A Comparative Study of the Critical Thinking Skills among the Students of Accounting and Software in the Female Technical and Vocational University in the City of Borojerd

The purpose of this study is to compare the critical thinking skills among the students of accounting and software in the female technical and vocational university in the city of Borojerd. This study is a descriptive-comparative research. The statistical population of this study includes the female students of accounting and software in the technical and vocational university in the city of Borojerd. A sample of 60 students was selected from this population randomly in the 2014. The sample consists of 30 students of accounting and 30 software students. In order to collect the research data, the second form of California Critical Thinking Skills Questionnaire was used. The research data were analyzed in the SPSS16 through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The average and standard deviation of the research data is 9.15 ± 3.09. Although the scores of accounting students were better than the scores of software students, but no significant difference was not observed between them. The difference between the two groups of respondents was significant in terms of inductive reasoning (p= 0.014). Another part of our findings revealed that the scores of critical thinking skills among the accounting and software students are similar to the scores of critical thinking skills of students in other countries. Our findings revealed that the scores of critical thinking skills of accounting and software students are lower than the scores of those in other countries. These findings point to the fact that the educational plans of this university need some reviews and modifications. Keywords: Critical thinking, Accounting Students, Software Students, Skil

Investigating the Relationship among Preschool Curriculum, Upbringing Styles, and Happiness of Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among preschool curriculum, upbringing style, and happiness of preschool students. This study is a descriptive-correlational research from research methodology perspective. The statistical population of this study includes teachers of preschools in the city of Isfahan. The population consists of 540 members. A sample of 200 teachers was selected randomly. In order to collect the research data, a researcher-developed questionnaire and two standardized questionnaires (curriculum questionnaire of Argil and upbringing questionnaire of Baumrind) were employed. The Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient of curriculum, upbringing, and happiness questionnaires was 0.95, 0.84, and 0.89 relatively. In order to summarize and analyze the research data, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The findings revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between curriculum and happiness. Also the findings showed that there is a significant negative relationship between upbringing and happiness. The findings also indicated that the average of all research variables (except arbitrary and convenience styles) was higher than moderate level. A significant positive relationship was observed between curriculum and happiness and a significant negative relationship was observed between upbringing and happiness. In addition, significant positive relationships were observed among goals, teaching methods, content, and evaluation with happiness. On the other hand, significant negative relationships were observed among arbitrary and convenience styles with happiness. Also significant relationships were observed among content and evaluation with happiness. Finally, any significant relationships were not observed between arbitrary style and happiness. Keywords: Curriculum, Upbringing Styles, Happines

Aesthetic Education Requirements and its Components in the Educational System

The purpose of this study is to determine the need and components  of aesthetic cognitive education and formed based on  the contemporary global challenge of education  in the ethical education, the balanced personality development of students and regardlessness to diverse learning opportunities. Aesthetic congnitive education  is a new approach   toward  the art and beaty in the educational platform;  and some challenges present in the eduacational value-based system  are what  makes necessary this approach. In this study which has been done based on the attributive-analitical method  after presenting  the concept and requirements of  aesthetic education , the components of this approach have been presented in a systematic method as Objectives, principles and pedagogical methods. These objectives were proprosed in the three eemotional, cognitive, cultural and social parts and this structure by a principal  presentation such as the self-motivation principle , strategic thought principle ? the balance of  ntellect and feelings principle, promoting the aesthetic literacy principle, creativity and deduction leades to  the methods based on the vertical and horizontal development of experiences  and developing  and the use of senses and promoting the imagination and creativity.This method  causes the education in the intrapersonal , interpersoanl and value-based areas some positive changes to be generated. Keywords: aesthetic education , education , epistemology, axiolog

A Study of Challenges and Perspectives on Utilizing Information and Communication Technologies in Teaching and Learning

The aim of this study is to determine the challenges and perspectives of utilizing information technology in the process of teaching and learning in an organizational framework and the organizational results (personal and organizational). The study is of applied type and its method is descriptive – measuring.  The statistical population includes some high school and vocational school teachers of 11784 people and principals of 787 people, from all around the Isfahan province during 2012-13 school year. The sampling method was in proportion to the size of groups, and 720 teachers and 372 principals were selected as the sample of the research. The data collection method was through a researcher designed questionaire which included 62 questions which was devised based on the Likert 5-level scale. The validity of the questionaire is based on the Cronbach Alpha index of 0.88 and its validity was confirmed by the experts. Using inferential statistical tests, we analyzed the data. The one-way variance test and independent T-test were applied. The study results showed that in ingression variables, procedure and personal results, there was a significant difference between the high school and vocational school teachers. However, no difference was seen among the teachers in wealthy, semi-wealthy and deprived districts. Further, no difference was observed in organizational results between the high school and vocational school principals. Keywords: Information and Communication Technology, Secondary School Principals and Teachers, The Teaching and Learning Process

Sufi educational purposes from Suhrewardi’s perspective

Spiritual education rooted in teachings of theoretical theosophy and approaches of practical theosophy which are the very spiritual journey and behavior, is considered a form of moral education. The objective of this study was to derive the purposes of Sufi education from the works of Suhrewardi the sage and mystic in sixth century AD. The study is of descriptive-inferential. Based on and according to what is deducted from Suhrewardi’s works, the final purpose of the Sufi education is annihilation and survival by God, and other objectives which are considered as the progressive and intermediary ones have been proposed in order to achieve it. These intermediary purposes may include attainment of intuitive knowledge, heavenly twinkle, arbitrary and voluntary death, love, moderation, nurturance of reason and so on, each of which has a major contribution to human’s achievement of his main objective, that is, annihilation in and survival by God. Keywords: Suhrewardi, reason, intuition, spiritual education, educational goals

An Analysis of the Position of the ‘Emergent Methodology’ in Educational Research

The nature of research in the field of education is mainly dynamic, unpredictable, and multidimensional; However, the majority of the existing research methods have a linear and staggered structure, which are merely pre-tailored to the prevailing research approach. This research is aimed to introduce the emerging research method, which is the forefront horizon in education research methodologies. The nature of this method is first analyzed using a descriptive method. Subsequently, the necessity of this method is presented according to the specific requirements of research in the field of education. The results show that the timely nature of the education process, the importance of individual differences, and the necessity of the empathy between the researcher and the human variables involved in the research are not fully considered in current education research methodologies; This is while the emerging research method, with its non-linear and unregulated structure, is adaptive to various educational situations, and by not limiting the researcher in the process steps, can well consider these aspects during the research

Investigating the Effect of Educating Philosophy in the Children on the Spiritual Development of Female Students with 12-14 Years Old in the City of Isfahan

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of educating philosophy curriculum in the children on the spiritual development of female students with 12-14 years old in the city of Isfahan. The present study is a semi-experiment research. The research design is pretest-posttest research with experiment and control group. In order to select the sample members, cluster sampling method was used. For this purpose, the curriculum was conducted for 15 sessions in the experiment group. The curriculum was conducted two times in week. The research data were analyzed through multi-variable COVARIANCE Analysis in the SPSS. The findings of this study revealed that implementation of philosophy curriculum education program leads to spiritual development of students in terms of God awareness, grandiosity, and instability (p?0.05). Also our findings indicated that implementation of philosophy curriculum does not affect spiritual development of students in terms of impression management and realistic acceptance (p?0.05). Based on the results of this study, it can be said that implementation of philosophy curriculum leads to the spiritual development of students. Keywords: Philosophy Curriculum, Spiritual Development, Female Student

The scientific-intellectual aims of Akhavan-Al-Safa (Brethren of Purity)

Aims and objectives are the pivotal tenets of any educational system and without them the educational methods and principles would not get anywhere. The purpose of the current study is the investigation and determination of the scientific and intellectuals aims of Akhavan-Al-Safa. The research method used in this paper is descriptive and analytical. To find an answer to this aim, the relevant papers, treatise, and books were studied. The results show that they considered for themselves an educational duty and a role much like that of the prophets; they had set their intellectual and scientific aims within the center of their activities for removing the superstitions and ambiguities from the religion and for correcting the community. Aims such as the finding and reviving of the talents, seeking knowledge, eclecticism and best selection, enlightenment and awareness and also free-thinking have been but some of the mediating aims of the afore-mentioned area in achieving the ultimate end and integrity. One of the practical outcomes left behind by them can be seen within the 51 papers covering all the knowledge of the time. Their comprehensiveness has been influenced by their intellectual origins and sources in the areas of theology and philosophy and the scientific and cultural conditions of that era. Keywords: Akhavan-Al-Safa, scientific objectives, intellectual objective

A Research on Avicenna’s and Jahez’s Views about Educational Methods

The purpose of this paper is the recognition of the educational methods from Avicenna’s and Jahez’s views. The present study, is performed by using a qualitative approach and descriptive – analytical method, after evaluating available resources, a number of the educational methods are inferred from Avicenna’s and Jahez’s views. The findings show that the deduced training methods from their viewpoints have some similarities and differences. Using participatory, observation, experience and examination, reward and punishment, practice and repetition and helping learners methods are among the similarities; and the differences are also such that Avicenna has employed sampling, austerity and self-refinement, playing and kind expression methods, while Jahez has not taken notice of them; and instead, he has applied varying training courses and multisensory motivation in training process, when Avicenna has not considered such cases. Key words: Avicenna, Jahez, Islamic training, Educational methods

An Introduction to Avicenna’s thoughts on Educational Methods

The goal for this article is to express the views proposed by Avicenna regarding the methods for training and education. The current study has taken advantage of a qualitative approach with a qualitative-analytical method, and has analyzed and inferred the views held by Avicenna regarding education and civilizing methods. The educational methods inferred from his perspectives are as follows: The education method as in collective-cooperative, observation-experiment and examination (the opportunity for practical learning), the rewarding and punishment method for the learners and the rules and notes with that respect, modeling methods, repetition and practice of the learned materials, discussion and debate methods, questioning and answering methods, memorizing and retaining the information, ways to advise and guide the learners, game plays, self-discipline, moral refinement, and finally declaring love for the learners. Key Words: Moslem Scientist, Avicenna, Method, training.