نشریه اندیشه های نوین تربیتی
سال نهم شماره 3 (پیاپی 29، پاییز 1392)

Possibility thinking is a requisite for creative thinking and considered the heart of creativity in education. This study aimed at investigating the effect of possibility thinking training on creativity and its components (flexibility and originality) on elementary girl students in Shahroud. The research was conducted in the form of a pretest-posttest experimental study with control group. To measure the dependent variable، namely، creativity، Torrance Tests of creative thinking (A & B forms) were administered as pretest and posttest. The participants of the study were 50 third grade elementary girl students (30 students were assigned to experimental group and 20 students to control group) who were randomly selected. The results of the study revealed that there was no significant difference (p<0/05) between the mean scores of control and experimental groups in creativity and flexibility posttests. However، significant difference was found between the mean scores in posttest of originality in control and experimental groups. It was، therefore، concluded that variables other than possibility thinking training may have effects on the creativity of students.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between active learning and motivational beliefs and educational performance among high school students. To this end، 379 high school students (male and female) were selected through multistage cluster sampling. Active learning questionnaire and Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) of Pintrich and De Groot were used to collect the data. The reliability of both questionnaires was identified using Cronbach Alpha coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was run to check the validity of active learning questionnaire and confirmatory factor analysis was used for validating the MSLQ. The analysis of data was conducted using correlation and multiple regression methods. The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between the implementation of active learning and educational performance. Significant relationship was also found between implementing active learning with self-efficacy and internal evaluation. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that only self-efficacy variables، activity، facility، and test stress among all other factors of active learning and motivational beliefs can predict the educational performance of the students positively and significantly. Among these variables، self- efficacy was the strongest predictor of the students'' educational performance.

This study aimed at investigating the profiles of information literacy, critical thinking and academic self-esteem among postgraduate students regarding their academic achievement. The sample of the study included 260 postgraduate students in Shahid Madani University of Azarbaijan who were selected through random sampling. The data was collected using information literacy assessment tool by Eisenberg and Berkowitz, California test of critical thinking, and Cooper Smith self-esteem inventory. The data was then analyzed using cluster analysis, independent sample t-test and correlation method. The results indicated that there was a significant relationship among information literacy, academic self-esteem and academic achievement, however, no significant relationship was found between information literacy and critical thinking. Furthermore, the students'' profiles were identified in two clusters and no significant difference was found between the two clusters.

This study aimed at investigating the effect of sandplay therapy in reducing anxiety in elementary school children. The study was conducted in the form of an experimental pretest-posttest design with control group. The sample consisted of 40 elementary school girl students whose scores were one standard deviation above the mean on Spense anxiety questionnaire، and voluntarily participated in this experimental research. Participants were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of sandplay therapy as the independent factor، and the control group received no treatment. Upon the completion of the treatment both groups were tested to determine the effect of the independent factor on the dependent factor which was anxiety disorder. The data was analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANCOVA). The Result revealed a significant relationship between sandplay therapy and reduction in anxiety. Sandplay therapy has some effects on reducing anxiety in children and also reducing the symptom of panic-agrophobia، separation anxiety، physical injury fears، social phobia، obsessive-compulsive factor and generalized anxiety. Working with a sand tray will probably give the children the opportunity to discover their phobias in a safe environment and make them real through the reproduction of the incidents، gain more knowledge about their problems، and find some solutions to different problems.

The present study aimed at investigating the main and interactional effects of defensive styles and mindfulness on the educational achievement of students of Islamic Azad University in Saveh. In this comparative study، the three questionnaires of defensive style، mindfulness and socioeconomic base were used to collect the data. The questionnaires were administered among the students and 60 students were ultimately selected through purposeful sampling method for analyzing the data. Factor analysis and univariate analysis of variance were used and the following findings were indicated: 1) there is a significant main effect of students’ defensive style on their educational progress and those with mature defensive styles are significantly higher than the students with immature، neurotistic defensive styles، 2) there is a significant main effect of mindfulness on the educational progress of students and students with higher mindfulness have a considerably higher educational progress than those with lower levels of mindfulness، 3) the effect of defensive style on the students’ educational progress is not influenced by their mindfulness، 4) projection defensive mechanisms، denial، fantasy (immature defensive style)، false philanthropy and annulment (neurotistic defensive style) and humor (mature defensive style) were statistically significant. It can be concluded that psychological factors can be as effective as cognitive factors in the educational progress of students.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the reasons for unpopularity of qualitative research in the field of humanities at Kurdistan University. To this purpose، qualitative approach and phenomenology research method were used. The research population included all the researchers and faculty members of the faculty of humanities at Kurdistan University out of which 11 members were selected based on theoretical saturation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data was content analyzed. The results revealed that having inappropriate conceptualization of science، lack of sufficient knowledge about qualitative research، lack of trust between researchers (external factors)، complexity of qualitative research design، difficulty of data collection and analysis and ambiguity of validating the results (internal factors) were the factors which led to the unpopularity of this research method among researchers

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between the school principals'' self-esteem and the effectiveness of girls'' high schools in Kerman. The population of the study included all the principals and assistants of high schools (150 managers) who directed 75 governmental and non-governmental high schools. The sample of the study was selected through enumeration. To collect the data، Aizeng self-confidence questionnaire including 30 items and schools'' effectiveness questionnaire containing 23 items were administered. Descriptive and correlation methods were used and bar charts and scatter plots were examined to analyze the data. The results indicated that there was no significant relationship between the principals'' demographic features (age، and academic degree) and their self-esteem. Also، no relationship was found between the principals'' academic degree and the effectiveness of schools. However، there was a significant relationship between self-esteem، and management experience، and age and experience and effectiveness of schools.