JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS
Year:2008 | Volume:7 | Issue:25|Papers Count:12

The objective of this article is recognition of similarities and differences between methods of selecting and organizing content of social studies curriculum and procedure of civic education at the primary education in Iran and Sweden. This is so as to suggest applied recommendations to reform the Iranian curriculum. The research type based on research objectives is applied and according to the research design descriptive-analytical based on comparative method. Based on the existing literature, the method of selecting content in Iran was based on subject matters approach (separate disciplinary) while in Sweden it is topic-based and based on interdisciplinary integrated approach. The subjects of History, Civic Studies and Geography are traditionally organized separately and the content of the curriculum is originated from social sciences andis based on what the decision making authorities know about children’s learning whereas in Sweden, for integrated curriculum organizing of social sciences, the whole overlapping fields of studies are united in a uniform curriculum. Among the general characteristics of the civic education in Iran are, a concentrated educational system of management and planning, lack of nongovernmental foundations and non involvement of them at the educational system, lack of active and cooperative methods of learning and dependence on book and handout oriented methods of teaching, paying no attention to procedure of civic education and global citizenship training in text books and curricula of primary schools. This is while in Sweden it is based on interdisciplinary, participative and interactive integrated approach, and is in touch with the lives of people. Such an education conducted is respectful of open environment and far off any prejudice and discrimination, and based on humane, moral, and cosmopolitan principles, and is aware of challenges of social variety and is supposed to be performed through cooperation of parents, society, nongovernmental organizations in the direction of training global citizens in a global village.

The current research revolves around one of the main topics in the field of education and curriculum planning: “Peace Education”. In this topic, two fundamental issues create the research configuration. These two issues include, identifying the concepts and components of “peace education” plus the level of attention given to these concepts and component in the curriculum of the period of primary school education.In this research regarding the components of peace education, three areas of peace knowledge, ability, and attitude were considered and the curriculum level of attention to peace was investigated in three areas of design, conduction, and evaluation.The research questions revolve around investigating the opinions and differences of attitudes and the viewpoints of the research sample which included the teachers, experts, and specialists. The research method here has been of descriptive-survey type. The instrument for data collection was a special questionnaire which had its validity investigated and adjusted for nativity for the country’s conditions using available related resources and by organization of specialized interviews with experts. Its reliability was investigated and confirmed through the Cronbach Alpha method. The research sample included teachers of primary schools in Tehran (200 persons), education experts (27 persons), and curriculum planning experts (15 persons), in year 2004-2005/1383-1384.In order to analyze the data, the descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used (t-test, F test one-way analysis of variance). The results of the research showed that: - Primary school teachers, education experts, and curriculum planning specialists are agree to a high level or to a relatively high level with teaching concepts and components presented in “Peace Education” in the areas of knowledge, ability, and attitude.- Curriculum planning specialists have evaluated the level of attention to concepts and components of “Peace Education” in the field of curriculum planning design in the primary school level as very low and relatively low.- Primary school teachers have evaluated the level of attention given to concepts and components of “Peace Education” in the field of curriculum operation and evaluation as very low and relatively low.- There is no significant difference between the opinions by teachers, experts, and the specialists regarding “Peace Education”.

The present research was conducted to standardize evaluation subscales of Meeker's Test in 3rd to 5th grade of elementary school students. The sample was consisted of 292 boys and girls students. Meeker’s Cognitive Test has four Evaluation subscales that is based on the widely recognized, multifactor model of intelligence developed by Guilford (1959).The Results indicate that all subscales reliability coefficients were similar (0.77) and the total reliability of the test was 0.78. The concurrent validity method was used for criterion validity in which there was significant correlation between evaluation subscales and student's teacher rating (P<0/001). Criterion was teacher rating of students’ performance. The findings of evaluation of four subscales of Meeker’s Test were presented based on percentile rank. Findings showed that Iranian students are higher than Americans in some of evaluation Subscales (EFU, ESS, EFC) and Iranian students are only lower in ESC subscale. Some suggestions presented for increasing evaluation of abilities according to the research findings.

In the present study, 600 pupils (300 boys and 300 girls) were randomly selected from Tehran elementary schools participating in two perceptual cue task (initial letters) and conceptual cue task (categories). In the perceptual cue task, letters were presented to participants to generate words beginning with the letters. In the conceptual cue task, different categories were individually presented to each participant to produce the words belonging to these categories. The results showed that the numbers of words have had an increasing trend from grades 1 to 5, in both perceptual and conceptual cue tasks. The results also revealed a significant difference for conceptual cue tasks between boys and girls but no such difference was found on the perceptual cue task. There was a main difference between girls and boys, in the category cues which means that the girl pupils produced more words than boys.

The present paper is based on a research on the role of students’ cognitive and meta cognitive strategies in learning and field of study. The sample included 2440 high school students of both genders studying in Mathematics, humanities, sciences and vocational (electronics, computer) courses who were selected at two levels based on their highest and lowest average from Khorasan, Ilam, Isfahan and Khoozestan. The achieved results are: the better students who had the highest average used both cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies more than the weaker students. Students studying mathematics, humanities, sciences and vocational courses used cognitive strategies differently but their use of meta cognitive strategies was the same. Girls use two of the cognitive strategies namely reviewing and over generalizing and two of the meta cognitive strategies, namely self control and organizing more than boys but in other strategies they are similar to boys.

The purpose of conducting this research was investigation of methods to initiate interest and motivation in students for reading and research as well as design of suitable models for its curriculum and identification of its effectiveness. To do this, the available theoretical and research literature in the field was carefully examined. Furthermore, the various viewpoints for reaching a suitable model were categorized and analyzed. After that, the most applicable elements of the theories were brought forward and combined into one model. The recommended model in this research relied on four fundamental elements which were conducted in a research-centered format. These four elements included: 1. Students’ characteristics which cause their interest and motivation for studying and research.2. Teachers’ characteristics which increase the students’ interest and motivation for reading and research3. Classroom atmosphere variables which can cause an initiating environment for reading and research4. Educational variables which increase the reading and research activity interestIn order to identify the mentioned model effectiveness, the model was conducted in the form of a pilot pre test – pos test with a 275 student sample in 12 experimental science classes of grade 8 in Tehran’s 11th region. The students’ interest and motivation for reading and research was analyzed with the help of a researcher made questionnaire. To analyze the data, ANCOVA co-variation statistical-analysis method was used. The results showed that using the designed model in a research-centered format in the subject of Science has resulted in the students reaching higher personal productivity in the subject and have more satisfaction in the subject. In general, the research results show that the recommended model has major role in initiating interest and motivation among students for reading and research activities.