DANESHVAR RAFTAR
Year:2009 | Volume:16 | Issue:36 (SPECIAL EDITION EDUCATION 12)|Papers Count:8

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ burnout and organizational health in secondary schools of Mahabad. The dependent variable was burnout which comprised of three elements; (a) exhaustion (b) de-personalization; (c) unaccomplishment. The independent variable was organizational health including seven dimensions of institutional integration, principal influence, consideration, initiating structure, resource support, moral and academic emphasis. The correlations were computed for the data obtained by two questionnaires: (a) Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) (b) Organizational Health Inventory (O.H.I).The research instruments were administered to 170 teachers, however, only 165 questionnaires were returned and utilized for analysis. To analyze the data, inferential statistics (Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Independent-Sample T-Test, One way ANOVA, LSD Test) were used. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between organizational health of schools and teacher’s burnout (r=-0.34, p<0.01). Moreover, there is a significant relationship between different dimensions of organizational health (institutional integration, consideration, initiating structure, resource support, moral and academic emphasis) and teacher’s burnout (p<0.01). However, there is no significant relationship between the “principal influence” and teacher’s burnout (p>0.05).

The academic performance of students is a topic that has attracted many educational administrators. Among the factors effective on improving the students' academic performance are the teachers' methods and their interaction with the students. Using direct observation, coding the teaching/learning process to determine the type of relationship, and analysis of quality were common during the 50s and 60s. Many researchers use direct observation and categorical coding, nowadays. Sixty classes of three high schools in different fields of study (Mathematics, Empirical sciences, and Humanities) were selected using stratified random sampling. The classes were from five different educational areas in Tabriz.Flanders' interaction analysis was utilized to analyze the data. The results of direct observation revealed that teachers employed non-direct teaching less than a direct one. There was no significant difference between the use of indirect teaching and teachers’ gender. Moreover, there was no significant relationship between teachers’ experience and indirect teaching. In addition, there was no significant difference between the teachers’ experience and the three fields of study, however, teachers of humanities encouraged students to learn much more than the other two groups. Also no significant relationship was found between non-direct teaching and students academic achievements (p=0.341>0.05; r=0.125). Nevertheless, there was a negative relationship between direct teaching and academic improvement (p=0.000<0.05; r=-0.55).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of political education curriculum from the point of views of teachers and students in the secondary schools. Considering the role and importance of political education in the personal and social development, this study aimed at determining the success and effectiveness of political education curriculum. The target population included teachers and students in Kashan’s secondary schools in 2007-2008. Based on cluster sampling method, two samples (350 teachers and 350 students) were selected. The data were collected through a questionnaire. Later, they were analyzed by using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics.The results indicate that there are significant differences between teachers and students views concerning the effectiveness of political education curriculum in secondary schools. In addition, the political curriculum is completely ineffective from the students’ point of view.

Being a basic principal and value in an individual’s personal and social life, peace is a pure, intimate feeling experienced by everyone. It is also a requirement for the continuity of an individual, a generation or a nation’s life. In other words, man’s survival as a whole depends on peace. Therefore, education attempts to detect the causes of war and conflict and provide the solutions to these problems.The notary and documentary sources of the Islamic Republic of Iran: “The Prospective Document for 20 Years” (2004), the “Educational General Goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2006) and the “High School General Goals” (2006) are based on the seven peace factors envisaged by UNESCO, i.e., “human rights and democracy”, “solidarity and cooperation”, “preserving cultures”, “self and others”, “internationalism”, “protecting environment” and “spirituality”.Using a qualitative methodology, this paper aimed at studying these factors in the three aforementioned documents, and in the teaching materials for Iranian children and adolescents.The results indicated that “human rights and democracy”, “solidarity and cooperation” and “preserving cultures” were the three most frequent factors considered in the prospective document for 20 years, while, “Internationalism” was completely neglected. On the other hand, in the Educational General Goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran all factors had less frequency compared to the “self and others” which had the most frequency. Moreover, in the “High school General Goals”, this factor had the most frequency, whereas, “internationalism” and “protecting the environment” showed the least frequenies.

This study investigates the factors that reduce the academic motivation in the students “of Persian Language and Literature”. The sample included 312 male and female university students who were selected through random multistage sampling from “Open University”, “Namin college” and “Mohaghegh Ardebili University”. The data were collected through the following instruments: “A searcher Made Questionnaire”, “Inventory of School” Motivation (ISMS), “Mental Health Questionnaire” (GHQ-28), “Rosenberg self-esteem Test”, “Hopefulness Test”, “Social Support Scale”, and “Graduate Stressors Questionnaire”. The correlations indicated that 56 cases (17.9%) had low motivation, 249 cases (79.8% had average motivation, however, only 7 cases (2.2%) showed high motivation. Furthermore, the results of Linear Regression Analysis revealed that a number of variables, that is, self-esteem (p<0.001), being a resident (p<0.001), parents’ educational level (p<0.001), stressors in the dorm, the environmental stressors which acted as inter-organizational factors (p<001), gender and hopefulness (p<0.05) may predict the academic motivation in the “Persian Language and Literature” majors. Moreover, the best indicator of motivation turned out to be self-esteem.

The present study investigates Mohammad Bagher Hushiar's philosophical and educational viewpoints. Furthermore, it compares his thoughts and ideas to those of contemporary theorists. Being a contemporary education instructor, Hushiar has had an incredible influence on education in Iran. Hence, this study aims at analyzing this great educator's thoughts and theories. The methodology used for this purpose has been documentary analysis, which fully studies all the present resources and references pertaining t'o Hushiar, as well as, other contemporary educational theorists. The findings are based on nine statements which reveal the basis of his philosophical and educational thoughts especially the basic principle that underlies all his teachings, that is, man is a creature of God who seeks to join his creator. Thus, the outcome of Hushiar's educational system is a man who gradually and through a comprehensive educational program achieves his desired perfection. Hushiar's viewpoint is so comprehensive that it is properly responsive to the most contemporary educational issues. Finally, his viewpoints in philosophy and education has been compared to some of the most contemporary thoughts in this regard.