فریبا حافظی

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between math anxiety with optimism and perceived classroom structure through mediating role of mathematics attitudes in female high school students. The statistical population of this descriptive correlational study comprised all the female high-school students in Ahvaz (Iran) in the academic year 2020-2021. A sample of 237 students was randomly selected via single-stage cluster sampling. In this study, the sample size was determined based on the number of predictor variables in the structural equation analysis. The research instruments included the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS), the Life Orientation Test (LOT), Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), and the Mathematics Attitude Scale (MAS). The proposed model was evaluated by structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that all direct paths except perceived classroom structure to math anxiety were significant (p< 0.01). The indirect paths from optimism to math anxiety mediated by mathematics attitude, and the path from perceived classroom structure to math anxiety mediated by mathematics attitude were significant (p< 0.01). The proposed method, therefore, has an optimal fit and is a major step towards identifying the factor affecting students’ math anxiety.

Purpose : The objective of this study was to compare effectiveness of reverse and cooperative learning methods on creativity and academic self-efficacy of female senior high school students. Methodology : This was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design and the control group. The study population consisted of female senior high school students in Ahvaz during the academic year 2019-2020. The research sample was 90 people who were randomly selected from three classes of a school and two classes were selected as experimental groups (reverse and cooperative learning) and a class was selected as a control group. Each experimental group was trained in 10 sessions of 75 min by reverse and cooperative learning methods and the control group received no training. The research tools were Abedi (1993) Creativity Test Questionnaire and Morgan-Jinks (1999) Student Efficacy Scale. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post hoc test using SPSS-22 software. Findings : The study results showed that experimental and control groups were significantly different in terms of creativity and academic self-efficacy (P <0.05). In other words, reverse and cooperative learning methods increased creativity and academic self-efficacy compared to the control group (P <0.05), but no significant difference was found between them in terms of creativity and academic self-efficacy (P> 0.05). Conclusion : Regarding the effectiveness of both learning methods and no significant difference between them, both reverse and cooperative learning methods can be used to increase creativity and academic self-efficacy.