e. fathi azar

Schizophrenia is one of the most debilitating psychological disorders and one of the most common psychoses. The level of performance of these patients can be affected by cognitive disorders and especially visual-spatial memory. Cognitive rehabilitation can help improve cognitive functions. It also seems that electrical brain stimulation via transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) can increase the working memory of these patients. In this study, we intend to investigate the effect of occupational therapy with TDCS on visual-spatial memory function and visual learning in this group of patients.

The present study is an interventional study in the form of a clinical trial with a double blind, pretest-posttest design. 24 people were selected by convenient non probability sampling method and randomly assigned into the control/intervention group. The intervention was conducted in 12 sessions of 20 minutes. The anode electrode was placed on the left F3 or left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) region and the cathode electrode was placed in the supraorbital region on the opposite side. All participants performed 3 cognitive tasks related to visual-spatial memory in each session and also received psychosocial occupational therapy services for 30 minutes. Participants' visual-spatial memory and learning were assessed by Spatial Recognition Memory (SRM) and Paired Associate Learning (PAL).

The results of the study showed that the application of electrical brain stimulation along with cognitive tasks and occupational therapy services can significantly increase (p<0.05) visual-spatial memory as well as visual learning. The results of SRM (P=0.004) test after the intervention were significantly different between the two groups. The results of PAL test (p=0.01) were also significant after the intervention.

The present study has found that if electrical stimulation is accompanied by cognitive tasks and occupational therapy, the function of visual-spatial memory and visual learning can be strengthened in a short time.

The present study aimed to investigate the experiences and perceptions of elementary school teachers in Tabriz from the integrated science curriculum. The research method is qualitative and phenomenological type. Participants in this study were all primary school teachers in Tabriz who were selected by targeted sampling and snowball. The sample size was compiled according to the nature of the qualitative research to the theoretical saturation of the data (16) .The data were collected through a semi-structured, deep-seated interview; the method of information analysis was the method of coding the subject and using the Smith method. The validity of the study was internal validity, which was done by two authors in order to rebuild the reality. Then, the data and interpretation were provided to teachers to confirm the accuracy of the data and interpretation of them. To increase reliability, the interviews were conducted with an earlier program in an appropriate atmosphere and adherence to interviewing conditions, away from bias and personal conduct. From the data analysis, 16 sub-themes were extracted and these themes were categorized in five main themes (integration conceptualization, integration training principles, integration learning principles, integration effects in syllabus, integration status). The findings of the research showed that the syllabus of combined science from the viewpoint of teachers has different concepts, principles, works and situations that indicate their perceptions of the integrated curriculum in practice and the quality of its implementation in the educational system.

The current study has been done with the aim of determining the desirable features of the curriculum  education along with production in sewing field of vocational schools. This research is practical in purpose and  is done using a descriptive-survey method. The statistical population  includes all the sewing field trainees of vocational schools in Iran. From among a total number of 1720 sewing filed trainees, 314 people were chosen by the random stratified method  according to Cochran formula. In order to gather data, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. The questionnaire’s validity was confirmed by curriculum and educational planners as well as sewing trainees. Its reliability was obtained  by Cronbach's alpha method, 0.845. The results of the research  indicate that in determining the desirable features of the curriculum education along with production, in addition to the required properties for the curriculum elements including purposes, contents, teaching-learning methods, evaluation, time, site and groupings, some properties of the components related to this pattern  including the amount of production, the funding method, the way of buying raw materials and selling the products and non-technical competencies need to be noticed.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate high school teachers’ and students’ experience in using technology. The quality and phenomenology method has been applied in this study. The statistic population includes all high school teachers and students in Behbahan city. Therefore, based on purposive sampling method, semi-structured interviews have been done with 8 teachers and 6 students in Behbahan with regard to the use of technology. To ensure the reliability of research data, continuous study method and comparison of the data, summarizing and classifying the information was used without causing any damage to data. The data were analyzed by Smith´s suggested method. In using technology three main themes gained including the effective use of technology, barriers in using technology, factors influencing the use of technology. Three major themes were extracted from the findings that can depict teachers and students’ experiences in the use of technology. The finding revealed that teachers and students are faced with many problems in using technology. The most important issues include; (a) ignoring computer training books (b) pass the entrance examination (c) teachers’ interest and (d) type of course.

Clinical judgment is a complex phenomenon which can cause challenges for newly graduated nurses in the decision making process. The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of newly graduated nurses’ challenges on the road to gain competence in clinical judgment.

This qualitative study was conducted using the purposive sampling method and was based on the data saturation principle. Data were collected from 30 newly graduated nurses who were working in teaching hospitals in four northwest provinces of Iran during the two past years. Data was collected by means of in-depth semi-structured interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data.

The main challenges for the newly graduated nurses to gain competence in clinical judgment were four categories including: ineffective assessments, weakly interacting, skill related problems and unreliable decisions, and also eight sub-categories including unstructured observations, perfunctory exploration, communication problems, misapprehension, unfamiliarity with the skills, lack of conversance, decision making errors and conflict in the selection.

Achieving to the clinical judgment skills is a professional competence for newly graduated nurses. The familiarity with these challenges can help educational and executive managers to plan new programs for mitigating these challenges and to prevent undesirable consequences.

Tobacco use is the major avoidable cause of disease and death. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the efficiency of trans-theoretical model of change in smoking cessation among secondary school teachers in Tabriz by use of nursing intervention. This investigation was a quasi-experimental research. Participants in this research were 200 male graduate teachers of five educational districts in Tabriz. Subjects were randomly divided to two control and experimental groups (100 in each). The independent variable was nursing smoking cessation intervention and dependent variables were: self-efficacy, decisional balance, and smoking behavior. Data collection instruments were socio-demographic and smoking history, smoking behavior, self-efficacy and decisional balance questionnaires. Descriptive and analytical statistic (dependent and independent T-test, x2, and . . .) was used for testing the research hypothesis. Results showed 48 (58.5%) subjects of experimental group quite smoking completely after nursing intervention (x2 = 44.336, p<0.001). Comparison of smoking behavior (t=6.482, P<0.001) and self-efficacy (t=6.697, P<0.001) in experimental group before and after intervention, showed statistical significant difference. Decisional balance in experimental group before and after intervention, and also in comparison with control group, did not had significant difference. Although trans-theoretical change model was useful in designing nursing smoking cessation intervention, but more research is needed for decisional balance construct in diverse cultural groups.