JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS
Year:2012 | Volume:11 | Issue:42|Papers Count:10

The aim of the present research, was identifying the relationship between teachers’ job attitude, sense of efficacy, collective efficacy, and their job commitment. The research sample consisted of 220 guidance school teachers (120 female, 100 male) who were selected from Kahrizak educational district of Tehran province through stratified sampling method. They completed Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy’ teachers sense of efficacy questionnaire (2001); Goddard, Hoy, and Woolfolk Hoy’s teachers’ collective efficacy questionnaire (2000); Hoy, Woolfolk Hoy, and Kurz’s teachers’ job commitment questionnaire (2008) and Khaki’s teachers job attitude scale (1389). The results of stepwise regression analysis showed that job attitude, students engagement (from teachers’ sense of efficacy), and task analysis component of teachers’ collective efficacy were predictors of their job commitment. These results were different in two genders: job attitude, students’ engagement and task analysis in females and students’ engagement and job attitude in males predict job commitment. In general, the relationship between job attitude, sense of efficacy, collective efficacy and job commitment was significant. The present findings indicated that when teachers have a positive job attitude, higher sense of efficacy, on the one hand and being motivated in their workplace, on the other hand, they are more likely to display higher job commitment.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the culture of trust and Tehran elementary school teachers’ performance. The research population included all Tehran elementary school teachers and the research sample consisted of 150 teachers who were selected through multistage random sampling method. The research tools were Hoy and Tschannen Moran school board trust questionnaire and Iranian education system’s performance assessment questionnaire which measure collective perception of school board trust in schools, principals, colleagues and clients. Findings indicated a positive and significant relationship between school board trust and teachers’ performance. Teachers’ trust in principal have the highest relationship with their performance (r=0.63). Also, trust in colleagues is related to teacher performance (r=0.51) and trust in clients is moderately related to teacher performance. There was a positive and significant relationship between culture of trust and teachers’ performance (r=0.56). The results of regression analysis showed that with the simultaneous entrance of trust culture and its micro scales and elements, around 0.42 percent of changes, related to teacher individual performance can be determined using these factors. Moreover, trust in principal was the strongest predictor of teacher performance (b=0.45, p<0.01). The impact of lack of trust must be recognized by principals and teachers, as culture of trust has a significant role on performance of school board.

The goal of this article is providing a conceptual model of a school based on the the features and parameters derived from "Iranian National Comprehensive Scientific Plan" and "Iranian Fundamental Development Document". The main pillars of this school are school principal, teacher, student and curriculum. Some features and items like a knowledgeable and capable leader, appropriate curriculum, happy environment, capable human resources, sufficient facility and technology play key roles in its continuity. This kind of school prepares a good life for students, is the source of education opportunity and services and also guarantees their identity improvement according to Islamic criteria. Such a school would have complete success in educational quality improvement and the development of students’ capacities, and all learners, teachers, parents and local people will like this school. This type of school should be a suitable place for growing pious and Islamic good-tempered human beings. Also it should provide background for thorough implementation of educational justice in our country, improve efficiency of resources at schools, increase cooperation of the society in school education improvement and help the country to achieve the first place in education all over the Middle East and Islamic world according to 20-year National Vision of Islamic Republic of Iran. Definitely, this kind of school increases the satisfaction of students, parents and officials from the function of educational system according to educational rules and regularities. Items and features mentioned in this article were obtained, looking the main and fundamental documents.

The purpose of this research was studying the impact of management process on Eighth grade students’ success in Iran, compared to successful countries (united states, Chinese Taipei, Russian Federation, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong) in TIMSS 2007. The comparative-analytic study was done using correlation method. In order to analyze school management variables such as administrative activities, educational monitoring, staff evaluation, teaching and public relation- based on data obtained from questionnaires of TIMSS2007- descriptive statistics were used. Results indicated no significant relation between executive activities, educational supervision, monitoring and principals’ teaching at school and students academic success. And also, the relationship between principals public relation, i.e., parents, society and financial support, and students’ success was significant, as well as positive. In all mentioned countries, principals have spent most of their times on executive, educational monitoring, controlling and evaluating the staff, afterwards on public relations and the least on teaching.

Students’ mathematics anxiety and learning styles are factors that impact mathematics learning. The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between students’ mathematics anxiety and learning styles with solving calculus word problems (SCWP) and their effect on each other. To do this, the ex-post facto research method was used. To collect data, mathematics anxiety questionnaire and learning style test were used. Their reliability and validity were already checked at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Also, a researcher-made solving calculus word problem test has been used. The instructional objectives of the mentioned topic has been designed. Its content validity wasconfirmed by mathematics teachers and academic members. The research population consisted of all high school third grade mathematics and physics students (girls and boys) of Sabzevar in 2009-2010 academic year. Also, the research sample consisted of 143 students who were chosen randomly from the mentioned population. The results showed that there is a relationship between students’ mathematics anxiety, and learning styles with SCWP. Students with low mathematics anxiety perform better in SCWP than students with high mathematics anxiety. Students with field-independence learning style do better in SCWP than students with field-dependence learning style. Students with low mathematics anxiety and field-independence learning style perform better in SCWP than students with low mathematics anxiety and field-dependence learning style. In addition, the results of this study imply that the mathematical word problem test is a more distinctive and challenging for students than ordinary class tests. The result of this research can help teachers in designing mathematics homework and questions for students, with attention to students’ mathematics anxiety and learning styles.

Metacognitive awareness is the effective factor for academic achievement. The aim of this study was to compare students’ metacognitive awareness dimensions according to grades, gender, type of school and educational district. The research population was 65339 guidance school students in Shiraz city. 551 cases were selected as research sample by cluster sampling method. To collect the required data, Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (M.A.I) was used. Results showed that students’ average scores of metacognitive awareness were 3.78. Also, metacognitive knowledge (3.83) was more than metacognitive control (3.74). With regard to gender, there were significant differences between males and females. In some metacognitive awareness components (Evaluation, monitoring, revising) according to type of school, the differences were significant, but considering students’ grade, the differences were not significant. Due to the importance of metacognitive awareness for academic achievement, it is necessary for textbook planners and writers to pay special attention to metacognitive awareness.

The present study aimed at investigating the problems of technology-based interaction, self-instructive, evaluation and extra-organizational problems of the distance learning centers according to the viewpoints of Isfahan distance learning high school teachers and students. The research population included 4021 Isfahan male/female students and 402 high school teachers during the academic year 2008-2009 (1387-1388). The research sample included 300 students and 110 high school teachers of those centers who were selected through multistage cluster random sampling method. Two Likert-scale questionnaires were administered among the subjects. The face validity and the content validity of the questionnaires were well established at the experts’ discretion. The Cronbach coefficients were quite satisfactory (teachers’ a=0.88 and students’ a=0.87). Research findings revealed that according to the students’ viewpoints, all types of the problems were greater than the average at the confidential level of probability (P£0.05), whereas the teachers believed that extra-organizational problems were lesser than the average. Moreover, there were significant differences between the demographic characteristics of teachers and students. Thus, the problems of distance learning centers according to the mentioned categories were considered more than average by students and teachers. These problems were due to poor communication infrastructure, lack of technological facilities, lack of proper notification methods, acculturation and evaluation of distance learning centers.

To evaluate post-secondary career and technical education courses running by the ministry of education, 2300 students, 793 graduates from 39 academic disciplines, 500 teachers and 121 managers of career and technical education colleges have been selected as research sample, using random sampling method. The required data were collected using questionnaires, interviews and data forms. Quantitative data were processed and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency percentage and ratio) and qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative methods (classification, summarization, combination). The research findings implicitly indicated that there is ambiguity and multiple conflicts in philosophy, main goals, macro policy, strategies and legal status of mentioned career and technical education courses. The implementation of mentioned continuous five years post-secondary course has failed and the separation of its planning and implementation in the form of three and two years postsecondary courses has leaded in great obstacles for coherence and consistency of career and technical education programs. Quantity and quality of human resources, facilities and educational setting of colleges is not satisfactory. Majority of students and graduates’ cognitive and emotional characteristics are not consistent with the expectations of their profession. Unemployment of almost 28% of those who entered such colleges with hope to gain better job as soon as possible, evidently indicates that there is a serious problem. Considering these findings, some recommendations were proposed for reforming planning and implementation of career and technical education and training courses.