فصلنامه پژوهش و برنامه ریزی در آموزش عالی
سال نوزدهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 67، بهار 1392)

Science and technology, particularly human capital, have vital role in sustainable development of nations. Realization of this fact is a necessity for science and technology production to achieve science goals in any nation’s needed sustainable financial resources. Trends of credits allocated to Iran’s science and technology shows that the credit’s share of S & T from GDP is coupled with high instability. New rationality theories of government investments have developed new and widespread dimensions. In Adequate Theory, ensuring the needed output in science and human capitals to achieve sustainable and comprehensive development is a principal justification in resources needed for Iranian system of science and technology. Considering this approach, the purpose of this study was to estimate the needed level of investment in science, research and technology to assist the development of macro resource allocation in this section. The statistical data analysis was completed by input-output structure for designing a conceptual model. In this model, allocated financial resources turn into teaching and research outputs by a multifaceted process. Government resources needed to achieve certain level of output are estimated using neural network approach. The statistical research population was all universities and research centers, excluding Azad and non- profit universities. The results showed that the model considers the trade between education and research activities, and having some economies of scale in micro levels.

Human capital is one of the most important factors in economic growth and it has important role in the inequalities declination. The purpose of this study was to compare the development of Iran’s provinces and also to examine the quantitative effect of human capital on the economic growth in provinces to reply to this question: whether the scientific growth in provinces lead to economic growth? We used economic theories and Panel- Data Model to determine the relationship between human capital and economic growth. The statistical population in this peper was Iran’s provinces that based on the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade’s indexes, divide to developed provinces, less developed provinces and non-developed provinces. The relationship between Human Capital and economic growth investigated in period of 2000-2008. The results indicated that human capital index (the number of graduated from universities) had positive effect on economic growth of three groups of provinces. But the effect of human capital on economic growth in developed provinces was higher than other groups. One can articulate that some development gaps among three groups of provinces are related to current gaps in human capital index.

Commercialization of university research results is a complex activity and a chain completion of ideas into technology, leading to wealth’s creation, entrepreneurship and financial independence of the universities. The purpose of this article was to determine and describe effective external organizational factors in the commercialization of research results and explain the relationship among these factors. A mixed method was used to collect data and information for this research. The population included senior administrators, research and technology administrators and faculty members of Islamic Azad University (Science and Research Branch), organizations’ research and technology managers who were contract party with the university, and experts in the subject matter. Purposeful sampling and random stratified sampling methods were used for qualitative and quantitative parts respectively. The research instruments used for data collection were researcher made questionnaire and semi-structural interviews. To determine the validity of the measuring instrument, content validity and viewpoints of six experts and scholars were used. The reliability of questionnaire was determined by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.9641). Qualitative information generated from interviews were coded and analyzed, and t-Test, ANOVA, Friedman and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were used to analyze the quantitative data. Results showed that external organizational factors such as government forces, economic forces, educational system, macro laws and regulations, technological advances, competitors and competitiveness, customer oriented, and other factors are effective in commercialization of research results (p<01/0). Results also revealed that most factors have significant relationships with each other.

Professional development of faculty members is considered as one of the aspects of improving academic quality. Therefore, it is of great importance to identify the professional development of faculty members. This study aimed at determining the needs of professional development among faculty members in four functional areas, namely educational, research, executive, and communicational areas. Regarding the purpose, this research was an applied study and regarding the data collection was a descriptive-analytic one. The population under study included 104 faculty members. Fifty faculty members were selected through stratified sampling from Faculty of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Sciences and the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering in a large public university. Research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire which included two sections. The first section related to the skills of professional development where the faculty members’ opinions about four skills of professional development within two levels were gathered. The second section, in addition, related to the methods for meeting faculty members’ needs. Four professors confirmed the validity of questionnaire; also its reliability was calculated by Alpha Cronbach. The Alpha Cronbach for the questionnaire of skills of professional development was. 92 in existing level and. 98 in optimal level. Similarly, Alpha Cronbach of. 97 was confirmed for the questionnaire of the methods of meeting the needs of professional development. The data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical procedures, Chi-square and Wilcoxon. The findings implied the needs in four areas of educational, research, executive and communicational skills. Furthermore, the results indicated that the needs existed regardless of the type of college, academic rank of faculty member and employment status. Faculty members stated their opinions about the ways to meet their needs in four categories as (a) exchanging experience with other universities, (b) holding long-term training courses, (c) holding training workshops and (d) establishing communities of practice. Furthermore the need for strengthening managerial and administrative skills was also emphasized.

Widespread development of new technologies in academic environment has caused positive outcomes and negative effects. One of the negative effects is the phenomena of plagiarism. The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize main factors affecting the plagiarism of students in Isfahan University. The research method was descriptive survey and applied one. Statistical population included all students of Isfahan University. A sample of 300 students was randomly selected by proportional method. Data collection instrument included a researcher made questionnaire. The validity of questionnaire was evaluated by specialists and its reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (.86) Varimax rotation explorative factor analysis was used to identify the main factors. The results indicated that the first most important factor for student's plagiarism was getting good grades. Other influencing factors in order of importance are as follows: lack of student's self efficacies in writing scientific reports and doing research jobs, lack of appropriate mechanisms for identification and punishment of plagiarists, social-cultural factors, lack of student's previous knowledge about citations and awareness of plagiarism in high schools and their informal education, deficiency of faculty members in identifying plagiarism and reacting to it, pressure factors, lack of education in universities regarding identification and prevention of plagiarism, no fear of punishment and inquiry, and having access to virtual and electronic environments.

The emergence of learner-centered education beside the teacher-centered education is considered as a significant changes in the field of education in the information age. Manifestation of e-learning has developed a context for wide applications of learner-centered instructions and other changes in teaching methods. Thus, understanding of students’ e-learning adoption behavior among students in higher education is urgently needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate acceptance e-learning by students in Tarbiat Modaress University. A survey method was used in this study. The statistical population included 264 students in Tarbiat Modaress University. A sample of 111 students was randomly selected. A questionnaire tool was used for data collection. The reliability of questionnaire was established by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.6) and its validity was determined by using factor analysis. The data were analyzed by using regression procedure. The results indicated that the instructor’ characteristics and teaching materials through perceived usefulness, and playfulness had directly and positive effect on intention to use e-learning. In addition perceived usefulness had greatest effect on intention to use e-learning. However, learning content design had no effect on the perceived ease of use.

The assessment of learning in an open and distance university by testing instruments is a very complicated due to saturation of environment from digital media and changing role of involved factors in learning cycle. The purpose of this research was to comparatively evaluate the perspective of PUN faculty members about current and desired status of open and distance university tests. A descriptive survey method was used in this study. The statistical population included all faculty members who have cooperated with university testing center. A sample of 286 faculty members was randomly selected by using Morgan Table of Random Sample. A researcher made instrument was developed for this research. The content validity was determined by experts of question design and experienced faculty members. The reliability of questionnaire computed via Chronbach's Alpha for current situation(α = 0.92) and desired situation(α = 0.96). The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics (such as means and standard deviations) and independent and single t tests. The findings indicated that there is a difference between the current and desired testing situations in open and distance universities in goals, design, application, correction, feedback and their three components. Accordingly, a review of current status of open and distance tests are necessary and inevitable.