JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PLANNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Year:2011 | Volume:17 | Issue:2 (60)|Papers Count:8

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between hope and academic success, which was conducted on Shahid Beheshti University students studying in undergraduate and post-graduate in three branches, Human Science, Technical-Engineering and Basic Sciences. A sample of 381 individuals was selected by Ratio Stratified random Sampling method. The tool of collecting data was the standard questionnaire "Adults hope scale in specific areas". T test, Sheffe test, analysis of variance, co-relation coefficient and regression were used to analyzed the data. According to the results of this research there was a significant relationship between the two factors: hope and academic success. Also there was a significant relationship between students hope in different phases with their academic field and academic period. There was also significant relationship between hope in familial area as well as academic phase and academic success, but in other areas of hope there were no significant relationships. Finally, the results indicated that among six areas of hope, hope in the academic area had the highest relationship with academic success.

University as a knowledge institution follows the production, distribution and promotion of knowledge activities. A desired model for financing the activities of public universities is a model that at first, covers all mentioned activities, second, fulfills the three principals of efficiency, quality and equity, third, encourages quantitative and qualitative development of university’s activities. In percent model of public universities funding in Iran, only some activities of university is financed, there aren’t enough motivation for quantitative and qualitative development of activities and also economic efficiency improvement. In this article attempt is made to present a model in output- based operation funding framework that while considering all outputs of a comprehensive university, it considers also economic efficiency and encourages development of activities. "Output goals-based funding" approach and "data envelopment analysis" technique ware used to design the desired model. Performance of the model has analyzed by using 2008 data in universities that are affiliated to Ministry of Science Research and Technology and defining different scenarios for universities outputs development. The result analysis indicated that "output-based funding” as a quasi-market approach is a better replacement for current approach and the presented model is better than previous models.

Empowerment of human resources is one of the effective tools for increasing efficiency and optimum use of individual and group capacities and capabilities of individuals in order to realize organizational goals. The purpose of this descriptive survey research was confirmatory factor analysis of necessary contexts on promotion of Iranian agricultural colleges faculty members. The statistical population of the study consisted of the faculty members of Iranian agricultural colleges (N=1837), out of whom 404 people included in statistical sample. To collect data, proportional stratified random sampling method. A questionnaire was the main tool of study. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by the judgment of a panel of faculty members of the department of Agricultural extension and education. In order to measure the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach Alpha coefficients was calculated (78-92). The data were analyzed by Lisre 18.8 software. Confirmatory Factor Analyze results showed that organizational culture, professional skills and management-organizational contexes had positive and significant effect on the empowerment of faculty members.

In order to expand modern media in higher education and exploiting its benefits, the study of effective factors in students’ tendency to the electronic learning is essential. By studying the literature and gathering experts’ opinions, this paper designs a framework for virtual students’ tendency to the electronic learning. Based on this framework, the main dimensions include individual, environmental media and content factors. This research examines the frameworks’ variables in the Tehran universities which have online education program. Therefore, a questionnaire was developed and distributed among students in Amir Kabir, Tarbiat Modares, K.N. Tousi, and Shahid Beheshti universities. After data analysis, the results indicated that individual factors are in the best situations, while the media factors are in the worst situation. At the end, some suggestions about condition of electronic learning in these universities are presented.

Learning is a gift from God. Among all the factors influencing learning, motivation is very important and professor’s role is one of the determinant factors of student’s academic motivation. The main purpose of this research is to identify attributions of successful professors in promoting students’ academic motivation. A survey method was used for this study. For this purpose, 15 prominent professors from Birjand University that had obtained the highest scores in quality of teaching in student assessments during past  five year period, were selected from different colleges using  targeted sampling method. The data was collected through interviews. Based on research results attributions of successful professors in promoting students’ academic motivation classified in four main following categories: "human relations, teaching skills, personality traits and assessment skills". In this research considering attributions of professors regarding diminution of students’ academic motivation in the recent years, professor’s role was the most important factor. Also artistic and scientific aspects of teaching and the influence level of instruction and development on teaching was discussed and analyzed.

Higher education, as the most important educational institution of any society, can play a significant role in the development of countries. Proper guidance of students into universities and reducing the gap between what they like to study and what they actually end up studying can save not only individual talents, but also youth energy and national resources. In addition to identify important factors influencing major selection among Isfahan University students, this study attempts to analyze the impact that major assessment has on students’ educational satisfaction. Our research population is all undergraduate students at Isfahan University, of whom, using quota sampling method, we selected 465 individuals, based on two variables of gender and major.The results of the study indicated that nearly 65% of the respondents mentioned their own interest and decision as the most important factor determining their major selection. Likewise, a similar number indicated that if they had their current knowledge and understanding, they would make the same decisions. In order to measure the impact of individual major assessment on his/her educational satisfaction, we used Structural Equation Modeling and realized that the influential factor of major assessment on educational satisfaction is 58%.

The main purpose of this study is to survey the values’ system among students through measuring student's values in each levels, ranking values system & determining a relation between individual characteristic & students’ values. Statistical population of this research was 6000 students in Human Science & Basic Science Complexes in Tehran. A total of 350 of individuals were randomly selected through cluster sampling. Alport, Vernon and Lindzi's values system questionnaires were used to collect data. The reliabilities of measuring tool for each of the 6 values were: theoretical 0.86, economical 0.77, artistic 0.83 social 0.81, religious 0.82 and political 0.79 respectively. The result showed that all these values had high ranks. Also among the 6 values theoretical and religious value got the highest & lowest and Political, economics, artistic & social values stand on third to sixth places. Also in this study, the relation between individual characteristic & students' values were considered and the result shows that there is a relation between economics and artistic values and gender, marital status and economics value, age and artistic value, educational level with economics value, and type of university with artistic value. There was no meaningful relation between other individual characteristic and the mentioned values.