نشریه آموزش و ارزشیابی
پیاپی 28 (زمستان 1393)

The purpose of the present research was to examine the effect of sensory integration exercises on the sensory profile of children with dyslexia and dysgraphia. The statistical population included all the 7-10 year old primary students with dyslexia and dysgraphia in Behshahr, who had already referred to children’s learning disorder rehabilitation centers in the academic year 1390. Thirty students with dyslexia and 30 students with dysgraphia were randomly selected through (non-random) convenience sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups (15 students in each group). To collect the data, the researchers used the children’s sensory profile questionnaire, and to analyze the data, one-way covariance analysis was conducted. The results indicated that implementing sensory integration exercises enhance some factors of sensory profile (sensory seeking, emotional reaction, oral sensory sensitivity, inattention/distractibility, sedentary, fine motor / perceptual factors) in children with dyslexia. However, sensory integration exercises were found to have no effect on the low endurance/tone, poor registration, and sensory sensitivity of the children with dyslexia. Moreover, it was revealed that sensory integration exercises (as the independent variable) increased all factors of sensory profile significantly in children with dysgraphia.

This inquiry was carried out to investigate the relationship between the principals’ moral intelligence and their servant leadership in Miandoab’s schools. The study was a descriptive-correlational one. The research population included 179 male and female principals of primary, secondary, and high school in Miandoab. The sample comprised 122 principals, 75 male and 47 female principals, who were chosen through categorical ratio method based on Cochrams sampling formula. Regarding servant leadership of each principle, three teachers in his/her school completed the related questionnaire. This means that totally 366 teachers completed the questionnaire. The data were gathered through two questionnaires of moral intelligence and servant leadership. The face validity, content validity, and internal consistency of both questionnaires were verified by the experts. The Chronbach Alpha for the moral intelligence and servant leadership questionnaires was 0.92 and 0.97 respectively. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software conducting descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent T-test, and standard multiple regression analyses. The results showed that there was a positive significant relationship between the principals’ moral intelligence and its components with their servant leadership in Miandoab’s schools. The obtained results of regression analysis showed that among the four factors of moral intelligence, compassion had a more predictable vaue for the principals’ servant leadership in Miandoab’s schools. Also, the results of T-test revealed that there was no significant relationship between male and female principals’ moral intelligence and their servant leadership.

Cheating and academic dishonesty have always been the oldest and largest challenges of educational settings, which with the leverage of electronic technology (E-tech), have gained a hidden form in the new environment. The present study investigated the challenging hidden face of the evaluation system of open and distance education universities. It was a descriptive field study (quantitative and qualitative). Three hundred and twenty students answered the four research questions and 286 faculty members and test designers of Payam Noor University completed a questionnaire with Cronbach Alpha of 0.96 on administration methods (in-person, distance, traditional, electronic, conditions and invigilation) for ensuring secure testing. For better perception of the students’ problems in evaluation and finding ways to prevent plagiarism, a semi-structured interview was conducted with seven experienced final-test designers of open and distance education university of Payam Noor. Due to taking in-person exams and invigilation, the students noted that cheating was difficult in exams, and only 10% of them reported cheating within two semesters. It was also found that 62% of students copy assignments, 30% do assignments with the help of others, 18% copy without citation, and 4% hand in the entire paper as their own work. Moreover, the students believed that 81% of other students cheated in exams, 54% in doing assignments, and 45% in coping without citation. All the instructors requested in-person electronic exams with invigilation and highly secured testing environment to prevent cheating. Additionally, outlining the challenging hidden problems of evaluation in open and distance education universities, they proposed some solutions to reduce plagiarism in doing assignments.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between family functioning and parent – adolescent conflict with academic achievement among secondary school students. The study had a correlational research design. Using cluster sampling, the researches randomly selected 309 secondary school students in Abhar. The data were collected through Family Assessment Device (F A D), a scale of measuring attitudes toward parents, and students GPAs. The collected data were analyzed through Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis, and the research hypotheses were tested. The results indicated that there was a reverse relationship between dysfunction in families and academic achievement. The regression analysis showed that about 13 percent of the change in students` academic achievement can be explained by dysfunction in families and parent – adolescent conflict. The study could have implications for education professionals and families.

The present study was an attempt to investigate differential effects of linear and network presentation of content on students’ cognitive and affective outputs. Affective outputs included students ‘views toward the effects of these methods on improving note taking, attention, comprehension, and teaching-learning process. Recall, comprehension, and application/use of learned materials were considered as cognitive outputs. This study was a quasi-experimental research with a pretest-posttest comparison group design. The participants of the study were 110 students of Azarbaijan University of Tarbiat Moallem, who were selected through convenient sampling. To measure the students’ cognitive and affective outputs, the researcher administered an educational-psychological academic achievement test and an attitude scale respectively. The results of the data analyses demonstrated that using Visual Mind software as a way of network presentation of information was significantly more effective than using PowerPoint software as a way of linear presentation of information on recall, one of the cognitive outputs and improving attention and comprehension, as one of the academic affective outputs.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the Montessori Method of education on 4-5 years old preschool children's creativity in Tabriz. The data were gathered through a quasi – experimental research with pre-test, post-test, and control group, administering Torrance pictorial from B test. The statistical population of the study included all educational centers of 4-5 year old children, which comprised 500 preschools in the academic year 92-93. The research sample of the present study included 50 preschoolers (25 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group) who were selected randomly through cluster sampling. The Montessori Method of education was employed for three months. After that, the data was gathered and analyzed through Covariance method. The results indicated that the Montessori Method of education was effective on the 4-5 year old children's creativity. Regarding four dimensions of creativity, Montessori Method was effective in enhancing the dimensions of fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration in children.

The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of mobile learning at Payam Noor University of Bukan. This applied study was a descriptive survey from the point of data collection. The statistical population of the study included all 180 IT technicians, financial authorities, employees and academic staff (salaried or invited) of Payam Noor University of Bukan, 115 of who were selected through random sampling according to Morgan Table. The data needed for the study were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire and were analyzed via X2 test. The results revealed that establishing an educational system based on mobile learning at Payaam Noor University is quite feasible from the point of view of hardware infrastructures, software infrastructures, financial and supply resources; yet, it could not be conducted with regard to content and skilled human resources.