درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Purpose: This study was conducted aimed at investigating the effect of teaching philosophy to children on general health and anxiety among middle school students. Methodology: This was an applied study in terms of purpose and a quasi-experimental one, with a pre-test and a post-test and control and experimental groups, in terms of data collection method. The statistical population included the middle school students in District 5 of Tehran during the period 2009-2010, and the sample size was 30 subjects. Subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Sampling was performed using the convenience sampling method. Data collection tools were the Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire (1972) and the Spitzer’s Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (1983). The experimental group participated in 8 sessions of a 60-minute philosophy training course that was based on the "Philosophy Lesson plans for Children". Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Findings showed indicated that there was a significant difference between the general health scores of the experimental and control groups after teaching philosophy (P <0.01). Conclusion: The results indicated that teaching philosophy to children had a positive effect on their general health and anxiety.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare social interaction and communication in autistic children with the approach of architectural spaces and ordinary centers. Methodology: The data were causal-comparative. The statistical population was all children with autism in centers with architectural spaces approach and children with autism in normal centers of Tehran. The statistical sample consisted of 3 centers with architectural approach and 3 normal centers selected by available sampling method. Data collection was done based on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (GARS) and Edited Autism Checklist in Toddlers (M-CHAT) Robins, Feln & Barton (1999). Data analysis was performed by SPSS software in descriptive and inferential statistics at the significant level of 0.05 using independent t-test. Findings: According to the data analysis, the significance level in both variables of the study is greater than 0.05, which means that the scores of social interaction variables and the relationship of both groups follow the normal distribution. Independent t-test was then used to compare the mean social interaction of children with autism with the centers of architecture spaces and ordinary centers and showed that the obtained t was significant at the level of 0.01. Therefore, the null hypothesis can be rejected at the level of 0.01 in favor of the research hypothesis and with 99% confidence that there is a significant difference in social interaction between the two groups. Comparison of means indicates that social interaction of children with autism in architectural centers is higher than that of children with autism in normal centers. Conclusion: Social interaction and communication rate in children with autism in centers with architecture approach were more than children with autism in normal centers. As the number of these children is increasing, especially in Iran, it seems necessary to design centers and spaces appropriate to the needs of these children.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to design a participatory decision-making model for teachers of the second year of secondary education in Lorestan province. In this regard, first, using library and field studies, the components of teachers' participatory decision-making were initially identified. Then, using interviews with experts and based on the Delphi method, the identified factors are finalized. Statistical society is given by the teachers of the second year of secondary education in Lorestan province. Methodology: The research was finalized using Delphi method including 5 main indicators of individual-personality traits, team-collective characteristics, communication-social characteristics, organizational characteristics and technical-specialized characteristics and related sub-indices. Then, using identified factors and based on interpretive structural modeling (ISM), a native model of teachers' participatory decision making was presented. Findings: Relationships between factors indicate the effectiveness of improving and eliminating challenges and promoting the participatory decision-making model of teachers. Conclusion: The factor of organizational characteristics is the most effective factor if factors such as individual-personality characteristics and communication-social characteristics have both effectiveness and effectiveness, as well as team-collective characteristics and technical-professional characteristics among the mentioned factors, only It is effective in determining the levels of effectiveness of the proposed indigenous model, practical suggestions were provided to address the challenges.

Purpose: Investigating the cultural content of EFL textbooks is significant in critical discourse studies. The effect of cultural values on EFL learners’ social identity has been less investigated in the Iranian context. This study aimed at identifying type of cultural values embedded in New Interchange and Passages textbooks in terms of being global, local or glocal and the impact of these textbooks’ cultural values on Iranian EFL learners’ social identity. Methodology: 90 upper-intermediate EFL learners at 2 private language institutes and high schools in the city of Gilanegharb were selected among a population of 120 EFL learners based on taking an Oxford Placement Test (OPT). They were randomly divided into an experimental group (45 learners) and a control group (45 learners). The experimental group received global cultural teaching through exposure to private institute textbooks’ cultural values while the control group was taught through local cultural values embedded in the local textbooks. A Student Identity Questionnaire (SIQ) was used as both pre-test and posttest. Data were analyzed through Independent Sample T-tests using SPSS 21 software. Findings: The results indicated that the most frequent textbook cultural values were social power through the U.S. superiority, social relation through friendship and party, and accomplishments through success. Further analysis showed that the textbook cultural values had a significant impact on social identity scores of Iranian EFL learners showing stronger agreement with global cultural values promoted in the imported textbooks. Discussion: Results had implications for EFL teachers, learners, policy makers and material developers.