Investigation of the Challenges Faced by Iranian Students with Learning Disabilities to Enter Universities

Introduction: The term “a learning disabled university student” has been hardly ever used in Iran. It may be supposed that Iranian students with learning disabilities do not enter universities. This study aimed to investigate the challenges faced by Iranian students with learning disabilities to enter universities. Method: Due to the lack of a center to identify and have access to high school students with learning disabilities, qualitative research method was used in this study. The research population included high school students or graduates whose learning disabilities were diagnosed at primary school. The sample size consisted of 8 teenagers with learning disabilities along with their mothers who were selected through purposive sampling method. In addition, 3 learning disabilities experts were included using purposive sampling method. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Results: It was revealed that individual factors, school environmental inhibiting factors, and environmental inhibiting factors related to learning disabilities centers, all play a restrictive role for these students in entering universities. Nevertheless, school inhibiting environmental factors can be the main challenge for the Iranian students to enter universities. Conclusion: Apart from identifying inhibiting factors, this study offers suggestions to address these environmental barriers, among which equipping schools with therapeutic programs for students with learning disabilities is of great importance

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF A SET OF MASTER'S THESES AS MANIFESTATION OF RESEARCH LITERACY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN IRAN

From a constructivist point of view, the identification of any shortcomings in the educational process would be the first step towards its reconstruction and improvement. Although, to do so require an evaluation of the whole system and its processes and products.  However, an evaluative analysis of its products can help identify some of the deficiencies and ways of overcoming them. To this end, given the realities of the Iranian scene in regard to graduate studies, a set of master's theses in educational psychology was evaluated in terms of having the very basic characteristics of a research report in both structure and content. Given that previous research has shown major shortcomings in these respects, it was suspected that the mushrooming of institutions granting graduate degrees, and the increase in admissions, may have exacerbated the problem. The current findings show that the shortcomings have increased both in scope and depth, implying that the quality of both teaching and learning how to research has declined.  Article visualizations

Creativity among musically trained and untrained girl students

The purpose of this study is to compare the creativity of musically trained and untrained third grade high school and first grade guidance school girl students. The sample of this study consist of 93 students from first grade guidance and third grade students in the academic year 1383-84 in Tehran. The research method is causal comparative and the research tool is Torrance Test of creativity (1974) with a reliability 0.63. The results show creativity scores of musically trained student in Torrance test of creativity and subtest (fluency, flexibility, initiative and originality) are higher than the untrained students. The creativity scores of trained students who learned music before age 10 are also higher than others who started after this age. This investigation has shown that music training plays a great role on creativity of students suggesting that music teaching should be started in schools along with other lessons preferably before age 10. In conclusion, it is suggested that the parents need to encourage the children to be involved in music during their childhood years. By participating in music class, both the parents and children may spend quality time together

قانون حمایت از حقوق افراد با ناتوانی: مروری بر چالش‌ها و ناهمانندی‌ها در اجرا و دستاوردهای آن در چند کشور

مقدمه: در گزارش سازمان بهداشت جهانی، تعداد افراد دارای انواع ناتوانی در جهان که بزرگ‌ترین اقلیت غیر نژادی به ‌شمار می‌روند، بیش از یک میلیارد نفر برآورد شده است که 20 درصد از آن‌ها را فقیرترین افراد جهان تشکیل می‌دهند. پژوهش حاضر با هدف مرور و مقایسه‌ کارکرد کشورهای مورد مطالعه در چگونگی‌ اجرا و پیشبرد پیمان قانون حقوق افراد با ناتوانی (سازمان ملل متحد) انجام شد. مواد و روش‌ها: کشورهای مورد پژوهش شامل آمریکا، انگلستان، فرانسه، روسیه، ایران و برخی کشورهای در حال توسعه بود. جمع‌آوری اطلاعات مورد نیاز درباره‌ این کشورها با جستجوی گسترده در پایگاه‌های علمی‌ معتبر داخلی و جهانی انجام گرفت. یافته‌ها: یافته‌های پژوهش در بخش‌هایی شامل توصیف برخی ویژگی‌های افراد با ناتوانی در کشورهای مورد مطالعه و بررسی‌ وضعیت حقوق افراد با انواع ناتوانی در زمینه‌های آموزش و پرورش، به ‌کارگماری، دسترسی‌پذیری به خدمات و مناسب‌سازی فضای زندگی‌ اجتماعی- شهری ارایه شده‌ است. کارکرد کشورهای مورد مطالعه در اجرای این قانون، نشان‌ دهنده‌ شکاف زیادی بین آن‌ها بود و هر یک از این کشورها با چالش‌های ویژه‌ای در پیشبرد آن روبه‌رو هستند. نتیجه‎گیری: دستیابی به اهداف قانون حقوق افراد با انواع ناتوانی، نه تنها نیازمند تصویب و اجرای قوانین و اصلاح ساختارها است، بلکه در گرو تغییر در نگرش‌های اجتماعی و فرهنگی برای پذیرش و احترام به کرامت انسانی این افراد نیز می‌باشد تا همراه با بسترسازی‌های محیطی، مناسب‌سازی‌ برنامه‌های آموزشی- حرفه‌ای و مدیریت بودجه و امکانات، مؤثر واقع شود

The Relationship of Emotional Intelligence and Social Skills With Psychological Well-being in the Elderly

Objectives Elderly People experience feelings of loneliness and isolation which is due to lack of social and emotional skills. Hence, we aimed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and social skills with psychological well-being in the elderly. Methods & Materials In this cross-sectional study, 210 elderly of Tehran City were enrolled using convenient sampling method. They completed Emotional Intelligence Inventory, Social Skill Inventory and Psychological Well-Being Inventory. Data were analyzed using Pearson and Canonical Correlation.  Results Results indicated that components of emotional intelligence and social skills were positive predictors of psychological well-being in elderly. Canonical correlation analysis showed that four fundamental variables are needed to understand the relationships between the set of criterion and predicate variables. Fundamental coefficients for the first four dimension were 0.85, 0.58, 0.45 and 0.31 (P<0.005). Conclusion Lack of social skills and emotional intelligence are associated with low psychological well-being in elderly. So, training programs for improving these skills in the elderly are recommended

The Effect of Academic-Professional Skills Training on Students’ Perception of the Educational Environment at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: The ability of students to efficiently use the learning environment leads to a better perception of and proper interaction with it. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of academic-professional skills training on students’ perception of the educational environment.  Methods: This quasi-experimental research employed a pretest-posttest with a control group design. The sample included 24 students of faculty of nutrition and food sciences at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who were selected through random cluster sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in 7 academic-professional skills training programs, while the control group received no intervention. Measurement tool was Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (MANCOVA).  Results:The means and standard deviations of posttest scores in the experimental and control groups were as follows, respectively. For students’ overall perception: 125/22±16/07 and 123/17±15/51 (total score=200) (P<0/05); for perception of instructors: 27/75±4/78 and 24/16±4/72 (P<0/05); for students’ perception of their own academic ability: 25/41±3/82 and 21/50±6/50 (P<0/05); and for perception of the social conditions of education: 22/41±0/90 and 18/2±16/65 (P<0/05). All these differences were significant. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in perception of learning and perception of educational atmosphere.  Conclusion:Results suggest that training of some strategic skills to students may help improve their perception of the educational environment so they can have a better attitude toward various academic and professional tasks

Qualitative study of divorced women\'s experiences of the consequences of divorce (case study: divorced women in behbahan)

Background: Post-divorce consequences is a context-based phenomenon and in every community it is affected by the personal, social and cultural factors of that community. A number of studies have been carried out on the consequences of divorce over the world, but there is a reaearch gap on its consequences for divorced women, espicially in small and traditional citiez in Iran. Aims: The purpose of this study is qualitative study of the experiences of divorced women in Behbahan of the consequences of divorce. Methods: The present study is the result of a qualitative study and a semi-structured interview with 13 divorced women in Behbahan, who were selected using purposive sampling method. The data collection method was semi-structured interview and these interviews continued until theoretical saturation. The thematic analysis method (Braun & Clarke, 2006), were selected in order to analyze the data. Results: Data analysis showed 210 codes in 4 main themes (Socio-cultural, Psychological, Personal consequences, Economic consequences) and 15 sub-themes (mposing society's perceptions on divorced women, social stigma, greed, reconnection, relationships with friends and relatives, the role of family, conflicting emotions, emotional thoughts, lack of life skills, communication with children, meta-parenting, crisis of residence, seeking of psychological help, behavioral measures and economic insecurity). Conclusion: Divorce for women is a cycle of vulnerability and individual and social consequences that lead them to use protective mechanisms such as isolation, secrecy and aggression in interpersonal relationships to try to adapt to new circumstances

effectiveness of attributional retraining program, emotion regulation and social-cognitive problem solving on Improvement of social adjustment in Students with Learning Disabilities

The aim of this research was to investigate and compare the effectiveness of attributional retraining program, emotion regulation and social-cognitive problem solving on Improvement of social adjustment in Students with Early Learning Disabilities in Tehran. This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest, and follow-up.The participants consisted of 40 students with Learning Disability of 8 to 12 years old.They were selected through Simple random sampling and randomly divided into 3 experimental groups and a control group. attributional retraining, emotion regulation and social-cognitive problem solving training were presented in 8 sessions, each lasting 1 hours, in the 3 experimental groups.Sinha and Sing social adjustment Questionnaire was used in the pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages.The data were analyzed using MANCOVA,ANCOVA.The results showed that attributional retraining, emotion regulation and social-cognitive problem solving training caused a significant increase in social adjustment.emotion regulation training program and social-cognitive problem solving training with the same effect were more successful in social adjustment promotion than attributional retraining program.Educational programs that use the social cognitive approach of Bandura in designing educational packages have more significant effects.Therefore, the use of the present research results can be effective in the designing of preventive educational programs and improving educational achievements

The Effectiveness of Child-Parent Relationship Play Therapy on Emotion Regulation and Subjective Vitality in Students with Learning Disabilities in the COVID Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of child-parent relationships play therapy on emotion regulation and subjective vitality in students with learning disorders. The research was a quasi-experimental study (pre-test-post-test with a control group). The statistical population consisted of students from third-grade to sixth-grade with learning disabilities who had been referred to the learning disability centers of Birjand during the school year of 2020-2021. Thirty students were selected and divided randomly into experimental and control groups. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003) and Subjective vitality scale (Ryan & Frederick, 1997) assessment instrument had been used. The plan based on child-parent relationship therapy was performed for the experimental group during ten virtual sessions. The results of multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance showed play therapy based on child-parent relationships had a significant effect on emotion regulation and subjective vitality in students with learning disorders. However, it did not affect the combination of dependent variables of emotion regulation and subjective vitality. Even though the effective use of all emotion regulation strategies has an effect on the well-being and vitality of students with learning disabilities, using only two strategies of Reappraisal and Suppression can’t increase higher subjective vitality in these students undoubtedly. It can be concluded that the treatment in question affects the emotion regulation and subjective vitality of students with learning disabilities and can be used to help them