Asgar Alimohamadi; Mahdieh Bayati; karim abdolmohammadi
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship among sleep disorders, executive dysfunction, and sluggish cognitive tempo in adolescents utilizing a network approach. The study was performed based on descriptive-correlation method. The population of study contained all the adolescents ...
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The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship among sleep disorders, executive dysfunction, and sluggish cognitive tempo in adolescents utilizing a network approach. The study was performed based on descriptive-correlation method. The population of study contained all the adolescents (ages 12-18 years) in Tehran, Ardebil, Southern Azerbaijan and Western Azerbaijan provinces during 2021-2022 academic year. Data were collected from Two thousand six hundred and fifty-nine adolescents who were recruited through convenience sampling method. Participants completed the Adult Concentration Inventory (Becker et al. 2015), Sleep Disorders Symptom Checklist (Klingman et al. 2017), and Executive Skills Questionnaire-Revised (Strait et al. 2019). The bootnet package in R software used for data analysis. Results showed Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) was positively and more closely related to Sleep Disorders (insomnia) than Executive Dysfunction. the results showed that the most robust relative bridge connections were Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) and Plan Management (PM), edge weight = 0.33; Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) and Insomnia edge weight = 0.26; in addition to the positive bridge connections, a negative robust connection was also recognized between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Emotional Regulation (ER), edge weight = - 0.07. In conclusion, Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) was positively associated with sleep disorders and executive dysfunction. Future interventions may be developed that emphasize the bridge connections of sleep disorders, executive dysfunction, and sluggish cognitive tempo in adolescents
Learning
Tahereh Khezrab; Reza Raissi; Neda Hedayat
Abstract
This study followed discussion-based techniques using mobile phone technologies in order to compare Iranian EFL teachers' perceptions with their practices in higher education. Applying Convergent Parallel Mixed-Method Design, 73 English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instructors, teaching technical English ...
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This study followed discussion-based techniques using mobile phone technologies in order to compare Iranian EFL teachers' perceptions with their practices in higher education. Applying Convergent Parallel Mixed-Method Design, 73 English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instructors, teaching technical English courses to Law students at Islamic Azad University (IAU), South Tehran, Qods and Eslamshahr branches, completed a questionnaire, assessing teachers’ perceptions versus practices on the use of mobile phone technologies in discussion-based classes. Through typical-case purposive sampling, out of 73 ESP instructors, eight instructors (four traditional and four communicative), extracted through the questionnaire, joined semi-structured interviews, and their classes were observed during the semester by two observers completing the observation scheme. Afterwards, applying the grounded-theory-instigated analytical framework of Onwuegbuzie and Teddlie (2003), the triangulated observation-interview data were thematically analyzed through open, axial, and selective codifications congruent with Mishra and Koehler’s (2008) TPACK model components, i.e., technology, pedagogy and content knowledge. The results demonstrated EFL teachers' interest in interactional mobile phone technologies and in the content constituent, i.e., the second component of the questionnaire as well as the third module of TRACK model. Additionally, the results signified EFL teachers’ use of comparative translation activities for the reading comprehension skills via collaborative/cooperative reading strategies. Finally, this research represents some pedagogical implications for administrative executives in the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology to revise Law students’ curriculum, and positively alters material providers’ and ESP instructors’ attitudes toward using mobile phone technologies in discussion-based classes.
Learning
Fatemeh Farazandeh; Seyed Jalal Younesi; Hajar Tarverdizadeh
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of metacognitive learning strategies in working memory among university students. This quasi-experimental research adopted a pretest-posttest control group design with follow-up. The statistical population included 268 students at Applied Sciences ...
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The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of metacognitive learning strategies in working memory among university students. This quasi-experimental research adopted a pretest-posttest control group design with follow-up. The statistical population included 268 students at Applied Sciences and Technology University in Tehran in 2022. The convenience sampling method was employed to select 30 students randomly assigned to two groups with 15 participants, i.e., the metacognitive training (experimental) and the control groups. The experimental group received 10 sessions of metacognitive strategy training based on the protocol of Wells (2011). Daneman and Carpenter's (1980) working memory test was conducted to collect data which were then analyzed using the repeated measures analysis of variance in SPSS. According to the findings, the pretest mean scores of the experimental group for storage and processing differed significantly from those of the posttest and follow-up stages (p<0.01). Furthermore, in terms of information storage and processing, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group and those of the control group (p<0.05). Thus, it can be stated that metacognitive learning strategies had a positive effect on improving the working memory of university students. University instructors can enhance students’ learning by creating conducive conditions for acquiring metacognitive strategies and fostering an engaging and appropriate educational environment.
Learning
Abbas Taghizade; Yousef Rasouli; Maryam Hosseini Largani
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid shift to online learning, making the community of inquiry (COI) framework increasingly relevant for creating meaningful and effective online learning experiences. However, the impact of COI presences (i.e., teaching, social, and cognitive presence) on students' ...
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The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid shift to online learning, making the community of inquiry (COI) framework increasingly relevant for creating meaningful and effective online learning experiences. However, the impact of COI presences (i.e., teaching, social, and cognitive presence) on students' learning outcomes has been inconsistent in the literature, and a recent meta-analysis has identified a publication bias in this relationship suggesting the need for further investigation. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of how the COI presence influences college students' learning outcomes and whether it has a mediating role in the effect of self-efficacy and motivation on e-learner’s academic achievement. In this cross-sectional study, using a correlational research design, among all graduate students studying in online courses, a total of 269 graduate students were selected from online programs in seven public universities in Iran between April 2022 and June 2023, to be the sample of the study. The data were obtained from the answers to the community of inquiry (COI) scale, self- efficacy scale, academic motivation scale and students’ last semester grade point average. To examine the questions of the study, a path analysis was applied whose results showed that motivation and self-efficacy affected the community of inquiry positively (p<0.000). Also, the community of inquiry affected learning performance positively (p<0.000). The outcomes can provide significant theoretical and practical contributions to the key stakeholders to design a satisfying and successful online curriculum for the post-COVID-19 era and offer valuable insights into the design of productive online learning communities.
Hosna Shams Dolatabadi; Nilufar Malek; Farhang Mozafar; Bahram Sedghpour
Abstract
Considering the effects of open school spaces on students, the aim of the study was to provide guidelines for designing school open spaces to enhance the level of emotional intelligence and learning in primary school children. This can be done through increasing the level of motivation and providing ...
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Considering the effects of open school spaces on students, the aim of the study was to provide guidelines for designing school open spaces to enhance the level of emotional intelligence and learning in primary school children. This can be done through increasing the level of motivation and providing the appropriate space to play. In this research a quantitative-qualitative research method is applied. Also, the Delphi system of gathering data is used to produce content-table and questionnaires. According to Kline, the sample size is calculated around 326. Teachers and school designers were questioned using randomized cluster sampling. The data was evaluated in SPSS software program version 22 using R factor analysis to produce analytical model in Amos. The results of the research indicated that physical aspects of space including: natural and diverse elements, spaces with cultural functions, semi-private (with supervision) and flexible environments, spatial diversity, space for different types of play and diverse connections between open and close spaces affect the changes of emotional intelligence in schoolyard. Thus, it was concluded that school open spaces are physical sites as well as social sets. Students’ behavior, abilities and space applications can be affected by spatial characteristics in school yard and lead to acquiring emotional abilities
Hassan Bagheri nia; Gholam reza Zareian; Seyed Ahmad Mohammadi Hoseini; Zahra Ejadi
Abstract
In the present study, the effect of visual and auditory accuracy training strategies on improving reading performance in second-grade dyslexic students was investigated. The statistical population of this study was estimated to be 900 second grade elementary school students with dyslexia in Sabzevar ...
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In the present study, the effect of visual and auditory accuracy training strategies on improving reading performance in second-grade dyslexic students was investigated. The statistical population of this study was estimated to be 900 second grade elementary school students with dyslexia in Sabzevar in 2017. According to the study population, a sample of 30 dyslexic children referred to the Learning Disorders Center was selected by multistage cluster random sampling and randomly divided into three groups of ten (two experimental and one Control group) The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design. The instruments used in the study were the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children (WISC-R), the reading performance test, and the teacher checklist. The experimental group participated in 12 sessions of audio-visual accuracy training while the control group received their instruction by the conventional teaching method during the same period. The duration of each session was 45 minutes. The obtained data were analyzed by covariance analysis method, and the results indicated that there is a significant difference between the adjusted mean of participants' reading error scores in the visual acuity group and the control group (p <0.0001). It was also found that visual and auditory accuracy training is practical in the reading progression of dyslexic students. Reinforcement of Visual and Auditory Accuracy Training Strategies as a prerequisite for neuropsychological neuropathy leads to improved reading performance in students with learning disabilities.
Zeinab Azizi; Afsheen Rezai
Abstract
With the abrupt emergence and development of the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face classes have been replaced with online classes (OCs) on an unprecedented scale in Iran. To improve the quality of OCs, it is quite essential to examine to what extent students are satisfied with them. With this aim, the ...
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With the abrupt emergence and development of the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face classes have been replaced with online classes (OCs) on an unprecedented scale in Iran. To improve the quality of OCs, it is quite essential to examine to what extent students are satisfied with them. With this aim, the current mixed-methods study purported to examine university students’ learning satisfaction with OCs at Ayatollah Borujerdi University. For the quantitative part, a total of 509 university students, including males (N=34) and females (N=475) filled out a modified version of the Satisfaction with Online Classes Survey (SWOCS) developed and validated by Bolliger and Martindale (2004). For the qualitative part, a sample of 20 students, consisting of males (N=9) and females (N=11) completed a reflective written statement disclosing their perceptions of OCs. Findings evidenced that the participants are moderately satisfied with OCs. In addition, the results of Friedman test documented that all the sub-factors of SWOCS played an important role in the participants’ learning satisfaction with OCs. Complementary with the quantitative findings, the qualitative results yielded five overarching themes: “instructors are a critical factor for students’ learning satisfaction’, ‘familiarity with technology affects students’ learning satisfaction’, ‘course set-up shapes students’ learning satisfaction’, ‘interactions with others are vital’, and ‘students’ learning satisfaction is closely correlated with outcomes’ Finally, a range of implications is proposed for different stakeholders.
parvaneh feiz; sazan emamipour; Peyman Hassani-Abharian; Shirin Kooshki
Abstract
Students with attention disorders face many challenges in the educational process, which also affects their academic future. The goal of this study was to compare the effect of the Cup Stacking Method and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the working memory and information processing rate on ...
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Students with attention disorders face many challenges in the educational process, which also affects their academic future. The goal of this study was to compare the effect of the Cup Stacking Method and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the working memory and information processing rate on students with attention deficits. The research population included all fifth and sixth grade students in public schools in Tehran in 2019-2020. Forty-five students with attention deficit were purposefully selected and then randomly divided into three groups of 15: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; Cup Stacking; and Control groups. The Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation group was given a 10-session therapeutic trial; a 30-minute cup stacking game was played for 10 sessions by the second group. The Symbol Digit Modalities Test and the Digit Span subtest were used to assess the study variables. The results of mixed variance analysis showed that although both cup stacking and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation improved the information processing rate and working memory of students with attention deficit, the two methods did not have a significant difference in their impact on these functions of the research subjects. It is recommended that school teachers use cup stacking in their daily interaction with the students, and that clinical professionals use Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to address executive function issues.
School Psychology
Mansour Balali; Jamal sadeghi; Alireza Homayouni
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the intermediating role of self-regulation in the relationship between mathematical educational beliefs and students' math anxiety. The descriptive method was correlation sort which is based on structural equations. The statistical subjects of this study were selected ...
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This study aimed to investigate the intermediating role of self-regulation in the relationship between mathematical educational beliefs and students' math anxiety. The descriptive method was correlation sort which is based on structural equations. The statistical subjects of this study were selected from 2710 male students in the ninth grade of secondary school in public schools in the 4th district of Tehran in the educational years 2020-2021. In this study, 300 students were chosen by a two-step cluster method as the sample size, to collect data, Plake and Parker’s Math Anxiety Questionnaire (1982), Ledder & Forgasz’s Math Educational Beliefs Questionnaire (2002), and Sawari & Arabzadeh’s Self-Regulation Questionnaire (2013) were applied. Structural equation modeling(SEM) with SPSS 18 and AMOS23 were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that math educational beliefs and self-regulation have a direct effect on students' math anxiety (p<0.01)., and mathematical educational beliefs have an indirect effect on math anxiety with mediating of self-regulation (p<0.01), and the research model was approved. This study shows the importance of educational cognitive elements in math anxiety and it is suggested that the educational systems set plans to improve students' positive educational and cognitive beliefs and as a results decrease anxiety in educational settings especially math anxiety.
Bahman Kord
Abstract
The main goal of this paper was to identify the relationship between achievement goals and academic self-efficacy with academic success. It was attempted to investigate the mediating role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between achievement goals with academic success. The sample of this ...
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The main goal of this paper was to identify the relationship between achievement goals and academic self-efficacy with academic success. It was attempted to investigate the mediating role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between achievement goals with academic success. The sample of this study comprised 220 participants, in different ages including both men and women. The instruments used were the achievement goals orientations contained 14 items (Midgley et al., 2000), the 8-item academic self-efficacy (Pintrich et al., 1991) and student's academic success: Grade Point Average (GPA). The results indicated that the mastery goals, performance-approach goals and self-efficacy had a significant relationship with academic success. The results showed that self-efficacy has the facilitative role in the relationship between mastery goals and performance-approach goals for academic success and mastery goals and self-efficacy could be strongly effective in the motivating strategies for enhancing learning.
Hamideh Iri; Ramezan Hassanzadeh; Javanshir Asadi
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate and compare the relationship between academic buoyancy, learning styles, and school bonding among students educated via the educational approaches of Mizan and public schools in Tehran. The study was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population comprised ...
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The present study aimed to investigate and compare the relationship between academic buoyancy, learning styles, and school bonding among students educated via the educational approaches of Mizan and public schools in Tehran. The study was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population comprised 2680 elementary-school students in Tehran in the 2018-2019 academic year. A sample of 600 was selected from public and guided discovery schools (300 students from public and 300 from Mizan guided discovery schools) based on stratified random sampling. The research tools included Martin and Marsh Academic Buoyancy Scale, Grasha-Riechmann Learning Style Survey (LSS), and Rezaei Sharif School Bonding Questionnaire (SBQ). Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the score of academic buoyancy was significantly higher among students receiving guided discovery than those receiving traditional education (p <0.05). The mean scores of avoidant and competitive learning styles were lower in students receiving guided discovery learning (p <0.05). Furthermore, the mean scores of school bonding and belief in school were higher among students receiving guided discovery than public education. (p <0.05). The study findings further highlighted the significance of considering learning styles and school bonding on academic buoyancy. It is considered a crucial step in understanding the factors affecting academic buoyancy in students.
Ali Hossein Pour Najjar; Elham Froozandeh; Amineh Sadat Tabatabayi; Ehsan Soleimanpour
Abstract
This study was an attempt to investigate the relationship between spatial memory and Symptoms of Neuroticism in men and women visitors of a flower garden. The participants were chosen by an available sampling method among people who visited flower garden, located in Isfahan, Iran in October 2016. Subjects ...
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This study was an attempt to investigate the relationship between spatial memory and Symptoms of Neuroticism in men and women visitors of a flower garden. The participants were chosen by an available sampling method among people who visited flower garden, located in Isfahan, Iran in October 2016. Subjects (woman=36, man=24) were asked to specify approximate locations of eight sites in the flower Garden on the incomplete map of flower garden after visiting the garden. Then, the subjects filled a demographic questionnaire and a short form of Eysenck introversion-extraversion questionnaire. The results showed that the means of spatial memory in men are significantly more than those of women (F= 11.46, p <0.05) and also, neuroticism in men is significantly less than that in women (F=7.22, p <0.05). Furthermore, positive relationship between age and spatial memory (r= 0.41, p <0.01) and negative relationship between neuroticism and spatial memory have been discovered (r= -0.59, p <0.01). According to the results, it can be concluded that neuroticism avoids paying attention to the environment and it causes memory function slump.
Mohammad Hadi Zahedi; Rouhollah khodabandelou; Golnar Mehran
Abstract
The initial proposed the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework suggests that social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence are essential dimensions to promote successful learning experiences in higher education blended learning environments as educational model of the community of inquiry ...
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The initial proposed the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework suggests that social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence are essential dimensions to promote successful learning experiences in higher education blended learning environments as educational model of the community of inquiry and its dimensions help educators to apply the findings of the research in practice. The objective of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between three dimensions of community of inquiry and perceived learning among higher education students in a blended learning environment of Malaysian university. Descriptive method was the nature of this study. 150 blended learning higher education students were chosen through convenience sampling and surveyed. Two questionnaires were used to test the degree of students’ perceived learning and the components of the community of inquiry model. The results of the study showed that there is statistically significant relationship between three dimension of community of inquiry and perceived learning. Moreover, the cognitive component is more predictive of the students’ perceived learning.
zahra cheraghi; Reza Nejati; Ali Bakhtiari
Abstract
As the learning of foreign languages has increasingly become learner-centered, instructors are advised to take learners' characteristics into consideration to which they can tailor their teaching practices. There are several factors that influence language learning including critical thinking dispositions ...
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As the learning of foreign languages has increasingly become learner-centered, instructors are advised to take learners' characteristics into consideration to which they can tailor their teaching practices. There are several factors that influence language learning including critical thinking dispositions and learning strategies. This study examined the relationship between critical thinking dispositions and writing strategies, as well as the extent to which Iranian English learners utilize certain writing strategies. This study adopted a correlational design. The statistical population included students majoring in English in Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, of whom 150 students were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using Ricketts' (2003) Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (2003) and Abdollahzadeh’s (2010) Writing Strategy Questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed by 101 students from which eleven students whose responses were distorted excluded and the remaining 90 responses were analyzed using a bivariate correlation analysis. According to the results, learners' critical thinking disposition was positively correlated with their writing strategy. Additionally, the results demonstrated that Iranian EFL learners occasionally used a variety of writing strategies. It is also noteworthy that metacognitive and cognitive strategies were applied at a higher frequency than others. Thus, it can be concluded that critical thinking plays a vital role in employing different writing strategies.
Omid Mallahi
Abstract
The present study intended to examine the relationship between working memory (WM) and writing performance of a group of Iranian EFL learners and to explore whether learners with different working memory levels perform differently on the fluency, accuracy and complexity of texts produced or not. The ...
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The present study intended to examine the relationship between working memory (WM) and writing performance of a group of Iranian EFL learners and to explore whether learners with different working memory levels perform differently on the fluency, accuracy and complexity of texts produced or not. The necessary data were collected through the argumentative essay writing prompt and a computerized Persian version of reading span test as a measure of learners’ WM capacity. The correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between these two constructs. The results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) indicated that there were significant differences between High, Mid and Low WM groups in terms of fluency and accuracy of texts produced, but not their complexity. The findings confirmed the importance of WM while working on cognitively challenging tasks such as writing which requires automation and effective management of cognitive resources while writing. On the whole, the present study confirmed the idea that learners with different learning characteristics orchestrate their mental resources in different ways to perform in different phases of writing and part of their difficulties or even capabilities in writing can be attributed to the efficiency with which they apply these resources while dealing with different writing systems (formulation, execution, or monitoring) or engaging in different writing processes (translating, planning, programming, reading, or editing).
Mehdi Dehghayedi; Mohammad Sadegh Bagheri
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between EFL teachers’ emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and reflectivity and their language learning as well as teaching beliefs. It investigated how well each of the variables can predict EFL teachers’ language learning beliefs and its respective ...
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This study examined the relationship between EFL teachers’ emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and reflectivity and their language learning as well as teaching beliefs. It investigated how well each of the variables can predict EFL teachers’ language learning beliefs and its respective levels. Accordingly, four questionnaires were given to 130 EFL teachers, and the elicited data were analyzed via correlational and multiple/multivariate regression analyses. Results revealed that 18% of teachers’ beliefs was significantly explained by the triplex unity. Critical thinking and emotional intelligence had significant contributions of 25% and 19%, respectively. The collective contributions of the three variables were only significant to three of the five dependent levels, i.e. 8% to language nature, 17% to motivation and expectation, and 22% to learning and communication. Accordingly, some pedagogical implications were elucidated.
Mohaddeseh Esnaashari; Hassan Soleimani; Ahmad Alipour; Manoochehr Jafarigohar; Ali Karimi Firoozjaei
Abstract
The use of technology-based instructions and treatment tools to compensate for deficiencies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is evidently increasing. The present study that performed during 2021-2022 was a systematic review and meta-analysis concerning the efficacy of digital technologies in improving ...
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The use of technology-based instructions and treatment tools to compensate for deficiencies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is evidently increasing. The present study that performed during 2021-2022 was a systematic review and meta-analysis concerning the efficacy of digital technologies in improving the deficient communication skills in language learners with ASD. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. The results revealed that the overall effect size (Cohen’s d) was 0.12 for both fixed effect model and random-effect model (z = 1.155, p >0.05). The effect size was statistically non-significant. We also considered Magnitudes of Cohen’s d fixed at 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 which commonly accepted for small, medium and large quantities. Again, the result approached the small magnitude (1.12 > 0.2). Despite estimation of variances of effect sizes across studies (Q index, I2 and T2 values) approved homogeneity in study results, due to small number of studies included in this meta-analysis they\ results may not be generalizable (Q= 8.780, I= 0.00, T= 0.00, p> 0.05).For future comparisons, we therefore recommend use of more evidence-based experimental studies with modifications in their technology devices to secure higher statistical gains. We also recommend considering moderator variables which affected the effect size of included publications consisting age, IQ level, treatment durations and validity rate of technology devices.
parvaneh feiz; Susan emamipour; Peyman abhariyan; Shirin Kooshki
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of cup stacking game and transcranial electrical stimulation of the brain (tDCS) on cognitive inhibition, auditory attention and visual attention in students with attention deficit syndrome in 2019-2020. The present study was a quasi-experimental ...
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The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of cup stacking game and transcranial electrical stimulation of the brain (tDCS) on cognitive inhibition, auditory attention and visual attention in students with attention deficit syndrome in 2019-2020. The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The present study population consists of all fifth and sixth grade elementary students with symptoms of attention deficit in Tehran in 2019-2020. Among the fifth and sixth grade students, 45 students with attention deficit symptoms were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups of 15 people including the brain stimulation group, the cup stacking game group and the control group. The tDCS experimental group was treated for 10 sessions of 30 minutes, and the cup stacking experimental group were exposed to ten 30-minute sessions of cup stacking game. In order to evaluate the research variables, the continuous auditory visual function test (IVA) of Rosvold, Sarason, Bransome, and Beck (1956) was used. The results of mixed analysis of variance showed that cup stacking game and tDCS are both effective in improving cognitive inhibition and auditory attention of students with attention deficit syndrome, but there is no significant difference between the two methods in influencing cognitive inhibition and auditory attention (P> 0.05). Also, only the cup stacking game had a significant effect on improving visual attention, but tDCS did not have a significant effect on improving visual attention.
Amir Dana; Saleh Rafiee
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of task constraint in learning football chip through observation. For this purpose, 20 children (with the mean age of 11.6±1.7) participated in this study and were randomly divided into two groups (each with10 individuals). At the acquisition ...
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of task constraint in learning football chip through observation. For this purpose, 20 children (with the mean age of 11.6±1.7) participated in this study and were randomly divided into two groups (each with10 individuals). At the acquisition stage, one group watched the model and they were told nothing about kicking the ball, while the other group was told that the task was to kick a ball that should land on a specified target. At the acquisition stage, participants performed 30 attempts (three blocks of ten attempts each) whose model’s film they watched five times before the first attempt, and again, after each attempt they watched the film. After 24 hours, participants were recalled to the lab and performed ten attempts as a reminder. The kinematic movement of the participants was recorded in order to compare it with the model. The results showed that the non-ball group had a more similarity to the model than the group with the ball. However, these results showed that in the speed variable, the movement of the group with the ball was more similar to the model. These results were explained in terms of goal-directed imitation theory as well as the existence of an external goal in the task
Elham Irani; Parisa Farrokh
Abstract
This study aimed at uncovering the extent to which the content of reading section of English Proficiency Test (EPT) engages the critical thinking. The corpus of this research included 16 reading comprehension texts among 24 recent tests, and totally 600 cases were randomly selected and analyzed ...
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This study aimed at uncovering the extent to which the content of reading section of English Proficiency Test (EPT) engages the critical thinking. The corpus of this research included 16 reading comprehension texts among 24 recent tests, and totally 600 cases were randomly selected and analyzed based on Rummy’s content analysis method in terms of critical thinking. The content of the reading comprehension texts was examined in four general dimensions. Using William Rummy's content analysis method, the reading comprehension texts, pictures, questions, and activities were scrutinized through a comprehensive quantitative analysis. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for each category and the data were analyzed by using Rummy’s formula. The findings revealed that the reading comprehension content, questions, and activities of the EPT did not enhance critical thinking in respondents. Since Rummy’s model includes picture categories benefited from criteria of critical thinking, the texts were also studied to see if the pictures benefited from the criteria of critical thinking based on Rummy’s content analysis method. It was cleared that there was no picture in the reading sections of the EPT.
Shahram Minooei; Mahin Nastaran; Ali Zangiabadi
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the potential power of teaching using urban simulation software such as the SimCity computer game for educating master’s students at Iranian Universities. This quasi-experimental study was conducted considering two groups: one control group and one experimental ...
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The purpose of this study was to determine the potential power of teaching using urban simulation software such as the SimCity computer game for educating master’s students at Iranian Universities. This quasi-experimental study was conducted considering two groups: one control group and one experimental group, including a pre-test and a post-test design. The sample of the study consisted of 60 students of three public universities of Art (Tehran, Isfahan, and Yazd) in 2017-2018. Thirty master’s students in urban planning and urban design were selected from the population using a random sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups: one experimental group and one control group (30 participants in each). The pre-test and the post-test included the Torrance test in creativity with Abedi's questionnaire and the open-ended and close-ended "workshop course learning skills" questionnaires were distributed in both groups. The experimental group was trained by the SimCity computer game, while the control group received normal classroom training. The pre-test and post-test results were analyzed using the IBM SPSS, and the inferential statistics in the form of the Pearson correlation, the Analysis of Covariance, and independent samples t-test were investigated. Findings showed that the SimCity positively improved the participants’ skills of learning workshop courses in the aforesaid fields, and increased their overall scores. Regarding the components of the learning skills in this course, it improved problem-solving and the planning skills of the students. However, the status of these components did not considerably improve the creativity and systems thinking of postgraduate students.
Ehsan Namaziandost; Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani; Goodarz Shakibaei
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of 2 modes of instruction (Short-block versus Long-block) on Iranian EFL learners' reading motivation and reading attitude. For this study, 60 pre-intermediate level students who were studying in an English language institute in Ahvaz were selected. ...
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The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of 2 modes of instruction (Short-block versus Long-block) on Iranian EFL learners' reading motivation and reading attitude. For this study, 60 pre-intermediate level students who were studying in an English language institute in Ahvaz were selected. They took part in a homogeneity test (OQPT) to determine their homogeneity level. Then they were randomly divided into two groups, 30 learners each included, namely short-block instruction group and long-block instruction group. Then the two groups were given a reading motivation questionnaire and reading attitude survey as the pre-test before treatment to determine the participants’ reading motivation and reading attitude. During the eleven-session treatment, the long-block group was taught the reading comprehension in an intensive 75-minute session, while the short-block group was taught in three short sessions (twenty-five- minute session). After the treatment sessions, the participants were given a reading motivation questionnaire and reading attitude survey as a posttest. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and one-samples t-tests and the findings showed a significant difference between the groups. The short-block group outperformed the other groups in both reading motivation and reading attitude post-test. Implications of this study could be a hint for both EFL teachers and learners that teaching through short-block instruction is more effective than long-block instruction in teaching reading comprehension.
Learning
Mehdi Badali; Parvin Mirzaei; Nazanin Shafieifar; Hoda Assadi
Abstract
In early 2020, the coronavirus outbreak compelled higher education institutions worldwide to cancel campus-based teaching and conduct a variety of electronic learning which led to assessment of the quality of e-learning and its results, such as learning and self-efficacy. Thus, this study aimed to determine ...
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In early 2020, the coronavirus outbreak compelled higher education institutions worldwide to cancel campus-based teaching and conduct a variety of electronic learning which led to assessment of the quality of e-learning and its results, such as learning and self-efficacy. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effect of problem-based e-learning (PBe-L) on the learning and academic efficacy of students during the COVID-19 pandemic in ‘An Introduction of Educational Technology Course’. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test/ post-test design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population of this study consisted of undergraduate students in the field of educational sciences studying in the University of Tehran. 38 students were selected as the research sample using the available sampling method and were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. PBe-L was conducted for the experimental group and the control group experienced the direct learning approach. A researcher-made learning test and Morgan-Jinks Student Efficacy Scale (1999) were used. The results showed that the mean of learning and self-efficacy of the experimental group increased from 7.92 and 57.00 in the pre-test to 18.51 and 76.57 in the post-test respectively. The results of covariance showed that the mean scores of the post-test of the two groups were statistically significant (p≥0.005). The results of this study showed that the use of PBe-L during the COVID-19 pandemic can be effective in increasing the students’ learning and academic efficacy.
Vahid Rahmani Doqaruni
Abstract
Due to both experimental and theoretical controversies on semantic relatedness research in second/foreign language (L2) education, the present study provides an alternative approach by investigating English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ cognitive processing of semantically related and unrelated ...
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Due to both experimental and theoretical controversies on semantic relatedness research in second/foreign language (L2) education, the present study provides an alternative approach by investigating English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ cognitive processing of semantically related and unrelated words. The participants were 38 Iranian EFL learners from upper intermediate classes at a private language teaching school. Employing a semantic priming experiment, the EFL learners saw a pair of words, and were asked to decide whether or not the target word (i.e. an adjective) was related in meaning to the preceding word (i.e. a noun). A two-way Repeated Measure ANOVA was run on reaction time (RT) and error rate (ER) data. Results of the study showed that semantically related words induced faster RTs than semantically unrelated ones, confirming the positive effect of the semantic relatedness in cognitive processing of L2 words. However, higher ERs in related conditions in comparison to unrelated conditions refer to a kind of confusion on the part of EFL learners.
School Psychology
Mojtaba Ebrahimi; Rajab Ali Mohammadzadeh; Ali Asghar Shojaei
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to model the structural relationships of job stressors and teachers' autonomy support with mediation of emotional exhaustion. This research was descriptive of the correlation type by the method of structural equations. The statistical population included all the teachers ...
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The purpose of the present study was to model the structural relationships of job stressors and teachers' autonomy support with mediation of emotional exhaustion. This research was descriptive of the correlation type by the method of structural equations. The statistical population included all the teachers of first and second grade of secondary schools in Noor’s and Chamestan’s public schools in the academic year of 2019-2020, that based on Cochran’s formula and stratified random sampling method, 240 people were selected. The tools of this research were the job stressor factors questionnaire of Otero-Lopez et al. (2006), the teacher as social context questionnaire Welborn et al. (1992) and the teachers’ burnout inventory of Maslach et al. (1996). All analyzes were done by structural equation modeling method. The findings indicated that the structural relationship model of job stressors and teachers' autonomy support with the mediation of emotional exhaustion in teachers of first and second grade of secondary schools has favorable fit and significance. In this research, all the direct and indirect paths that lead to the prediction of teachers' autonomy support have been significant. The research’s results indicate that job stressors have a direct and indirect effect, through emotional exhaustion, on teachers' autonomy support and also emotional exhaustion directly affects autonomy support. Addressing these variables can be effective in solving the problems of teachers' autonomy support and increasing it.
