A Trend Study and the Role of Attitude, Interest in, and scientific Self-concept on scientific performance of eighth-grade students, based on International TIMSS Studies

In the present study, we reviewed the changes in the role of scientific self-concept, interest in science and attitude toward science in predicting the scientific performance of eighth-grade students in four international studies (TIMSS) conducted in 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015. The confirmatory factor analysis, and effect sizes, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to examine the data from 21434 eighth graders who had participated in the four TIMSS studies. According to the study findings, between 2003 and 2007, the average of science scores has increased, and the average of science self-concept and attitude toward science have increased. Between 2007 and 2011, the average of science achievement has increased, and the average of science self-concept and interest in science have increased, too. Between 2011 and 2015, with a decrease in average of science performance, the average of science self-concept, and interest in science had a reduction; but the average of attitude toward science has decreased. The SEM results showed that science self-concept, directly and indirectly, predicted the science performance of students. According to the findings, attitude toward science and interest in science had negative effects on science performance; these negative effects should be examined using sociological studies. On the other hand, given the fact that attitude is an important variable in learning, more exploration is needed to explain the reduction in positive attitudes toward science and the minor role of attitude toward science in students’ science performance, especially in 2015

بررسی اثربخشی رفتارصمیمیت و نزدیک شدن کلامی و غیرکلامی مدرسان بر انگیزش حالتی تحصیلی فراگیران

انگیزش مهمترین شرط یادگیری است و نقش معلمان در ایجاد آن بسیار حائز اهمیت می­باشد. این پژوهش با هدف بررسی اثر­بخشی آموزش رفتار­های صمیمیت و نزدیک شدن کلامی و غیر­کلامی مدرسان بر انگیزش حالتی دانشجویان انجام گرفت. پژوهش حاضر از نوع نیمه آزمایشی با طرح پیش­آزمون – پس­آزمون با گروه­های هم­ارز بود. آزمودنی­های این پژوهش عبارت بودند از 300 نفر از دانشجویان دختر و پسر مقطع کارشناسی دانشگاه پیام نور مرکز میانه و همچنین 30 نفر از مدرسان همان دانشگاه در نیمسال اول سال تحصیلی 95 – 1394 که در دو مرحله انتخاب شدند. در مرحله­ی اول مدرسان به روش نمونه­گیری هدفمند و در مرحله­ی دوم دانشجویان از طریق روش نمونه­گیری تصادفی انتخاب شدند. 30 نفر از مدرسان به روش همتا­سازی در دو گروه آزمایش و کنترل قرار گرفتند. ابزار­های مورداستفاده عبارت بودند از: پرسشنامه­های محقق ساخته­ی صمیمیت کلامی، صمیمیت غیر­کلامی، و­ انگیزش حالتی تحصیلی، و همچنین بسته­ی آموزشی رفتار­های صمیمیت کلامی و غیر­کلامی. برای اجرای این پژوهش ابتدا از همه­ی گروه­ها پیش‌آزمون صمیمیت کلامی، صمیمیت غیر­کلامی، انگیزش حالتی به عمل آمد. سپس به گروه مداخله در طی پنج جلسه­ی 90 دقیقه‌ای آموزش رفتار­های صمیمیت کلامی و غیر­کلامی‌ داده شد. در پایان نیمسال تحصیلی پس‌آزمون‌ها اجرا شد. ﺑﺮای ﺗﺠﺰﯾﻪ و ﺗﺤﻠﯿﻞ داده­ﻫﺎ علاوه بر آﻣﺎر ﺗﻮﺻﯿﻔﯽ از آﻣﺎر اﺳﺘﻨﺒﺎﻃﯽ ﺷﺎﻣﻞ آزمون تی مستقل و تی وابسته و همچنین ﺗﺤﻠﯿﻞ ﮐﻮواﯾﺎﻧﺲ اﺳﺘﻔﺎده ﺷﺪ. یافته­ها نشان داد که آموزش رفتار صمیمیت به مدرسان انگیزش حالتی آزمودنی­ها را به‌طور معنا­داری افزایش می‌دهد. دلیل این امر نیز از طریق مدل انگیزشی و مبانی نظری قابل تبیین است. پیشنهاد اصلی حاصل از نتایج پژوهش این است که به مدرسان آموزش­های لازم در خصوص رفتار­های صمیمیت ارائه شود تا انگیزش حالتی در یادگیرندگان افزایش یابد

Degradation of Pentachlorophenol in Aqueous Solution by the UV/ZrO 2 /H 2 O 2 Photocatalytic Process

Pentachlorophenol (PCP), which is one of the resistant phenolic compounds, has been classified in the category of EPA’s priority pollutants due to its high toxicity and carcinogenic potential. Therefore, its removal from water and wastewater is very important. Various methods have been studied for removing the compound, among which advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have attracted much attention because of ease of application and high efficiency. Thus the aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of the UV/ZrO2/H2O2 process, as an AOP, for PCP removal from aquatic environments. The effects of several parameters such as ultraviolet (UV) exposure time, initial PCP concentration, pH, concentration of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles, and H2O2 concentration were studied. Kinetics of the reaction was also detected. The concentration of the stated materials in the samples was determined using a spectrophotometer at 500 nm. The results showed that the highest efficiency (approximately 100%) was reached at optimized conditions of pH 6, contact time of 30 minutes, initial PCP concentration of 20 mg/L, the nanoparticles concentration of 0.1 g/L and H2O2 concentration of 14.7 mM/L. Also, the process followed the first order kinetics reaction. The obtained results illustrated that the UV/ZrO2/H2O2 process has a high ability in removing PCP

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Increasing Working Memory Capacity and Academic Self-Efficacy of Girl Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness education on increasing the capacity of working memory and academic self-efficacy of female students. Method: This research is a fundamental research part of the research. The quasi-experimental research method is. The statistical population of this study included all secondary high schools in district 5 of Tehran in academic year 97-96. Accordingly, the participants were divided into two groups (15 people) and control (15 people) and tested according to the pre-test post-test design with the control group. Then, a test of data processing (2000) and a self-efficacy test (Sherer, 1978) were performed as a pre-test. After running an independent variable of 8 sessions, they were again performed as a post-test. Results: The results of covariance analysis showed The training of mindfulness skills led to increased work memory and academic self-efficacy in students. Conclusion: The results of data analysis showed that increasing the skill of mindfulness can increase the capacity of working memory and academic self-efficacy of students. The change in students' beliefs toward positive and increasing their self-education is the result of cognitive training and mindfulness