Educational Measurement
Year:2013 | Volume:4 | Issue:11|Papers Count:8

Background: Over the past two decades, many researchers have examined the effect of teaching learning strategies on educational improvement of students through experimental and quasi-experimental studies, which yielded different results. Thus, it is essential to use meta-analysis study to resolve discrepancies and present a general result.Objectives: The present study aims to combine quantitative results from different studiesconcerning causal relationship between learning strategies and educational improvement.Methods: To do so, the quantitative findings of 28 researches were used and their effect size was calculatedas 53. The studies used in this research were conducted in and collected from different universities and research centers including ShahidRajaee University, ShahidBeheshti University, Tarbiat Moallem University of Tehran, University of Tehran, Alzahra University, AllamehTabataba’i University, TarbiatModares University, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, University of Shiraz, University of Isfahan, University of Tabriz, Institute of Educational Studies, Iranian Research Institute for Scientific Information and Documentation, and databases of Magiran, Noormags, and SID. After analyzing entry and exit criteria, Statistical indicators of the selected researches were analyzed using CMA version 2.Results: The combined results showed that teaching learning strategies had a significant effect on the educational improvement of both male and female learners.Therefore, it can beconcluded thatgender does not have a moderating role on the relationship between teaching learning strategies and educational improvement.Conclusion: Given the results of the meta-analysis on the large effect size of teaching learning strategies on education improvement, as well as the existing theories such as the theory of metacognition and information processing, it can be concluded that teaching learning strategies can be effective on the indicators of educational improvement of learners.

Background: The importance ofcritical thinking dispositionineducational systemandcurriculaat levelsprior tohigher educationis indicative of the need fora short-form toolto measurethisconstruct.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability, validity and factor structure of Ricketts' (2003) Critical Thinking Disposition Questionnaire amonghigh school students.Methods: In this descriptive-survey research, 472 high school students (270 girls and 202 boys) in Mashhad in the school year 2010-2011were selected using multistage cluster sampling, who completed Critical Thinking Disposition Questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed usingcontent validity, construct validity and factorial validity. The reliability of the questionnaire was examined byinternal consistency andsplit-half method.Findings: Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated for all scales and subscales for both genders and all subjects with regards to favorable psychometric properties. All correlations between subscales and total scale score were significant. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the items were good fit. Moreover, the result of split-half method showed that reliability coefficient of the test wassatisfactory.Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the Persian version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Questionnaire has a good reliability and validity in Iranian society and is an appropriate instrument for assessing critical thinking disposition in high school students.

Objective: The present study aims at identifying the components of educational efficiency of faculty members, and construction and validation of a scale for measuring their educational efficiency.Method: A mixed method was used (focus groups and factor analysis). The population consisted of faculty members (contractual, formal-probationary, and formal-permanent) working at 10 Humanities Faculties at the University of Tehran during the academic year 2007-08. The sample (size=200) was selected using stratified random sampling. Some questionnaires were excluded due to inadequate data. Finally, 137 complete questionnaires were analyzed. Faculty Member’s Educational Efficiency Scale was prepared in three stages as follows: 1) Analysis of results from previous studies for identifying the components of education efficiency; 2) Preparation of questionnaire items for initial implementation; 3) Final implementation and validation of educational efficiency scale. After the first and second stages, the questionnaire was initially implemented in a small sample group, and the results were used to make the necessary revisions in the basic version of the questionnaire. The initial draft of the revised version was developed considering comments from the research team and measurement experts. The result was a final instrument intended for field research. The validity coefficient of scale measures was 0.902 using Cronbach’s alpha. To determine the validity of the scale, principal components factor analysis was used.Findings: The result of the study was the identification of the components of educational efficiency in eight categories. In addition, a 42-item questionnaire was developed to measure the educational efficiency of faculty members at the level of departments and faculties. The scale explains 65% of the total variance of the variable.

The aim of the research was the construction and normalization of a scale for measuring attachment in 6-12 year old children using the principles of attachment theory. The sample group consisted of 500 students of first to fifth grades of primary schools in the city of Karaj who were selected using multistage cluster sampling. The following steps were taken for the construction of the test: 1) Review of related literature and theories; 2) Development of a database of sentences containing anxiety (separation from and rejection by the attachment figure) and avoidance (from establishing emotionalrelationship with the attachment figure); 3) Preparation and implementation of a pilot test, and removal and modification of inappropriate sentences; 4) Construction of a 28-item scale; 5) Final implementation and determining statistical properties of the test. Two experts confirmed the content validity of the test. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.82 for anxiety and 0.90 for avoidance components.The results of the retest revealed a significant relationship between the scores of two implementations at 0.001 level. The mean of components was not significant at all levels. The concurrent validity was determined using a researcher-made questionnaire on problems related to behavior, education, and compatibility with friends and school. The results confirmed the concurrent validity of the test. Then, the normal properties of the test were determined. The results indicated that the attachment scale in 6-12 year old children has sufficient reliability and validity.

Background: Considering the importance of studying the factors affecting organ transplantation in Iran, the present research aims at examining the factor structure, reliability and validity of the organ transplantation attitude scale.Method: The method of research was descriptive survey. A sample of 210 students, who were selected using multistage cluster sampling, completed the questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed using content validity, construct validity and factorial validity. The reliability of the questionnaire was examined through Cronbach's alpha coefficient.Findings: The pattern of correlation coefficients between the subscales indicated a good construct validity of the scale. The results of exploratory-confirmatory factor analysis were also indicative of good and acceptable fit of items. Moreover, the Cronbach's alpha coefficients for all subscales and total scale were desirable regarding psychometric properties, and reliability coefficient was also good.Conclusion: Considering the results of the study, the scale constructed in the Iranian society can be said to have good validity and reliability. It can be used to assess the factors influencing organ transplantation in Iran.

It is necessary for international tests, such as TIMSS and PIRLS, to have Structural Equivalence, also known as Structural Comparability. In other words, test items should be functionally identical for all the participant countries and groups. The present research was an attempt to examine the structural comparability of TIMSS 2007 8th-Grade Science Test and differential functioning of its items among Iranian and American students, as well as the effect of items with differential functioning on the performance of Iranian students. A combination of confirmatory factor analysis and Item Response Theory was used to analyze the data and answer research questions. The results of factor analysis indicated that the science test had structural comparability between the two groups. This finding suggests that both Iranian and American students use an identical conceptual framework to answer the test items. However, the results of differential item functioning analysis indicated that 62% of TIMSS 2007 8th-Grade Science Test items had differential functioning against Iranian students. In short, the poor performance of Iranian students in TIMSS 2007 Science Test cannot be attributed to differential item functioning, and the causes should be sought elsewhere. Ministry of Education officials and administrators should try to teach the key concepts of any field in an interrelated manner and to cultivate divergent and multidimensional thinking skills and ability in students by preparing appropriate educational contents. Moreover, attempts must be made to distance the system from the traditional method of teaching, which mainly consisted of theoretical lectures, and involve students in practical and laboratory activities.

Background: The process of education, i.e. teaching and learning, is due to the interaction of three elements, namely teacher, student, and content. Almost all of classroom learning and teaching takes place through interaction. Therefore, interaction is essential and fundamental for establishing learning communities.Objective: The present study was an attempt to analyze the status of interaction in e-curriculum of Khajeh NasirToosi University of Technology.Method: The method used in this study was cross-sectional survey. The population consisted of all the students of Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and IT Engineering, as well as all the professors and instructors of e-learning courses who were present at this educational center during the academic year 2009-10. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data.Findings: The analysis of data, which was carried out through descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, indicated that the interaction between teachers, students, and content in e-curriculum of Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology is below the average level.

Objective: The present study aimed at the standardization of Bender Gestalt II for preschool andprimary school-children in Shiraz. The sample consisted of 473 girls and 427 boys aged 4 to 11 years who were selected using stratified random sampling from eight schools located in four education districts of Shiraz.Methods: Test-retest and split-half methods were used for studying the reliability of the test. To assess the validity of the test, four procedures were used, namely comparison of BG II and Bender-Gestalt test (Koppitz scoring system), comparison with Cancellation test, studying the performance of ADHD and LD children in BG II. In this regard, correlation coefficientswere used for the first two procedures, and independent T was used for the last two procedures.Results and Conclusion: The reliability coefficient obtained in copy phase was 0.94 and in recall phase was 0.76.The mean of split-half reliability coefficient for all age groups was 0.80. The results of validity assessment showed high validity of BG II for use in Iran, a fact suggesting that BG II can be used as a suitable assessment tool in the Iranian culture. A result of the standardization was that contrary toKoppitz' s finding (1963), children's performance in BG II could be affected by cultural and social factors. In other words, children from higher cultural and social groups had a better performance compared to children from lower cultural and social groups. In this study, the performance of girls was significantly better than that of boys.