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Abstract: This study explores the process of change of grades 3 to 5 elementary teachers, who participated in a professional development program "Algebraic Thinking: Foundation of Elementary Mathematics". Algebraic thinking as a functional thinking was the centerpiece of the program. The “Concern Base Adaptation Model” (CBAM) was used as methodology. The results of the study showed the significant changes in information, program management and task designing of teachers. Significantly, their understanding about functional thinking progressed. Finally a model was designed for integrating functional thinking in elementary mathematics curriculum as a result of this study.    

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Since the establishment of formal education in Iran, there has always been an emphasis on the application of mathematics in real life situation. To measure students’s competencies in applying mathematics in real life situations, there is a need to design a test with this purpose. During the current decade, PISA has been conducted in various countries to measure sudents’ competencies needed for solving real life problems in 15 years old. Because of the reliable systematic framework of PISA regarding mathematics literacy (ML) as a construct, agreed by mathematics experts, PISA framework has been chosen as a suitable framework to design a test to assess students’ competencies for ML. In this paper, we explain the stages of designing a similar test for the Iranian students of the same age. The approach to design the test is cognitive-diagnostic according to the framework of PISA and required modifications were made based on mathematics teachers’ viewpoints in Tehran. The final test items are based on three processes of mathematics literacy which consist of formulation employment and interpretation/ evaluation, and six cognitive competencies including communication, mathematising, representation, reasoning and argument, devising strategies for solving problems and using symbolic, formal and technical language and operations, in addition, four real context of personal societal occupational and scientific and finally four content area of quantity uncertainty and data change and relationships and space and shape.

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This paper is to investigate the heutagogic self-determined learning behavior of the students according to the theoretical foundations and framework of the heutagogic approach which has been carried out as a case study in Mehr-e Alborz virtual university. Among study population of Mehr-e Alborz virtual university students which were 690 people, 120 students were selected randomly by means of Proportional Stratified Random Sampling according to Morgan table and were then studied based on the heutagogic learning behavior level. Heutagogic learning behavior of the students from their view points were collected based on demographic variables (age, gender, semester and academic performance) by a researcher-developed questionnaire. The results indicate a significant relationship between two variables of academic performance and heutagogic learning behavior So that heutagogic learning behavior explains about 35% of the changes in academic performances of electronic students. Totally the heutagogic self-determined learning behaviors of the students have been estimated by intermediate or rather good level.

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According to scientific and technological changes that are emerging in society, the necessity of using interdisciplinaries is unavoidable. Successful development and implementation of interdisciplinary curricula need evaluation and revision continuously. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the humanities interdisciplinary curricula in higher education of Iran. Now the question is: "How much the current status of the curricula in higher education of Iran is adapted with the desired status"? To answer this question, evaluative research method, based on mixed methods, has been ussed.The population of this research includes humanities interdisciplinary curricula in higher education of Iran. Methods of data collecting were determined according to research variables and four study groups. The findings indicate that all components of the curriculum (including objectives, content and topics, teaching and evaluation methods, and retraining courses) need to be reviewed and be changed fundamentally.

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The aim of this research is to search for a model for the curriculum planning of the parents' cultural capital growth and to facilitate the children's Progress in school. The correlation of the parent's cultural capital dimensions with the educational achivement of the students was studied, and an efficient plan for the growth of the family's cultural capital was designed, implemented and evaluated. The theoretical framework of this research is derived from Bourdieu theories. Basis on the Pierre Bourdieu's viewpoint, cultural capital has three subtypes: institutionalized, objectified, embodied. The research method is quasi-experimental and it has two evidence and test groups. The tool for gathering information in this research is the questionnaire for ascertaining the cultural capital elements and also the Baum rind questionnaire. Its validity was obtained 83% by the experts and specialists through conducting experiments on 30 persons. The statistical population consists of 54 families that are selected randomly from north and south of Tehran who their children were in grade 4 in high school. They were interviewed by professional interviewers and the experimental group participated in a training workshop for introducing families with cultural capital elements. Assumptions of the research were: 1) Training of parents influences their cultural capital (interest in the art works, music, painting and calligraphy and foreign language). 2) Training of parents influences their cultural capital (improvement of relationship with book, drawings, computer, media, camera, and library membership). 3)  Training of parents influences their cultural capital (participation in the courses that results in getting skill certificate). 4) Training of parents influences their way of child rearing. 5) Teaching the cultural capital elements to the parents influences their children's school achievement. For doing descriptive analysis of data, the statistics of frequency, mean and standard deviation, and for inferential analysis of data, the analysis method of one-way and co-variance (ANCOVA) were used. The findings showed that regular training of parents in the level of P environment for the children's educational success.

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The aim of this research is to study the components of creativity in elementary school curricula. The research method used in this research is content analysis. The information source of this research is the 6th Grade Mathematics textbook in the academic year 1391-92. To achieve face validity, the viewpoints of the educationalists and experts were used in this research, and to achieve reliability, according to Pearson’s formula of correlation, the agreement coefficient of 0/89 was derived from the codification board. The tool of this research is the content analysis form with regard to Plsek’s teaching creativity model. A coded form was used to analyze the content of 6th Grade Mathematics textbook this task was accomplished in four stages: at the first stage, active and inactive units of the textbook were specified. At the second stage, the inactive units were deleted. At the third stage, the active Units were coded based on the parameters of Plsek’s guided cycle of creativity, and at the fourth stage, data resulted from the research were analyzed by using Shannon Entropy analysis method and the descriptive statistics methods. The findings indicate that the degree of attention and involvement parameters of Plsek’s creativity model and the coefficient degree of importance for each parameters are very low, and so the contents of 6^th grade mathematics textbook are nor adapted to the Plsek’s creativity principles and it hardly can be effective in generating and fostering creativity in learners.

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Abstract: In this paper, effort has been made to investigate the capabilities of curriculum as an academic discipline (CAD) and the question to be answered was whether curriculum could be seen as an academic discipline? This question has been answered in two parts. In the first part, the criteria of scientific disciplines were presented from the perspective of experts and after extracting the agreed criteria, they have been explored in CAD. In the second part, various classification of academic disciplines were presented, then disciplines that are congruent with CAD have been identified and linked with it. Discussions of part two have led to this result that curriculum is a soft, alive and functional discipline. This discipline has philosophical, social and organizational perspectives. In summary, three views were discussed. Two of these three points of view imply that education and curriculum are not considered as an academic discipline. At the end, the definition of curriculum as an academic discipline has been presented.

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Abstract: Two annual migrations of nomadic tribes have a large impact on school work and learning of students. This study is a qualitative case study and intends to examine the impact of a reduction in teaching time in nomadic schools. In order to assess the students’ absence from school each year due to two migrations and its negative effects, the researcher used mixed method research(Quantitative-Qualitative) to thoroughly study the phenomenon and to collect data during the two academic years (2011/2010 and 2012/2011). The study sample consists of students of a nomadic school where the researcher has worked as a teacher. The results indicate that the annual migration of nomadic tribes is the cause of decrease in training time by 34% (55 days from 160 days) and subsequently leads to disruption of school planning, hastily teaching of the contents, and not completion of textbook by the end of the school year.

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The present study is part of a bigger research project and its purpose was to investigate the influencing factors on integrating professional learning of secondary mathematics teachers with the ways in which they analyze, interpret and make decisions regarding their teaching. For the fine-grained analysis of the first layer of data, phenomenography method was used. Nine teachers were interviewed and based on the three main categories of “the presence of mathematics teachers’ educators as leading teachers’ groups”, “being familiar with various teaching methods and modify them according to personal characteristics of teacher, school and classroom” and “professional training of the cooperative group form” that were emerged in the bigger study. With the further analysis of the interviews, three sub- categories were shaped as well. They included “focusing on the specific goals and content in cooperative groups”, “considering mathematics teachers as adult learners not school students” and “the existence of common concerns between group members.
 

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Abstract The goal of current study was to investigate the consistency of intended curriculum with implemented curriculum at the preprimary level. The research method was survey study. The population included 258 preschool teachers of west of Mazandaran in 2009 that 122 samples randomly selected from Abas Abad, Chaloose, Tonekabon and Ramsar cities. Measuring tool was researcher-made questionnaire consists of 29 statements with Likert five points Scale. This questionnaire measured the implemented curriculum from the aspects of goals, activities and methods in evaluation. Face validity of the questionnaire has been investigated through the current issues in curriculum plan and educational activities of preschool and 2 professors been confirmed. The reliability of the questionnaire was found 0/91. Analyzing the data has been done by using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation and column diagram drawing) and inferential statistics (paired T test). Results showed that from the point of view of preschool centers’ teachers, there was a somehow conformity among goals, activities and evaluating methods in intended curriculum with implemented curriculum. Comparative investigation among respondents’ideas in getting the goals showed that most amount of reching goals was related to cognitive aspect with average point of 21/39 and the least amount of getting the goals was related to emotional aspect with average point of 8/22. Also in implemented activities, poems and signing, drawing, storytelling, group discussion and playing respectively are the most done activities by teachers. About how to evaluate by teachers in implemented curriculum, observation (%46), oral evaluation (%45) and continuous evaluation (%36) were the most applied methods.
 

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Our goal was to investigate readiness of art students in application of e-learning. This is a Descriptive- Survey research. Three hundred and forty-seven students of Alzahra University, Tarbiat Modares University, University of Tehran and Art University in 2013-2014 were selected by multistage cluster sampling and via Morgan Table. Their readiness for E-learning application was assessed by researcher-developed questionnaire. Data analysis is done by indexes of Descriptive statistics and One-Sample T-test. The results showed that a significant relationship was found between readiness of undergraduate students, graduate Students and post-graduate students to apply E-learning, but there was no significant relationship between the other variables of research (Sex, University and Field of Study). Results revealed that Art students were located in Moderate level of readiness for applying E-learning.
 

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The present paper aims to investigate the amount of multi-cultural education components in the textbooks of secondary schools from 2013 to 2014. It is conducted through text-analysis. The components of Multi-cultural education were initially collected from theoretical text and research background using document analysis and then they were numbered in the textbooks of secondary schools. The units of analysis were sentence, question, picture, activity, and the poem in the textbooks. Research tools were bibliography cards and inventory form in document and text analysis respectively. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The statistical population is the textbooks of secondary schools from 2013 to2014 and samples were Iran and International History I, Iran and International History II, History (Pre-University Schools), Social Studies (Secondary Schools), Sociology I, Sociology II, Social Studies (Pre-University Schools) which were expected to contain multi-cultural education components. The most significant results are as follows: out of 180 frequencies in the text books of secondary schools, History I with 76, i.e. 42.22% contained the most multi-cultural education components and Social Studies of secondary school with 5, i.e. 2.77% contained the least components. Among the components, “introducing various cultures to students in the content of textbooks” had the largest number of frequencies, i.e. 59 and “helping to understand and tolerate different opinions from various cultures, and defining multi-culture homework for students in the content of textbooks” had the smallest one, only 1, i.e. 0.55%.    

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Achieving a scientific literacy is the purpose of teaching the science curriculum in educational systems in the world. One of the most important and the most essential components that increases scientific literacy in students, is teaching about the nature of science. Purpose of this study is to investigate the attitude of undergraduate students at University of Tehran toward the nature of science as a component of scientific literacy. The research is descriptive and was conducted in survey study method. The population of this research includes all undergraduate students in faculties of psychology and educational sciences, and basic sciences. From this population, a sample size of 779 persons in stratified sampling method and considering the proportions (gender and faculty) was selected. In order to collect the attitudes of students about the nature of science, a questionnaire was designed based on the theoretical foundations of the project 2061 and its reliability and validity were examined and approved. One-sample t-test results indicate that the average of understanding the nature of science and its dimensions in students have significant differences with the average scores. Also the MANOVA test shows that there are significant differences between factor levels of faculties (faculty of psychology and educational sciences and faculty of basic sciences) about “nature of science” variable. Results showed that students have poor understanding about the nature of science and its dimensions. Based on the analysis of the results of conducted researches, the reasons can be traced in these factors: paying no attention to the components of nature of science in the development and design of science curriculum, low teachers’ knowledge and understanding about nature of science, lack of the development of science and technology in society and lack of the economical, political and cultural support structures for science and its values. The results also showed that students of basic science have more understanding about nature of science than students of psychology and educational sciences. The reason for that can be found in the nature of academic disciplines in two faculties and the amount of addressing the subject matters about science and nature of science in their curriculum.       
 

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The research goal was to investigate the outcomes of implicit curriculum from university students’ point of view.A purposeful sample of 15 professors and 20 students from shiraz university participated in the study. Data were collected through the research literature and by doing interviews with key experts and then the collected data analyzed by using the thematic network model. The set of 154 coded-common experiences were identified. Findings were classified into three major categories including: 1) basic concepts; 2) organizing themes; 3) inclusive themes. Results generally indicate that the main outcomes that students learned through the implicit curriculum are as follows: 1) authority; 2) discipline behaviors; 3) sense of comfort; 4) self- worth; 5) self-control; 6) social solidarity;  7) value-oriented approach; 8) responsibility;  9) passing exams with the minimum of effort; 10) cheating ; 11) stereotyping; 12) gaining scientific spirit; 13) deep study, and 14) undeep study.

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The purpose of this study was to define the curriculum principles of Teaching Experience based on the lived experiences of the successful teachers. In this study, a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach was used. The participants were 9 teachers and professors who were selected purposefully. Data were collected by using in-depth interview and analyzed by thematic coding. Among the findings, 358 conceptual codes were extracted. They were classified as eight main categories including: caring and sympathy, dynamism, tact of teaching, introspection, mutual interaction, creating reflective situations, cultural-artistic understanding, practical insight and 35 subcomponents. Findings indicated that following these principles results in the improvement of moral behavior and behavior stability in learners and can guarantee the influence of the learning-teaching process.

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This research aims to develop a useful tool based on Evert Rogers’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory and then evaluates the adoption degree of an educational innovation (Smart Board) in Karaj’s Schools. The mixed method approach with explanatory research design has been adopted; this design consisted of two sequential phases, described here as phase 1 (Quantitative) and phase 2 (Qualitative). The research method has been applied for quantitative phase is survey study and for qualitative phase is focus group. Research data gathered by two different tools; a questionnaire developed based on Rogers’s five criteria and a protocol form for doing semi-structured interviews. The overall findings show that this innovation has not been successfully adapted to school's context and so not been considerably accepted among teachers.

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Current study has been implemented with the aim of quality evaluation of research methodological skills of master students in human science disciplines in Tehran's public Universities. In qualitative section, by using purposeful and snow-ball sampling, experts in field of teaching methodology were interviewed. By using content analysis and coding procedure and also the syllabuses of the research methods and statistic courses, 35 important skills were indentified. In quantitative section, based on identified skills a valid and reliable questionnaire was developed and completed by 270 students. First, by implementing exploratory factor analysis, all skills were decreased into 27 skills and 4 factors (designing, practical, analytical and writing skills) were indentified. In the second stage, confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the measurement model of latent variable has good fit with observed data. In the next stage the results of Chi-squared test indicated that students have meaningful evaluation from skills. They evaluated their skills lower than average. Also the results of Friedman test have meaningfully ranked skills in each dimension. The results of ranked skills indicate that "selecting an appropriate title for doing research", "using electronic resource and scientific database", "interpreting the outputs of analyzed data", and "writing an article from the results of conducted research" have the lowest rank in each dimension. Generally, result of this study indicates weakness in needed research skills among human sciences master students of Tehran's public Universities.

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This study aimed to raise the effectiveness of On-the-Job Training Program for teachers. It was done by using quasi experimental method. To measure variables pretest –posttest design with control group was used. The population consisted of On-the-Job Training courses for teachers from Lamerd town which were held in 2012. By using convenience sampeling method 3 samples were selected which were registered in the course of October 2012. The course effectiveness was evaluated by using three variables including satisfaction and attitude of the learners as well as amount of their learning. The data gathering tools were a satisfaction-attitude questionnaire and the Course-Test. The content validity was used as a validation tool. The reliability was measured by using Cronbach’s alpha and cooder Richardson method. The results show that On-the-Job Training course was effective in systemic and constructive problem-based environments, and the second one was more effective.

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The aim of the present study is to analysis the content of persian literature textbooks based on approved seven-goal dimention in Iranian high schools. Its method is descriptive with content analysis. The population of the study is the textbooks of Persian literature in high school in the 1392-93 academic year that with regard to research’s nature and limitation in numbers of textbooks, all of them have been selected as the study sample. The data gathering tool is check list which was made by researcher. The research results were analyzed by Indicators of descriptive statistics. The main results indicate that: 1. from total 2656 frequencies consider to approved seven-goal dimensions, first grade with 637 frequencies or 24%, second grade with 634 frequencies or 23.9%, third grade with 508 frequencies or 19.1% and forth grade with 877 frequencies or 33%, considered the mentiond dimentions. 2. The Artistic and cultural dimension with 730 frequencies or 27.5% located in the highest rank and the economic dimension with 71 frequencies or 2.7% is the lowest rank.

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: This study، with the idea of entrepreneurship in mind، was conducted with the goal of evaluating the views of the curriculum experts in the high school vocational branch. The method was survey and statistical community included194curriculum experts and specialists of vocational high schools. Research sample volume(123subjects) was selected randomly based on the Morgan Table and، in the end، only 87questionnaires were returned. In order to gather required data from questionnaires Alan Gibb’s evaluation tools of entrepreneurship plan were used. The acquired collective single  t for experts is according to these components: behavior development4.297101،developing comm::union:: 4.668755، values of entrepreneurship 4.961556، motivate careers4.284784، understand the process of entering into business 4.078871،Capacity building 5.075505،the key business essentials 5.275455، relations management 4.178311،which every amount is higher than the single t critical amount ±1.98.differences exist between the test amounts and the average variable in the community،But very little.In other words، in the experts’ views، with the idea of entrepreneurship in mind، the vocational curriculum is in the Lower than average.