Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory

Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of executive functions in predicting rational decision making in adolescents with the mediating role of moral judgment. Rational decision making, as one of the key functions of cognitive development in adolescence, plays a crucial role in individual, social, and academic adaptation. Since adolescence is accompanied by extensive biological, cognitive, and emotional changes, identifying the underlying factors affecting rational decision making is of particular importance. Method: The present research was quantitative and correlational using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the study included junior high school adolescents in Yazd in the academic year 2024-2025, from which a cluster random sample was selected. The research instruments included Scott and Bruce's General Decision Making Styles Questionnaire (1995), Nejati's Cognitive Functions Questionnaire (2013), and Rust's Moral Judgment Questionnaire (1973). Data were analyzed using AMOS-24 software. Results: The findings showed that executive functions directly predicted rational decision-making (P<.05, β=.17). Moral judgment also played a mediating role in this relationship (P<.002, β=.308). In other words, adolescents who had higher executive function abilities also had better moral judgment, and these factors led to improved quality of their rational decision-making. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the importance of considering cognitive and moral processes in an integrated manner and can be a basis for designing educational and counseling interventions aimed at improving adolescents' decision-making skills.

The present study employed a quantitative, correlational research design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of first-grade secondary school students in Yazd during the 2024–2025 academic year, from whom a cluster-random sample was selected. Research instruments included the General Decision-Making Styles Questionnaire (GDMS), the Cognitive Functions Questionnaire (Nejati), and Rest’s Moral Judgment Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using AMOS-24 software.

The findings indicated that executive functions directly predicted rational decision-making (β = 0.17, p < 0.05). Moreover, moral judgment played a mediating role in this relationship (β = 0.308, p < 0.002). In other words, adolescents with higher executive functioning also demonstrated better moral judgment, which in turn enhanced the quality of their rational decision-making. The results highlight the importance of integrating cognitive and moral processes and can provide a foundation for designing educational and counseling interventions aimed at improving adolescents’ decision-making skills.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of active education based on poetry reading, picture reading, and dramatization on strengthening the speaking skills of fourth grade elementary school students. Method: This study was applied in terms of purpose and quasi-experimental in terms of method with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included all fourth grade male students in Nazarabad city in the academic year 2024-2025 Sampling was conducted using the convenience method and two selected classes, each containing 20 people, were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The research instrument included a researcher-made speaking skill checklist with twenty questions, whose validity was confirmed by 5 experts and its reliability, using Cronbach's alpha, was calculated as .87. The experimental group underwent active education based on poetry reading, picture reading, and demonstration during 10 sessions of 60 minutes. Examples of activities included performing poetry while observing the tone and rhythm, analyzing and retelling images based on “seeing, thinking, and saying,” and performing short plays to enhance public speaking and speech coherence. Results: Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS software. The findings showed that active education based on these three activities significantly improved the performance of students in the experimental group in all components of speaking skill, including coherent speaking, public speaking, speaking appropriate to the context and audience, observing tone and rhythm, and understanding visual messages.
Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS. The findings revealed that active learning based on these three approaches significantly improved the students’ performance in all components of speaking skills, including coherent speech, public speaking, context- and audience-appropriate communication, tone and rhythm, and comprehension of visual messages. These results highlight that active and interactive teaching methods are effective tools for empowering students’ oral communication skills.

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to examine whether metacognition mediates the relationship between self-regulated learning strategies and problem-solving skills among upper-secondary students in Khorramabad. Self-regulated learning and problem-solving are recognized as essential for academic achievement, yet many students have not fully developed effective strategies in these areas.
Method: A descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling was employed. The sample consisted of 384 secondary school students selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using three standardized instruments: the Self-Regulated Learning Strategies Questionnaire, the Problem-Solving Inventory, and the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire—Adolescent Version. Reliability and validity of the instruments were confirmed prior to analysis. The study tested the direct effect of self-regulated learning on metacognition and the mediating role of metacognition in problem-solving.
Results: The results indicated a significant direct effect of self-regulated learning strategies on metacognition (β = 0.357, t = 5.785) and a significant indirect effect on problem-solving through metacognition (β = 0.528, t = 13.855). The measurement and structural models demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with satisfactory factor loadings, composite reliability, and goodness-of-fit indices, confirming the stability and robustness of the observed relationships. Conclusions: Findings confirm that metacognition serves as a key mediator in transmitting the influence of self-regulated learning strategies to problem-solving performance. The results underscore the importance of developing educational programs that simultaneously enhance self-regulatory and metacognitive skills to improve students’ problem-solving abilities and academic outcomes. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, reliance on self-report measures, and the focus on one city, suggesting directions for future longitudinal and multi-context research.

Abstract Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a multisensory educational intervention based on the Fernald method on the information processing speed of elementary school students with processing speed deficits. Method: This research was applied in terms of purpose and employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest and a control group. The statistical population included all third- to sixth-grade students enrolled in public schools in Kerman during the 2024–2025 academic year. Following screening using the Processing Speed Index of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition (WISC-V), the required sample size was estimated using G*Power software (version 3.1). Based on this analysis, 30 eligible students (with scores below 85 on this index) were selected through multistage cluster sampling and assigned to either the experimental group (n = 15) or the control group (n = 15) through simple random assignment. The experimental group received the Fernald (1921) multisensory educational intervention for one and a half months, consisting of 15 sessions of 45 minutes each, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS version 26. Results: The results of MANCOVA, after controlling for pretest scores, indicated a statistically significant difference between the two groups in posttest mean scores of information processing speed (F = 96.52, p < .01). The adjusted mean of information processing speed in the experimental group (M = 105.72) was significantly higher than that of the control group (M = 84.67). In addition, the calculated effect size (η² = .598) indicated a strong effectiveness of the Fernald multisensory educational intervention. Conclusions: The Fernald multisensory educational intervention is effective in increasing the information processing speed of elementary school students with deficits in this domain. By simultaneously engaging visual, auditory, tactile, and motor modalities and relying on neural plasticity, this method can be used as an effective educational strategy in educational settings and rehabilitation centers to improve core cognitive functions.

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the roles of reflection, autonomy, grit, and Foreign Language Engagement (FLE) in predicting emotional beliefs (EBs) of male and female EFL learners in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) courses, as well as the role of gender differences in learners’ EBs. Method: A total of 234 intermediate-level EFL learners (109 male, 125 female) from a language institute in Urmia, Iran, participated in the study. Participants completed some standardized questionnaires over a five-week period using Google Forms as follows: The Emotional Beliefs Questionnaire (Becerra et al., 2020), Reflection Questionnaire (Kember et al., 2000), Learner Autonomy Questionnaire (Lee, 2011), Grit Questionnaire (Teimouri et al., 2020), and Foreign Language Engagement (FLE) Questionnaire (Eerdemutu et al., 2024). Their English proficiency was ensured using the Oxford Placement Test (Allan, 2004). Multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for male and female learners, and an independent samples t-test was used to explore gender differences. Results: For male learners, reflection and grit were the strongest predictors of emotional beliefs whereas for female learners, autonomy and FLE were the main predictors. Female learners also reported significantly higher levels of EBs compared to those of males in CALL courses. Conclusions: The findings suggest that emotional beliefs in CALL environments are shaped by distinct gender-specific factors: self-regulation and perseverance for males, and autonomy and engagement for females. These results underscore the importance of gender-sensitive pedagogical strategies and indicate that fostering reflection, grit, autonomy, and engagement can enhance learners’ emotional development in technology-mediated language learning.

Abstract Objective: Educating wisdom, whether implicitly or explicitly, in the first grade of primary school, through the content of textbooks, plays a fundamental role in the formation of children's personalities. At this sensitive stage of development, children not only learn language skills, but also become familiar with basic concepts such as empathy, responsibility, reflection, and analysis of moral situations. Accordingly, the use of theoretical frameworks of wisdom allows for a more accurate evaluation of educational content and shows how textbooks can be used to cultivate wise and responsible citizens. This research aimed to study the components of wisdom in the content of Persian textbooks for the first grade of primary school based on the three wisdom models of Ardlet, Webster, and Sternberg. Method: The method was a descriptive-qualitative systematic review through content analysis. In this regard, the text of all lessons related to the first, second, and third grade Persian textbooks was examined using the explicit content analysis method. Results: The results showed that the components of wisdom include academic knowledge, cultural and historical identity, spirituality, ethics/compassionate love, love of homeland and national responsibility, learning from nature with an aesthetic perspective, acquiring knowledge, openness to experience, public good, reflective perspective, recognizing emotions, social/group interactions, family-orientedness, practical intelligence, learning and teaching, awakening and learning from history, and applicant of cognitive tools. Comparing these components with three theoretical models including Ardlet's Three-Dimensional Model of Wisdom (2011), Webster's Five-Factor Model (2003), and Sternberg's Balance Theory (1998) showed that the components of wisdom in the Persian textbooks of the first grade overlap with many theoretical dimensions of wisdom, and in some cases, such as humor, reviewing memories and revising them, and tacit knowledge, there are visible gaps and have been given less attention. Conclusions: It is noteworthy that components such as having an aesthetic view of nature and learning from it, spirituality, and learning from history have been given attention, which are not seen in the models of wisdom of Ardlet, Webster, and Sternberg, and this is one of the strengths of the Persian textbooks. It is suggested that in future revisions of textbooks, these dimensions should be included in a purposeful and educational manner through practical activities similar to real-life situations in order to pave the way for the upbringing of a wise, balanced, and responsible generation in society.