نشریه رویکردهای نوین آموزشی
سال چهارم شماره 1 (پیاپی 9، بهار و تابستان 1387)

The purpose of this study was to present a structural model of casual effects among performance- avoidance goals behavioral, cognitive, affective and behavioral- social dimensions of academic engagement among the girl students in third grade of high school. cluster multi stage random sampling was used. 260 Tehran high school girl students in humanities were selected. Two questionnaires were used: Goal Achievement Scale and Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. The average of student's scores in five specific courses at the end of academic year was considered as an index of their academic achievement. Using the confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, and structural equations model, data were analyzed. The results pointed to the mediating role of cognitive, behavioral and affective dimensions of academic engagement. Peer help seeking did not have mediating role in the relation between performance- avoidance goals and academic achievement: The relation between performance- avoidance goals and task value was negative and significant (P<.05), The relation between Task value and achievement was positive and significant (P<.05), the relation between performance- avoidance goals and persistence on task was negative and significant (P<.05), the relation between persistence on task and achievement was positive and significant (P<.05), the relation between performance- avoidance goals and surface processing strategies was positive and significant (P<.05), the relation between surface processing strategies and achievement was negative and significant (P<.05), the relation between performance- avoidance goals and deep.

Research in the educational and behavioral sciences is done using different methods. Quantitative methods are known and common in planning and conducting of research. With regard to published works qualitative methods also have been considered and used. In recent years, mixed methods research in field of educational and behavioral research has been developed. Considering the discussions for and against this kind of research, in this paper the theoretical foundations of mixed methods research was discussed. After the introduction, the nature of mixed methods research was explained. Then, its historical background was considered and perspectives against this kind of research were explained. In the next section, the philosophical bases of mixed methods research were presented. In order to make the readers of this paper to become familiar with conditions of this kind of research in Iran, existing perspectives were considered. Finally while referring to merits and limitations of mixed methods research, some conclusions were drawn.

Management plays a major strategic and determining role as the main factor of productivity in every small and large scale social systems. This makes developed countries to invest heavily on development and enhancement of managerial capabilities and skills. This research aimed to survey the present status of middle level managers of RIPI considering managerial training components in order to provide a suitable context needed for designing a managerial development program. 150 of senior, middle and subordinate managers of RIPI/Tehran participated in this study. After reviewing literature on abilities and capabilities needed for managerial development, six elements including "managerial role, managerial skills, managerial abilities, managerial capabilities, managerial knowledge and philosophical minding" were considered as the managerial capabilities in the way to develop managers. Questionnaires (selected in Lickert scale) were used as the means for collecting data to evaluate present managerial status of RIPI mangers, and were filled by senior, middle and subordinate managers. The findings show that the present status of RIPI/Tehran middle level managers is in a relatively acceptable and optimum situation considering the merits and managerial training capabilities. In addition based on the survey and the results of Kruskal-Wallis test, there is a significant difference among the opinions of the three groups (senior, middle and subordinate managers) with regard to present status of middle level mangers in all six components except for managerial knowledge and philosophical minding.

This research examined Library anxiety in the users of Mirzaye Shirazi library of Shiraz University and compared it in the following categories: gender, education level (graduate and post-graduate), major (LIS and non-LIS) and use and lack of use of the library prior to entering the university. The sample included 285 students of Faculty of Education and Psychology. Of 278 respondents 22.7 & 77.3 percent were male and female respectively. 85.6 percent of them were graduate students and 14.4 percent were post-graduate ones and 85.4 and 14.6 percent were respectively non-LIS and LIS students. Prior to entering the university, 82.2 percent of respondents used the library and 17.8 percent did not. The research instrument was a refined version of Bostick’s original library anxiety scale including 37 statements. Frequency distribution and independent t-test were used in order to analyze the data. Findings indicated that the total mean of library anxiety in the researched group was 2.93. In addition to that 6.5, 26.3, 40.6, and 5.3 percent of the sample had no anxiety, mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, high anxiety and sever anxiety, respectively. The results of independent t-test showed that the mean anxiety scores were not significantly different in female and male students and students who had used library prior to entering the university and those who had not. Finally, the mean scores of library anxiety in the LIS major and post-graduate students were significantly higher than in non-LIS and graduate ones (p<0/05 & p<0/01). Furthermore this significance was only associated with staff approachability and library confidence and no significant difference was reported in other factors affecting library anxiety.