JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS
Year:2006 | Volume:5 | Issue:16|Papers Count:6

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of certain variables on educational achievement in the subject of math by applying the path analysis method. The variables were self-efficacy, competency goals, functional-approach goals, functional-avoidance goals, learning strategies, and persistence. Tehran secondary schools – that were public – were stratified and 389 boy and girl students from among the third grade students of the secondary schools were randomly selected. A questionnaire consisting of 6 subscales as mentioned above (the variables) were used, which were selected from valid sources. These sources included Miller et. al. (1996), and Middleton and Midgley (1997). Furthermore, the students’ final math exam grades were used to assess their achievement.Path analysis method was used for data analysis. The results revealed that there was a relatively good fit between the hypothesized model and the observed data. The direct effects of functional-approach goals, avoidance-approach goals, self-efficacy, learning strategies and persistence on mathematics achievement were confirmed. Self-efficacy had the most direct effect on mathematics achievement, compared to other variables of the proposed model. Competency goals had a significant indirect effect on mathematics achievement through self-efficacy, learning strategies and persistence. The mediating role of persistence between avoidance-approach goals and mathematics achievement was significant but small in magnitude.

Users’ attitude toward researches and the results has direct relationship with the method of use of the research outcome. This attitude is the deciding element on the amount and the how of using these findings. In order to inquire about users' attitudes about research findings, usage forms of the findings with the names of utilization models were studied. Four main utilization models were identified including: Linear Transformation Model, Problem Solving Model, Enlightenment Model, and Interaction Model. With respect to the research question in the field of comparison among the user levels, three groups of users including teachers, experts, and administrators were given attention. Information on the attitude of 181 persons from the user levels gathered by a researcher-made questionnaire.These subjects of the study were selected with the help of multistage random sampling from among the employees of the organization and 8 districts of the Education Organization in province of Tehran. Data was analyzed with the help of paired-sample T test in each group. Results revealed that users had positive attitudes toward interaction, linear transformation, problem solving, and enlightenment models, respectively. There was no difference in orders of models between users groups. The only difference was seen in significance of the differences. That is, all of observed differences were significant in administrators' answers, but there was no significant difference between linear transformation and interactive models and also between problem-solving and enlightenment models in experts’ answers. In addition, the difference between linear transformation model and interactive model was not significant among teachers. Results showed that interactive and linear transformation models were more important models in users view. This finding is in accordance with the previous findings. Enlightenment model had the lowest amount of positive attitudes toward it and due to its benefits, should be introduced to users of research findings.

The main goal of this research was to investigate the impact of defense mechanisms in job depreciation, mental health, and control and prevention. The goal is also to find the difference in taking advantage of defense mechanisms (problem-centered and excitement-oriented) and teacher depreciation in the areas of “emotional tiredness”, ‘depersonalization’, and “lack of personal success” among Iranian and Indian teachers and the review of depreciation role in teachers’ mental health.The study method is of descriptive and correlational type. In order to evaluate the variables several questionnaire were used. These included The Maslach Burnout inventory by Maslach and Jackson (1981), Questionnaire on the ways of coping, by Lazarus and Folkman (1984), and the Symptom Check List (SCL 90-R) by Derogatis (1975). The sample consisted of 300 Iranian teachers in high schools in Tehran and 300 Indian teachers in high schools in Puna. They were selected by random sampling in relation with the mass of people in the society. The Pearson correlation test was utilized in order to analyze the data and specify the relation between research variables under study. This was done also to identify the relation between variables and analyze one-way and two-way analysis of variance.The results showed that 1) there is significant differences between male teachers and female teachers in the use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping mechanisms. The male teachers had higher job burnout in the areas of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization compared to the female teachers. This was not true however in the area of loss of personal accomplishment. 2) There is significant difference among male and female teachers in using excitement-oriented defense mechanisms. The Iranian female teachers use more excitement-centered defense mechanisms compared to Iranian male teachers. This is while the Indian male instructors have more use of this method in comparison with the Indian female teachers. 3) There is significant difference in depreciation (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization) among female and male teachers and the male teachers possess more job depreciation (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization) compared to the female teachers. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in job depreciation (lack of personal success) among female and male teachers. 4) There were significant positive correlation between job burnout variables and psychological health variables among the female and male teachers.There is negative correlation between the job burnout variable (loss of personal accomplishment) and some of the psychological heath variables among female and male teachers in Iran and India.

The present research aims at appraising educational applications of learning theories practiced in mathematics instructional videos at primary level produced by Educational Technology Bureau of Ministry of Education in Iran. To conduct this research, principles of educational presentation were extracted from learning theories once these theories were studied. The extent to which these principles are followed up in each and every episode of the films mentioned earlier has later been examined through method of “content analysis”.The results of examining 105 episodes of “mathematics educational films” at primary level 5th grade revealed that certain educational applications of learning theories have been overlooked in production of such programs. The most frequent applications of such methods are as follows: transparency of objectives; review of prerequisite materials; draw-up of advanced organizers; attraction of viewers’ attention; organization of educational materials; rational conclusion; and ending of each episode.The research came up with the findings below:1) Behavioral goals are not fully and explicitly defined in any of the episodes. 2)Pre-requisite materials are scarcely surveyed and advanced organizers are almost not presented, particularly in educational programs for first, second and third grades students (only in one out of 62 episodes the pre-requisites have been reviewed and in 6 episodes the advanced organizers have been displayed). 3) Drawing addressees’ attention through non-verbal methods has been accomplished far and large in 12% of episodes at each grade, while they are not assisted by various advantages of motion pictures and video-capturing systems. 4) Materials have not been organized in most episodes (77%). And 5) concluding as well as ending most parts of the videos for first, second, and third grades (concluding in 89% and ending in 81% of episodes) are unclear.

The present research, which is in the domain of descriptive, applied and evaluation researches have been implemented with the aim of “performance (outputs) quality evaluation of the second region Vocational Schools in city of Tehran.” The data gathering sources in the stage of “judgment criteria” compiling have been surveyed. The survey was done by census and simple random sampling methods. The data gathering sources included experts and professors, the learners, administrators and assistants in Technical Schools and vocational and technical education experts. In the stage of “output quality evaluation,” these were vocational school administrators, alumni, and direct employers of employed alumni. To carry out the research, needed factors (7 factors) and indicators (45 indicators) had been compiled in two sections of “economic and non-economic” outputs. This was through adopting “existed national and international experiences,” “organizational element model”, and “education indicators systems”. Using the “Judgment Criteria Questionnaire” and “Delphi Technique,” judgment criteria (39 criteria) had been then determined. Using compiled factors and indicators, research tools including three questionnaires were advised regarding the validity (content validity) and reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient) characteristics. Having gathered the data, using compiled judgment criteria, the existed situation had been evaluated. Results show that, among seven factors, 5 factors including Intermediate Output (dropout and educational achievement), Fulfillment of Educational and Social Goal, Alumni (knowledge, skill, and creativity), Employment and Unemployment and Entrepreneurship are in an “undesirable” level and two factors including: Promotion rate to higher education institution and employers satisfaction are in “quite desirable” level. Both of “economic” and “non-economic” outputs had been evaluated in an “undesirable” level. Finally, the performance of vocational schools had been evaluated in an “undesirable” level.Some recommendations are provided for quality improvement of the present situation. Results of this research can be used for future planning of the vocational school programs and their comprehensive quality improvement.

‏The main purpose of  this  study  was  to investigate  the  relation between school atmosphere and the spirit of entrepreneurship among female secondary school sophomores & juniors in  the city of Isfahan. The research method was of descriptive and correlational type. In order to carry out the project, 180 female teachers and principals working in the female secondary schools in the city of Isfahan and also 150 female sophomore  & junior secondary school students were selected by multi-stage sampling method. For gathering data, two questionnaires of organizational atmosphere (OCDQ) and researcher-made questionnaire the spirit of entrepreneurship were used. Reliability coefficients of the questionnaires were 0/84 and 0/87. Two levels of inferential and descriptive statistics by the use of SPSS software have been performed to analyze the data. The results showed that:1) There was significant relation between organizational atmosphere and the spirit of entrepreneurship at P level.2) The female secondary schools in Isfahan   tended to crave more toward an open atmosphere in the academic year 1384-85/2004-20053) Factors of the spirit of entrepreneurship (need for achievement, foresight, risk taking, self-esteem, creativity, internal locus of control) among students were more than mean.4) There was significant relation between factors of organizational atmosphere (intimacy, disengagement, hindrance) and the spirit of entrepreneurship. But there was no significant relation between factors of organizational atmosphere (spirit, aloofness, thrust, production emphasis, consideration) and the spirit of entrepreneurship.5) There was no significant difference between technical   schools and high schools in creating the spirit of entrepreneurship.