علیرضا قاسمی زاد

This study aimed at scrutinizing the mediating role of critical thinking in relation to higher education students' metacognition and self-efficacy in Islamic Azad University, Nourabad Mamasani. Samples were collected through random sampling method and it was equal to 248. Instruments used in this study were three standard questionnaires including critical thinking, metacognition and self-efficacy. Cronbach's alpha was employed to estimate the instruments’ reliability, based on which critical thinking was found to be 0.88, metacognition 0.89 and self-efficacy 0.87.  Findings revealed that meta-cognition could significantly predict students' self-efficacy and critical thinking. Also, it was found that meta-cognition and critical thinking could significantly predict students’ self-efficacy. This study also showed that critical thinking had a mediating role in relation to students’ meta-cognition and self-efficacy. The dimensions of meta-cognition and critical thinking could significantly predict students’ self-efficacy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to present a model of professional development of teachers with a qualitative approach. Methodology: In this study, in order to identify the teacher professional development model, a qualitative interview was determined. The statistical population of the study in the qualitative part was all experts and experts in educational management and planning with 10 people and in the quantitative part included all teachers and principals working in primary schools in Shiraz. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. To collect the data in the second stage, a closed questionnaire with a Likert scale of five was used. Findings: The results showed that the results of semi-structured interviews during several stages of coding and also inspired by the research background, led to the identification of the initial code. In the second step, the identified concepts were categorized into the following categories. These fourteen categories are; 1. Management of learning and teaching 2. Creating a conducive learning environment 3. Assessment and curriculum 4. Outline vision 5. Continuous school improvement 6. Effective communication and collaboration 7. Relationship with society and stakeholders 8. Operations management 9. Resource management 10. Guidance and leadership of individuals and teams 11. Professional ethics 12. Islamic ethical principles and norms 13. Develop your career 14. Finally, the fourteen professional standards of school principals were divided into several key areas or categories: educational leadership, strategic leadership, ethical leadership, management and organizational leadership, communication management, and professional development. Conclusion: The results showed that the results of semi-structured interviews during several stages of coding and also inspired by the research background, led to the identification of the initial code.