JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS
Year:2011 | Volume:10 | Issue:39|Papers Count:14

The aim of this research was to determine and prioritize the appropriate methods of bilingual education and the impact of these methods on students' academic achievement. The research population consisted of 100 experts on sciences related to education, including curriculum planning, educational management, educational psychology, teaching English as a foreign language and all 1st grade male students of Tabriz at academic year of 1389-90. The research sample consisted of total number of experts in the above-mentioned fields, and 10 classes including 271 students who were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling method (all from Tabriz). The students were classified into two groups. The research method was descriptive-survey and quasi-experimental. Review of related literature showed that three bilingual teaching methods of trasitional, immersion and two-way are of most use in different countries. Cronbach' alpha for the questionnaire of the three mentioned teaching methods was 0.75, 0.72 and 0.80, respectively. Based on one-sample t-test and Friedman test, the two bilingual teaching methods of two way and immersion were confirmed by experts. The two mentioned teaching methods were used for teaching two groups of students. One group of students were instructed using the strategies of immersion teaching method and the other group were instructed using the strategies of two-way teaching method. Research findings showed that science academic achievement of students instructed by two way teaching method is more than those instructed by immersion teaching method. There was not a significant difference between academic achievement in math and let's write (benevisim) of students who were taught using two way teaching methods and those who were taught using immersion teaching method. Based on the prominence of two way teaching method in science education, it could be concluded that the use of this method increases students' understanding of scientific material.

This paper documented the impact of one-year preschool education on Persian oral skills of 1st grade Azari students. Participants were 30 students (group 1) who had already attended preschool education for one year and 30 students (group 2) who had no chance to attend the program. The participants in both groups were randomly selected from a population of 450 1st grade students in Hir (a small city in Ardabil Province). While participants in group 2 had no previous Persian experience, exposure of group 1 to Persian language was limited to preschool education. All participants appeared to be homogeneous in terms of their socioeconomic status which was examined through a questionnaire. Using a language development test (TOLD-P: 3), Persian oral skills of participants in both groups were measured in terms of speaking, organizing, listening, semantics, and phonology composites. Independent samples t-tests and the Mann-Whitney U tests were run to check the differences between the indices obtained for the two participating groups for each of the composites of Persian oral skills. The raw scores, the standardized scores, and the composite quotients of all participants were checked against their corresponding tables given in TOLD-P: 3. The results showed that oral skills of participants in group 1 had improved to the extent close to standard and acceptable, while that of participants in group 2 turned out to be well below the standard level. As for the composite quotients and all subtests except for word discrimination, statistically significant differences were observed between group 1 and group 2, implying that those who had attended preschool program were able to perform better than those who had not attended the program on almost all subtests of the test. Based on the results obtained, preschool education program is highly recommended to be run in the regions where children speak a language other than Persian across the country.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between high school students' computer anxiety, gender, field of study and achievement in English. To attain this goal, 2004 male and female students from eight provinces of Iran were selected randomly. Their computer anxiety was examined by the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS) developed by Rosen and Weil (1992). The result showed that the relationship between students' gender and their computer anxiety was not significant. Yet, the number of technophobic students in Iran (including both female and male participants) was much higher than technophobic students reported in other studies. The result showed that the rate of Iranian technophobic students is around 55% of the sample, while this rate has been reported to be 25-30% of the population in other countries. The result related to students' field of study showed that there is a significant relationship between students' field of study and their computer anxiety, i.e., the amount of technophobic students among math students is significantly less than other students. The result also showed a significant relationship between students' achievement in English and their computer anxiety, i.e., students of high English achievement were found to be less technophobic.

Van Hiele theory is a learning model which presents different kinds of thought that students may experience when facing with Geometric shapes. It includes different levels from visual encounter with geometric shape to formal understanding of geometric proof. The purpose of this research was studying the effect of modern methods of teaching geometry based on Van Hiele theory on the attitude of high school students.The research sample consisted of a class of second year math students and a class of second year natural science students (as an experimental group) and two more second year math and natural science students of the other high school (as a control group) who were selected through random sampling. To make sure of equality of the classes, students' grades in math 1 and their raw scores in intelligence tests were used as a covariate in Quatrain processing test. The research tools consisted of Raven test for intelligence, students' math 1 scores, lesson plan developed based on Van Heile theory, and post-descriptive test of Geometry. The results showed that teaching based on Van Heile theory has a positive effect on the attitude of students. Before applying the independent variable, the groups were the same and there was no significant difference between them according to intelligence and math ability. But after the experimental period, there was a significant difference between their geometry grades that could be due to the teaching method. Based on the findings of this study–that instruction based on Van Hiele theory leads to positive attitude of students toward geometry learning, the use of this model was suggested to high school geometry teachers.

In this paper, first we have reviewed all approaches of art education in school and especially introduce the concept of art education approach. Most specialists believe that it is the best approach for primary schools. We examined the impact of art education approach on the artistic functions and processing skills (thinking, interactions, participation, cooperation, discipline, attention and art creation) of 4th grade male and female students. The research method was quasi-experimental. The research sample consisted of students of four classes who were divided into experimental and control groups, and each group contained both male and female students. Two classes out of four were instructed by traditional method (control group) and in the other two classes (experimental group), art education approach was implemented. The results indicated that there is a significant difference between the two groups of students, i.e., the experimental group who have been instructed by art education approach were better in both artistic functions and processing skill's than the control group. Also, there was not a significant interaction between the variables sex & group.

Art learning area could be connected to the field of curriculum and other learning areas. Students could produce an artistic work such as handicraft, painting and drawing, calligraphy, photography, drama and music through using different forms of knowledge (concrete, conceptual and…) like natural science concepts. Curriculum and educational authorities have considered integrative approach to curriculum and education as a methodological (organizational) and approach (orientation to students' learning) revolution. Art training, curriculum design and art education have been oriented towards the integrative approach to art learning areas (at first, the use of natural science concepts in art education and then the use of art in science education). Hence, the model of a guide to art curriculum and the model of educational design have been developed based on such orientation.

Teachers are the starting point and the main element of any change in education system. To better do their job, it is necessary for them to update their knowledge and skills. This could be possible through designing and implementing in-service teacher training systems. Due to the importance of education system in the development of Iran, the issue of manpower training in education, especially teachers is of more importance and sensitivity. So, the investigation of in-service teacher training system and presenting ways for it's improvement and completion is necessary. The aim of this research was identification of the weak and strong points of the existing teacher training system and presenting ways for it's completion and improvement. To do this, in-service teacher training system was investigated based on 5 points: the degree of effectiveness of the implemented in-service courses, inadequacies, the degree of use of new methods and patterns, methods and solutions for improvement and completion of teacher training systems and their good characteristics. This research was done in 15 educational districts of Tehran. The research method was descriptive and the Cusky model of teacher professional skills' evaluation was used for evaluation of the implemented in-service courses. The results showed that four factors are more effective for improving and completion of in-service education system: needs analysis and designing the course in proportionate with the teachers' professional need, implementing in-service courses with group and project work, participation of teachers and principals before and during the courses, providing suitable opportunities for course participants to implement the acquired instruction and skills.