Journal of Theory & Practice in Curriculum

Designing and Developing a Test for Cognitive Competencies of the Iranian Students’ Mathematics Literacy based on PISA Studies

Maryam Mohsenpour

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.

Study of students' self-determination in virtual College of Mehr-e-Alborz with regard to principles of Heutagogy

Bahar Solaymani

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.

Evaluating the Quality of Interdisciplinary Curricula of Humanities In Iranian Higher Education

Solmaz Noorabadi

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.

In search of a curriculum planning model for the development of family's cultural capital and academic success of children

Hasanali Mirzabeigi

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.

Analysis of 6th Grade Mathematics Textbook based on Plsek’s Creativity Model

Reza Rahimi

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.

Analysis of teachers' experiences in teaching art in elementary schools: a qualitative study

This study aims to identify and explain the experience of teaching art in the elementary school teachers was conducted. In this context, an essential question is examined: primary school teachers, learning how to experience the arts curriculum? Using qualitative research methods, semi-structured in-depth interviews and purposive sampling, 10 cases of primary school teachers Mehdishahr city were interviewed in depth. Theoretical saturation was confirmed at the end of my interview. Data were analyzed using coding techniques and the three criteria of validity and acceptability, reliability and scalability approval was obtained. The findings of the research, experience in teaching art in the elementary school teachers in the three main axes showed weakness honor the art, the lack of education, lack of parental interest. Based on these findings, teachers have not been successful in teaching the art curriculum and have failed to benefit from the potential for teaching art lessons. Despite the interest in the issue of teachers' verbal art unimportance among other courses in the teaching of practical arts curriculum for teachers is obvious. This is because art teachers from time to compensate for falling behind their modules to use. Facilities generally will address the curriculum of art as much as it abstained. Based on theory and research findings, strategies to overcome the challenges of art education in primary schools is recommended, including art lesson plans independently, providing specialized service training courses, particularly arts teachers, creating suitable for exchange of experiences among teachers, funding and facilities in accordance with the requirements of art lessons, parents and families to raise awareness of the importance of arts education.

Explaining the disciplinary capabilities of curriculum and determining its position in the classification of academic disciplines

Fereydoon Sharirian

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.