مطالب

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of domain-specific and domain-general precursors of mathematical training on preschoolers' number sense and estimation. This study adopted a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest-follow-up design. The statistical population comprised all preschoolers in Kermanshah (Iran) in 2020. Using multi-stage cluster random sampling, a sample of 45 was selected and allocated to three groups (15 per group). The data were collected using the short form of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), the Number Sense Screener, and the PLUS test (number estimation). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The mean (SD) of IQ was 95.91 (4.21) in the working memory group and 97.78 (3.38) and 96.66 (4.03), respectively, in the number estimation and control groups. In the linear combination of number estimation variables in terms of group membership, the group x time interaction was significant on the pretest, posttest, and follow-up (p<0.01). The difference in the mean scores of the working memory, number estimation, and control groups was also significant on the variable of number sense (p<0.01). There was no significant difference in the effectiveness of the two training methods on the posttest and follow-up, and both interventions exerted the same effect on improving number sense and estimation.

As the learning of foreign languages has increasingly become learner-centered, instructors are advised to take learners' characteristics into consideration to which they can tailor their teaching practices. There are several factors that influence language learning including critical thinking dispositions and learning strategies. This study examined the relationship between critical thinking dispositions and writing strategies, as well as the extent to which Iranian English learners utilize certain writing strategies. This study adopted a correlational design. The statistical population included students majoring in English in Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, of whom 150 students were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using Ricketts' (2003) Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (2003) and Abdollahzadeh’s (2010) Writing Strategy Questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed by 101 students from which eleven students whose responses were distorted excluded and the remaining 90 responses were analyzed using a bivariate correlation analysis. According to the results, learners' critical thinking disposition was positively correlated with their writing strategy. Additionally, the results demonstrated that Iranian EFL learners occasionally used a variety of writing strategies. It is also noteworthy that metacognitive and cognitive strategies were applied at a higher frequency than others. Thus, it can be concluded that critical thinking plays a vital role in employing different writing strategies.