فهرست مطالب a.h. alibaygi

Environmental Literacy (EL) is recognized as a fundamental component in directing individuals' environmental preservation behavior. This descriptive-correlation research was conducted with the main objective of explaining the environmental literacy of eco-villages’ students. Data were collected from 175 high school students, selected through census, living in eco-villages in western Iran (n= 175). Findings showed that students' EL was moderate. Three dimensions of EL, including knowledge, attitude, and behavior, were higher in students living in developed Eco-villages than in developing and less developed Eco-villages. Gender, father's job, field of study, and level of Eco-village development had a significant effect on students' EL. However, the effect of educational level and participation in environmental training courses was insignificant. The results of stepwise regressions revealed that the number of years of parents’ education religiosity, study hours per week, and satisfaction with living in rural areas explain 49% of the variance of students' environmental literacy.

In order to achieve development, the society needs to realize social justice and this will be possible in the shadow of women's empowerment. The study qualitative research was conducted with the aim of providing a model for empowering rural women in Kermanshah. The study population was experts in women's affairs in different departments as well as key informants who were selected by sequential sampling method and snowball technique. Data were collected using 16 in-depth and semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed using directional content analysis. Findings showed that lack of priority for women in development and empowerment programs, lack of business conditions for rural women, diminishing work culture and participation in rural areas, and special conditions of rural women are among the factors that limit empowerment programs. Based on the findings, the goals of the optimal empowerment model should include: changes in women's attitudes and beliefs, attention to different dimensions of empowerment, increasing the role of agency in empowerment and improving the opportunity. To empowerment of women, actions such as identifying the current situation, targeted and continuous training, transformation in support actions, recreating the planning structure, increasing the role of actors and supporters in empowerment programs are essential. The consequences of women's empowerment programs are the re-creation of roles and responsibilities, the promotion of the social and economic status of rural women in society, and the transformation in the design and development of empowerment programs. The results of this study can be used by planners for planning to improve the status of women in rural communities.

Critical thinking skill is one of the important mental assets that a person needs to be able to develop as an independent individual. Critical thinking skill is important because it assists individuals to analyze situations before taking actions, instead of acting impulsively. The possession of critical thinking skill is important not only to the individual but to those around him or her as well as the society. This is because people who lack critical thinking skills very likely get engaged in actions that are not based on a deep analysis of the situation at hand, and thus expose themselves and others to danger. Therefore, developing critical thinking skills in agricultural technical and vocational students -due to the nature and purpose of their disciplines- is vital to deal with wicked problems in the agricultural sector. Based on this, many efforts have been done to embed critical thinking skills in agricultural students at the technical and vocational schools. However, these attempts have not achieved the desired goals and agricultural sector still faces many challenges. We believe that this is due to the extensive attention allocated to educational issues and as well as micro-environments within the school by researchers who are interested in this field of study; while according to Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Luhmann’s Autopoietic Systems Theory, critical thinking skills are significantly affected by outside school environment and students’ demographic characteristics. Accordingly, the study identified students’ the most important demographic characteristics which affect theirs critical thinking skills.

For the purpose of this study, a quantitative research method was used. The statistical population of the study consisted of Iranian technical and vocational students (N= 5720). Altogether, 282 students were included in the statistical sample using multi-stage stratified sampling method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used for data collection and its reliability and validity were confirmed by content validity ratio (CVR ≥ 0.75) and Coronbach's alpha coefficient (α ≥ 0.71), respectively. The included a help section on how to answer the items, demographic characteristics of the respondents, and latent variables of research (critical thinking skills). Respondents were asked to express their degree of agreement with each item by giving a score from 1 to 10 (minimum agreement = 1 & maximum agreement = 10). Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software.

Findings showed that there were significant differences between students’ critical thinking skills in relation to critical evaluation of issues and application of theories and ideas to real world context. However, no significant differences were observed in terms of the educational inequality condition of students. Among the demographic characteristics, gender (male of female) and lodging (rural area or city) were not significant ones for students critical thinking skills. In contrast, farming filed experiences significantly led to differences among the students’ critical thinking skills.

The findings showed that one of the weaknesses of previous research on students' critical thinking skills was the use of the same tools and indicators to assess critical thinking skills for all disciplines, despite differences in the content and nature of their disciplines. Therefore, based on Calma and Cotronei-Baird’s (2021) research, four skills were identified as critical thinking skills for agricultural students: 1) critical evaluation of issues; 2) development and presentation of arguments; 3) application of theories and ideas to real world context; and 4) synthesis of idea, theories and/or data. Finally, the results of the study indicated that students’ critical thinking skills were not only subject to educational issues or limited to the school environments, but also various demographic characteristics that significantly affected them. Therefore, it is important for the educational planners to consider these characteristics in their planning for developing and enhancing students’ critical thinking skills.

One of the important aspects in development planning is paying attention to the vulnerability of the country and cities to the threats of war and natural disasters. Hence, the protection requirements and safety consideration of agricultural-related industries, as the most fundamental food industries in society, are more evident than ever. The present applied research was conducted with the aim of identifying and validating the passive defense evaluation indicators in the establishment of agricultural industries in Kermanshah province by combined (qualitative- quantitative) exploratory method. The statistical population of the study was composed of passive defense experts whose number was determined in the qualitative part with purposeful snowball sampling approach with the theoretical saturation being obtained after 14 interviews. In the first stage namely the quantitative part, using the method of statistical population counting, information was collected from 30 experts. The required data was gathered in the qualitative part through interviewing and in the quantitative part using questionnaires. Data analysis was performed in the qualitative part using open and axial coding and in the quantitative part using spsswin20 and Smart pls3 software. After grouping the obtained codes, 96 markers were identified and then classified in the following 9 categories: 1. spatial compatibility, 2.reinforcements and fortifications, 3.safety, 4.camouflage, deception, concealment and cover, 5. dispersion and downsizing, 6. parallelization of dependent support systems, 7. alarm and warning equipment, 8. crisis management and, 9. education and research. In the second stage namely the quantitative approach, a researcher made questionnaire was prepared in which the content validity was confirmed by professors and the reliability was confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha (0/87). In order to perform the validation, the amount of factor coefficients related to each dimension was calculated though the path analysis method and 77 indicators were confirmed. The z factor also showed an effective significance for each one of the 9 dimension indicator paths. The prioritization of each dimension indicator was also confirmed by the Friedman test. Due to the high sensitivity of agricultural industries, for their establishment it is necessary to pay attention to the indicators identified and approved in this research.

It seems that in different geographical conditions, according to the existing culture and facilities, the type and method of exploitation are different, which will affect the quantity and quality of exploitation and ultimately, the destructive or protective role of harvesting products on forests and pastures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dual revenue-protection role of exploitation of non-timber products of Shabankareh’s forest in Ravansar County in Kermanshah province, Iran. The research was quantitative, and in terms of data collection method, it was descriptive survey research. The study population consists of 111 householders in Shabankareh village. The results showed that the role of non-timber products in the livelihood of foresters is significant and the income is 6485096.77 Tomans annually, which has a complementary role to improve the livelihood of users. Also, results showed that the average exploitation rank of villagers who harvest in the form of groups was 57.75, which is higher than villagers who were personally exploited. According to the findings of the factor analysis technique, observing the correct principles of exploitation with 15.19% of the total variance, managing and monitoring the principles and appropriate time of exploitation with 14.71% and increasing sensitivity to the forest situation with 8.37% of the total variance, have the greatest impact on the protective role of exploitation. Results showed that the Exploitation of non-timber product is a more destructive and less protective role in Shabankareh’s forests. In general, it can be said that by modifying the exploitation structures, the protective role of exploitation of non-timber products can be strengthened.

Metacognition as an individual's knowledge about how to learn in agricultural higher education centers should be taken into consideration because the familiarity with metacognitive topics and its role in the process of teaching learning in agricultural higher education centers is an attempt on the part of the educators to take an effective step so that they can play an influential role in the effectiveness of the country's agricultural higher education system. The education that is based on metacognition leads to lifelong learning in the learners in a way that cultivating such a trait in agricultural students leads to curiosity, responsibility, and the flourishing of creativity in them. In fact, by using the right methods of learning and studying (metacognition), agricultural learners and students can learn the material that is related to their field of study better and more easily.

The present applied research was a kind of descriptive survey method. The statistical population of the study were the faculty members of Agriculture at Shahid Chamran University (N = 82) and the faculty members of Khuzestan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (N = 85) from which all the information was collected. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that in the first stage of its design, due to consultation with the research team and based on the theoretical foundations, the most important components of higher education and agriculture were identified. After determining these components, the criteria for each componentwere identified based on the theoretical foundations. The markers were identified during three Delphi stages through conducting interviews with 15 metacognitive experts. The method of selecting experts was in the form of snowballs. In the first stage, based on a review of the theoretical foundations and the viewpoints of the experts (in the form of open-ended questions and interviews), the indicators were identified for the main components related to metacognition. In the second stage of Delphi, a new questionnaire was prepared based on the Likert scale of five sections. After collecting the second stage questionnaires and analyzing the answers, the items with an average of 3.33 and above that were confirmed. The approved items were used to design the third stage questionnaire and to indicate the agreement or the disagreement of the experts. Having done the date analysis, those indicators with which 66% and above were finally approved.

The results showed that the agricultural higher education system of Khuzestan province is in an unsuitable level in terms of all components of metacognition except educational planning and educational environment. Examination of the current situation of agricultural higher education based on the identified indicators showed that in the components of the  curiculum, education management and inservice training courses, planning, evaluation, educational environment and teaching based on the amount of one-sample t-test, there is a significant difference between the real value and the assumed value. The course has two criteria of participation and justification that the value of the t-test showed that there is a significant difference between the two real and assumed values. The component of education management and in-service training courses has two criteria of empowerment and justification and the t- test shows a significant difference between the real and the assumed value. The evaluation component has two criteria of participation and performance that the value of the t-test showed that there is a significant difference between the two real and assumed values. The component of the educational environment also has two criteria of motivation, facilitation- interaction in a way that the value of the t-test in all these three criteria shows a significant difference between the amounts of the two real and assumed values. The teaching component has three criteria, namely before teaching, during teaching, and after teaching. The value of the t-test shows a significant difference between the two real and the assumed values. The results of the F-test show that there is a significant difference between at the level of 0.001 between the academic rank of the respondents at the level of 0.005 and between the field of study of the faculty members in terms of performing the tasks that are related to metacognition.

 Conclusion:

In the components of the curriculum, education management and inservice training courses, educational evaluation, instructor or teaching duties, educational planning and learning environment, the current situation is not at an appropriate level. This means that the various indicators of metacognition are not properly observed in these components. Given the importance of these components in agricultural higher education in order to achieve its macro goals and vision, the system should be reviewed and revised based on the indicators that are of significance and priority. It is necessary for the policymakers and planners of agricultural higher education to consider the indicators related to the main components of the system which have been identified in this research in planning and designing the educational programs. The Policymakers and planners are advised to change the educational system in a way that the dominant  atmosphere in the classrooms would be participatory and cooperative and the content of the books be adjusted in such a way that critical thinking as a strategy of deep learning can be facilitated.

Conservation of environment as one of the main pillars of human life requires the attention and effort of all people, especially women, and the prerequisite for that is the Environmental Literacy (EL). The purpose of this mixed-method research was to assess rural women's EL level, and identify appropriate methods of EL extension among them. Statistical population of the study consisted of 203,504 rural women (15-64 ages), of whom 384 women were selected as sample using modified stratified random sampling technique. In order to gather the information, a questionnaire was developed including components of environmental attitudes, concerns, knowledge, skills, and behavior. Validity of questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of expert, and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha (0.86–0.93). In the qualitative section, the study population consisted of experts in agriculture extension, environment and natural resources, as well as rural women. Samples were selected using purposeful sampling and snowball technique. Results of quantitative section showed that the level of EL of rural women was moderate (M= 61.427, SD= 8.003) and means of environmental knowledge (M= 10.292, SD= 3.293) and concern (M= 11.926, SD= 2.328) were lower than other dimensions. MANOVA analysis also revealed that there were significant differences in level of EL of rural women among townships of Kermanshah Province with different degrees of agricultural development. Rural women in more developed regions had higher environmental knowledge and skills, but their environmental behavior was similar to underdeveloped and developing regions. The results of the qualitative section also indicated that EL extension methods of women in the villages of different regions were almost the same, but the women from the developed villages had higher tendency to participatory extension methods. Results from this study could contribute to improvement of environmental program in order to promote EL across the society.