NEW THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION
Year:2007 | Volume:2 | Issue:3-4|Papers Count:9

Having an all-girl university creates the expectation for having quality university products. Hence, the evaluation of the master's theses of the graduates across time could not only reveal the effectiveness of the university curriculum, but any progress that might have taken place. 44 theses from five colleges were randomly selected and evaluated by two independent evaluators. The results support the research hypothesis in that the scores did not show high quality theses and no positive change over time. Review of the contents, methods, and instruments in university teaching could lead to improvements in scientist attitude and university products.

To study the effects of teaching self regulation strategies and strengthening the self-efficacy on the students' academic performance, a sample of 280 high school freshmen (141 girls, 139 boys) were selected in two high schools in Shiraz, and then divided into four groups (control, direct instruction, cooperative, and independent study) in each school. The treatment consisted of a two-month self-regulation and self-efficacy course conducted in different ways. All groups completed the MSLQ (Motivational Regulation Strategies Questionnaire), The SEBQ (Self-efficacy in Biology Questionnaire), and the BAT (Biology Achievement Test) both before and after the treatment.ANCOVA results showed that the independent study group had the best grades in self-regulation and self-efficacy, while, as expected; the control group had the worst. There was no significant difference between the treatment level of 'direct instruction' and the control level. As for the academic performance in biology course, the independent study group was significantly higher than the three other groups that exhibited no significant difference among themselves. The results are discussed with respect to their implications for self-regulation and self-efficacy theories, future research, and educational systems.

According to Bowen's theory of systemic family therapy, the extent of spousal differentiation could determine the couples' quality of marital relationships. In the study reported here, it was hypothesized that the extent of self-differentiation is related to the severity of marital conflict. Furthermore, based on Bowen's similarity principle, the similarity of spousal self-differentiation was also tested in relationship to the severity of the spousal conflict. To test these hypotheses, 17 couples were randomly selected from among residents of a university dormitory for married couples. Two questionnaires were utilized to collect the data: the Differentiation of Self Index (DSI) and Barati and Sanai's Marital Conflict Questionnaires (MCQ).The results show that there is a relation between couples' extent of self-differentiation and the severity of their marital conflict. Among differentiation subscales, emotional reactivity showed a stronger relationship with marital conflict and supported the similarity principle. The findings are discussed further and suggestions given.

The aim of the research reported in this article was to identify the role of leadership in higher education in improving the social capital of the faculty members at Ferdoesee University of Mashhad (FUM). Based on the theoretical framework and the research hypotheses, social capital and higher education leadership at FUM were measured using a sample of 101 faculty members and 2 questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the t-test. The results indicate that department chairs, depending on their leadership styles, had different effects on the social capital at the university. Furthermore, the social capital among the faculty members of the departments of natural sciences was observed to be higher than that in the humanities departments.

The study reported herein has sought to compare the effectiveness of Fordyce's cognitive-behavioral method to the social skills instruction method in increasing the subjects' happiness. A sample of 120 high school sophomores were randomly selected from among all such students in Isfahan and then divided into six same sized groups. The groups were also randomly assigned to four experimental and two control conditions. The intervention methods were Fordyce's cognitive-behavioral method and the social skills instruction method. The Oxford's Happiness Questionnaire was used to measure the dependent factor. Using the repeated measure analysis of variance, a significant difference between the effectiveness of the two methods for increasing happiness was observed. The post hoc test of Scheffe also indicated that the social skills instruction was more effective than Fordyce's method A.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and the academic success in a sample of precollege students. Three hundred and sixty students (180 girls, 180 boys) were included in this study. All participants were asked to complete the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS). Their high school GPA was taken to be the measure of their academic success. Analysis of the data revealed that emotional intelligence was positively correlated with academic success. Girls had higher scores on emotional intelligence than boys. Emotional intelligence will increase the probability of academic success through its main components of emotional perception, emotional facilitation, emotional understanding, and emotional management.

The main objective of the research reported herein, has been to investigate young children's cognitive maps and mapping abilities involved in reading maps of their environment. A sample of 144 children, ages 4 to 5, from different preschools of Tehran, Iran, York, England, Mexico City, Mexico, Durban, South Africa, and Evanston, Illinois were selected. Using an aerial photo children were asked to identify different components of the scene in the photo and trace different routs on it. The results show that essential map reading abilities (perspective taking and scale transformations such as scale reduction) are well developed by the age 4 in different societies. These findings provide some evidence in support of the universal development of map reading abilities without training in very young children.

Teachers have begun to use the term 'spiritual intelligence' in their educational discourse. Is it correct to consider spirituality as a form of intelligence? This paper explores whether the existence of such intelligence is plausible, by initially discussing the notion of spiritual experience as a mechanism for problem solving, one of the central themes that underlies the concept of intelligence. Then, the author examines the functions of some of the neural sites of the human brain that have been found to be active in those who have had spiritual experiences. In the light of this discussion, it is argued that although some reservation remains in considering spirituality as a form of intelligence, the concept itself may nonetheless be rendered as plausible.