words. These findings consist with those studies that study Chinese and Russian languages in other countries. Thus, the "Morphic Field" theory is valuable in facilitating learning among the members of one species.

The present research was done with the purpose of surveying the relationship between learning strategies and problem–solving styles with educational achievement. 293 subjects were chosen from those studying the courses in humanities and engineering through stratified random sampling. Learning Strategies questionnaire by Pent rich & et al (M.S.Q.L) and Cassidy & Long's problem-solving styles questionnaire were administered. Data were analyzed using Pearson's coefficient of correlation, independent t test and multiple regressions. The result showed that there is a relation between learning strategies and educational achievement. Also, out of problem-solving styles, only creative style shows meaningful relation with educational achievement. Moreover, there is a positive relation between the various learning strategies and creative problem-solving, confidence, and attitude and a meaningful negative relation with helplessness. Control and avoidance styles didn't also show any relation with learning strategies. Furthermore, no meaningful difference was observed between gender and learning strategies except in metacognitive self-regulation strategy. Also, the students in the humanities use learning strategies more than students in engineering. However, there wasn't any difference between them in using problem-solving styles. The results of regression analysis showed that elaboration strategy and creative problem-solving style can predict the educational achievement. On the whole, learning strategies and problem-solving styles explain 5.8 % of educational achievement variance.

The purpose of this study was the development and validation of the Parenting Style Questionnaire (PSQ) new version by examining the factor structure, internal consistency in adolescent's sample. This study translated and validated the Buri's (1991) Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) and neglectful subscale of Shaffer's (2000) Parenting-Style Orientation Scale (P-SOS) among 14 to 19 year old Iranian adolescents attending school. A standard systematic translation procedure was followed to translate the questionnaires into Farsi. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the factor structure of the PAQ and neglectful subscale of P-SOS. The results showed the factor structure and reliability of internal consistency of the PSQ were suitable. The PSQ to have highly respectable measure of parental authority exercised by both mother and father and it is appropriate for both female and male adolescents and young adults in clinical, educational and research settings.

This descriptive research was accomplished to study relationship between learning cognitive approaches and big five personality factors with critical thinking attitude of students. 345 undergraduate students of Tabriz University who were studying in the spring semester of 2009 were chosen by the multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Kolb Learning Style Inventory, NEO-PI Inventory (60 item), California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory were administered. ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Stepwise Multiple Regression statistical methods were used for analyzing data in SPSS 11.5 software. Abstract conceptualization cognitive approach (b=0.26) and three personality factors of Neuroticism (b=-0.74), Openness (b=1.03) and Conscientiousness (b=0.62) predicted 0.39 variance of critical thinking attitude (P<0.01). There were significant correlations between Extraversion (r=0.36), Openness (r=0.33), Conscientiousness (r=0.44), Agreeableness (r=0.30) and Neuroticism (r=-0.42) to critical thinking attitude (P<0.01). There were positive correlation between Neuroticism and concrete experience and reflective observation cognitive approaches (P<0.01, 0.05), This relationship was negative with active experimentation and abstract conceptualization cognitive approaches (P< 0.05). There was negative correlation between Extraversion and concrete experience (P<0.05), This relationship was positive with active experimentation approach (P<0.01). There was negative correlation between Conscientiousness and reflective observation (p<0.05), This relationship was positive with active Experimentation (p<0.01). There was negative relation between Openness and active experimentation (P<0.05). Also, there was a relationship between learning styles and personality factors of Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (P< 0.01, 0.05).