درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Critical thinking in students' education is associated with the analysis of received information. Students provide the basis for the development of critical thinking in their future careers by cultivating this skill. This study is conducted to predict the relationship between learning style and critical thinking skills with the mediating role of distance education technologies in students of Payam Noor University. This is an applied study in terms of objectives and also a descriptive-correlational one since it describes the existing situation. The statistical population includes 253 distance learning students of Payam Noor University in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, of which 153 were selected as samples using the Cochran formula and simple random sampling. The population was asked to answer the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (12 questions), the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) (24 questions), and the researcher-made distance education technology questionnaire (10 questions). Due to the standard questions of the questionnaires, it could be argued that they are highly valid. The reliability of the questionnaires was checked through Cronbach's alpha using SPSS software, and it was found that all three questionnaires were sufficiently reliable. The data were analyzed using SPSS, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses using LISREL software. The results showed that the development of critical thinking skills to select, analyze, and apply information to solve problems in everyday life should be the focus of education and training systems in this era rather than inventing and applying methods of memorizing and processing information in memory.

This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of flipped classrooms in improving online learning self-efficacy and academic engagement among teacher trainees at Farhangian University. The study used a semi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all Farhangian University students during the 2023-2024 academic year. Using available sampling method, two groups of 36 teacher trainees were selected from the Shahid Modarres Campus of Farhangian University in Sanandaj. One group was randomly designated as the experimental group and the other as the control group. The experimental group participated in flipped classroom sessions, while the control group received traditional teaching methods. Data collection tools included the Online Learning Self-Efficacy Scale (OLSES) by Zimmerman & Kulikowich (2016) with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.88, and the Academic Engagement Questionnaire by Fredricks et al. (2004) with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.86. Both the face validity and content validity of the questionnaires were evaluated by a panel of experts and confirmed. The data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22), employing both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, including multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), at a significance level of α=0.05. The results indicated significant differences between the experimental and control groups in terms of all three dimensions of Online Learning Self-Efficacy: online learning, time management, and technology use. Furthermore, the experimental group showed significantly higher levels of behavioral and motivational engagement compared to the control group, while no statistically significant difference was found in cognitive engagement between the two groups. It is thus recommended that sufficient opportunities and resources be provided for Farhangian University instructors to implement this approach effectively and maximize the use of modern technologies

There appears to be a link between EFL teachers’ personality traits, teaching techniques, and classroom management strategies. This survey study aimed to investigate the differences between the extroverted and introverted Iranian EFL teachers’ specific teaching techniques of classroom management. Accordingly, forty male and female Iranian EFL teachers teaching at the ILI (Iran Language Institute) from Mazandaran, Iran were selected through non-probability convenience sampling. Based on the scores they obtained from the Persian translation of the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) Questionnaire, they were grouped as extroverted and introverted participants. Then the Teacher Classroom Management Strategies Questionnaire (owned by The Incredible Years, Inc. USA, 2012) was used to see how often the participants use specific teaching techniques and how useful they find each technique for managing their classroom. The independent samples t-test indicated a significant difference between the extroverted and introverted Iranian EFL teachers’ specific teaching techniques of classroom management. Based on the results, extroverted EFL teachers were better than introverted ones at using specific teaching techniques of classroom management. The findings suggested that teachers should be aware of their personality traits in order to better understand themselves and to find the best types of techniques for better classroom management.