JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM
Year:2019 | Volume:9 | Issue:18 |Papers Count:7

This study aims to investigate the application of constructivist curriculum elements in higher education. The research design is a sequential-explanatory mixed method. The instruments employed in this study include a researcher-made questionnaire as well as observation for the quantitative phase and (narrative and qualitative) observation for the qualitative phase. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population includes all the post graduate students of Shiraz University studying humanities. From this population 302 students are selected as the sample through stratified random sampling. For the quantitative observation, one class is selected from each major (n=46) in the faculties under study. For the qualitative observation, three classes from each facility are selected and two sessions are observed. In the first phase, the validity and reliability of questionnaire is examined before implementation. From descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation and from inferential statistics, one-sample t-test and independent t-tests are used for the purpose of data analysis. The correlation coefficient of 90% is obtained for the observation which confirms the reliability. The validity of qualitative observation is evaluated through the mastery of subject by the researcher. The results indicate no significant difference regarding the target element, content and teaching-learning strategies. However, evaluation element is lower than the standard level. The results obtained from the quantitative phase confirm the results of the questionnaire. The results of the qualitative observation could explain the features of classes.

Abstract: Curriculum studies is one of the emerging disciplines in the world which has undergone remarkable growth and development recently. This discipline has gone through various eras of traditionalism, conceptual empiricism and reconceptualism, and has now become one of the outstanding and significant fields of education. With respect to the historical development of the field in Iran, the present article seeks to display the relationship between the curriculum studies and the general education system as in Iran national context. The author argues that the educational system of Iran which serves as the origin of this discipline is an unsuitable context including several barriers. The consequences of these barriers such an obstruction can be discussed from different dimensions. The article considers this situation as a serious crisis for this field in Iran, which has questioned the survival and legitimacy of the field in scientific and executive communities. By adopting such an approach, the concepts of disciplinary immigration, reorganization and development of discipline in new ecosystems have been introduced as the main solutions to overcome the crisis. Finally, areas such as higher education curriculum, adult education curriculum, curriculum studies in human resource development, and curriculum counselling are considered to be the starting points of such a movement in Iran.

Nowadays, diverse media affected on intellectual processes and decision making of audiences by varieties modes. Therefore, media literacy competence is one of the requirements of citizens in media age. The aim of this study is to determine the educational needs of students in media literacy according to their exiting media literacy status. This study conducted in two stages, which at first of them, to measure students' media literacy, descriptive and survey research method was used. From 7087 undergraduate students with using Stratified random method 481 students were selected from 9 colleges and responded to media literacy researcher made questioner. The face and content validity of this tool obtained using seven deliberate expertise opinions and its reliability obtained 0/84. For analysis of data, single group T test and Friedman test used. In the second phase of study, survey method used which 30 academic experts and senior executive in the field media literacy participated in research. These participants were selected by using available sampling and criterion-centric sampling and for data gathering, an open-ended questioner with three questions for determining the educational needs associated with media literacy used. The data of this stage analyzed using the agreement coefficient. The results indicated: the status of students in some aspects of media literacy such as critical using and critical production is not suitable. The main needs of students are in the field of use, analysis and evaluation of media messages, recognition and reviewing media, understanding of media function in specific socio-cultural context, the art of writing and semantic skills, and familiarity with various software for message production. Therefore, some suggestions have been made for establishing media literacy curriculum in higher education.

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a sustainable curriculum scale in Iran's higher education system. To this aim, the face validity is measured after designing the initial scale based on theoretical framework and research background. In the next step, 400 graduate students from Shiraz University are selected by stratified random sampling. The content validity is obtained through item analysis and the construct validity is calculated by factor analysis. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient is obtained for measuring the reliability. According to the factor loads of logic (0. 65), the goal (0. 78), content (0. 83), teaching-learning (0. 85), materials and educational resources (0. 86), learning activities (0. 84) ), time (0. 78), space (0. 76), grouping (0. 89) and evaluation (0. 73), the scale construct validity are confirmed and based on significant correlation between subscales with scale total score and items with their subscales, content validity is confirmed as well. In addition, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the sustainable curriculum scale (0. 97) and the subscales of logic (0. 93), target (93. 03), content (0. 87), teaching-learning methods (0. 79), materials and Educational resources (0. 95), learning activities (0. 88), time (0. 92), space (0. 78), grouping (0. 77) and evaluation (0. 93), confirm the reliability of sustainable curriculum scale and its’ subscales.

With regard to the recent widespread application of cellphone technologies in the pursuit of educational, the present study aims to explore the educational capabilities of cellphones for this purpose through a descriptive survey method. The statistical population includes all graduate students of Kharazmi University (4770 students). From this population, 351 subjects are selected by simple random sampling method and based on Morgan and Krejsi sample size. The research instrument is a researcher-made questionnaire and the validity is confirmed by of 8 scholars in the field of education and media sciences. The reliability of 0. 93 is calculated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. To analyze the obtained data, descriptive and inferential statistics are employed in the form of two factor analysis of variance analysis and two independent samples t-test in SPSS software version 21. The findings indicate that the students use cellphones especially in searching information, teaching imaging, language learning, classroom activities, educational software, and sharing learning data with classmates. Furthermore, the students believe that cellphones could facilitate the interactions among students and professors, save time and provide easy access to textbooks. But at the same time, they report negative consequences such as the violation of the individuals’ privacy, the tension in the public mind, the lack of concentration and engagement in non-educational issues. In addition, there is no significant difference between the cross-sectional effects of the field of study and the use of training applications by cellphones. Also, the findings show that female students are more likely to use educational capabilities of cellphones than male students. In the end, the findings are discussed and implications were presented.

Iran higher education system has emphasized the necessity for validating, reviewing, changing, and improving of the academic curriculum as the strategies for enhancing the quality of university education. In this regard, faculty members play the most significant role in implementing new academic curricula and could facilitate the success or failure of accreditation of academic curricula. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine the levels of faculty members’ preparation for implementing Accreditation and change in academic curriculum from their viewpoints. The research method in this paper is quantitative and the data collection is conducted within a descriptive-survey method. The statistical population of this study includes the faculty members of Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Tehran. According to Morgan table, 50 individuals are selected randomly from the statistical population as the statistical sample. The instrument of this research is a researcher-made questionnaire composed of 20 items, with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0. 88 and the coefficient of validity is confirmed by the experts in the field. The collected data are analyzed through descriptive statistics and Xi-dual inferential statistics. The findings of this study reveal that the majority of faculty members believe that the university has done very limited practices for increasing their awareness toward the goals of Accreditation and changing academic curriculum, changing their attitudes toward Accreditation and new curriculum, in line with changing curriculum, increasing their skill in changing their teaching method and increasing their skill levels in assessment methods.

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between the degree of compliance of faculty curriculum with the quality of learning experiences and academic performance of students. This research is applied in terms of purpose, and in terms of data collection it is conducted within a descriptive correlation framework. The statistical population of this study includes 51 faculty members and 1200 graduate students of Islamic Azad University of Torbat-e-Heydarieh. Using the formula for determining the sample size of Krejcie and Morgan, 290 graduate students are selected through random sampling method and the whole faculty members through a census method. The instruments for data collection include a researcher-made syllabus adaptation questionnaire containing 14 items in 4 components with Likert Scale Response as well as Newman's Learning Experience Quality Questionnaire (1990) in 4 different domains for Iranian samples by Nayami (2010). And the GPAs of students in the past semester are used for the purpose of measuring academic performance. The reliability of the questionnaires is calculated through Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the results show 0. 78 and 0. 83 for each questionnaire, respectively. For data analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and regression are obtained with SPSS 21 software. The results of this study indicate that there is a positive and significant relationship between the degree of adaptation of the curriculum of the faculty members and the quality of the learning experiences and academic performance of the students. Additionally, there is a positive and significant relationship between the quality of learning experiences and academic performance of students.