JOURNAL OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2014 | Volume:2 | Issue:4 (8)|Papers Count:9

The present study examined psychometric characteristics of constructivist learning environment survey, including reliability, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in preparation for use in educational research.For this purpose, a sample consisting of 646 high school students (328 girls and 318 boys) with a cluster random sampling method from Yazd city high schools were selected. And were tested with the constructivist learning environment survey. Reliability of this instrument in terms of Cronbach's alpha coefficients for this sample was calculated and verified. Exploratory factor analysis results led to the extraction of 5 factors wich are consistent with previous research. Confirmatory factor analysis results also showed that the five-factor structure is acceptable fit for the data. Therefore, According to the good psychometric characteristics, constructivist learning environment survey can be used for research related to the perception of the classroom environment.

The aim of the present research was to determine the relationship between resilience and problem solving with high risk behaviors. Method of research was ex post facto and correlation. The statistical population of the present research comprised the female high school students with high and low achievement in educational district nine of Tehran. The research sample consisted of 35 students with high educational achievement and 35 students with low educational achievement. They were selected by multi-stage random cluster sampling method. Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale, Risk Behaviors Scale, and Kassidy & Long Problem Solving Style Questionnaire were used to gather data. The MANOVA results showed that there was significant difference in resilience, problem solving and high risk behavior between two groups. Mean scores of students with high achievement in resilience and creative problem solving style were greater than those of students with low achievement. Students with low achievement scored higher than students with high achievement in helplessness, control, avoidance problem solving styles and also high risk behavior. The results of Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there is an inverse relationship between resilience and high risk behavior in two groups. There is a significant difference between helplessness, control and avoidance problem solving styles with high risk behavior in students with low achievement. Also direct relationship was found between controls, avoidance problem solving styles with high risk behavior in students with high achievement. These findings can be useful for educational and counseling services for students.

The current research is aimed to investigate the relationship between basic beliefs and perception of parental relationships and subjective wellbeing. To do so, 655 high school students in Tehran (283 boys and 372 girls), were selected through cluster sampling. They were asked to complete the Basic Beliefs Inventory (BBI), the Perception of Parents Scale (POPS), the Satisfaction with Life scale, and the Positive and Negative Affection Scales inventories. Results obtained from correlation and regression analyses showed that meaningful world belief, favorable self belief, parents’ warmth perception, and perception of parents’ self-autonomy support are positively and significantly related to subjective well-being. Meaningful world belief along with perception of parents’ warmth, favorable self belief, and parents’ self-autonomy support detemine 51% of changes in subjective well-being. Based on the results of the current study, it is concluded that attempts to construct positive beliefs and optimizing parental relationships have important contributions to students’ subjective well-being.

The current study is an attempt to compare the effects of game-based and traditional teaching methods on third grade male students' motivation and progress in math in Tehran City. The research method is quasi-experimental and it is based on pretest-posttest procedure involving a control group. The sample included 60 third grade male students which were equally divided into experimental and control groups through available sampling method. The researcher first selected a primary school in District 7 of Tehran, and then two classes out of its four third grade classes were selected. Afterwards, one of the classes was detrmined as the control group and the other as the experiment group. The measurement tools of the research comprised (1) math motivation questionaire, (2) researcher-made achievement test and (3) Ryan's IQ test. Descriptive statistical mehtods (mean, standard deviation, etc.) were applied to analyze data, and covariance was applied in drawing conclusions. The results found through data analysis indicated that there is statistically significant diference between the means of motivation and educational progress of the students trained through game-based method and the students trained through traditional method. That is to say, motivation and achievement levels of students who had been trained through game-based teaching methods were more campared to motivation and achievement levels of the students who had been trained through the traditional methods. Thus, it can be concluded that the teaching style plays a substantial role in increasing students’ motivation and academic achievement.

One of the first steps in managing an effective class is to recognize the characteristics of disciplined and indisciplined students. The main purpose of this research was to compare emotional intelligence and mind reading in disciplined students and indiscipline students. The subjects consist of 384 high school in 89-90 educational year in Tabriz city who were selected by multi-stage cluster and purposive sampling method. Disciplined and undisciplined students based on two cut points were used for discipline score of boy and girls and school officials. Sharing emotional intelligence and Baron-cohen mind reading test were used in the research. Data analyses by MANOVA, independent sample t-test. MANOVA test results showed that there is a significant difference between two groups in terms of score, of emotional intelligence and mind reading. Also the results showed that there are significant differences between two groups in terms of mind reading and emotional intelligence, at the end the results of this research showed that high emotional intelligence discipline problems and these students who have high mind reading discipline problems.

The aim of the present study was to investigate effectiveness of anger control and problem solving training on mental health and teaching style of pre-school teachers. The sample included 32 female teachers of pre-school centers in Tehran. The design of the study is quasi-experimental with single group pre-test and pos-test design. Training workshops were held once a week for 21 sessions and every session lasted for two-hours. The intervention package used in this study included two parts: teaching problem solving and anger management training. Assessment tools included Mental Health Inventory- 28, State- Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and Teaching Style. Before and after workshops, questionnaires were completed by the teachers. Results showed that teachers participation in the workshops lead to the increase of their scores on problem solving, and decrease on aggression, depression, anxiety and stress. Both means of well-being and psychological distress factors in pre-test and pos-test stages showed significant differences, however, subscales of anger temperament, anger control-in, and anger control-out between the two stages showed no significant differences. The results revealed that the intervention package was effective, though permanent changes of personality characteristics need more time and effort.

The aim of this study was to offer a pattern for predicting academic achievement based on cognitive and metacognitive strategies, achievement goals orientation and spiritual intelligence. The research design of this study was descriptive-analysis of correlation type. In order to reach the goal of the research 400 high school students were selected using stratified random sampling. All of them completed the revised achievement goals orientation questionnaire (AGQ), motivational strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ) and the spiritual intelligence questionnaire (SIQ). Teacher-made tests were considered as indicator of academic achievement on biology lesson. The data were analyzed using path analysis. The results of regression analysis confirmed the Intermediatry role of cognitive and metacognitive strategies and spiritual intelligence between achievement goals orientation and academic achievement. Also, Performance-avoidance goal had a direct and negative effect on academic achievement (p<0.01). So to increase the academic achievement in biology the first step must be training mastery approach goal, then training metacognitive self-regulation and finally be aware of the negative consequences of performance-avoidance goal.

Not every gifted is necessarily creative, but fully utilizing the intelligence is impossible without creativity. Therefore the study on factors of creativity among the gifted is necessary. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between parenting styles and shyness with creativity among the gifted. In this study, we have selected 237 female students from Tehran' s “Sampad” high schools using cluster random sampling method and applying “Bumrind parenting styles scale”, “Stanford Shyness Test” and “Abedi Creativity Scale” as the main tools for the investigation. Thereafter, data were analyzed by chi-square and phi coefficient, beside the descriptive statistics methods. Results revealed that in the parenting style group of maternal logical discipline, the least frequency of low shyness is for the lowest and low levels of creativity and the highest frequency is for the high and very high levels of creativity. The comparison between levels of creativity and levels of shyness according to the logical parenting style showed a correlation of 0.51 with a significance level of less than 0.0001 and a significant difference between groups via chi square test. In other words, most of the individuals who underwent logical discipline parenting style and had low levels of shyness, hold a higher than medium levels of creativity.

The main aim of the present study is investigatig the problems of self-educating, lesson planning, assessment and external factors in distance-ducation from students’ point of view. The research method, regarding its theme, is descriptive-survey and cross-sectional type. To achieve the objective of the study, from the research population including all students in distance education of Ardabil city in the academic year 1387-1388, 112 students were selected using a multistage cluster sampling. To collect the required data, two researcher-made questionnaires have been used. The results showed that students in all research questions (self-studing, lesson planning, assessment and external factors), evaluated the problems higher than their average bound. Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that to develop and implement distance learning systems in education the following recommendations can be taken into account: 1 - To develop a distance education system, government programs should be fully developed and implemented.2 – To implement a distance education system, expert staff should be used.3 – In a distance education system, analytical information and marketing services mut be develpped legally and under supervision.4 – In a distance education system, communication and information infrastructure must be completed.5 – To develop a distance education system, teaching methods, scientific methods and other procedures must be completed.6 - Individual control mechanisms should be established in distance education system.