JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE STRATEGIES IN LEARNING
Year:2017 | Volume:5 | Issue:8 |Papers Count:12

Objective: Children with learning disorders despite having average or above average IQ have difficulty in the basic academic skills such as reading, writing and math. The aim of this study was comparison of organizing-planning, reasoning and working memory in children with and without specific learning disorders.Method: This study was Ex post facto research. The study population was included all boy students with and without specific learning disorder in fourth grade in Gonabad city. The sample consisted of 30 students with learning disorders and 30 normal students that were enrolled in2012-2013 year. Student with specific learning disorders selected through simple random sampling method and normal students selected with multi-stage cluster sampling.Results: The results showed that the performance of normal children in executive functions was significantly different from children with specific learning disorders (p<0.05), also difference between type of specific learning disorders (reading, writing and math) in executive functions was not significant (p>0.05).Conclusion: According to the findings can say that performance of children with specific learning disorders in executive functions than normal children is low, so it should be noted in their assessment and treatment programs.

Objective: Hope is motivational– emotional construct refers to the expectation that based on the individual probability that pleasant events occur in the future. So the aim of this study was construction academic hope scale and investigate its psychometric characteristics in students.Method: This scale has 27 items that have been extracted from the content of interviews with students. To investigate psychometric characteristics of this scale 241 boy and girl high school were selected by random cluster sampling from four areas of Shiraz education schools and they answered to academic hope scale. Also to explore it criterion validity was used of the psychological hardiness questionnaire and patience scale for children and adolescents.Results: The results of exploratory factor analysis by principal components method with varimax rotation indicating the existence of 4 component academic hope that were named respectively to hope to gain opportunity, hope to gain life skills, hope to usefulness of school and hope to gain competency. This four component explained 58 percent of the total variance of sample. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess the reliability of the scale. Cronbach's alpha for subscale hope to gain opportunities 0/90, hope to gain life skills 0.90, hope to usefulness of school 0.84, hope to gain competency 0.76 and Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the total academic hope scale was 0.94.Conclusion: Generally the results showed that academic hope scale has an appropriate reliability and validity and it can be used as a useful tool to assessment academic hope in students.

Objective: This study was conducted aiming to investigate the mediating role of general self-efficacy in relationship between metacognition and self-handicapping.Method: The participants were 336 (189 women and 147 men) undergraduate students from Shiraz University selected by random multistage cluster sampling method. The participants completed three measures: General Self-efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1992), Metacognitive Awareness Inventory Scale (Schraw & Dennisson, 1994), and Self-handicapping Scale (Jones & Rhodewalt, 1982). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to examine the reliability of the scales. To determine the validity, internal consistency and item analysis were applied.Results: The findings showed the reliability and validity of all instruments were at satisfactory level. The results indicated that the model had a good fitness with the data. Metacognition could predict self-handicapping in a direct mannar. Moreover, general self-efficacy had a mediating role in relationship between metacognition and self-handicapping. The mediating role of general self-efficacy applying Bootstrap was significant.Conclusion: Totally, it is concluded that the metacognition can affect students’ self-handicapping in a negative manner through increasing their general self-efficacy.

Objective: This study aims to predict academic procrastination based on the psychological capital components (hope, optimism, resiliency and self-efficacy) and achievement goals orientation.Method: The research method was correlation. To do so, 375 students were chosen in Islamic Azad University in Dezful branch (175 female and 200 male) during 2015-16 through stratified random sampling. To gather the data, Procrastination Scale (Lay, 1986) and Achievement Goal Questionnaire (Eliot and McGregor, 2001) were used and for the four components of psychological capital there were used Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, Life Orientation Test-Revised, Resiliency Scale and Academic Self-Efficacy Scale. The data were analyzed using Pierson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression.Results: The results showed that there is a negative significant relationship between academic procrastination and for the four components of psychological capital and mastery-approach goal orientation and a positive and significant relationship with performance-approach, performance-avoidance and mastery-avoidance goal orientation (P<0.05). Of the variables, self-efficacy component, the goals of performance-approach, mastery-approach and performance-avoidance and hope explained 33 per cent of academic procrastination variance.Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that the psychological capital components and achievement goals orientation are related variables to academic procrastination of university students.

Objective: Studies show that the inquiry-based lesson and curriculum effectively increase students' critical thinking. Therefore, the purpose of doing this project was determing of The effect of inquiry method instruction on critical thinking and in the Empirical Sciences lesson in students were boys in grade eight school of Hamedan.Method: The method that using in this project was from kind of mid expenence with pre testing and after testing with the group of expenence and group of experience and group of control society including all of the student that were boys and were in grade eight first course Hamedan that their numbers were 3941 that they selected in 1394 that these numbers were 60 people and were selected as sample with the method of model available sampling. The tools that are use now, The test of the California critical thinking skil test -form-B (CCTST) was. In order to analyse, the information that got frome questions in pre testing and after testing descriptive statical methods including The mean, standard deviation, frequency distribution and inferential statistical methods, including covariance was used for analysed and with using of soft ware spss, it analysed.Results: The conclusion showed that the inquiry method instruction was effective on critical thinking. Results of covariance analysis showed that the inquiry method instruction was effective on subscales of Critical thinking including, analysis, evaluation, inference, deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning.Conclusion: So the results of this research can be saidinquiry-based learning is a teaching method could lead to the development of critical thinking abilities.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the four-component, Gagne instructional design models with each other and conventional method in experimental science lesson learning (complex subjects).Method: To achieve this purpose, the experimental method with pre-test, post-test, and control groups were used. The entire boys students of Karaj city were the population of this research. The sample was selected through cluster sampling that includes 60-mentioned population that divided into three groups (experimental1, exprimental2, and control group). Intended subject matter presented for Experimental 1 through four component instructional design model, experimental 2 through Gagne instructional design model and for control group through conventional method. For all three groups, pretest, posttest test was executed. For descriptive data analysis, mean and standard deviation scores have been used and for the inferential statistic, covariance analysis was used to examine the hypothesis.Results: Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and covariance test. The findings showed that the mean of the control group and the tests in the pre-test was not significantly different, but in the post-test, the mean of the experimental groups was higher than the control group and by controlling the pre-test score, the observed differences between the scores of the experimental and control groups were significant.Conclusion: The results showed that the difference between the traditional education groups, four components and Gagne instructional design models with 95% confidence was significant. In this way, the Gagne instructional design model from the conventional method, and the four components instructional design model from Gagne instructional design model are more effective in science learning (complex subject).

Objective: The purpose of this research was to developing and implementing of aneducational Package for training executive functions and examining its effectiveness on academic achievement of third-grade underachiever pupils.Method: The research method was experimental with pre-test and post-test and follow up with the control group. The educational package included 10 software games and also 10 games with pencil-paper content. Educational training for executive functions, attention, working memory, inhibition, organizing and planning was prepared. For any executive function, 2 educational game pencil-paper and 2 software game were considered. In order to investigate the effectivness of the training package on academic achievement of 34 underachiever pupils from elementary school to pick random sampling method and were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. The experimental group was trained for 20 sessions (70 minutes each session). The data were analyzed using variance with repeated measures and analysis of covariance.Results: The results showed that training packageof executive functions could be effective in improving academic achievement of the subjects. The improvement in the subject of reading, spelling, and math was the least improvement, seen in reading comprehension. By controlling the age and intelligence, executive function of the impact of the intervention on reading comprehension decreased, so that there was no significant statistical difference between the average reading comprehension test of experimental and control groups.Conclusion: Thus, it can be concluded that training package designed for executive functions could improve student achievement in lessons on reading, spelling and math are effective and lead to decreased academic distance between normal pupilsand underachiever pupils.

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of help-seeking strategies training in the improvement of academic stress, performance and motivation by the moderating role of attributional styles among students.Method: Therefore, using multistage random cluster and screening methods, 60 students were selected from high school students in grade 2 in Tabriz five stricts. They were divided in two groups of internal and external attributional styles based on the cutt of point in Ratters attributional styles questionnaire and were assigned in 4 groups. They completed academic stress scale and assessment of academic achievement motivation. The training sessions were administered in 12 time.Results: Results showed that by controlling the effects of pre-test, help-seeking strategies had a positive significant effect on the academic stress, performance and motivation as a combined variable regarding attributional styles (F=2.54, p<0.05). Beside, attributional styles could moderate the effect of help-seeking training on academic stress and motivation, however, they could not moderate the effect of help-seeking training on academic performance. Results suggest that help-seeking training is effective in the improvement of academic stress, performance and motivation.Conclusion: On the other hand, attributional styles could moderate the effect of this method on academic stress, and motivation, while they have not a moderating role on academic performance.

Objective: The educational enthusiasm concept, is one of the concepts that were used by researchers in the field of education and training. Recent research refers to it as educational engagement. Research’s showed that positive affects and families affective atmosphere is related to factors of educational engagement. So, the aim of this study was to examine the role of emotionality and families affective atmosphere in prediction of students educational engagement.Method: this was a cross-sectional and correlational design. The study population included all female students of Ahwaz high school who were studied in 1394-95 educational year (n=3300). The study sample include 380 student who were selected using multistage cluster sampling. At first, the ahwaz city divided into 4 orient (north, east, west, south) and then 2 school of each orient and 3 class of each school and 16 students of each class were selected. To collect data, Hill burn’s affective atmosphere questionnaire, Positive and negative affect schedule, affective, cognitive and behavioral engagement questionnaire were used. Data were analyzed using SPSS-19 software and Pearson’s correlation coefficient and step-by-step multivariate regression.Results: There was a positive and significant relation between positive affect and families affective atmosphere and educational engagement. And also there is a negative and significant relation between negative affect and educational engagement. Results of multivariate regression showed that emotionality and families affective atmosphere a Good predictors of educational engagement.Conclusion: so, by improving positive emotionality and positive affective atmosphere of family, It is likely that increases students' educational engagement.

Objective: The Effect of Bullying Prevention Program Training on Bullying, Adjustment and Empathy among Middle School Female Students, in Ahvaz. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of bullying prevention program training on bullying, adjustment and empathy among middle school female students, in Ahvaz.Method: The design of the study was an experimental research including pretest-posttest-follow up and control group. The participants in this study were selected by Multistage random sampling method. Based on Illinois questionnaire and opinion poll done on teachers, 40 students were selected as bully and divided randomly into experimental and control groups. The participants completed Revised-Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, Adjustment Inventory for School Students and Basic Empathy Scale. The experimental group received 15 sessions (90 minutes, twice a week) of training based on the Bullying prevention program. Then, in post-test and its follow-up stage, both groups answered questionnaires of the study. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).Results: The result showed that bullying prevention program training has decreased bullying and also has increased adjustment and empathy at posttest and follow up stages.Conclusion: Bullying prevention program training can reduce problems associated with bullying behavior at schools.

Objective: Learning disorders is considered to be one of the main reasons of poor academic performance and influencing factor on learning and executive functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive empowerment on executive functions in students with learning disorders.Methods: In this experimental study with pretest and posttest and control group, 44 students with learning disorders are equally and randomly assigned in control and experimental groups. Experimental group received cognitive empowerment training in six sessions for 90-minutes, whereas control group did not receive any intervention. The tools used in this study included the Stroop test (for measuring inhibition), addition and subtraction test (for measuring shifting), and cards test (for measuring updating). Data were analyzed using ANCOVA.Results: Results showed that cognitive empowerment training is strengthen and improved executive functions in students in the experimental group, compared to the control group.Conclusion: Cognitive empowerment intervention can be used for improving executive functions in students with learning disorders.

Objective: Academic Procrastination is a common behavioral problem in academic environments and has negative academic- consequences and it is important identify and investigate the factors influencing it. Hence, purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation of five big factors of personality and time management with academic procrastination among students.Method: 440 students (240 females and 200 males) in the third–forth grade of Kashan’s high schools (years 2015-2016) were selected by random cluster sampling. Using Solomon and Ruth Bloom’s Academic Procrastination Scale (1984), NEO Personality Inventory (McCrae and Costa, 1985) and Trueman and Hartley’s Time Management Skill Questionnaire (1996) data were gathered.Results: The results showed significant relation between academic procrastination and personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness and conscientiousness). Also. there is significant relation between academic procrastination and time management skill.Conclusion: Considering findings of this study, it can be said that exerting educational interventions and providing appropriate consultations would balance students’ personality traits and promote their time management skills in a way to reduce level of academic procrastination, also help the students to enhance their educational performance.