(JOURNAL OF INSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION) JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
Year:2016 | Volume:9 | Issue:33|Papers Count:8

The present research aims to study high school teachers' experiences of continuous evaluation. Adopting a phenomenological approach and purposeful sampling, this qualitative research was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 24 high school teachers in Tabriz. The interviews were recorded and then analyzed through Smith's (1995) method. In order to increase the precision and reliability of the findings of the precise study and continuous observation at all stages of the research, the complementary comments and viewpoints of the colleagues were taken into consideration, and the participants` manuscripts were reviewed. The findings based on the experiences of the teachers about continuous evaluation were classified into 8 main themes, i.e. “the challenges in continuous assessment”, “teachers' difficulties in continuing assessment”, “mismatch between the structure and rules of the educational system and continuous assessment”, “common errors in continuous assessment” “the nature standardization in continuous assessment”, “the strengths”, “obstacles to implementation”, “disadvantages of continuous assessment” and several subthemes. The findings depict a clear picture of high school teachers` experiences of continuous evaluation.

This research was an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of occupational development on reducing reciprocal work-family conflict and job burnout based on Super’s growth theory among working and married postgraduate students at Islamic Azad University of Shabestar. This quasi-experimental research had a pretest-posttest design with control group. The statistical population of the study inclouded all working married students, from among whom 60 were selected through convinence sampling, who were then randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups, each with 30 students. The instruments used included Carlson's work-family conflict questionner and Massac's Burnout Inventory. The results showed that occupational development program was effective in reducing emotional atrophy and enhancing personal performance but did not show any significant effect on reducing depersonalization. Regarding work-family conflict, the treatment was helpful in reducing conflicts based on time and power exhaustion, but did not show any significant effect on reducing conflicts based on behavior. Moreover, regarding work-family conflicts, it showed significant effect on conflicts not only based on time, but also based on behavior and power exhaustion. Finally, comparing different effects of occupational develop program on male and female students, the researchers found that there was no significant difference in reducing emotional atrophy, depersonalization and enhancing personal performance. As regards work-family conflict, no significant difference was observed in reducing time-based, behavior-based, and power- exhaustion based conflicts among men and women. Thus, it was concluded that work-family conflicts and job burnout are among the major familial and organizational problems. Therefore empowerment such as occupational development programs are required more than ever.

The aim of the present study was to investigating the goal attainment of descriptive evaluation in grades 1 and 2 primary schools. The statistical population for this study consisted of all students in the first and second grades who enjoyed descriptive evaluation scheme of the education administration in the East Azarbaijan Province. The statistical sample were selected through cluster sampling including, 1400 students and 56 classes that were selected from eight cities (Tabriz, Myane, Ahar, Marand, Hashtrod, Ajabshir, Kalaybar, Heris and Maraghe). The collected data where analysed using descriptive statistics (Mean, standard deviation & frequency) and One-sample t test. The results suggest that the means of the variables of teaching - learning, providing descriptive feedback, elimination of the 20 oriented criteria, eliminating final exams and substituting formative evaluation, eliminating paper-based test and replacing them with portfolio, and mental health are significantly higher than the theoretical mean of the population, and that descriptive evaluation objectives have been achieved to a relatively desired extent.

The population of this meta-analysis were the available related studies done between 1370-1392 in the country, including full-text articles, theses and research projects in the databases and libraries, universities or government agencies. Based on the inclusion exclusion criteria as well as sensitivity analysis, almost 323 effect size from about researches were investigated. The results of the combined effects of gender differences on the effectiveness of cooperative and discussion methods in random model for girls and boys was 0.665 and 0.589, respectively, which were both statistically significant effect sizes. Based on Cohen's criteria, we can say that the effectiveness of these methods for male and female students is average and desirable. Also, the independent t-test results showed that there is no statistically significant difference between the effect size means of boys and girls although the effect size for girls was greater. So, as suggested by the theoretical foundations of these teaching methods, these methods are not limited to a particular ability level or sex but all who are engaged in can benefit from these methods.

The present study sought to investigate the effect of teaching math through UCMAS method on mental development of children aged 5 to 12 in Tabriz. The design of the study was pretest posttest with control group. The research population included all primary students at the age of 5 to 12 in Tabriz in the academic year 2013-2014 from which, 60 students (30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group) were selected through cluster sampling. Then, both groups took the pre-test. The experimental group was taught math through UCMASA method. To collect the data, Gobaribonab et al's mathematical problem solving test, Wechsler's numerical Memory Scale, and Abedi's logical mathematical intelligence scale were used. The reliability of the problem solving, numerical memory, and logical-mathematical tests were 0.92, 0.88, and 0.67 respectively. The validity of the test was at a desired level. The analysis of covariance was used for analyzing the data. The results showed that teaching through UCMAS improves problem solving numerical memory, and logical -mathematical intelligence in children. Therefore, teaching math through UCMAS can enhance mathematical skills and abilities in children.

The present study was an attempt to improve academic achievement motivation in English and Arabic courses through multimedia instruction. The population of the study was all male third grade high school students in Sarepolezahab. Through convenient sampling, 20 students were selected and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The instrument which was used to gather the data was Welrend et. al.'s (1991) academic motivation questionnaire. The data was analyzed conducting independent samples T-Test and MANOVA. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups post tests. (p=0.001). Also, the results revealed that there was a significant difference between intrinsic motivation and the subscales of intrinsic motivation to accomplish things (p=0.008), to Know understanding (p=0.006), identical regulation (p=0.010), and amotivation (0=0.001). But, related to intrinsic motivate experience stimulation and external motivation for introjection and external regulation subscales, the difference was not significant. Because of the significant relationship between the studied variables, multimedia method is suggested to promote academic motivation.

Self-confidence and high self-reliance are among the main factors of prosperity and growth in life, and psychotherapist suggest different methods to reinforce them using the stories in childhood. Therefore, this research aimed at recognizing and evaluating the psychological methods of teaching self-confidence that are concealed in Iranian stories. The research is descriptive and library-based. To analyze the data, content-analysis was conducted. Considering the large population of the study, using purposeful sampling, 141 Iranian stories for B and C age groups that involve 7-11 years old children, were selected as study samples. To evaluate the selected stories, a researcher-made Matrix, which included the main methods of developing self-confidence, was used. Also, Milles and Huberman’s interpretive approach, which is one of the main scales of content analysis, was employed. At the same time, in order to determine the relation between the variables, Kay Skoer’s statistical test was used. The results show that different psychological methods are used in Iranian stories in order to develop self-confidence in children, among which we can refer to reinforcing positive thinking, self-steem, nourishing sympathy, nourishing creativity, helping self-identification and self-acceptance, reducing of humility sensation, and adjusting megalomania.

Given the significance and sensitivity of the Iranian Ph.D. program entrance exams, such high-stakes exams are assumed to exert considerable influence on Iranian public higher educational curriculums. The present study was motivated to scrutinize the EFL instructors’ insights to explore the potential washback effects of the new Iranian TEFL Ph.D. program entrance exam on their teaching methodology, class assessment, and syllabus design. To this end, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with ten experienced instructors teaching M.A. courses at four Iranian universities. The results emerging from the close qualitative content analysis of the respondents’ introspection indicated that the new exam, despite its considerable significance, fails to generate substantial effects on the instructors’ teaching methodology and class assessment due to the inconsistency between the objectives supposed to be met by the new exam administration and those expected to be achieved in TEFL M.A. and Ph.D. programs. Further, it was revealed that the new exam, on the contrary, substantially influences the instructors’ syllabus design through conditioning their material and content selection. This study further discusses the implications of the findings in the context of Iranian TEFL higher education.