JOURNAL OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2012 | Volume:1 | Issue:1|Papers Count:7

The present research is aimed to study the relationship between handedness and academic achievement in secondary students. For this purpose 901 students (441 boys, 460 girls) in 1 to 3 grades of ordinary secondary schools with age average 13 years and 5 months (minimum11 and maximum 20 years) and standard deviation 1 year and 2 months were chosen by cluster sampling method from schools of educational district five of Tehran city. Handedness questionnaire of Chapman and Chapman (1987) were completed by all subjects. Scores of students in written examinations of mathematics, religious education, geography, social science, Persian dictation, experimental sciences, English dictation, history, Arabic and vocational and technical education were gathered for educational achievement criteria. Data analysis revealed that the prevalence of non right-handedness (leftis 16 percent in both sexes. Data analysis by t-test also indicated that academic achievement of right-handers and non-right handers is not significantly different. Although the mean score of non-right handers in history was significantly more than right-handers (a=0.03). So handedness by itself is not related to educational achievement in secondary school students and the parents and the personnel of school need not worry about left or right- handedness in their children.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a "Succeeding in School" training program on the academic performance, academic self-concept, attitude towards school, learning how to succeed in school and social adjustment of second graders of junior high schools of Ahvaz city. The sample included 52 students who were selected randomly, according to a multistage sampling method. They were then randomly assigned to experimental (26 students) and control (26 students) groups. The design of the study was of the pretest-posttest control group type. Instruments used in this study were Gerler’s Attitude toward School Scale, Delavar’s Academic Self-Concept Scale, California Personality Test and Gerler’s Learning How to Succeed in School Scale. The average of first and second term scores was considered as an index of the academic performance of the students. The results of MANCOVA showed that the "Succeeding in School" training program significantly increased attitude towards school, learning how to succeed in school, academic performance and social adjustment.The results of this study showed that this program can be used for improving the performance of junior high school second graders.

This research was carried out to study the degree of correspondence between teachers' nonverbal and verbal communication during teaching and its relationship with students' academic achievement in primary schools. A sample of 400 teachers was selected from among 1600 primary school teachers Ardabil through a random multistage cluster sampling procedure. The students of these teachers, 10831 in number constituted the later sample. Data were gathered using official documents, Flanders Interaction Analysis Categories System (FIACS), and French and Galloway's table of non-verbal and verbal communication through classroom observation. Observers sat at the back of the classroom in a position which allowed them to hear and see all participants (teacher and pupils).Inter-observer agreement was computed based on Scott's formula. The least of Scott's coefficient obtained from pairs of observers equal to 0.84 showed that observations had adequate reliability. A survey research method was utilized. All data obtained were analyzed using simultaneous regression analysis. Findings revealed that teachers' nonverbal and verbal communication during teaching were appropriate and encouraging for the students.The degree of correspondence between components of nonverbal and verbal communication emerged as significant predictors of academic achievement.

Anxiety disorders, particularly social phobia, are one of the most important disorders in schools requiring attention. Given the importance of this matter, the purpose of the present research was to study the relationship of meta- cognitive beliefs and self-efficacy with social phobia and to compare these beliefs in individuals with and without social phobia. Using a multistage cluster sampling procedure, a sample of 136 12th grade high school students in Kermanshah was selected. Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Meta-Cognitive Beliefs Questionnaire, and General Self Efficacy were used to gather data. The design of study was correlational. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Results revealed that positive beliefs about worry, cognitive competence, cognitive self-consciousness, total meta-cognitive beliefs and self-efficacy were negatively correlated with social phobia, while beliefs about thought control correlated positively with social phobia. It can be concluded that meta- cognitive beliefs and self-efficacy are effective in predicting social phobia.

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) influences the life of many students. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship of the sense of coherence and alexithymia with life satisfaction in students with ADHD symptoms. This research was a correlational study. The research sample consisted of 94 girl students with ADHD symptoms selected from among 600 high school students. To collect data, the Sense of Coherence Scale, Alexithymia Scale, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analyses. The results showed that alexithymia (r=0.33) and sense of coherence (r=-0.26) were related to life satisfaction of students with ADHD symptoms. The results of multiple regression analyses showed that alexithymia and sense of coherence explained 20 percent of variance of life satisfaction in students.Findings indicate that low level of sense of coherence and high level of alexithymia reduces life satisfaction in students with ADHD symptoms. The findings have important implications in the pathology, prevention, and treatment of students with ADHD symptoms.

and the purpose of the study was to conduct a meta-analysis on studies carried out on the role of teaching models in students’ academic achievement. A total of 30 theses were indentified from among 851 graduate program research theses available at the Teaching Research Institute of the Ministry of Education in Ardabil, and 513 papers obtained from the websites. All research studies were conducted before Jan 10, 2011, and included the research projects and/or student theses focusing on the role of teaching models in students’ academic achievement. Among these works, twenty one had 70 percent of the features for entering the meta-analysis, so they were considered for further examination. The results of the studies and impact factors combination showed that the efficacy order of models had been as follows: Scientific Inquiry Model, Organized Inquiry Model, Mnemonic Model, Cooperative Learning, Synectics Model, Inductive Thinking Model, Advance Organizer Model, Attaining Concept, and Social Learning Model.

The main objective of this study was to compare the internal and external dimensions of thinking styles in blind and normal students. The statistical population of the present research comprised all students aged between 12 and 18 years enrolled in junior and high schools in Ardabil city during the academic year 1378-88. A sample of 60 blind students (30 boys and 30 girls) and 60 sighted students (30 boys and 30 girls) was selected.Subscales of the short form of the Sternberg & Wagner Thinking styles Inventory were administered individually to gather data. The research design was casual-comparative and data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. Results showed that there was significant difference between thinking styles in blind and normal students. Mean scores of blind students in internal thinking style were greater than those of sighted students, while sighted students scored higher than their blind counterparts in external thinking style. Significant differences between thinking styles (internal-external) of male and female students were also observed. Results of this study suggest that education professionals proceed with planning and implementation of combined therapeutic programs for blind students with emotional disorders.