Effect of Metacognitive Skills Training on Metacognitive Awareness, Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement of University Students

Aims: Metacognition deals with active monitoring and adjusting the results and cognitive processes to gain the purpose. Academic self-efficacy is dependent on students’ perception of learning and is an important factor in the success of students reasoning. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of metacognitive skills training on metacognitive awareness, self-efficacy and academic achievement in university students. Materials & Methods: This semi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest controlled approach was conducted in all students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2014. 50 participants were selected by cluster sampling and were randomly divided into 2 intervention and control groups. Metacognitive awareness of reading strategies inventory (MARSI) and General Self-efficacy Scale were used for data gathering. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA test. Findings: There were significant difference between the score of the pretest and posttest of the intervention group in both self-efficacy and metacognition awareness. In addition, there were significant differences between posttest scores of intervention and control groups in self-efficacy (p<0.001; F=42.46) and cognitive awareness (p<0.001; F=190.99), but there was no significant difference (p=0.072; F=3.39) in academic achievement between the intervention and control groups’ posttest scores. Conclusion: Metacognitive training affects metacognitive awareness and self-efficacy but it is not founded for academic achievement

Cylindrical Solutions in Modified f(T) Gravity

We investigate static cylindrically symmetric vacuum solutions in Weyl coordinates in the framework of f(T) theories of gravity, where T is the torsion scalar. The set of modified Einstein equations is presented and the fourth coming equations are established. Specific physical expressions are assumed for the algebraic function f(T) and solutions are obtained. Moreover, general solution is obtained with finite values of u(r) on the axis r = 0, and this leads to a constant torsion scalar. Also, cosmological constant is introduced and its relation to Linet-Tian solution in GR is commented.Comment: 13 pages; Accepted for publication in International Journal of Modern Physics D (IJMPD

Effective Compton Cross Section in Non-Degenerate High Temperature Media

The effective compton cross section in a non-degenerate plasma($n\ll\{\frac{(kT/c)^{2}+2mkT}{h^{2}}\}^{^{3/2}}$) is investigated in a wide range of temperatures. The results show a decreasing behavior with temperature especially for $kT\gg m_{e}c^{2}$. The $may be important in phenomena like accretion discs or ultra-relativistic blast waves in GRB models, where the emitted radiation has to pass through a medium containing high energy electrons.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure