TRAINING & LEARNING RESEARCHES (DANESHVAR RAFTAR)
Year:2011 | Volume:18 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

The objective of the present study was testing the fitness of the suggested model based on direct and indirect relationship structural equations for relationship of prior academic performance and homework assignments with current academic performance, with mediating role of self-efficacy for perceived learning and responsibility in male and female high school students in Ahwaz. This study was conducted in two stages: primary and main studies. The purpose of the primary study was to survey the psychometric features (reliability and validity) of Self-efficacy for questionnaire. In this step of the study, 130 male and female high school students were selected randomly through multiple-stage random sampling method. These students were chosen from four educational districts in Ahwaz to fill the questionnaires. In the first stage reliability and validity of tools and scales was investigated and in the second step 400 students (200 male and 200 female) of Ahwaz high schools were selected through multi-stage random sampling in order to test the hypotheses and fitness of proposed model. According to the results, the proposed model based on causal relationship structural equations on mentioned variables had an acceptable fitness regarding the fitness indices. Although, in order to make mentioned model well fitted to data removing the insignificant and meaningless paths and modifying the model seemed to be necessary. Most of the analysis' indices showed a complete fitness of modified model to data. In proposed model of the study there was significant relationship between direct paths of previous and current academic performance, previous academic performance and self-efficacy for learning, previous academic performance and homework assignment, homework assignment and self-efficacy for learning, homework assignment and current academic performance, self-efficacy for learning and current academic performance, but paths related to responsibility were not significant.

This research aimed at studying the influence of basic psychological needs on academic achievement taking into account the meditational effects of identity styles (informational, normative, diffuse–avoidant) by using structural equations model. For this purpose, 330 students (166 males and 164 females) were selected using multiple-stage cluster sampling and questionnaires on basic psychological needs (La Guardia, et al. 2000) and identity styles (Berzonsky, 1992) were answered. findings revealed that basic psychological needs have positive direct and significant influence upon informational and normative identity styles while have negative direct influence on diffuse-avoidance identity style and therefore indirectly influence academic achievement through these variables (identity styles). Moreover, basic psychological needs have positive direct and significant influence on academic achievement of students. Results indicated informational style had a positive direct influence upon academic achievement, while normative style influenced academic achievement in a negative significant correlation. The direct influence of Diffuse / avoidant style on academic achievement was not significant. In general, this study emphasized the influences of basic psychological needs and identity styles on academic achievement.

The main purpose of this paper is survey of inquiry teaching method influence on growth of fifth grade students’ philosophical thinking skills. Method of this re-search is quasi – experimental. Statistical population is all of the fifth grade stu-dents in Bahar town in 88-89 academic year. The statistical population includes 1020 students (620 girls and 500 boys). In this study by using of clustering sam-pling method a sample with number of 96 students including 52 girls and 44 boys from two schools were selected in four classrooms. The data gathering tool was researcher-made questionnaire for measurement of psychological thinking. Deter-mination of validity of tool and questionnaire was done through experts' viewpoints in form of content validity and its reliability was about 0.79% through alpha Cronbach method. Collected data were analyzed through t-tests and descriptive statistics indices within independent groups and mutual variance analysis. Findings showed that there is significant difference between average philosophical thinking skills of students in control and experimental groups. Philosophical thinking and its components in fifth grade students whom are familiar with inquiry method in experimental science is more than that of students trained by traditional teaching method. Therefore, inquiry teaching method increases students' philosophical thinking skills in experimental groups. Moreover, research findings indicate that in experimental group, there are not any significant differences between philosophical thinking skills and their components among girl and boy students except comprehensiveness feature.

Teachers' interaction and communication with students is one of the most important factors in learning environment which has significant and considerable influence on self-concept of students. The purpose of the present study was investigation of relationship between academic self-concept and teacher communication styles in a sample of primary school students. For this purpose 263 (145 boys and 118 girls) fourth and fifth grade students in age range of 9 to 12 years old were selected randomly as the sample in form of multiple-stage clustering sampling method. The instruments were Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and Self Descriptive Questionnaire (SDQ). QTI evaluates eight characteristics of teacher from students' viewpoints and SDQ assesses self-concept in seven separate dimensions and one general dimension. Reliability of the mentioned questionnaire was obtained based on factor analysis and correlation with similar tests and its validity was determined through Chronbach alpha and retesting while desirable coefficients were resulted. Statistical analysis showed that self-concept of students is determined by interaction styles. In other words, dimension of leadership was significant positive predictor and dimension of severity and rigidity was negative predictor of self-concept in students. Results of Pearson correlation also demonstrated a positive and significant relation between academic self-concept and cooperation and negative significant correlation between academic self-concept and dominance. Moreover there were statistical significant differences between boys and girls in self-concept and teacher communication styles.

The main purpose of this study was to determine students' attitudes towards re-search and its relation to their beliefs on the self-efficiency of research. A descriptive research method was applied using a survey of 260 Kurdistan university graduate students who were selected by stratified sampling technique. Two questionnaires on their attitude towards research and self-efficacy were administered as the research tools. By conducting a pilot study the validity and reliability of the questionnaires was confirmed. Results showed that female students are less concerned about the difficulties of research than their male counterparts. Moreover, the most positive attitudes towards research belonged to the faculty of technical and engineering’s students. In contrast, faculty of Humanities’ students had higher degree of anxiety concerning doing researches. Generally, students believed in high levels of usefulness and benefits of research activities in their future occupations and indicated low degree of anxiety concerning conducting researches. Male students were more convinced than female students that they possess self-efficacy skills. According to analysis students in the Faculty of Humanities appeared at the lowest category of confi-dence regarding their research self-efficacy skills compared with other faculties’ students while faculty of technical and engineering’s students had the highest level of that. The most important skills from the student’s point of view were respectively: "research computer and analyzing skill" and "writing and presenting skills". In contrast, "application of ethical issues and research procedure" and "research designing skills" had the lowest level of self-confidence and self-efficacy from their viewpoint.

The aim of this research was to inquiry psychometrics specifications of ethical characteristics scale in high school students. For this purpose, a sample of 693 students of high school in Oumieh was selected by cluster-stratified- randomly sampling. Five-choice 72-question scale inventories prepared by the researcher were used for assessment of moral characteristics. For extracting factors main factor analysis was applied and two main factors of morality including external and internal factors were indicated. The first factor included 8 variables (morality based on law, ethical contract, universal ethical principles, super ego, cognitive schemas, Islamic religious ethical principles, ethical sensitivity & motivation, ethical administrative skills) and second factor involved four variables (ethics based on punishment, viscerotonia, confirmation of others, observational learning). These factors analysis totally explained 56.96% of variance. For determination of validity in this scale, use correlation of Lind inventory scales with first factor equal to 0.79%, second factor equal to 0.68%, and total scale equal to 0.71%. For determination of reliability in this scale, Cronbach alpha was used and showed 0.88% for factor 1, 0.67% for factor 2, 0.74% for total scale. Data analysis showed that there is significant difference in micro ethics based on punishment, viscerotonia, religious principles and ethical sensitivity.

The present research proceeds with examining the relation between collective effi-ciency culture and primary school teacher performance in Tehran City. This re-search is considered to a descriptive study of a correlation type. Our statistical population consists of primary school teachers of the city of Tehran. The sample size consists of 140 randomly selected teachers. Research tools consist of Godard et al (2000) collective efficiency questionnaire and Iran Ministry of Education Performance Appraisal form. Study results show that collective efficiency culture and its micro scales (task analysis and teaching competence) have a positive and significant relation with the teachers’ performance. T-Test and Variance Analysis results indicate that in terms of gender and work experience there is no difference between teachers' collective efficiency culture; while in terms of educational degree, a meaningful and significant difference exists. Regression analysis results show that with the simultaneous entrance of collective efficiency culture and its micro scales and elements, around 0.53Percent changes related to teacher individual performance can be determined using these factors, and the remaining 47 percent are related to other components.

Current research is aimed to study influence of attributive restructuring test on changing negative attitude of girls in grade of middle school to math in Isfahan Province. To achieve this purpose, sampling of testable has been devoted in 2 parts. In the first step, 300 girl students were chosen through multi-stage cluster random sampling and then attitude of scale to math was tested on them. And in the next stage, 60 students of testable who have negative attitude to math were chosen and after randomly equalization they were controlled and tested in two groups composed of 30 students. Statistical analysis of data was conducted in descriptive level through use of appropriate indices and in deductive level through testing variance analysis by re-measurements in order to survey significant differences between three types of scores: pretest, posttest and test track. Results of survey suggest that there is significant difference between girl students attitude towards math in pretest, posttest and test track (sig= 0.001, F= 74.417) as influence of attributive restructuring sessions on changing girl students' negative attitude to math are evaluated as positive.