JOURNAL OF NEW APPROACH IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
Year:2013 | Volume:4 | Issue:2 (14)|Papers Count:12

The purpose of this study was to identify the problems in teaching the book “World Art History” and to evaluate the potentials of seven-step teaching model (adapted from Management Theory) to resolve the identified problems. The first part of the study, as qualitative stage, was performed through a written, open-ended interview including eleven questions and the second part involved a researcher-made questionnaire with 57 items developed drawing on the current literature on teaching and managing education. It was administered on 32 teachers from 32 Vocational schools in Tehran. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by the dissertation supervisor. The reliability of the 57-item questionnaire was calculated utilizing Cronbach's alpha (0.958) in a pilot study involving 15 teachers. In order to analyze the data collected from the 57-item questionnaire, the Chi-square test and independent t-tests were used. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (KS-test) confirmed the normal distribution of scores for male and female teachers participated in the survey. Also, as there exited outliers, a choice was made to employ the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test to compare the scores of the seven-step model for teaching. The study findings identified the most important problems in terms of 7 scales. It was revealed that the teachers were not familiar with the teaching model and their teaching methods were mostly teacher-centered. The results of the independent t-test of the 57-item questionnaire confirmed that there was no significant difference between the mean scores of male and female teachers. Also, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test indicated that there was no significant difference between the scores of male and female teachers concerning the 7-step model of teaching. Chi square test, further, indicated that there was a significant difference between the opinions of male and female teachers about the third step.

This study investigated the relationship between the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) and Job satisfaction among high school teachers in Yazd. The targeted population included high school teachers in Yazd. According to Krejcie and Morgan’s table 285 teachers were selected using stratified sampling. A use was made of modified Leader-Member Exchange questionnaire (Liden & Maslyn, 1998) and a modified questionnaire Spector’s Job Satisfaction Survey (1994). The reliability and validity of both instruments were explored and approved. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The results showed that there was a significant positive relationship between the Quality of LMX and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction. Besides, a significant positive relationship was observed between all of the four dimensions of LMX and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction. Regression analysis also indicated that the Affect and Professional Respect could predict 40 percent of the common variance of the Teachers’ Job Satisfaction Variable. The results of the present research suggested that enhancing leader-member exchange might improve teachers’ Job Satisfaction.

The purpose of the current study was to determine the effectiveness of metacognition-based instruction using softwares on students´ self-regulation and academic achievement. This study involved a pretest- posttest with a control group quasi-experimental design. A sample of 105 students was drawn from a population of 12192 students of primary school in Kermanshah through random cluster sampling method. The sample members were further assigned to an experimental and a control group randomly. Research instruments were Fisher’s self-regulation questionnaire and an academic achievement test. A use was made of both descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (ANOVA & ANCOVA) to analyze data. The results revealed that there was a significant difference between the students’ self-regulation and learning scores in both groups. However, no significant difference was found between the groups’ retention.

This study aimed at evaluating and prioritizing educational quality from the Point of View of Shiraz Azad University Faculty Members Using DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) Problem-solving Approach and Six-sigma Instrument in the academic year 2010-2011. Out of a population of 307 Faculty members in Shiraz Azad University, 169 respondents were sampled according to Morgan’s table using proportional stratified sampling method. Research instrument was a fifty-four item questionnaire developed by the current researchers to assess educational quality. When its face validity was established by some faculty members of the respective university, its content-related validity was assessed employing item analysis. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha. In statistical analysis, inferential statistics was used (one-sample t-test and analysis of variance of repeated measures). The research findings revealed that in evaluating and prioritizing of DMAIC steps in relation to education quality, the highest and the lowest mean were those of control (2/83) and analysis steps (2/57) respectively. There was no significant difference between these two scales. The results also indicated that all these scales were significantly lower than the desired level of quality.

This study aimed to investigate relationship of students’ locus of control and their tendencies to types of discipline styles of schools teachers. Statistical population was all first grade students of high schools in the 1 district. The sample was comprised of 351 students, was chosen by Random- classified- clustering method. The used method of research was a descriptive- correlative one. The research instruments were 1) a researcher made questionnaire on discipline styles and 2) a questionnaire on locus of control. For statistical analysis, a Correlation test of Pearson, stepwise regression analysis and independent t-test were used. Results showed that there was a significant and positive correlation between students’ locus of control and their tendencies to interactions and non-interventionist discipline styles. A stepwise regression analysis showed that interactions discipline style was the strongest predictor of students’ locus of control. Data was analyzed employing independent t test showed that there are significant differences because of students' gender in their tendencies to interventionist and their inter actionist discipline styles and also their locus of control, but there is no significant difference because of students' gender, between their tendencies to non-interventionist discipline style.

This research was done to study the differential effect of task- based and grammar translation language teaching methods on the academic achievement of third grade high school students in the academic year 1389-1390. Research method was quasi-experimental. A sample of 120 high school students (male and female) was chosen through two-stage cluster sampling method. Half of them were assigned to two experimental groups and the rest to two control groups. The experimental and control groups were taught using task-based and grammar- translation methods respectively. All groups were given a post test. Data was analyzed employing covariance and independent samples t- test. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups’ scores. The experimental groups could outperform the control groups. Additionally, the girls outdid the boys. All in all, it is concluded that task-based method is more effective in promoting student’s academic achievement.

This study compared teachers' beliefs and attitudes about class control in regard to their demographic characteristics. This survey study included 120 fifth grade elementary teachers sampled randomly from a population of 342 teachers in Yazd. The data collection instrument was a 25-item Likert scale questionnaire on teacher attitudes and beliefs about class control. Its validity was approved by a panel of experts of psychology and education. Its reliability was also estimated to be 0.68 using Cronbach’s Alpha. The data analysis method was independent sample t-test. The findings showed that there was no significant difference between teachers' attitudes and beliefs about classroom control in regard to their gender and teaching experience. As far as their major is concerned, a significant difference was observed between their attitudes and beliefs. In other words, teachers educated in fields related to education, were more interested in interactive style, whereas, teachers educated in other fields were more interested in interventionist style. A significant difference was also observed between the mean scores in regard to their educational degrees. That is, bachelor teachers tended to use more interactive styles than those with lower degrees. Overall, the research findings highlights the significance of teacher training in order to bring about changes in teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about class control.

This paper investigated the level of attention given to citizenship education in the prevailing social atmosphere, organizational structure, and interaction between teachers and students. The target population included all high school teachers in Hamedan in the academic year 2009-2010. A sample of 143 teachers was drawn through random sampling method. A use was made of a Likert scale questionnaire developed by the present researcher. It tapped into the three components of social atmosphere, organizational structure, and the interaction between teachers and students. Its reliability was calculated to be 0.877 using the Cronbach’s Alpha. Its face and content validity was established by a panel of five experts. In order to analyze data a use was made of both descriptive and inferential statistics employing SPSS software. The results indicated that the level of attention given to citizenship education was adequate for social atmosphere and organizational structure, whereas teacher-student interaction received average attention.

The current descriptive study aimed at investigating the attainability of the aspects of learning organization from the point of view of secondary school principals. The study sample (N=120) consisted of all secondary school principals working in the first district of the education organization in Shiraz. The research instrument of the study was a 39-item questionnaire adapted from Michal Markurat’s learning organization questionnaire. It tapped into five components of shared sight, systemic thinking, team learning, individual domination and mental models. Cronbach’s Alpha of these variables and the whole questionnaire were 0.78, 0.73, 0.76, 0.81, 0.78 and 0.77 respectively. The statistical results revealed that an evaluation of learning organization aspects (shared sight, systemic thinking, team learning, individual domination, and mental models) is significantly larger than the average level from the secondary school principals’ point of view. In addition, these components were significantly different between males and females.

The main purpose of this research was to study the emphasis on artistic education in general Persian literature textbook from the point of view of Hamadan teacher training center’s students. In consultation with Krejcie and Morgan’s table, a sample of 87 students was selected randomly from among 107 students studying at Hamadan teacher training center. They all passed the general Persian literature course. Research instrument was a questionnaire tapping into the components of artistic education developed by the current researchers. Its content validity was approved by a panel of experts and its Cronbach’s alpha was assessed to be 0.832. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and x2 non-parametric test. The research findings indicated that the textbook emphasized strongly language arts and creative expression. However, a little emphasis was placed on innovation, curiosity and production of artistic works.

Regarding educational problems one of the influential factors affecting student learning is teachers’ classroom management. Teachers’ management style is itself influenced by diverse factors such as teacher’s personality traits. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between classroom management style and personality traits of Yazd primary school teachers. This descriptive-correlational study involved 244 teachers (females=149 & males=95). The respondents were administered classroom management style questionnaire and personality trait questionnaire (NEO, short form) along with some demographic questions. The study results suggested that education management style from among the five personality traits had a significant relationship with only conscientiousness (p<0.05 & r=0.165). In addition, there was a significant relationship between behavior management style, and agreeableness and conscientiousness (r=0.164, r=0.232 & r=0.291 respectively) but it had a negatively significant relationship with nervousness (p<0.05 & r=-0.164).

The aim of this study was to evaluate a model of the relationship between organizational culture and atmosphere, and organizational commitment with the mediation of empowerment. The present correlational study included 162 employees of Fars education organization selected through stratified sampling method. This study employed four questionnaires of organizational atmosphere, organizational culture, organizational commitment, and empowerment. They all enjoyed adequate reliability and validity. Both descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation and path analysis) were utilized to analyze data. The research findings indicated that there was significant and positive relation between the components of organizational atmosphere (open atmosphere, close atmosphere, support, order, confinement, cooperation, and bigheartedness) and organizational commitment. All the components of organizational culture (innovation, attention to details, attention to persons, attention to group construction, boldness, pugnacity, and affirmation) except attention to results had a positive and significant relation with organizational commitment. Except significance to others, all the components of empowerment (ability, independence, effectiveness, and confidence) had a positive and significant relation with organizational commitment.