Journal of JundiShapur Educational Development
Year:2024 | Volume:15 | Issue:2|Papers Count:9

Purpose: In educational systems including higher education, the teaching reflective plays an important role in teaching and learning. As a result, the purpose of this study was to designing a paradigm model to train thinking in universities of medical sciences.Method: The present study in terms of purpose was applied and in terms of implementation method was qualitative. The research population was the academic experts of Medical Sciences Universities all over the country in the academic years 2020-2021. According to the theoretical saturation principle, 18 people were selected by purposeful and snowball sampling methods, and what is more, data collection tool was a depth interview which its validity was confirmed by the expert review method and its reliability by the agreement coefficient method between the two coders was estimated 0.85. The coding method based on the paradigm model of ground theory in MAXQDA-2018 software was used for data analysis, too.Findings: The findings showed that in the paradigm model of teaching reflective in universities of medical sciences were identified 62 indicators in 10 components; In conclusion, the causal conditions including students' inefficiency to overcome problems in complex situations and non-community-oriented functions of the medical universal system; underlying conditions including the allocation of special credits of educational methods’ modification; intervention conditions including the development of knowledge boundaries and attention to global issues in the field of medical sciences; central phenomenon including the development of reflective as a conscious and rational decision-making process; strategies including appropriate discourse, teaching problem-solving methods and designing and organizing curriculum elements; and consequences outcome including knowledge and development of individual competencies. Considering all of the above, a paradigm model of teaching the thinking in universities of medical sciences was designed.Conclusion: Based on the results, to improve and enhance teaching reflective can be improved the components and indicators identified for them.Extended abstractPurpose: Human power is the most important pillar of today's organizations and about 70% of all resources and investment of an organization is its human power. Having an efficient, committed, loyal, knowledge-based, and organizationally owned workforce is an important capital for the organization that can create a competitive advantage. In order to have such a force, it is necessary to develop a curriculum in accordance with the needs of the society and cooperation between different parts of the educational system and centers providing health services, and universities of medical sciences emphasized on obtaining a large amount of information since centuries ago. Efficient, competent and capable human resources have been one of the most important management resources in the health system, too. In educational systems, including higher education, thinking plays an important role in teaching and learning. As a result, the aim of this research was to design a paradigm model of thinking training in medical sciences universities.Method: The present study was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive in terms of qualitative type. The research community was the academic experts of the universities of medical sciences of the whole country during the academic year 2019-2020, who were considered experts in the field of thinking, education and its management, and in the field of development and management of human resources in the universities of medical sciences. According to the principle of theoretical saturation, the sample size was 18 people considering that these people were selected by targeted and snowball sampling methods.  Moreover, the principle of theoretical saturation, sampling process continued until the research reached saturation and the new samples could not add anything to the current findings research. The conditions or criteria for entering the experts for study included minimum doctoral education, agreement to record interviews, mastery of the subject of thinking and management of thinking, mastery of the conditions of human resource development as well as mastery of the conditions of human resource management in universities of medical sciences, , whereas the conditions or criteria for withdrawing from the study included unwillingness to participate in the research and refusal to continue cooperation, and participation in the interview after announcing participation in it. The validity of the interviews was confirmed by the expert reviewed method. For this purpose, the interviewer confirmed the content by returning the speech and thoughts of the interviewees during the interview and summarizing them, and after the completion of the interviews by sending the full typed and handwritten text of all the interviews. Also, the reliability of the interviews was checked and its level was obtained by the method of the coefficient of agreement between two coders. For data analysis, the coding method based on Grand Theory paradigm model was also used in MAXQDA-2018 software.Findings: The findings showed that 62 indicators were identified in 10 components in the paradigm model of thinking training in universities of medical sciences; so that in the mentioned model, the causal conditions included the ineffectiveness of students to overcome problems in complex conditions and the lack of community-oriented functions of the medical university system, the background conditions contained the allocation of special credit for the reform of educational methods, the intervention conditions also included the development of knowledge boundaries and attention to global issues in the field of medical sciences. Moreover, the central phenomenon included the development of thinking as a conscious and logical decision-making process, strategies contained appropriate discourse creation, teaching problem-solving methods and designing and organizing curriculum elements; and the consequences contained within the development of knowledge and the development of individual competencies. Finally, the paradigm model of thinking training in medical sciences universities was designed.Discussion and conclusion: The findings of this research showed that 62 indicators were identified in 10 components in the paradigm model of thinking education in universities of medical sciences; Hence, the outcomes in the mentioned model showed the causal conditions including the ineffectiveness of students to overcome problems in complex conditions and the lack of community-oriented functions of the medical university system; the background conditions including the allocation of special credit for the reform of educational methods; the intervention conditions including the development of knowledge boundaries and attention to global issues in the field of medical sciences; the central phenomenon including the cultivation of thinking as a conscious and logical decision-making process; strategies including appropriate discourse creation, teaching problem solving methods and designing and organizing curriculum elements; and the consequences including the development of knowledge and the development of individual competencies; and finally a model was designed as a paradigm. Although the shortage of researches were found about the paradigm model of thinking education, based on the results it can be stated the components and indicators identified for them can be improved in order to improve and promote thinking education.

Introduction: Faculty members can provide services in the university in the best way when they have knowledge and awareness of the goals of the organization and their role in determining those goals. Therefore, the organizational socialization of this group at the beginning of entering the university is one of the most important issues to take advantage of this power. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the need for socialization in the new faculty members of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative method by semi-structured interviews. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with 6 educational managers and accessible sampling with 10 new academic faculty members, and the challenges and solutions of this field in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences were determined. The data was analyzed using the directed content analysis method. The data were analyzed using the framework content analysis method.Discussion: The most important problems identified for new academic staff members include: lack of knowledge of work and administrative issues of the university (work processes, rules and regulations, etc.), lack of familiarity with teaching methods and interaction with students, and insufficient ability in this field, and lack of familiarity with the duties of the academic staff.Conclusion: The findings of the research showed that the existence of a codified and comprehensive program to acquaint faculty members with the structure and function of the university, rules and regulations, priority programs of the university, communication with students and improving teaching ability in the early years of the faculty member's entry into the university is necessary.Extended abstractIntroduction: Academic faculty members can serve best in the university when they have knowledge and awareness of the organization's goals and their role in achieving them. Therefore, the organizational socialization of this group upon entering the university is one of the most important issues to benefit from them effectively. Organizational socialization is a management process through which people acquire the values, norms, knowledge, and skills necessary to integrate into a society. The lack of socialization of academic staff members upon entering the university will lead to problems such as ineffective teaching, research, and therapeutic activities, and will cause work-related stress, ultimately resulting in weak organizational performance and efficiency. For this reason, organizational socialization has recently received significant attention in the organizational literature of universities. The purpose of this study was to identify the need for an organizational socialization program among the new faculty members of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences by examining the work problems of this group.Method: This study was conducted at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences using a qualitative method and the content analysis approach. In the first step, a literature review was conducted to identify the problems of new faculty members. In the second stage, based on the results of the previous step, a guide to open-ended questions was designed and given to several officials and faculty members other than the participants in the interview for validation. Finally, minor amendments were made to the open-ended questions of the interview guide.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with educational managers and new faculty members of the university to determine which issues in the process of work at the university are ambiguous for new professors and cause disruption in the workflow, and suggestions were also collected. The interviews were conducted in a semi-structured manner. At the beginning of each interview, the research objectives were explained to the participants, and with their permission, the interviews were recorded. Before concluding each interview, the participants in this research reviewed the manuscripts to ensure that the writings were complete in terms of content, thereby increasing the validity and acceptability of the data. To comply with ethical issues, participation in the study was voluntary, and confidentiality of information was guaranteed. The interview questions were reviewed and checked by 3 experienced professors in the field of research. To analyze the data, the text of each interview was studied several times, and the findings were summarized. The data obtained from the interviews were reduced using the content analysis method, and a structure and system were applied to it.Results and discussion: A qualitative interview was conducted with 16 experts in the educational affairs of the university as well as new faculty members. The most important problems identified for the new faculty members include: lack of knowledge of work and administrative issues of the university (work processes, rules and regulations), lack of familiarity with teaching methods and interaction with students, lack of familiarity with the duties of the academic staff, and lack of familiarity with the structure of the university. According to the interviewees, the best solution was to implement a comprehensive program to fully familiarize the faculty member with the structure of the university and the relevant rules and regulations. Many of the interviewees listed the holding of empowerment courses as a solution to solve the problems of academic staff members. In line with the results of this study, a study titled "Examining the socialization of new faculty members through the cultural lens" explored new faculty socialization in Vietnam. This study showed that the institution has few strategies and activities to help new academics integrate into the work environment. From the organizational culture perspective, various factors influence the socialization process and are considered fundamental, including norms for teacher trainers and hierarchical culture within the university.Conclusion: Developing a comprehensive program and utilizing mentoring relationships can aid in the organizational socialization of new faculty members. Organizational socialization, structures, and social norms governing the conditions of each university provide social health and growth opportunities for the faculty members working in it, and consequently for the students. In addition, effective methods of recruitment and socialization are necessary for the continuation of the work of faculty members; socialization will increase the quality of education and retention of faculty members in the university. Various studies have emphasized that one of the best ways to prevent problems in the activities of faculty members is through the correct organizational socialization process. Therefore, considering the unique position of universities and higher education centers in society and based on the results of this study, it is suggested that universities of medical sciences have a comprehensive program to acquaint faculty members with the structure and performance of the university, rules and regulations, communication with students, and improve their teaching ability in the early years of entering the university as faculty members.

Introduction: The requirement for virtual education during the COVID-19 epidemic and the rapid shift from face-to-face to fully virtual instruction has confronted professors and students with numerous challenges. Accordingly, the present review study examines the challenges and barriers faced by professors in virtual education during the COVID-19 era in Iran.Methods: For this purpose, international databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Persian databases including SID, Magiran, and the Iran Medical Research Articles database, as well as the Google Scholar search engine, were searched using keywords related to Covid-19, virtual education, challenges, barriers, and Iran until January 1, 2022. Inclusion criteria were original articles that examined the challenges of professors in virtual education during the COVID-19 era in Iran from the perspective of professors and educators.Results: A total of 14 articles were included in the study. The results showed that the most important challenges or obstacles in virtual education during the COVID-19 epidemic are infrastructural and technical obstacles, lack of interaction and participation between students and professors in the class, lack of appropriate lesson plans and effective evaluation systems, lack of skills in using virtual and computer education tools, high costs of purchasing equipment, and the occurrence of physical, mental, and psychological problems among learners.Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is necessary for relevant organizations and institutions to consider training professors and students to use and apply virtual education tools, as well as upgrading and strengthening appropriate virtual education infrastructure.Extended abstractIntroduction: In December 2019, reports emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan about the emergence of a new virus similar to the SARS virus. It spread to countries worldwide and infected all nations in a short period. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared this disease a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Following this epidemic, governments implemented preventive measures, including social distancing and preventing unnecessary interactions with others, among others. Iran was also one of the countries that, after confirming the presence of the disease, substituted various methods of virtual education for face-to-face education. Virtual education refers to education in a learning environment where communication between participants is virtual, and course content is provided to learners through multimedia resources, the internet, video conferences, etc. Virtual education offers advantages such as content sharing, access to education anytime and anywhere, efficient interaction, compatibility, adaptability, etc. Although this type of education has many advantages, transitioning from traditional learning to online education faces challenges and disadvantages. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual education has become increasingly important. However, educational centers have not been adequately prepared to provide a suitable educational platform, and teachers are unfamiliar with virtual education methods. Moreover, teachers and professors are the most important factors in education and training, as students play the most significant role in improving the quality of education. Therefore, the present study reviewed the challenges and obstacles faced by professors in virtual education during the COVID-19 era in Iran.Method: The present study is a narrative review conducted with the aim of investigating the challenges faced by teachers in virtual education during the Covid-19 era in Iran. To retrieve Persian and English articles, international databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, as well as Persian databases including SID, Magiran, Bank of Iranian Medical Research Articles, and Google Scholar, were searched. The search strategy used keywords presented in Table 1 in both Farsi and English. Searches were conducted from the onset of Covid-19 until January 1, 2022. The inclusion criteria for this study comprised original research articles that examined the challenges encountered by teachers and professors in virtual education during the Covid-19 era in Iran. Short articles, letters to the editor, conference abstracts, review articles, and articles for which the full version could not be obtained for any reason were excluded from the study process.Results and Discussion: For this review, a total of 14 articles have been selected and analyzed. The language of the retrieved studies was Persian. The statistical population of the articles examined in the present review study comprised school teachers of different grades, university professors, and school and university managers. A review of the studies showed that the biggest challenge (78%) was related to the lack of infrastructure and basic facilities, such as infrastructure problems and weak internet speed, as well as the lack and difficulty in accessing a computer or laptop. 71.42% of the studies indicated a lack of effective interaction and feedback between professors and students, 57.14% highlighted the lack of an appropriate lesson plan and effective evaluation system, 42.85% pointed to a lack of skills in using virtual and computer education tools, and 35.71% mentioned equipment purchase costs among the most important challenges of virtual education. Additionally, the occurrence of physical and psychological problems and the promotion of immoral values among learners have been among the challenges and problems mentioned in various articles. Mousavi et al. have also mentioned infrastructural defects, a low internet penetration rate, and a lack of technical support as among the problems and challenges of virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is consistent with the results of the present study.Infrastructural and communication problems are associated with various geographical locations and people's residences. In some areas, especially rural ones, there may be inadequate internet speed, along with economic issues and family income affecting learners' access to virtual education tools and equipment. This unequal access to virtual space and electronic equipment, particularly in deprived areas, leads to educational opportunity disparities, neglecting many students in this form of education. In the current study, the lack of educational justice was identified as one of the challenges faced by individuals, which aligns with the findings of Salimi and Abbasi's studies. The lack of interaction and participation among students is another challenge expressed by teachers in virtual education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Keller et al. demonstrated that communication with students and their active participation are crucial motivating factors in virtual education, according to professors. Additionally, issues such as a lack of creativity and new ideas, students' technological weaknesses, insufficient motivational factors, and organizational culture deficiencies have hindered professors' educational experiences in virtual universities. During the Covid-19 era, critical thinking and problem-solving learning approaches have diminished, hindering innovation and the development of creative ideas, leading to superficial learning and low-quality education. Consequently, the results have highlighted the inadequacy of virtual education in fostering the growth and development of students' personalities. The results of the present study indicated that the lack of skills and knowledge related to virtual education is another significant challenge expressed by teachers. Jahanbakhsh et al. demonstrated that among the effective factors of e-learning, experience and process skills play crucial roles in e-learning. Other studies have also emphasized that for learners to fully benefit from virtual education facilities, an acceptable level of computer proficiency is necessary. Consequently, experience working with virtual education systems and sufficient computer literacy contribute to the advancement of virtual education in alignment with its objectives.The lack of a suitable lesson plan and an appropriate evaluation system in the teaching-learning process is another challenge that Iranian teachers have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Azimi et al. attribute this issue to the inadequate assessment of student conditions and needs in the design process. Additionally, Mazloumi et al. emphasize that proper evaluation is a crucial aspect of the virtual education process. To enhance student interaction in virtual education, providing them with tools for two-way communication through synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies, as well as integrating virtual and non-virtual education, can be practical solutions.Conclusion: The widespread outbreak of the Covid-19 disease led to the closure of in-person schools and universities in Iran, but education continued using virtual and electronic education tools. Despite all the advantages that virtual education offers, the rapid transition from face-to-face education to completely virtual education has presented challenges for professors and teachers. Based on the results of the present review, efforts to address these challenges and obstacles will improve the quality of virtual education.

Introduction: A brief look at the definitions of information literacy and mental health literacy, as well as research in this area, suggests that there is a relationship between information literacy and mental health literacy. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between mental health literacy and information literacy among students of Abadan University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This research is a descriptive cross-sectional survey. The statistical population of this study consisted of all students studying in Abadan University of Medical Sciences, of which 294 were selected as a statistical sample. To assess the status of mental health literacy, a questionnaire based on the questionnaire of Sayarifard et al., and to assess information literacy, a researcher-made questionnaire based on Adsadowsky's questionnaire was used. The validity of the instruments was confirmed by experts and the reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha test (with a coefficient of 0.82 for the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire and 0.78 for the Information Literacy Questionnaire).Discussion: The results showed that the mental health literacy of the students based on the components of mental health literacy is at a high level. Mental health literacy of female students is higher than male students, and mental health literacy of older students is higher than younger students. The level of information literacy of the investigated students is also, based on the components of information literacy, at a low level. There is also a positive and significant relationship between mental health literacy and information literacy among the studied population.Conclusion: Training students to increase information literacy and health information literacy with the aim of empowering them to identify problems and mental illnesses in themselves and others as soon as possible and to carry out appropriate interventions, enables them to better identify, locate and evaluate the needed information related to the identified diseases and disorders and take action appropriately.Extended abstract Introduction: Mental Health Literacy (MHL) is the skills, knowledge, and beliefs about mental disorders that help a person to recognize, prevent, manage, and improve the mental disorders. On the other hand, the lack of this kind of literacy leads to a lower rate of understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. MHL skills also include three main areas: knowledge and awareness, attitude, and help efficiency.Considering the importance of MHL in promoting the health of society, conducting studies in this field and identifying the influential and related factors with these variables shows the health systems' understanding of the importance of the impact of MHL on the pattern of using health services. Studies conducted in this field show the positive effects of MHL on mental health. Among other things, Smith and Shochet (2011) showed that MHL positively correlates with help-seeking behaviors to promote mental health. Also, Wu et al. (2014) showed that people with MHL express a better reaction to mental disorders.Nowadays, due to the expansion of the use of information and information technologies, the acquisition and application of information literacy (IL) have become a universal necessity. IL refers to the skills that a person needs to be able to survive in the information society. Having IL skills will help people who seek access to health information to obtain correct and appropriate information. In this regard, the relationship between IL and health literacy was examined in several studies, which show a positive and meaningful relationship between health literacy and IL.According to the relationship between IL and health literacy, it can be expected that a higher level of IL leads to a higher level of MHL. Therefore, considering the importance of MHL and IL, and the possible relationship between these two variables, examining the level of these two variables and the possible relationship between them were determined as the goals of this research. methods: The current research was conducted with a descriptive cross-sectional survey method. The statistical population of the present study included all students of Abadan Faculty of Medical Sciences (1247 people), and according to the table of Krejcie and Morgan, the statistical sample consisted of 294 people, selected using a stratified method. Two questionnaires were used to collect data: The researcher-made IL questionnaire based on the Edsadowski questionnaire (Edsadowski, no date) with a reliability of 0.83, including 20 questions in the components of identifying information needs, locating information, organizing information, and evaluating information. The MHL questionnaire was prepared based on Sayarifard et al.'s (2015) questionnaire, including 32 questions on the components of attitude, knowledge, and help efficiency. The reliability of IL dimensions was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient at 0.78, and the reliability of MHL dimensions was at 0.82, which shows good reliability.Considering the normality of the data distribution, the one-sample t-test with an average level in each variable was used to check the level of IL and MHL and their dimensions in the statistical population. Also, the independent t-test and ANOVA were used to compare the components of IL and MHL and their dimensions based on demographic characteristics, and the chi-square test was used to investigate the relationship between the variables of IL and MHL and their dimensions. discussion: According to the research data, the average score of the MHL subscales, including beliefs about first aid (0.56), beliefs about interventions (0.52), recognition of the disorder (0.347), beliefs regarding prevention (0.45), attitude towards stigma and social isolation (0.468), and the primary variable of MHL (0.36) in the studied sample are significantly (p<0.001) higher than the assumed mean score (0). However, in the case of other subscales, including the intention to seek help and the understanding of obstacles (both with an average of 0.0136), this difference is not significant. There is a significant gender difference in MHL, and the results show that female students' MHL score is higher than male students' MHL score. Examining the MHL of students based on age showed a significant difference in this component as well. However, Duncan's test showed no significant difference between the MHL among the students in the age groups between 23 and 25 years old and up to 23 years old. However, there is a significant difference between the MHL of students between 23 and 25 years old and up to 23 years old, with the students over 26 years old. According to the research data, the average score of IL subscales, including identification and diagnosis of information needs (0.43), ability to locate information (0.34), evaluation (0.35), organization and use of information (0.36), and the primary variable of IL (0.37) in the studied sample are all significantly lower than the theoretical average score (0.5). Therefore, it can be concluded that the state of IL and its subscales were below average. Research data show a significant IL difference among the two gender groups; the IL of the male students was higher than the female students. The IL of students based on age also shows a significant difference: the IL of students over 26 years old was lower than the students in the age groups between 23 and 25 years old and up to 23 years old.According to the research data, since the significance level value is equal to 0.001 and smaller than 0.05, there is a significant relationship between mental health literacy and information literacy among the students. The Pearson correlation coefficient is 0.4, which indicates a positive and direct relationship between mental health literacy and information literacy among students. Conclusion: According to the research findings, it is suggested: Train the students to increase their HL and MHL, enabling them to identify mental problems and illnesses in themselves and others as soon as possible and to perform appropriate interventions.Train the students to upgrade their IL, enabling them to better identify, locate, evaluate, and use information related to diseases and disorders.

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this study was to present the components of the coherent organization model at Payam Noor University in East Azerbaijan province.Method: The coherent organization in the university refers to the contribution of the university's pillars to the common interests of the university or the whole society and is a very important factor in the success of universities. This research was applied in terms of model presentation and descriptive-survey in terms of purpose. The data collection method in this research was quantitative. The statistical population in this research comprised managers, assistants, and faculty members in East Azarbaijan province, totaling 270 individuals. According to Morgan's table, the statistical sample was determined to be 159 people who were investigated. Quantitative data were collected using a standard researcher-made questionnaire resulting from qualitative research.Findings: Therefore, in the current research, based on the research hypotheses, the questionnaire method was used. Similarly, to analyze the data, the quantitative method of structural equation modeling was employed using PLS3 software.Conclusion: The results of the research indicate that the coherent organization model comprises components such as leadership, culture, employees, goals and strategies, structure, technology and knowledge, as well as the environment, which have been approved in Payam Noor University of East Azerbaijan Province.

Purpose: The primary aim of this research was to design a conceptual framework for adult universities with a focus on Islamic Azad universities.Method: The qualitative method of inductive theme analysis was employed in this research. Potential participants included higher education professionals, adult graduate students, and retirees studying at universities; 31 of them were selected as participants through targeted sampling. The selection criteria for participants were having the necessary experience in adult education (at least one article, one book, or at least one year of teaching in the field of adult education) or being among adult students or retired graduate students. The sampling selection criterion was theoretical saturation of the data. Validation of the research was conducted using four criteria: credibility, neutrality, reliability, and applicability.Findings: The findings revealed that the conceptual framework of adult universities consists of three dimensions (key, content, and implementation) and 20 criteria (related to the mind, freedom of action and respect, self-awareness, group orientation, motivation, self-expression, skill development, communication, lifelong learning, flexibility, evaluation and mentorship, needs orientation, goal setting, policy making, platform creation, content development, implementation, and evaluation).Conclusion: Attention to the dimensions and criteria uncovered in this research paves the way for establishing an adult university and ensures the necessary sensitivity in this field.Extended AbstractIntroduction: Many people study because they want to learn a new job or profession, while others study to advance in their careers. Some find learning new things interesting and fun, with adults often falling into this category. Alongside current demographic trends, where life expectancy has increased and societies are aging, educational and research interest in adulthood and retirement has significantly risen. This trend has contributed to successful, productive, active, or flexible middle and old age, as individuals continually seek learning opportunities to enhance their quality of life. Consequently, people's lives improve through learning, and as society ages, the need for learning also rises. Adult education originated in the United States and subsequently spread to other developed countries, including European nations, China, and Japan. Today, due to declining population growth globally, particularly in developing countries, and the aging of populations in the coming years, planning for the implementation of adult universities poses a significant challenge for developing nations. Under the banner of adult university, provision for adults and retirees is considered, offering numerous benefits for elderly members of society. Universities serve as essential and effective tools for educating future generations. However, the crux lies in education's broad scope and its qualitative enhancement of the cultural, social, economic, and political levels of the present generation. Adult universities encompass a broad concept aimed at providing education to adults, encompassing all educational and learning activities in formal, informal, and incidental ways across various occupational, social, political, economic, cultural, and educational fields, including religious, industrial, and agricultural domains. The primary goal of this research was to design the conceptual framework of adult universities with a focus on Islamic Azad universities. Methods: This research employed the qualitative method of inductive theme analysis. Potential participants included higher education professionals, adult graduate students, and retirees studying at university; 31 of whom were selected through targeted sampling. Participant selection criteria included having necessary experience in adult education (at least one article, one book, or a minimum of one year teaching in the field), or being an adult student or retired graduate student. The sampling criteria were based on theoretical data saturation. Semi-structured interviews served as the research tool, conducted between June and November 1401. Each interview lasted between 45 and 75 minutes, focusing on dimensions of adult universities. Initially, general questions were posed, such as "what qualifications should an adult university possess?" and "if you were to pursue further studies, what university characteristics would you find desirable?" Data analysis followed Atride-Sterling's method (2001), involving three stages: extracting basic themes, organizing themes, and overarching themes. Reliability (consistency) and applicability (transferability) were ensured. To validate the data and ensure accurate analysis of experts' views, findings were reviewed by three experts. Their feedback confirmed acceptability (reliability). Verification of the text involved providing extracted codes and classes to research colleagues and expert faculty members for examination. Additionally, the full text of all interviews with coding and initial classes were sent to the guidance professor, while the full text of two interviews with coding was sent to consultant professors. Their feedback was used to enhance the validity of the research throughout its stages. Transferability of findings was increased through data multiplication, simultaneous use of documents, maximum research, and oral data, involvement of diverse participant groups, and triangulation of environments through interviews conducted at various locations and times. Findings : The findings revealed that the conceptual framework of adult universities comprises three dimensions (key, content, and implementation) and 20 criteria (pertaining to the mind, freedom of action and respect, self-awareness, group orientation, motivation, self-expression, skill development, communication, lifelong learning, flexibility, evaluation and mentorship, needs orientation, goal setting, policy making, platform creation, content creation, implementation, and evaluation).Conclusion: Attention to the dimensions and criteria uncovered in this research paves the way for establishing an adult university and fosters necessary sensitivity in this field. Considering the rapid change in the country's demographic pyramid and the increasing share of adults within it, higher education should seize this opportunity. Therefore, it is suggested that decision-making bodies in higher education, particularly Azad University, prioritize this matter. Islamic specialized teams should be formed to conduct further studies and assess the feasibility of establishing a university or college for adults, facilitating the registration and attendance of adults in higher education institutions. Furthermore, future researchers are encouraged to design and validate the adult university model as part of the higher education system, aligning with the objectives pursued by the present researchers.

Introduction: With the outbreak of the coronavirus and the disruption of the normal state of human life and death, the most social, economic, political, and especially educational activities changed to virtual communications.Methods: The present study was planned with the aim of assessing the effectiveness rate of adopting Learning Management System (LMS) among students. A questionnaire method was used to obtain the perception and opinion of students of different courses and levels. The efficiency of LMS in seven different components was evaluated. The t-student test was employed to evaluate statistical results.Discussion: The results of statistical analysis has been interpretated based on the mean and standard deviation of each studied components. Except for exercises and assignments, other components were less than the average limit. The value of the univariate t-statistic was determined to be less than 1.65 (standard t-value) for all components except exercises and homework. Also, considering that the p-value level for all components (< 0.001), it is concluded that there was a significant difference in the answers of all research questions.Conclusion: The results can be used to resolve the challenges of E-learning. Due to the prolongation of the outbreak of Covid-19 and the intensification of its consequences such as increasing demand for E-learning, the need for continued economic activities, and employing new tools and more effective use of IT will be necessary.Exrended abstractIntroduction: With the outbreak of the coronavirus and the disruption of the normal state of human life and death, the most social, economic, political, and especially educational activities changed to virtual communications. In all past periods, learning and acquiring knowledge have been essential and played a significant role in the progress of the world and saving people from various challenges. But in the current era, the way of acquiring knowledge and information in all sciences has changed a lot, and sharing it with the development of information technology has become very simple despite the complex design and implementation platform. In such a way that from printed and face-to-face training to the development of distance education, it has become one of the basic needs of the 21st century. The development of the Internet by creating concepts based on electronic learning and mobile learning and designing learning management systems (LMS) has greatly helped education. Technology has changed the state of traditional education methods towards modern education using artificial intelligence. Electronic education has greatly improved the level of knowledge of students, researchers, employees, and even skilled people through the Internet. With the emergence of this technology, numerous researches have been developed in the field of concept analysis, types of platforms that can be used, and their efficiency has been evaluated all over the world. According to the literature, the evaluation of students' attitudes towards the use of LMS in combination with face-to-face training has been evaluated under the title of "combined approach," and the positive attitude of students towards the combined approach has been acknowledged. Through spreading the Covid-19 disease in the world on December 31, 2019, which originated from China, and the need to follow health guidelines in reducing face-to-face interaction, the need to adopt a distance education approach with the aim of quickly filling educational gaps is emphasized. In Iran, with the appearance of the first symptoms of the Coronavirus, according to the order of the Ministry of Health, all schools, universities, and other educational centers were closed, and home quarantine was ordered as the most effective way to prevent contracting this disease. After implementing the announced instructions, various experiences were obtained. In this context, evaluating the performance of universities to determine the appropriate policy and explain appropriate management strategies in the future was one of the research programs. In this regard, evaluating the dimensions of e-learning has been one of the goals of this research.Methods: In order to continue education in educational centers, in the academic year 2020-2021, after being closed for about two months since the first cases of the Coronavirus infection, the development and use of information and communication technologies in education gained attention from April 23, 2019, from the officials and decision-makers of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology and the Ministry of Education of the country. This led schools, universities, and higher education institutions of the country to put online learning platforms on their agenda. The present study was planned with the aim of assessing the effectiveness rate of adopting Learning Management System (LMS) among students. A questionnaire method was used to obtain the perception and opinion of students of different courses and levels. The efficiency of LMS in seven different components was evaluated. The t-student test was employed to evaluate statistical results.Discussion: According to the statistical analysis, it was found that in the six components of access and user interface, support and logistics in access, electronic content of course materials, tests and continuous questions, exercises and assignments, and the method of presenting the lesson and the final evaluation, the satisfaction of the learners is less than the average level (the average is less than 3). Only in the case of exercises and assignments, the average value was higher than the average (by 3.53). Based on the results, it was found that the students were satisfied with the exercises and assignments presented in learning (95% confidence level, sig=0.00) and stated that they had enough time and resources to complete the assignments. The lowest mean related to the method of lesson presentation and final evaluation is 2.21 and 2.22, respectively. In fact, the students stated that they are not satisfied with the two-way or multiple-way communication and interaction in the virtual education system, the method of continuous evaluation, and the final test of the evaluation scores of their learning. The results of statistical analysis has been interpretated based on the mean and standard deviation of each studied components. Except for exercises and assignments, other components were less than the average limit. The value of the univariate t-statistic was determined to be less than 1.65 (standard t-value) for all components except exercises and homework. Also, considering that the p-value level for all components (< 0.001), it is concluded that there was a significant difference in the answers to all research questions.Conclusion: Based on the results of previous studies, many students have stated that the possibility of interacting with the instructor and creating motivation for learning has increased, and they emphasized improving the efficiency and quality of education. In the comparison of students' learning efficiency in three methods of face-to-face, electronic learning, and learning, it was found that there is no significant difference in the learning rate. Therefore, considering the cost and time spent for learning, they emphasized the use of distance-based learning. Therefore, evaluating the dimensions of electronic teaching and its strengthening can be effective for the continuation of this method of education if needed, as well as saving money and time. The results of the present study can be used to resolve the challenges of E-learning. Due to the prolongation of the outbreak of Covid-19 and the intensification of its consequences such as increasing demand for E-learning, the need for continued economic activities, and employing new tools and more effective use of IT will be necessary.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to predict academic conflict based on goal orientation, intelligence, and motivational beliefs in students. Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, the statistical population included all students of Hamadan University who were studying in the academic year 1399-1400. The sample size was selected based on Cochran's formula of 384 people using the convenience sampling method. Data collection tools were the Academic Conflict Questionnaire by Rio and Tsang (2011), Elliott and McGregor's goal orientation questionnaire (2011), Babaei's Intelligence Beliefs Questionnaire (1998), and Pantrich and De Groot's Motivational Beliefs Questionnaire (1990). Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis were simultaneously analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The results showed a significant positive correlation between avoidance mastery, performance-orientation, intelligence enhancement, self-efficacy, internal evaluation, and goal orientation with academic engagement, and a significant negative correlation between avoidance mastery, avoidance performance, intrinsicity, and test anxiety with academic engagement (p < 0.01). Beta coefficients in goal orientation and intelligence and motivational beliefs show that performance-tendency, increased intelligence, self-efficacy, and internal evaluation are positive and significant predictors of academic engagement, while performance-avoidance, innate intelligence, and test anxiety are negative predictors and significantly contribute to academic conflict (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study can help higher education planners and implementers to adopt appropriate educational policies for students' academic engagement and the factors affecting it. Extended abstract Introduction: Today, educational systems are facing many changes. One of the important challenges in the field of improving the quality of education and the success of students in their studies is to motivate them, and one of its most important indicators is the involvement of students in their studies (Wan and colleagues, 2014). The active involvement of the learner in academic affairs is one of the most important predictors of academic outcomes such as high grades, attendance at school, effective coping, and resilience (Skinner and Pitzen, 2014). By engaging in learning and learning tasks, cognitive and behavioral goals can be achieved (Azadi et al., 2018; Wang, 2013). Other factors also affect the cognitive engagement of students, one of the most important of which is goal orientation (Pospoki, 2018; Koopman et al., 2014). Goal orientation reflects the goals that students pursue while learning; Like motivation, goal orientation changes from internal to external (Koopman et al., 2014). Another factor related to academic conflict is intelligence beliefs. There is a significant relationship between intelligence beliefs and academic engagement (Hejazi Rastegar et al., 2018). Dweck considers intelligence beliefs to include intrinsic beliefs and incremental beliefs. Learners who have an incremental belief about intelligence mainly emphasize improving their skills and acquiring new knowledge and try to overcome past failures and believe that intelligence is not a fixed and unchangeable substance, but can be increased through effort and experience (Dweck and Molden, 2017). Another factor that is related to academic engagement is motivational beliefs (Mazhlumian et al., 2014), which according to Pintridge and DeGroot, is classified into three components: expectation, value, and emotion. The expectation component includes students' beliefs about their abilities to perform the assignment. The value component includes students' goals and their beliefs about the importance and interest in the assignment. The emotional component includes emotional reactions to the task (Rezaei et al., 2011).   Method: In this descriptive-correlational study, the statistical population included all students of Hamadan University in the academic year of 2021. In this research, there were 10 predictive variables, which required at least 150 sample people. However, for better generalization, 384 people were selected to participate in the research. This research was conducted in the first half of the academic year 2021 among undergraduate students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. From the research population, 384 people were selected as available from the educational groups of health and paramedical faculties. The criterion for determining the sample size in the present study was Cochran's formula with a probability of 95%. According to the current conditions and the quarantine period caused by the spread of the coronavirus, data collection was done in the form of an internet link in the Porsline system and it was distributed in student groups. In this research, a questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data.   Discussion: The results of the correlation matrix between research variables showed that there is a significant positive correlation with academic involvement between tendency mastery (p < 0.01, r = 0.729), tendency performance (p < 0.01, r = 0.741), increasing intelligence (p < 0.01, r = 0.288), self-efficacy (p < 0.01, r = 0.435), goal orientation (p < 0.01, r = 0.323), internal evaluation (p < 0.01, r = 0.559). There is a significant negative correlation with academic involvement between avoidance mastery (r = -0.446, p < 0.01), avoidance performance (r = -0.418, p < 0.01), belief in the innateness of intelligence (r = -0.685, p < 0.01), exam anxiety (p < 0.01, r = -0.400). To predict educational conflict based on goal orientation, intelligence, and motivational beliefs, multivariate regression analysis was done simultaneously. Beta coefficients showed that performance-orientation (β = 0.459), increased intelligence (β = 0.198), self-efficacy (β = 0.115), and internal valuation (β = 0.068) are positive and significant predictors of academic engagement, while performance-avoidance (β = -0.217), the innateness of intelligence (β = -0.263), and test anxiety (β = -0.269) are negative and significant predictors of academic conflicts. These findings are consistent with the researches (Rio, 2011; Saif, 2015; Azadi, 2018; Grochia, 2018; Pospoki, 2018; Mazloumian, 2013).   Conclusion: According to the results of the present research, due to the influence of orientational performance on academic engagement, it is better that the subjects of the study are recognized as enjoyable and useful for life in the eyes of the students, so that their internal motivation to learn increases, and in this way, they will have more insistence on learning. Also, considering the effectiveness of the avoidance function of academic inclusion, personal and educational experiences, and avoidance strategies of students, the importance of professional help to them to deal with stressful academic problems, knowledge of solutions to face problems, and teaching communication skills. Stress management techniques are important and should be considered. Students who hold innate intelligence beliefs focus on achieving adequate performance and expend minimal effort to overcome problems. Students who believe that intelligence is an innate and inflexible trait are more prone to learned helplessness and believe that hard work has no effect on improving this trait. Students with higher levels of hope are more focused on their goals and more motivated. Hope, as a positive psychological force, creates motivation in people that encourages them to achieve success and causes them to try and manage more in academic affairs to achieve success. The findings of this research showed that tendency performance, avoidance performance, innate intelligence, additive intelligence, self-efficacy, internal evaluation, and test anxiety have the ability to predict students' academic engagement. According to the findings of the research, in order to increase the level of students' academic involvement, it is necessary to design and implement a formal and regular planning during the academic year, including the provision of psychological capital training workshops to strengthen and promote students' academic involvement.

Introduction: The present study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the factors affecting the self-improvement of primary school principals in Isfahan city.Materials and methods: In terms of practical purpose and in terms of execution method, it is among mixed research.In the qualitative part of this research, thematic analysis method has been used to analyze the data, and the information of this research was done in the quantitative part by using the one-group t-test to compare the answers of the respondents to each of the research questions and by using SPSS software. . The statistical population of this research in the qualitative part includes experts and managers of education departments in Isfahan city, 15 people were selected as a sample in a targeted way, and in the quantitative part, it consisted of principals of elementary schools in Isfahan city with 10 years of management experience who through Staged cluster sampling 100 people were selected.Findings: Based on the research findings, factors such as self-awareness, self-efficacy, self-regulation, optimism, organizational commitment, self-actualization, learning ability, self-direction, resilience and flexibility are among the characteristics of self-improvement of principals of elementary schools in Isfahan city. , self-actualization and self-efficacy have the greatest effect on self-improvement behavior.Conclusion: Finally, it is suggested that the education and training organization provide the necessary ground for voluntary improvement of the capabilities of the principals of primary schools and promote the principals of these schools based on the principle of merit.