Methodology

Abstract: The widespread use of test scores for different educational and social decision making purposes has made the washback effect of tests a distinct educational phenomenon (Cheng, 1997).The high school third grade final exam in the general educational system of Iran has for long been a high stake test designed to assess the achievement of high school graduates in different school subjects. The present study aimed to investigate the washback effect of this nation-wide exam on EFL teachers’ teaching methodology, assessment procedures, and attitudes towards different aspects of the educational system. For this purpose, a researcher made, validated questionnaire was administered to 160 EFL teachers. The results indicated that the third grade nation-wide final exam adversely affects EFL teachers’ teaching methodology and increases teaching to the test effect quite noticeably as they try to teach according to the content and format of the test. The results further showed an even stronger negative effect of the exam on EFL teachers’ assessment procedures. However, the teachers’ attitude towards different aspects of the educational system was not found to be as strongly affected as the other two variables. The findings of the study are of importance for testing and assessment bureaus in charge of extensive high stake tests development. Moreover, raising teachers’ awareness of the drawback of teaching-to-the test effect of such a high stake test might help them improve their teaching and evaluation practices.

The term paradigm has become a central issue in philosophy of science. Increasing attention to paradigm in public administration, as a branch of social science, is also highlighted. This paper attempts to analysis seven paradigms in public administration research and to study ontological, epistemological, methodological, rhetorical and axiological assumptions of the each paradigm. Finally, we briefly offer some potential areas of public administration that can be informed by seven research paradigm.

In this study, we have tried to identify two different approaches for dealing with social problems and issues. The first one is causal explanation, which is retrospective, static and physical. The other one, functional analysis, is prospective, dynamic, and normative. Institutions are the main subject of economics. Human social-institutional reality has a common underlying structure and these structures are matters of status functions. We proposed a method which aims at efficacy of these functions using intelligence rather than assuming these functions as intrinsic and trying to grasp the realty from without by a rationality apparatus. The aim of this article is to show that, Dewey’s Logic provides us with this alternative functionalistic approach in a comprehensive way.

This paper explores the method Allāmeh Muhammad Husayn Kāshif al-Ghiṭā, a famous Muslim theorist of the 18-19 th centuries, employed in his critique of Christianity. Although, his method for looking into the Bible is similar to that of Christian and Jewish scholars, his assumptions and results are different. Based on his viewpoints on the Bible, he believes in impeccable revelations. He examined superstructure, namely accuracy of attribution of books and pamphlets to their authors as well as personality and credibility of Jesus Christ’s disciples and apostles. Lack of credibility of the twelve original disciples of Jesus Christ and unreliability of the Gospels are proved. Moreover, he has carefully examined the content as infrastructure of the New Testament. As such, incongruities can be observed between the New Testament and the Old Testament. There are contradictions in the Bible itself. He prefers to apply argumentative tactic for general readers. In addition, his application of comparative step in his critique is considerable. This paper studies Kāshif al-Ghiṭā's approach to review the Bible in order to figure out Muslim scholars' viewpoints on the Christianity.

Despite widespread interest and research among applied linguists to explore metadiscourse use, very little is known of how metadiscourse resources have evolved over time in response to the historically developing practices of academic communities. Motivated by such an ambition, the current research drew on a corpus of 874315 words taken from three leading journals of applied linguistics in order to trace the diachronic evolution of stance markers in methodology section of research articles from 1996 to 2016. Hyland’s (2005b) model of metadiscourse was adopted for the analysis of the selected corpus. The data were explored using concordance software AntConc (Anthony, 2011). Moreover, a Chi-Square statistical measure was run to determine statistical significances. The analysis revealed a significant decline in the overall frequency of stance markers in methodology section of RAs. Interestingly, this decrease was entirely due to the overall decline in the use of self-mentions. Approaching interactional dimension of academic writing from such a diachronic perspective, it might be argued that the very selective use of stance markers by academic writers over time means metadiscourse does not operate in vacuum and is sensitive to changes within disciplines and their academic practices.

This study focuses on the significant lines of development characterizing the history of educational research methodology in Iran. A “historical case study” employed to collect, verify, and synthesize evidence about the same as such appeared in the Quarterly Journal of Education. The results indicated that the educational research in Iran has experienced five, distinct yet, overlapping and simultaneously operating historical moments. The first is the pre-methodology (1919- 1985) stage, during which scholars carried out their investigations without a distinct systematic scientific method. The second (1985- 1994) is a period of rising quantitative approach, during which quantitative methods were becoming central in the education field. The third (1995- 2004) is characterized by insistence on the monopoly of quantitative, during which educational and other social science researchers relied primarily on quantitative methods and statistical inference understood as a means to test the proposed hypotheses. The fourth (2005–2014), is a replacement stage started with the wave of qualitative taking over the traditional and provoked the appearance of a new hegemony. The concern for quality stage (2015-2019) is the fifth when the threat of losing credibility and leaving a relativistic impression were considered by members of the research community. It is concluded that Iran’s educational research urgently requires mobilized and rationalized methodological pluralism with the ultimate goal of improving on existing pedagogical practices.

Current educational psychology scholarship lacks critical comparisons of empirical studies using the methodology of hermeneutic phenomenology, which has been increasingly applied in psychology, education, and sociology. Unclarity and confusion in applying this methodology has negatively affected both theoretical and empirical studies that employ this method. To help fill this gap, the present paper critically compares two culturally different hermeneutic phenomenological studies by scholars from different fields: a psychological study from Iran and an educational study from Indonesia. We analyze the similarities and differences of the authors’ philosophical assumptions, including ontological, epistemological, axiological, and methodological assumptions as well as the interpretative and/or conceptual frame and rigors of the two studies. Our comparison and analysis reveal that the Iranian psychological study was stronger in applying the method but weaker in explaining the theory, while the Indonesian educational study comprehensively explained the theory without providing strong empirical evidence.

The spread of religious doubts in the public arena via information technology has caused religious faith to be changed and questioned in the turmoil of these doubts. This has provided the ground for acceptance of non-religious sects even in the form of religion. Explaining the logical approach according to Islamic affairs is one of the topics that has been less explored. Authors confront the doubts with their own taste in order to pay their debt to Islam and defend the sanctity of Islam and the divine religion. It’s necessary and serious matter to identify doubt and distinguish it from the problem (issue). We require coherent planning to purposefully confront religious doubts, for we are in an age when the most advanced means of mass communication have made its dissemination quick and easy. Identifying doubts from the problem and examining the methodology of dealing with them is what this article seeks to explain, regarding to the Qur'anic verses and hadiths. Accordingly, a comprehensive method for dealing with doubts can be achieved over time and religious doubts may be answered. The method of this article is descriptive-analytical. 

Studying the concept of spirituality in tourism is neithera newapproach nor a study of a particular kind of tourism or simply a religious perspective to tourism. Rather, it is an indicator of spiritual contents that today’s tourism is submerged into discover and attain non-material values and the reality duringthe length of its journey. This research offers a new perspective in the study of the methodology of tourism studies with a descriptive-analytical approach, conjunctive viewwhile using library documentation and a review of theoretical foundations according to the fuzzylogicmethodology. The fuzzy logictheory possesses a more precise capacity to explain and analyze concepts and phenomena and also a spectral reading of phenomena thatuses the binary numbers of 0 and 1 as the extreme points of reality and accepts that there are infinite points of reality between the two of them; therefore, in order to more precisely and comprehensively understand reality, one must have a hierarchical view towardthephenomena. With this approach, spirituality in tourism includes a great variety of concepts and elementsthat are allambiguous and graded. These elements include reasoning and probing, religious denomination and beliefs, mutual relations, and quality of life and culture. The propositions of spirituality in tourism essentially exist in bothfuzzy and spectral logic,not justwith fuzzy logic because of the essential ambiguity existingin concepts and elements andtheir metaphysical aspects. Therefore, this study is built upon the studies related to spiritualityin tourismconducted through the fuzzy logicmethodologies. According to the obtainedresults, this important approach must be paid attention so that the great capacities of spirituality in tourism in the areas of knowledge and action can be correctly utilized.

Background and Aim: An analytical look at the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran shows that its strategies and policies in the world system and the surrounding environment are methodical. In order to portray this issue, this study tries to methodize the policy of "enmity with the oppressor and support for the oppressed". Necessity and Question: The importance of this issue is that most of the mentioned strategy has not been studied in the form of theoretical and transtheoretical studies due to the label of being unscientific (Western attitude). Therefore, the concern is how the methods of recognizing the policy of "hostility to the oppressor and support for the oppressed" in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran can be analyzed? Hypothesis and Method: The authors use the inductive method and analytical approach to introduce the innovative hypothesis that the four sources of religion, history, jurisprudence and futurism of Mahdavi, the policy of hostility to the oppressor and support for the oppressed. Findings: The structure of religion, through the methods of " Tawalla and Tabarra", Principle of "No way" and "jihad", the border between the oppressed and the oppressor in foreign policy. Due to its spiritual and material results, the source of history puts the methods of "believing in the culture of Ashura", "the spirit of self-sacrifice", "denying hegemony" and "maintaining independence" on supporting the oppressed and hostility to the oppressor on the foreign policy agenda.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of disasters on the mental and physical health of affected communities requires planning for socio-psychological recovery, recognizing various dimensions, and research on the arising issues. The present study is conducted with the aim to focus on methodological and subject research approaches in international post-disaster studies in the framework of research design, target society, and measurement of key structures, in order to identify existing research gaps in this field. METHODS: In the present study, a purposeful post-disaster content analysis was performed quantitatively and qualitatively on socio-psychological studies in 39 journals indexed in databases. After the purposeful and specific steps, 73 studies were coded in an accurate review process, and then the codes extracted (research strategies, research project implementation, highlighted topics, sampling method, statistical population, and data collection tools) were analyzed in Excel software and presented in the form of descriptive statistics. FINDINGS: Cross-sectional studies with quantitative strategy, random sampling method, standardized structured questionnaire, and large statistical population have the highest frequency. The predominant subjects studied on an individual scale were the individual post-disaster psychological consequences and on a collective scale were indicators associated with socio-psychological recovery. CONCLUSION: The imbalance in the socio-psychological studies of disasters and the recovery indicators in both individual and collective scales require paying attention to the subjects related to the individual recovery and mental health and a deeper understanding of the socio-psychological consequences of disasters. In addition to the current research approaches, the investigations on the post-traumatic neuroscience will be growing in the future perspective. Expanding the scope of quantitative research and neuroscience requires standardized measurement scales in developing countries. The reliability of the study findings was 71.5%.

The present tries to study and review the manner the discourse analysis method is being used in family studies. This method especially emphasizes the role of research in the social context. Considering the key role of the family and women and their place in ensuring the prosperity, this sacred institution should be researched upon in this so that we can reveal the structures and processes that are based on ideology and power. However, considering past researches in the field of women and family, a majority of researchers have paid little attention to the social context while investigating those problems. Therefore, it seems a research gap in this field and hence, this article aims to answer to this question: How can family and women's issues be investigated through the discourse analysis method? The influencing factors on this social phenomenon have been written with the aim of determining the type of linguistic strategies in representation, alienation, highlighting, etc. And in the meantime, we will also discuss the evolution of the discourse analysis method. In order to achieve this goal and to understand this matter more easily, we have used the movies Kitab Qanun (Book of Law), Abed and One Day (Forrever and One Day) as examples.

This paper is an examination of Bochenski’s conception of an acceptable methodology for research in philosophy. Generally methodology refers to the building of scientific knowledge, methods are the how for building knowledge. it is the how, why method we have elected to reflect on the method of doing philosophy. This reflection proceeds from a preliminary discourse on the various methods that have been deployed in doing philosophy in the past to a discourse on the lessons from Josef Maria Bochenski’s thought. The paper, found out that such methods as the phenomenological method, the analytical method, the dialectical method, the hermeneutical method amongst others have been used in doing philosophy, past and present. We have argued in this paper that while it is true that real progress in philosophy can only be guaranteed by an adequate method that is grounded in logic and semantics, there is no single universally accepted method of doing philosophy. However, the conclusion that is reached in this paper, drawing from a reflection on Bochenski’s thought and insights from an intercultural perspective is that, an authentic philosophical method that rest on the phenomenological analysis and proceeds through analysis. Finally, whichever method one elects to use in doing philosophy, it must be guided by logic, and it must be complementary and not confrontational.

The deepest and most rooted form of racism can be found in the Bible which claims the superiority of a race as God's demand or divine destination. But this idea survived in modern philosophy by appeal to the different methods. In this paper I will introduce methods of justifying racism, most of which are in the philosophical context. Legal racism claims that some races have not enough reason to be members of civil society and enjoy their rights. Racism in its historical method, claims that the history of thought has shown that some races play a major role in the production of thought and this is a result of their superiority. In philosophical method, it is argued that some of the human capabilities in some species have not been activated and finally in scientific method, it is claimed that the superiority of one race in the struggle for survival is a scientific achievement of the scientific laws such as Evolution hypothesis.

Researching is considered one of the functional needs of the scientific community. However, this field of study is faced with a series of issues, such as the dismissal of the concept of critique as only a secondary phenomenon and the lack of a methodological perspective while dealing with the concept of critique. Thereby, after having an overview of the topic of literary and art criticism, this paper will attempt to argue that in the background of the discussion, the elements of “methodic critique” are ignored. Then, to distinguish the characteristics of methodic critique from that of subjective and non-academic critique, the eight elements of methodic critique will be explained in detail, which include: 1. Systematicity, 2. Model-orientedness, 3. Comprehensiveness, 4. Critical perspective, 5. Having philosophical basis, 6. Expert-orientedness, 7. Creativity, and 8. Being ethical. Undoubtedly, reaching a “(comprehensive) theory of critique in the field of humanities” necessitates an explanation of the necessities, definitions, and characteristics of the concept of methodic critique as avoiding the shortcomings of the study of critique in the field of humanities is impossible without a “theory of critique.”

"Otherness" is one of the most important dimensions in understanding Islamic discourse in international relations. This arises from a critique of the ontology, epistemology, and methodology of the Western discourse of international relations. In fact, the formation of the Islamic discourse of international relations has two dimensions. On the one hand, the principles governing international relations with a focus on rationalist approaches are criticized, and on the other hand, its identity elements are presented based on the political discourse of Islam. This article tries to examine the process of otherness in the Islamic discourse of international relations by focusing on the Islamic Revolution of Iran approach in international politics.

Realism is one of the approaches that has long been considered as the dominant paradigm in the study of international politics and has played an important role in shaping it. So, it has been criticized by many theoretical schools of international relations. To address these challenges, neorealism led by Kenneth Waltz sought a methodical and scientific reading of realism that conformed to conventional scientific principles and had the ability to explain international relations. The result of Waltz's attempt was neorealism based on the assumptions of positivism. Opposite to positivist views for the analysis of international politics are the religious theories of international relations. Islamic theory is the most important high-powered religious theory for understanding, explaining, and interpreting international politics. This article seeks to express the meta-theoretical foundations of both neorealist and Islamic theory and to take steps to develop the theoretical framework of the Islamic theory of international relations.

One of the most challenging issues raised in the theology and philosophy of religion is to define the concept of religion and its main components. This study aims to criticize and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a definition of religion presented in "Reason and Religious Belief". The results show that the main strength of this definition is that it considers "beliefs", "actions", and "emotions", which are among the existential needs and abilities of humans. However, some weaknesses of this definition are as follows: 1- Difficulty in achieving common points between religions, 2- Ambiguous explanation of the main elements of the definition, 3- Inclusion beyond the definition, and 4- Inattention to specific and individual features in the definition of religion. It is noteworthy that one of the main challenges in defining the concept of religion is the necessity of a systemic approach. In addition, such an approach should be viewed based on methodological conditions.

This article mainly deduces the intellectual pattern existing in schools based on the formal model. Because schools in different educational systems are also created based on a specific intellectual basis. The documentary method is  used to extract the intellectual basis of formal model schools by referring to the texts and sources in the history of management  was done as required documents. which are often published in the form of books and articles in reputable magazines. In order to obtain comprehensive information until theoretical saturation, about 24 documents were examined and analyzed from the texts in order to achieve the goals of the research. Positivist was deduced as its underlying thought pattern based on analyzing information from the common points of the this model with classical management. Finally, the positivisms intellectual pattern has been analyzed regarding ontology, epistemology, and methodology. The research findings showed that in the ontology of positivists, humans create and label the relationships of external objects in the mental structure they already have and are not related to the external world itself. In addition, the positivist approach intends to use the quantitative and experimental methods in humanities studies as in natural sciences for credibility. Finally, specific positivist rationality believes that knowledge is accompanied by experience.

After the decline of positivism, the interpretive paradigm (structuralism) gained favor among Qur'anic scholars due to its emphasis on subjectivity, the role of values in cognition, attention to human interactions, and the interconnectedness of the knower and the knowable. However, despite the fact that this paradigm seems to be more compatible with the religious view than the positivist paradigm, there are still significant paradigmatic differences between it and the Islamic paradigm that need to be considered. The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenges of using common qualitative methods in Qur'anic studies, while proposing the method of component analysis as a more appropriate approach. With the help of this method, it is possible to create a comprehensive set of verses that are related to and consistent with any concept of research in the field of humanities. The method consists of four stages: data collection, data coding, summarization, and searching for verses consistent with the extracted components.In this way, it can serve as a valuable tool for Qur'an scholars to overcome the challenges associated with the use of common qualitative methods, and it allows for a systematic and comprehensive approach that enables researchers to bridge the Holy Qur'an and the humanities, preparing the ground for interdisciplinary studies in these fields.