Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 Designing a Sustainable Consumption Competency Model for Elementary School Students: A Meta-Synthesis Method Designing a Sustainable Consumption Competency Model for Elementary School Students: A Meta-Synthesis Method 1 33 6044 10.22099/jcr.2021.6044 FA M Shafiei Associate professor, Department of management and educational planning, Shiraz University Samira Nekoomand Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education & Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Rahmatalah Marzooghi Associate professor, Department of management and educational planning, Shiraz University Jafar Torkzadeh Associate professor, Department of management and educational planning, Shiraz University Journal Article 2019 07 24 Introduction The present study aimed at designing a sustainable consumption competency model for elementary school students.Sustainable consumption competency is a process for improving knowledge and skills. An education based on sustainable consumption competency model can help improve critical thinking skills and increase individuals' awareness.In fact, sustainable consumption education aims to provide knowledge and skills which can help individuals and social groups adopt sustainable consumption behaviors. Such training should be considered as a long-term and continuous process which can lead to better decision-making and acquisition of the necessary skills throughout life. It is, therefore, suggested to make individuals familiar with the model since their childhood and through competent and qualified teachers. It is noteworthy, however, that proper education of children requires a curriculum which is valid, consistent, and appropriate to their mental abilities. The model has also emerged as a framework for policy-making and designing educational activities aimed at linking consumer education, sustainable development and sustainable growth.Finally, a review of relevant research can indicate that sustainable consumption entails education because it is only through education that students' levels of knowledge and awareness about environmental issues and society can increase. If education begins in childhood, it will be accepted by individuals. Research questions What is the pattern of elementary school students' competencies for sustainable consumption? Materials and Methods The present study benefits from a qualitative approach to and a meta-synthesis method of research. Accordingly, the research question was posed first and, then, the group members for conducting meta-synthesis were selected. Next, the sources of data, including databases such as Scopus and Springer were chosen and inclusion criteria were established. In the next stage, collected data was analyzed and 56 fundamental issues related to sustainable consumption were identified. Then, data synthesis was done. At this time, nine underlying, or the second-level, issues emerged. The categories were knowledge of economy, for instance monetary and financial familiarity; socio-cultural knowledge, such as familiarity with sustainable and unsustainable consumption; ecological knowledge, including familiarity with the methods of recycling different items; economic skills, for instance being skilled at buying sustainable materials; socio-cultural skills, for example having the ability to recognize patterns of sustainable production and consumption; ecological skills, such as being able to take part in recycling movement; socio-cultural attitudes, including social commitment and responsibility towards consumption methods; and finally sense of ecological commitment, such as reduction of ecological impacts. The second level issues were further related to the three primary levels of economic, socio-cultural, and ecological issues. Finally, the conceptual network diagram concerning the pattern of competencies for sustainable consumption was drawn. The newly developed model provides a framework for teaching some effective strategies for being competent consumers to elementary school students. And as for descriptive validation, interpretive, theoretical, and pragmatic validation was done.[m1] Discussion The results of the present study showed that the program of education for sustainable consumption seeks a fundamental change in knowledge, skills and attitudes of students. This way, students can become aware, active and moral citizens with characteristics which are valued by society. Students are further able to build an ideal society and devote a considerable efforts to develop their local and national culture. And if education begins in childhood, it can become more easily acceptable and understandable for individuals. Additionally, rapid technological changes in various aspects of life can cause instability of human knowledge and information sources. Hence, traditional education is no longer able to meet diverse future needs of human beings and is not enough for them to wisely spend the remaining portion of their lives. Therefore, human beings need a kind of dynamic educational system which is constantly updated. In other words, education should turns individuals into active and lifelong learners. Such learners have a critical view and problem-oriented approach and are able to turn interactions and conflicts of their daily lives into opportunities, and thus they can make the best use of what they have learned through acquiring knowledge at the appropriate time. In sum, it should be stated that educating students with a good understanding of sustainable consumption is a very big goal which requires considerable efforts of curriculum planners and education administrators. The meticulous attention and support of educational policymakers, textbook developers, curriculum planners and university professors, among the other individuals involved, can also be helpful in this regard. Based on the overall findings of this study, future researchers are recommended to respond to the need for more research in the field of sustainable consumption. Introduction The present study aimed at designing a sustainable consumption competency model for elementary school students.Sustainable consumption competency is a process for improving knowledge and skills. An education based on sustainable consumption competency model can help improve critical thinking skills and increase individuals' awareness.In fact, sustainable consumption education aims to provide knowledge and skills which can help individuals and social groups adopt sustainable consumption behaviors. Such training should be considered as a long-term and continuous process which can lead to better decision-making and acquisition of the necessary skills throughout life. It is, therefore, suggested to make individuals familiar with the model since their childhood and through competent and qualified teachers. It is noteworthy, however, that proper education of children requires a curriculum which is valid, consistent, and appropriate to their mental abilities. The model has also emerged as a framework for policy-making and designing educational activities aimed at linking consumer education, sustainable development and sustainable growth.Finally, a review of relevant research can indicate that sustainable consumption entails education because it is only through education that students' levels of knowledge and awareness about environmental issues and society can increase. If education begins in childhood, it will be accepted by individuals. Research questions What is the pattern of elementary school students' competencies for sustainable consumption? Materials and Methods The present study benefits from a qualitative approach to and a meta-synthesis method of research. Accordingly, the research question was posed first and, then, the group members for conducting meta-synthesis were selected. Next, the sources of data, including databases such as Scopus and Springer were chosen and inclusion criteria were established. In the next stage, collected data was analyzed and 56 fundamental issues related to sustainable consumption were identified. Then, data synthesis was done. At this time, nine underlying, or the second-level, issues emerged. The categories were knowledge of economy, for instance monetary and financial familiarity; socio-cultural knowledge, such as familiarity with sustainable and unsustainable consumption; ecological knowledge, including familiarity with the methods of recycling different items; economic skills, for instance being skilled at buying sustainable materials; socio-cultural skills, for example having the ability to recognize patterns of sustainable production and consumption; ecological skills, such as being able to take part in recycling movement; socio-cultural attitudes, including social commitment and responsibility towards consumption methods; and finally sense of ecological commitment, such as reduction of ecological impacts. The second level issues were further related to the three primary levels of economic, socio-cultural, and ecological issues. Finally, the conceptual network diagram concerning the pattern of competencies for sustainable consumption was drawn. The newly developed model provides a framework for teaching some effective strategies for being competent consumers to elementary school students. And as for descriptive validation, interpretive, theoretical, and pragmatic validation was done.[m1] Discussion The results of the present study showed that the program of education for sustainable consumption seeks a fundamental change in knowledge, skills and attitudes of students. This way, students can become aware, active and moral citizens with characteristics which are valued by society. Students are further able to build an ideal society and devote a considerable efforts to develop their local and national culture. And if education begins in childhood, it can become more easily acceptable and understandable for individuals. Additionally, rapid technological changes in various aspects of life can cause instability of human knowledge and information sources. Hence, traditional education is no longer able to meet diverse future needs of human beings and is not enough for them to wisely spend the remaining portion of their lives. Therefore, human beings need a kind of dynamic educational system which is constantly updated. In other words, education should turns individuals into active and lifelong learners. Such learners have a critical view and problem-oriented approach and are able to turn interactions and conflicts of their daily lives into opportunities, and thus they can make the best use of what they have learned through acquiring knowledge at the appropriate time. In sum, it should be stated that educating students with a good understanding of sustainable consumption is a very big goal which requires considerable efforts of curriculum planners and education administrators. The meticulous attention and support of educational policymakers, textbook developers, curriculum planners and university professors, among the other individuals involved, can also be helpful in this regard. Based on the overall findings of this study, future researchers are recommended to respond to the need for more research in the field of sustainable consumption.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6044_d2443e12e0e5ecb37b76cc00fed68dc7.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 Primary School Teachers' Understanding of Challenges Faced by Afghan Immigrant Students: A Qualitative study Primary School Teachers' Understanding of Challenges Faced by Afghan Immigrant Students: A Qualitative study 34 65 6045 10.22099/jcr.2021.6045 FA Sadegh Mousavi PhD student of Educational Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran Kourosh Fathi Faculty of Education, Shahid Beheshti University Mamoud Haghani Faculty of Education, Shahid Beheshti University Saeid Safaeimovahhed Faculty of Education, University of Tehran Journal Article 2019 11 09 Introduction Education brings many benefits to the individual and society. Education, through equipping people with a variety of skills, provides them with opportunities to be useful in their future lives and help them have a high income, which, in turn, helps in breaking the cycle of poverty. Additionally, education, Affects citizenship type, individuals' perception and their involvement in society. Educationisf great importance for immigrants. Education helps immigrants be better acquainted with the host community and provides them with opportunities to integrate into the community. This is especially important for following customs, rules, and acquiring language (Dempster & Hargrave, 2017). Over the past few decades, the immigration rate has increased significantly. In 2012, more than 12% of 15-year-old students in the EU were from immigrant families (OECD, 2015). The growing rate of immigrant students can seriously challeng the education system and cause some problems for the development of skills in diverse students and promotion of social cohesion. Cnsidering this, turmoil and wars in the Middle East, on one hand, and stability and security in Iran, on the other hand, have caused a lot of immigrants to settle Iran. These immigrants are from such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria. However, the number of Afghan refugees are much higher than other migrants in Iran. According to the report released by the 2016 General Census of Population and Housing, there are about 1,583,979 Afghan immigrants in this country. Of these, 1,242,332 live in urban areas and 340,968 in rural areas (Ministry of Interior, 2016). Therefore, educating immigrant learners, especially Afghan immigrants, and paying attention to the educational challenges faced by them is of great importance for several reasons. First, no specific research has been done in this regard. Second, there has been a significant difference between Iranian and Afghan students in their academic success. Third, the language and dialect of immigrant students are usually different from Iranian students and this has created some problems for them. Fourth, Afghan students, more than other immigrant learners from more deprived families, tend to continue their education. Fifth, Afghan immigrants are the largest group of immigrants in Iran. Sixth, Afghan immigrants have a high level of education and do not have great cultural affinity with Iranians. And seventh, this group of immigrants constitutes a significant portion of population in Iran, and ignoring them can create many economic, social and cultural problems for the country. All these factors can challenge the traditional curricula available to immigrant students. As a result, identifying major challenges faced by educating immigrants can lead to better educational outcomes and long-term opportunities for them to participate more actively in the practices of communities of which they are members. Therefore, this study is an attempt to identify educational challenges faced by Afghan immigrants, and thus help in understanding their special needs. Research questions What are the main educational challenges faced by Afghan immigrant students in Iran? Methods This study has been done through adopting a qualitative approach to and a phenomenological method of research. The study population consisted of all teachers involved in the education of immigrant children. The research sample comprised of 15 teachers who were semistructurally interviewed. The researchers continued interviewing the participants until data saturation reached. All interviews were audio recorded and then the obtained data was transcribed. Data analysis was performed using the framework proposed by Strabert and Carpenter (2003). Finally, member check technique was used to assess the validity of the findings. Findings After reading the transcribed data and then analyzing them, 25 basic themes, including language problems, religious differences, , discriminatory treatment of teachers, low parental education, dropout, isolation, perception of Afghan students as second-class citizens, and poverty and child labor, were identified. These 25 basic themes were then categorized into 5 main themes, namely economic challenges, social challenges, academic challenges, cultural challenges, and administrative challenges. Discussion Immigrant students are among the most disadvantaged groups in society. They usually do not access to pre-school education. Another major challenge faced by immigrant students is academic breaks. Education interruptions occur when, for example, a second-grade immigrant student decides to resume studies in the destination country after a three-year break. In this case, s/he is at least three years behind iher/his peers in terms of language, math, etc (New York Child Supporters Foundation, 2010). Another major challenge faced by immigrant students is dropping out of school. Every year, one million students in the United States drop out before graducation. Another major problem of immigrant students is parental illiteracy. Parental education can be considered as a tool for children's academic success (Mangion & Spett, 1998; Spra et al., 2009). Some other important challenges faced by Afghan students are related to cultural issues. Cultural barriers can be cultural differences between people from two or more countries which can lead to communication failure and misunderstanding. Cultural differences that exist between different students, families, and education systems often cause some educational problems for immigrant student. Introduction Education brings many benefits to the individual and society. Education, through equipping people with a variety of skills, provides them with opportunities to be useful in their future lives and help them have a high income, which, in turn, helps in breaking the cycle of poverty. Additionally, education, Affects citizenship type, individuals' perception and their involvement in society. Educationisf great importance for immigrants. Education helps immigrants be better acquainted with the host community and provides them with opportunities to integrate into the community. This is especially important for following customs, rules, and acquiring language (Dempster & Hargrave, 2017). Over the past few decades, the immigration rate has increased significantly. In 2012, more than 12% of 15-year-old students in the EU were from immigrant families (OECD, 2015). The growing rate of immigrant students can seriously challeng the education system and cause some problems for the development of skills in diverse students and promotion of social cohesion. Cnsidering this, turmoil and wars in the Middle East, on one hand, and stability and security in Iran, on the other hand, have caused a lot of immigrants to settle Iran. These immigrants are from such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria. However, the number of Afghan refugees are much higher than other migrants in Iran. According to the report released by the 2016 General Census of Population and Housing, there are about 1,583,979 Afghan immigrants in this country. Of these, 1,242,332 live in urban areas and 340,968 in rural areas (Ministry of Interior, 2016). Therefore, educating immigrant learners, especially Afghan immigrants, and paying attention to the educational challenges faced by them is of great importance for several reasons. First, no specific research has been done in this regard. Second, there has been a significant difference between Iranian and Afghan students in their academic success. Third, the language and dialect of immigrant students are usually different from Iranian students and this has created some problems for them. Fourth, Afghan students, more than other immigrant learners from more deprived families, tend to continue their education. Fifth, Afghan immigrants are the largest group of immigrants in Iran. Sixth, Afghan immigrants have a high level of education and do not have great cultural affinity with Iranians. And seventh, this group of immigrants constitutes a significant portion of population in Iran, and ignoring them can create many economic, social and cultural problems for the country. All these factors can challenge the traditional curricula available to immigrant students. As a result, identifying major challenges faced by educating immigrants can lead to better educational outcomes and long-term opportunities for them to participate more actively in the practices of communities of which they are members. Therefore, this study is an attempt to identify educational challenges faced by Afghan immigrants, and thus help in understanding their special needs. Research questions What are the main educational challenges faced by Afghan immigrant students in Iran? Methods This study has been done through adopting a qualitative approach to and a phenomenological method of research. The study population consisted of all teachers involved in the education of immigrant children. The research sample comprised of 15 teachers who were semistructurally interviewed. The researchers continued interviewing the participants until data saturation reached. All interviews were audio recorded and then the obtained data was transcribed. Data analysis was performed using the framework proposed by Strabert and Carpenter (2003). Finally, member check technique was used to assess the validity of the findings. Findings After reading the transcribed data and then analyzing them, 25 basic themes, including language problems, religious differences, , discriminatory treatment of teachers, low parental education, dropout, isolation, perception of Afghan students as second-class citizens, and poverty and child labor, were identified. These 25 basic themes were then categorized into 5 main themes, namely economic challenges, social challenges, academic challenges, cultural challenges, and administrative challenges. Discussion Immigrant students are among the most disadvantaged groups in society. They usually do not access to pre-school education. Another major challenge faced by immigrant students is academic breaks. Education interruptions occur when, for example, a second-grade immigrant student decides to resume studies in the destination country after a three-year break. In this case, s/he is at least three years behind iher/his peers in terms of language, math, etc (New York Child Supporters Foundation, 2010). Another major challenge faced by immigrant students is dropping out of school. Every year, one million students in the United States drop out before graducation. Another major problem of immigrant students is parental illiteracy. Parental education can be considered as a tool for children's academic success (Mangion & Spett, 1998; Spra et al., 2009). Some other important challenges faced by Afghan students are related to cultural issues. Cultural barriers can be cultural differences between people from two or more countries which can lead to communication failure and misunderstanding. Cultural differences that exist between different students, families, and education systems often cause some educational problems for immigrant student.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6045_afdef71da8d4e121720a247d74a7882f.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 On the Efficacy of an Integrated Curriculum of Social Studies and Art in Improving Academic Performance of Students in the Social Studies Course On the Efficacy of an Integrated Curriculum of Social Studies and Art in Improving Academic Performance of Students in the Social Studies Course 66 83 6046 10.22099/jcr.2021.6046 FA Nargess Matin Far Masters of Curriculum orientation, Primary school teacher in Nazarabad Alborz kharazmi university, Faculty of psychology and educational sciences Educational curriculum Marjan Kian Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2019 04 28 Introduction The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated curriculum of social studies and art in improving performance of students in the social studies course. Acquiring social skills is one of the main goals of social studies course at elementary school. Curricula should include such educational content and methods that can be effective in meeting the needs of today's generation. One of the most important goals of education and training is development of life skills and making adaptation to the environment. This requires life-related knowledge (Naghibzadeh, 2011). Art can make a major contribution to children's education in terms of academic performance and conception of learning [m1] (Mahghoub, 2015).The theory of integrating art into education and training was first proposed by Plato in the fourth century. He believed that art forms should be considered as the basis for education. Based on the theory of facilitation by Jean Gagnepain, humans interact with their surroundings in several different ways, including[m2] signs, tools, societies, history, and norms (Mehr Mohammadi & Kian, 2018). Considering the above, discipline-based art education (DBAE)[m3] can be the optimal approach to decent education. Regarding the "principles" dominating artistic education and based on the approach of DBAE, the objectives of the curriculum can be determined. From this perspective, cultural and artistic fields should be taken into account in determining primary goals and basic orientations because they can help in providing precise effective mechanisms for achieving ultimate goals (Kian et al., 2013). The integrated approach is significant because it can help establish communication between specific forms of art and curriculum. This can be considered as a successful strategy for effective learning and academic success. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum is an educational approach which can contribute to the improvement of students' personal skills and speed of learning (Biscoe & Wilson, 2015). The Main Hypothesis Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve academic performance of sixth graders in the social studies course. Sub-hypotheses Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' comprehension level in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' application level [m4] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' analysis level [m5] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' composition level [m6] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' assessment level [m7] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' reception level [m8] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' evaluation level [m9] in the social studies course Methods Quasi-experimental design, with pretest and posttest and control and experimental groups, was used for conducting this study. The study population of this study were female sixth graders at Nazarabad schools, Alborz Province, Iran, over the academic year 2017-2018. Concerning the study sample, 60 students, 30 for the experimental group and 30 for the control group, were selected through convenient sampling approach. The experimental group were offered the integrated course over 12 sessions, and the control group took the usual social studies course. The research data was collected using a researcher-made social studies test which was designed by taking into account the cognitive and emotional domains of learning. Face and content validity of the instrument was confirmed by nine experts. Cronbach's alpha was further used to assess reliability of the test, and a coefficient value 0.73 was obtained which indicated that the test was highly reliable. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was also used to determine if there was any significant difference between the groups. Results: The academic performance of the experimental and control groups in the posttest was significantly different. The integrated course of social studies and art had improved performance of the experimental group in the cognitive domain. In other words, it had caused an increase in participants' levels of comprehension, application, analysis, composition, and evaluation. It had also affected performance of the experimental group in the emotional domain and increased this group of participant's' level of reception. However, no important change was observed in students' level of emotional evaluation after implementation of the integrated curriculum. Discussion and Conclusion The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of an integrated curriculum of social studies and art on academic performance of sixth graders in the social studies course. The findings indicated that the curriculum had a significant positive effect on improving students' academic performance. Moreover, there was a significant difference between learning rate of students who were following the integrated curriculum and those who were taught in the traditional way. Integrated curricula can help transfer the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which students need for living an active, balanced, and rational life, and can lead to meaningful learning. The results further revealed that the integrated curriculum can lead to an increase in the comprehension, application, analysis, composition, perception and evaluation levels, and thus students' total scores. In this research project, first an integrated curriculum was proposed, and then the procedures for its application were presented; therefore, this study can be of both theoretical and practical significance. More significantly, students, themselves, took part in developing their curriculum. This could make their learning process more effective Introduction The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated curriculum of social studies and art in improving performance of students in the social studies course. Acquiring social skills is one of the main goals of social studies course at elementary school. Curricula should include such educational content and methods that can be effective in meeting the needs of today's generation. One of the most important goals of education and training is development of life skills and making adaptation to the environment. This requires life-related knowledge (Naghibzadeh, 2011). Art can make a major contribution to children's education in terms of academic performance and conception of learning [m1] (Mahghoub, 2015).The theory of integrating art into education and training was first proposed by Plato in the fourth century. He believed that art forms should be considered as the basis for education. Based on the theory of facilitation by Jean Gagnepain, humans interact with their surroundings in several different ways, including[m2] signs, tools, societies, history, and norms (Mehr Mohammadi & Kian, 2018). Considering the above, discipline-based art education (DBAE)[m3] can be the optimal approach to decent education. Regarding the "principles" dominating artistic education and based on the approach of DBAE, the objectives of the curriculum can be determined. From this perspective, cultural and artistic fields should be taken into account in determining primary goals and basic orientations because they can help in providing precise effective mechanisms for achieving ultimate goals (Kian et al., 2013). The integrated approach is significant because it can help establish communication between specific forms of art and curriculum. This can be considered as a successful strategy for effective learning and academic success. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum is an educational approach which can contribute to the improvement of students' personal skills and speed of learning (Biscoe & Wilson, 2015). The Main Hypothesis Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve academic performance of sixth graders in the social studies course. Sub-hypotheses Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' comprehension level in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' application level [m4] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' analysis level [m5] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' composition level [m6] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' assessment level [m7] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' reception level [m8] in the social studies course. Integration of art into the social studies curriculum can improve sixth graders' evaluation level [m9] in the social studies course Methods Quasi-experimental design, with pretest and posttest and control and experimental groups, was used for conducting this study. The study population of this study were female sixth graders at Nazarabad schools, Alborz Province, Iran, over the academic year 2017-2018. Concerning the study sample, 60 students, 30 for the experimental group and 30 for the control group, were selected through convenient sampling approach. The experimental group were offered the integrated course over 12 sessions, and the control group took the usual social studies course. The research data was collected using a researcher-made social studies test which was designed by taking into account the cognitive and emotional domains of learning. Face and content validity of the instrument was confirmed by nine experts. Cronbach's alpha was further used to assess reliability of the test, and a coefficient value 0.73 was obtained which indicated that the test was highly reliable. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was also used to determine if there was any significant difference between the groups. Results: The academic performance of the experimental and control groups in the posttest was significantly different. The integrated course of social studies and art had improved performance of the experimental group in the cognitive domain. In other words, it had caused an increase in participants' levels of comprehension, application, analysis, composition, and evaluation. It had also affected performance of the experimental group in the emotional domain and increased this group of participant's' level of reception. However, no important change was observed in students' level of emotional evaluation after implementation of the integrated curriculum. Discussion and Conclusion The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of an integrated curriculum of social studies and art on academic performance of sixth graders in the social studies course. The findings indicated that the curriculum had a significant positive effect on improving students' academic performance. Moreover, there was a significant difference between learning rate of students who were following the integrated curriculum and those who were taught in the traditional way. Integrated curricula can help transfer the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which students need for living an active, balanced, and rational life, and can lead to meaningful learning. The results further revealed that the integrated curriculum can lead to an increase in the comprehension, application, analysis, composition, perception and evaluation levels, and thus students' total scores. In this research project, first an integrated curriculum was proposed, and then the procedures for its application were presented; therefore, this study can be of both theoretical and practical significance. More significantly, students, themselves, took part in developing their curriculum. This could make their learning process more effective

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6046_e618bfae7e9d3d3fcc0a1851798f3c48.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 A Phenomenological Analysis of Acceptance of Curriculum Innovation in Farhangian University A Phenomenological Analysis of Acceptance of Curriculum Innovation in Farhangian University 84 109 6047 10.22099/jcr.2021.6047 FA Sohrab Najafi PhD student of curriculum studies, Bu Ali Sina University Yahya Maroofi Associate Professor (Corresponding Author). Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran Journal Article 2019 08 02 Introduction Based on the previous experiences, success of any innovative curriculum depends not only on the way it is designed and developed, but also on the way it is implemented. Accordingly, successful implementation of any innovative curriculum entails teachers' participation, collaboration and acceptance, and dissemination of curriculum during the curiculum implementation process.If curriculum implementers do not play any role in the design and development process of curriculum, they will probably not feel a sense of belonging, necessary to guarantee the success of any curriculum, may resist curriculum changes, and therefore, may refuse to accept the innovative curiculum. Curriculum cceptance refers to a process which is based on the decision to follow a curriculum or a specific curriculum orientation. The process of acceptance consists of five stages, namely awareness, interest, evaluation, testing, and making decision about acceptance or non-acceptance. Therefore, the present study is an attempt to phenomenologically analyze experiences of university lecturers, as the main implementers of innovative curriculums, and student-teachers, as recipients of innovative curriculums, about the changes and innovations which have been made in Farhangian University curiculums and their responses to to such innovations? Research questions 1- What changes have been made occured in Farhangian University after introducing innovations in its curriculums? 2- How have lecturers and student-teachers responded to innovative curriculums in Farhangian University? Materials and methods The objective of this research is to phenomenologically analyze the experiences of Farhanigian University's lecturers and student-teachers regarding their acceptance or nonacceptance of innovative curriculums. To this end, the study benefits from a qualitative approach to, and more specifically a phenomenological method of, research. 1 PhD student of Curriculum Studies, Bu Ali Sina University 2 Associate Professor (Corresponding Author). Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran. Email: y.maroofi2007@gmail.com The study population were all the lecturers and student-teachers of ten zones campuses of Hamadan, Ilam, Kermanshah, and Kurdistan provinces. The study sample consists of 26 lecturers and student-teachers who had experienced innovative curriculums. They were selected based on purposive sampling strategy and by considering the theoretical saturation principle. Data were collected through conducting semi-structured interviews with participants and analyzed through benefitting from Colaizzi's seven-step method for data analysis and thematic analysis. The data were then coded and a number of basic, organizing and comprehensive themes were identified. Furthermore, the two criteria of transferability and credibility were used to assess the validity of the qualitative data. Concerning transferability of the qualitative data, the whole process, from sampling to data collection and analysis, was described in great detail. In order to ensure credibility, the researchers tried to navigate the interview process accurately, i.e. they tried to focus on questions and objectives during the interview process and asked the interviewees to give clear answers to interview questions when necessary. The obtained data was then transcribed and interpreted. After following the first two steps of the analysis, the researches checked the accuracy of interpretations, made based on participants' answers, through calling back to them and making other different valid interpretations if necessary. Concerning confirmability of the data, an experienced external observer reviewed the theoretical basis for data collection and analysis, and confirmed it. Results Based on participants' experiences, major domains of innovation in the programs of the Farhangian University can be divided into fifteen basic themes and three predominant themes of innovation in educational system, innovation in student admission system, and innovation in the nature and content of curriculum. 1. The four identified themes concerning innovation in the education system were transfer of teacher training centers into Farhangian University, innovation in administrative structure of campuses and educational centers, development plan of education, arrangement of academic disciplines and compilation of instruction for improving quality of education. 2. The four basic themes in relation to innovation in student admission system were admission of undergraduate students (teacher- students), associate and bachelor students (student teachers), admission of interns, according to Article 28 of the University Statute, from graduates of other universities, and admission of students in graduate courses. 3. Concerning innovation in nature and content of the curriculum, seven basic themes, namely changing course topics and titles, introducing Islamic education courses into the curriculum, introducing practical and workshop courses into the curriculum and emphasizing professional adaptation and transfer credit for courses, changing presentation and quality of the training course, and introducing project course or teacher workbook into the curriculum, were identified. The findings further indicated that responses of lecturers and student-teachers to curriculum innovation at Farhangian University were different. On the one hand, the curriculum was completely accepted by the participants and on the other, they looked at it critically and were resistant to change. Participants' reasons for their different viewpoints were presented in three predominant themes, 15 organizer themes and 36 basic themes. Finally, a number of suggestions were made for how to gain greater acceptance of curriculum innovation. Discussion Although innovations and changes are usually followed by criticisms, the importance of moving forward and keeping pace with changes in this complex world cannot be ignored. Farhangian University is no exception in this regard and needs innovation in developing its curriculums. Although there is still a long way to go to educate ideal teachers, the university can take appropriate action to facilitate innovation in curriculum and overcome resistance against it. This can be done through increasing implementers' awareness of the essence and philosophy of innovation, participation in the curriculum development process, continuous monitoring of attitudes and expectations of executives, and monitoring of the proper implementation of innovative programs. Introduction Based on the previous experiences, success of any innovative curriculum depends not only on the way it is designed and developed, but also on the way it is implemented. Accordingly, successful implementation of any innovative curriculum entails teachers' participation, collaboration and acceptance, and dissemination of curriculum during the curiculum implementation process.If curriculum implementers do not play any role in the design and development process of curriculum, they will probably not feel a sense of belonging, necessary to guarantee the success of any curriculum, may resist curriculum changes, and therefore, may refuse to accept the innovative curiculum. Curriculum cceptance refers to a process which is based on the decision to follow a curriculum or a specific curriculum orientation. The process of acceptance consists of five stages, namely awareness, interest, evaluation, testing, and making decision about acceptance or non-acceptance. Therefore, the present study is an attempt to phenomenologically analyze experiences of university lecturers, as the main implementers of innovative curriculums, and student-teachers, as recipients of innovative curriculums, about the changes and innovations which have been made in Farhangian University curiculums and their responses to to such innovations? Research questions 1- What changes have been made occured in Farhangian University after introducing innovations in its curriculums? 2- How have lecturers and student-teachers responded to innovative curriculums in Farhangian University? Materials and methods The objective of this research is to phenomenologically analyze the experiences of Farhanigian University's lecturers and student-teachers regarding their acceptance or nonacceptance of innovative curriculums. To this end, the study benefits from a qualitative approach to, and more specifically a phenomenological method of, research. 1 PhD student of Curriculum Studies, Bu Ali Sina University 2 Associate Professor (Corresponding Author). Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran. Email: y.maroofi2007@gmail.com The study population were all the lecturers and student-teachers of ten zones campuses of Hamadan, Ilam, Kermanshah, and Kurdistan provinces. The study sample consists of 26 lecturers and student-teachers who had experienced innovative curriculums. They were selected based on purposive sampling strategy and by considering the theoretical saturation principle. Data were collected through conducting semi-structured interviews with participants and analyzed through benefitting from Colaizzi's seven-step method for data analysis and thematic analysis. The data were then coded and a number of basic, organizing and comprehensive themes were identified. Furthermore, the two criteria of transferability and credibility were used to assess the validity of the qualitative data. Concerning transferability of the qualitative data, the whole process, from sampling to data collection and analysis, was described in great detail. In order to ensure credibility, the researchers tried to navigate the interview process accurately, i.e. they tried to focus on questions and objectives during the interview process and asked the interviewees to give clear answers to interview questions when necessary. The obtained data was then transcribed and interpreted. After following the first two steps of the analysis, the researches checked the accuracy of interpretations, made based on participants' answers, through calling back to them and making other different valid interpretations if necessary. Concerning confirmability of the data, an experienced external observer reviewed the theoretical basis for data collection and analysis, and confirmed it. Results Based on participants' experiences, major domains of innovation in the programs of the Farhangian University can be divided into fifteen basic themes and three predominant themes of innovation in educational system, innovation in student admission system, and innovation in the nature and content of curriculum. 1. The four identified themes concerning innovation in the education system were transfer of teacher training centers into Farhangian University, innovation in administrative structure of campuses and educational centers, development plan of education, arrangement of academic disciplines and compilation of instruction for improving quality of education. 2. The four basic themes in relation to innovation in student admission system were admission of undergraduate students (teacher- students), associate and bachelor students (student teachers), admission of interns, according to Article 28 of the University Statute, from graduates of other universities, and admission of students in graduate courses. 3. Concerning innovation in nature and content of the curriculum, seven basic themes, namely changing course topics and titles, introducing Islamic education courses into the curriculum, introducing practical and workshop courses into the curriculum and emphasizing professional adaptation and transfer credit for courses, changing presentation and quality of the training course, and introducing project course or teacher workbook into the curriculum, were identified. The findings further indicated that responses of lecturers and student-teachers to curriculum innovation at Farhangian University were different. On the one hand, the curriculum was completely accepted by the participants and on the other, they looked at it critically and were resistant to change. Participants' reasons for their different viewpoints were presented in three predominant themes, 15 organizer themes and 36 basic themes. Finally, a number of suggestions were made for how to gain greater acceptance of curriculum innovation. Discussion Although innovations and changes are usually followed by criticisms, the importance of moving forward and keeping pace with changes in this complex world cannot be ignored. Farhangian University is no exception in this regard and needs innovation in developing its curriculums. Although there is still a long way to go to educate ideal teachers, the university can take appropriate action to facilitate innovation in curriculum and overcome resistance against it. This can be done through increasing implementers' awareness of the essence and philosophy of innovation, participation in the curriculum development process, continuous monitoring of attitudes and expectations of executives, and monitoring of the proper implementation of innovative programs.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6047_1fe6d2fa39e6b80e0e35cf1f3a5c4e9b.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 Analysis of Parents' and Students' Demands from the Secondary School History Curriculum Analysis of Parents' and Students' Demands from the Secondary School History Curriculum 110 129 6050 10.22099/jcr.2021.6050 FA Parvin Samadi Associate Professor of Al-Zahra University (Corresponding Author) Parvin Ahmadi Associate Professor of Al-Zahra University 0000000333981653 Saeedeh Behroozinezhad Master of Al-Zahra University Journal Article 2019 04 22 Introduction The main objectives of this study were to understand and discover the demands of parents and students from the secondary school history curriculum over the academic year 2016-2017 and to take a critical look at history curriculum courses in this regard. Research questions 1- What are the demands and expectations of parents from the history curriculum? 2- What are the demands and expectations of students from the history curriculum? Methods The present researchers have adopted a qualitative approach to research, and more specifically a descriptive phenomenological method of research for conducting this study. The study population consisted of all parents and students in District 7 of Karaj. Purposive sampling strategy and maximum variation sampling were used to semi-structurally interview 20 parents and 20 student in the District 7 of Karaj . The interviewees talked about their views about and experiences of history courses. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed. Data analysis was, then, carried out through using Brown and Clarks' (2006) six-step thematic analysis procedures. Findings Based on the findings, 5 open codes, namely understanding and studying history, loyalty to historical events, repetitive history lessons, teacher and methods of teaching history, and content structure and organization, and 11 central codes were identified. The overall findings revealed that one of the most important demands of parents and students was paying particular attention to the content and method of teaching of school history curriculum. Additionally, parents believed the history course can be very useful in their children's lives.They believed that history courses play a key role in creating national cohesion and solidarity, can help create a spirit of cooperation amongst individuals, and can increase the level of commitment to current governments. Therefore, the accuracy, caution and obsession with which authors compile the content of history textbooks are very important. However, participants believed that the foundation of history textbooks are based on narration of past events which caused teaching of history to be limited to the preservation of historical events. In other words, participants stated that the content of history textbooks was often about political and military events, and this made the course boring for them. In fact, social, cultural and economic aspects of history had been neglected in teaching history, and thus the concept of the science of history was limited to description of lives of those in power and political and military elites. Therefore, the history textbooks did not seem to be authentic and were not attractive to students. Students also emphasized the role of teacher and teaching methods and their major demands were to use practical teaching methods and to engage students in classroom affairs. In other words, the most important expectations of parents and students from the school history curriculum was that special attention be paid to adopting efficient methods for teaching history. Based on what they stated, history was mainly taught using traditional methods of teaching, the textbooks were the main source of information, and teachers only transmitted information from the textbooks to their students. This way students became passive in their learning process and the only task which they needed to do was retaining historical information in their head. All of these made students bored and incited their hatred against the course. The interviewees also believed that in order to increase students' power of thinking, questioning, and information processing, and the history classroom should not be textbook centered and limited to transmission of historical information. Rather, teachers must benefits from the use of new effective methods for teaching history. In other words, in the information age, information transfer should not be the goal of education. Rather, attention should be paid to analysis and processing of information. And this will be only possible through using new teaching methods, and appropriate textbook contents. Finally, it should be said that students, as the target audience of history courses, expected that their history textbooks present a true picture of the past, and make them search and explore historical issues. Considering parents' and students' expectations, history should be taught with regard to its different aspects, conditions for teaching this course should be improved, and history textbooks should be revised. All of these can help making the history course interesting for students. Overall, the findings of this study can explain why paying attention to the demands of parents and students from the school history curriculum can improve the conditions for teaching this course. Introduction The main objectives of this study were to understand and discover the demands of parents and students from the secondary school history curriculum over the academic year 2016-2017 and to take a critical look at history curriculum courses in this regard. Research questions 1- What are the demands and expectations of parents from the history curriculum? 2- What are the demands and expectations of students from the history curriculum? Methods The present researchers have adopted a qualitative approach to research, and more specifically a descriptive phenomenological method of research for conducting this study. The study population consisted of all parents and students in District 7 of Karaj. Purposive sampling strategy and maximum variation sampling were used to semi-structurally interview 20 parents and 20 student in the District 7 of Karaj . The interviewees talked about their views about and experiences of history courses. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed. Data analysis was, then, carried out through using Brown and Clarks' (2006) six-step thematic analysis procedures. Findings Based on the findings, 5 open codes, namely understanding and studying history, loyalty to historical events, repetitive history lessons, teacher and methods of teaching history, and content structure and organization, and 11 central codes were identified. The overall findings revealed that one of the most important demands of parents and students was paying particular attention to the content and method of teaching of school history curriculum. Additionally, parents believed the history course can be very useful in their children's lives.They believed that history courses play a key role in creating national cohesion and solidarity, can help create a spirit of cooperation amongst individuals, and can increase the level of commitment to current governments. Therefore, the accuracy, caution and obsession with which authors compile the content of history textbooks are very important. However, participants believed that the foundation of history textbooks are based on narration of past events which caused teaching of history to be limited to the preservation of historical events. In other words, participants stated that the content of history textbooks was often about political and military events, and this made the course boring for them. In fact, social, cultural and economic aspects of history had been neglected in teaching history, and thus the concept of the science of history was limited to description of lives of those in power and political and military elites. Therefore, the history textbooks did not seem to be authentic and were not attractive to students. Students also emphasized the role of teacher and teaching methods and their major demands were to use practical teaching methods and to engage students in classroom affairs. In other words, the most important expectations of parents and students from the school history curriculum was that special attention be paid to adopting efficient methods for teaching history. Based on what they stated, history was mainly taught using traditional methods of teaching, the textbooks were the main source of information, and teachers only transmitted information from the textbooks to their students. This way students became passive in their learning process and the only task which they needed to do was retaining historical information in their head. All of these made students bored and incited their hatred against the course. The interviewees also believed that in order to increase students' power of thinking, questioning, and information processing, and the history classroom should not be textbook centered and limited to transmission of historical information. Rather, teachers must benefits from the use of new effective methods for teaching history. In other words, in the information age, information transfer should not be the goal of education. Rather, attention should be paid to analysis and processing of information. And this will be only possible through using new teaching methods, and appropriate textbook contents. Finally, it should be said that students, as the target audience of history courses, expected that their history textbooks present a true picture of the past, and make them search and explore historical issues. Considering parents' and students' expectations, history should be taught with regard to its different aspects, conditions for teaching this course should be improved, and history textbooks should be revised. All of these can help making the history course interesting for students. Overall, the findings of this study can explain why paying attention to the demands of parents and students from the school history curriculum can improve the conditions for teaching this course.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6050_8452f023f6848b4592af64e2a51806fc.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 Investigating Elementary Students' Lived Experiences of Learning Based on the Flipped Classroom Approach Investigating Elementary Students' Lived Experiences of Learning Based on the Flipped Classroom Approach 130 153 6051 10.22099/jcr.2021.6051 FA Mohammad Alipour PhD Student in Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, university of Birjand Mohammad Ali Rostaminezhad Associate Professor of Educational Technology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, , university of Birjand Mohammad Akbari Booreng Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, , university of Birjand Journal Article 2019 10 27 Introduction Learning based on the flipped classroom approach can be very effective in improving quality of the education. A classroom based on this approach is student-centered and stress the importance of learners' understanding and perceptions. The objective of this study is to investigate elementary students' lived experiences of learning based on the flipped classroom approach. Research questions 1- How is elementary students' experiences of learning based on the flipped classroom approach? 2. What are the advantages of using the flipped classroom teaching approach? 3. What are the challenges to the application of the flipped classroom teaching approach? 4. What are the consequences of adopting the flipped classroom teaching approach? Method The present researchers benefited from the qualitative approach and more specifically the phenomenological method for conducting this study. The participants were fifth grade male students in Ibn Sina Elementary School, Birjand, South Khorasan Province, Iran, who had experienced learning on the basis of the flipped classroom teaching approach. Considering the research sample, 15 students were selected through the application of purposive sampling strategy. Data was gathered through conducting semi-structured interviews with participants. Then, Data analysis was done using the seven-step strategy proposed by Collaizi (2002) and MAXQDA 11. Results Data analysis results revealed nine main themes in relation to fifth grade elementary school male students' experiences of learning based on the flipped classroom approach. These themes were learning Problem solving strategies for learning, overcoming classroom and home problems, environmental change impacts,, improving technological literacy, encouraging participation and interaction in the classroom, enjoying learning, developing lifelong learning skills, learning control, and paying attention to different learning styles and special needs. Discussion Studying elementary school students' learning experiences showed that the flipped classroom teaching approach had enabled them to solve some of their learning problems. The use of the flipped classroom approach entails allocating part of home time to education. This can help enhance students’ academic engagement. For instance, students can spend more time on watching educational videos, which can ultimately improve students' academic performance. Analysis of students' experiences revealed that teaching through the flipped classroom approach can be effective and offers some educational advantages, including shortening the school day, spending less time studying at home, and limiting the time spent on watching TV and playing computer games. Because there is an unlimited possibility for students to watch movies, they can easily have access to their teacher and can watch his/her instructional videos many times. Furthermore, due to the fact that students can watch educational videos at home, their physical presence at home increases. This, in turn, can help them improve their relationship with their parents and other family members. One of the main features of the flipped classroom approach is change of activities done at home and in classroom setting. This cause learning to occur in a relaxed environment and improves mental and sensory concentration. Furthermore, home is usually a safe and relaxing environment for everyone, and much less crowded than classroom. A review of students' experiences indicates that the flipped classroom approach can positively influence their technological literacy. Students can watch instructional videos and use other instructional materials produced by their teacher through computer, cell phones, tablets, televisions, and other multimedia equipment, can learn how to use these equipment, and all of these can help them develop their technological literacy. Based on the overall results of this study, the flipped classroom approach can provide a reasonable ground for promoting a sense of effective cooperation among students, students and teachers, and students and their family members. Moreover, the learning process can be more motivating and enjoyable for students because they can watch their teacher's instructional videos at home. In addition, the use of this approach can lead to permanent learning. Finally, there are different students with different learning styles in the classroom, and there are usually some students with learning difficulties. Furthermore, students learn at different speeds. Therefore, the use of such approaches as the flipped classroom approach can help overcome these problems and meet students' individual learning needs. Introduction Learning based on the flipped classroom approach can be very effective in improving quality of the education. A classroom based on this approach is student-centered and stress the importance of learners' understanding and perceptions. The objective of this study is to investigate elementary students' lived experiences of learning based on the flipped classroom approach. Research questions 1- How is elementary students' experiences of learning based on the flipped classroom approach? 2. What are the advantages of using the flipped classroom teaching approach? 3. What are the challenges to the application of the flipped classroom teaching approach? 4. What are the consequences of adopting the flipped classroom teaching approach? Method The present researchers benefited from the qualitative approach and more specifically the phenomenological method for conducting this study. The participants were fifth grade male students in Ibn Sina Elementary School, Birjand, South Khorasan Province, Iran, who had experienced learning on the basis of the flipped classroom teaching approach. Considering the research sample, 15 students were selected through the application of purposive sampling strategy. Data was gathered through conducting semi-structured interviews with participants. Then, Data analysis was done using the seven-step strategy proposed by Collaizi (2002) and MAXQDA 11. Results Data analysis results revealed nine main themes in relation to fifth grade elementary school male students' experiences of learning based on the flipped classroom approach. These themes were learning Problem solving strategies for learning, overcoming classroom and home problems, environmental change impacts,, improving technological literacy, encouraging participation and interaction in the classroom, enjoying learning, developing lifelong learning skills, learning control, and paying attention to different learning styles and special needs. Discussion Studying elementary school students' learning experiences showed that the flipped classroom teaching approach had enabled them to solve some of their learning problems. The use of the flipped classroom approach entails allocating part of home time to education. This can help enhance students’ academic engagement. For instance, students can spend more time on watching educational videos, which can ultimately improve students' academic performance. Analysis of students' experiences revealed that teaching through the flipped classroom approach can be effective and offers some educational advantages, including shortening the school day, spending less time studying at home, and limiting the time spent on watching TV and playing computer games. Because there is an unlimited possibility for students to watch movies, they can easily have access to their teacher and can watch his/her instructional videos many times. Furthermore, due to the fact that students can watch educational videos at home, their physical presence at home increases. This, in turn, can help them improve their relationship with their parents and other family members. One of the main features of the flipped classroom approach is change of activities done at home and in classroom setting. This cause learning to occur in a relaxed environment and improves mental and sensory concentration. Furthermore, home is usually a safe and relaxing environment for everyone, and much less crowded than classroom. A review of students' experiences indicates that the flipped classroom approach can positively influence their technological literacy. Students can watch instructional videos and use other instructional materials produced by their teacher through computer, cell phones, tablets, televisions, and other multimedia equipment, can learn how to use these equipment, and all of these can help them develop their technological literacy. Based on the overall results of this study, the flipped classroom approach can provide a reasonable ground for promoting a sense of effective cooperation among students, students and teachers, and students and their family members. Moreover, the learning process can be more motivating and enjoyable for students because they can watch their teacher's instructional videos at home. In addition, the use of this approach can lead to permanent learning. Finally, there are different students with different learning styles in the classroom, and there are usually some students with learning difficulties. Furthermore, students learn at different speeds. Therefore, the use of such approaches as the flipped classroom approach can help overcome these problems and meet students' individual learning needs.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6051_c2a60e612d1425d5c7b02bdd3dc2f4a8.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 Designing and Validating a Curriculum Framework Based on Happy Brain Education at Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Approach Designing and Validating a Curriculum Framework Based on Happy Brain Education at Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Approach 154 178 6052 10.22099/jcr.2021.6052 FA Reza Naseri Jaahromi Ph. D of Curriculum Development, Fatemiyehshiraz Higher Education Institute, Shiraz, Iran. Khatere Mohamadjafari Ph. D of Curriculum Development, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. Seyyedeh Vahideh Alavi M. A of Curriculum Development, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. Fatemeh Mirghafari M. A Student of Educational Administration, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. Journal Article 2020 06 15 Introduction Vitality and happiness are crucial issues in human life. Happiness is a force which fills a human being with energy, leaves no room for negative emotions, and plays a key role in the development of people's talents and capacities. Today, vitality and happiness have a central place in school effectiveness and educational planning. Achieving the lofty goals of education and the need to pay attention to the characteristics of students necessitate making the educational atmosphere dynamic, lively, and active, and from this perspective, students' talents and abilities can be discovered. If realization of happiness in the education system will be the goal, other educational goals can be achieved more easily. In fact, happiness can facilitate the teaching and learning process and smooth the way for achieving all the goals of the education system. This issue has been discussed in the Document of Fundamental Transformation of Education where "creating happiness and cheerfulness in schools" and "educating cheerful people" have been enumerated as the goals of the education system. This can indicate that policymakers and stakeholders have devoted attention, although not effort, to this important issue in education. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to design and validate a curriculum based on Happy Brain Education at elementary schools. Research Question -What are the elements of a curriculum framework based on Happy Brain Education? Materials and Methods This study benefited from an exploratory sequential mixed methods design and taxonomy development model. Accordingly, first the qualitative phase and then the quantitative phase of the study was done. The qualitative phase was carried out through the use of meta-synthesis method and by using the six-step method proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). Qualitative data was collected from seven databases, namely Scopus, Emerald, Science Direct, Springer, ProQuest, Iran's publications databases, and the Scientific Information Database. The obtained data were then analyzed by coding. The curriculum framework for Happy Brain Education at elementary school consisted of 12 components: namely goals; content; teacher role; learner role; teaching/learning method; evaluation; instructional materials; type of curriculum; level of education; individuals involved in curriculum design and implementation; place of learning; time of learning. Each of these components had their own subthemes. The quantitative phase was performed using a descriptive survey method and a researcher-made scale to determine if the developed framework was valid or not. The statistical population consisted of all elementary school teachers in Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran, who were familiar with the basic academic counseling, curriculum planning, and educational management. Purposive sampling strategy was used to select 65 elementary school teachers as the study sample. The scale was, then, distributed among the participants. Next, validity and reliability of the scale was checked and confirmed. Results In selecting curriculum content, issues such as the procedures for communication with family members and friends, teamwork skills, life skills, art education, environmental protection, positive thinking, coping strategies, problem solving skills, and development of physical skills were considered. The results revealed that in order to create a happy and pleasant school atmosphere, lesson content should be attractive. Furthermore, school teachers must be cheerful and happy. In additions, care should be taken to select those teaching methods which involve fun exercises and activities such as singing, role-playing, classroom discussion and participation, and storytelling. Schools should also provide students with appropriate educational facilities. Moreover, the use of various teaching methods which are of great interest to learners can provide a firm basis for permanent learning. Education level was further found as another important factor for evaluating the appropriateness of the program for students of different grades. Finally, class time, usually 45 minutes per session, and evaluation, usually of students' performance, were considered as two other important factors affecting classroom atmosphere. Discussion Raising a child is not only satisfying his/her basic needs. Children further need love, proper education, and cheerfulness and joy, which is not seriously considered by educators. Happy children are usually both physically and mentally healthy. They will be more successful in future and have more self-confidence, flexibility, and decision-making power in the face of adversity. Therefore, careful attention of education policymakers and curriculum planners to the development of appropriate curriculum and provision of an uplifting education system is more than demanding. Finally, based on the overall results of this study, the use of happy color pictures, games, role playing, and group activities in elementary school textbooks, division of labor, participation in different workshops, nature strolls, and creation of a happy classroom atmosphere are strongly recommended to make the learning experience as pleasant and effective as possible. Introduction Vitality and happiness are crucial issues in human life. Happiness is a force which fills a human being with energy, leaves no room for negative emotions, and plays a key role in the development of people's talents and capacities. Today, vitality and happiness have a central place in school effectiveness and educational planning. Achieving the lofty goals of education and the need to pay attention to the characteristics of students necessitate making the educational atmosphere dynamic, lively, and active, and from this perspective, students' talents and abilities can be discovered. If realization of happiness in the education system will be the goal, other educational goals can be achieved more easily. In fact, happiness can facilitate the teaching and learning process and smooth the way for achieving all the goals of the education system. This issue has been discussed in the Document of Fundamental Transformation of Education where "creating happiness and cheerfulness in schools" and "educating cheerful people" have been enumerated as the goals of the education system. This can indicate that policymakers and stakeholders have devoted attention, although not effort, to this important issue in education. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to design and validate a curriculum based on Happy Brain Education at elementary schools. Research Question -What are the elements of a curriculum framework based on Happy Brain Education? Materials and Methods This study benefited from an exploratory sequential mixed methods design and taxonomy development model. Accordingly, first the qualitative phase and then the quantitative phase of the study was done. The qualitative phase was carried out through the use of meta-synthesis method and by using the six-step method proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). Qualitative data was collected from seven databases, namely Scopus, Emerald, Science Direct, Springer, ProQuest, Iran's publications databases, and the Scientific Information Database. The obtained data were then analyzed by coding. The curriculum framework for Happy Brain Education at elementary school consisted of 12 components: namely goals; content; teacher role; learner role; teaching/learning method; evaluation; instructional materials; type of curriculum; level of education; individuals involved in curriculum design and implementation; place of learning; time of learning. Each of these components had their own subthemes. The quantitative phase was performed using a descriptive survey method and a researcher-made scale to determine if the developed framework was valid or not. The statistical population consisted of all elementary school teachers in Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran, who were familiar with the basic academic counseling, curriculum planning, and educational management. Purposive sampling strategy was used to select 65 elementary school teachers as the study sample. The scale was, then, distributed among the participants. Next, validity and reliability of the scale was checked and confirmed. Results In selecting curriculum content, issues such as the procedures for communication with family members and friends, teamwork skills, life skills, art education, environmental protection, positive thinking, coping strategies, problem solving skills, and development of physical skills were considered. The results revealed that in order to create a happy and pleasant school atmosphere, lesson content should be attractive. Furthermore, school teachers must be cheerful and happy. In additions, care should be taken to select those teaching methods which involve fun exercises and activities such as singing, role-playing, classroom discussion and participation, and storytelling. Schools should also provide students with appropriate educational facilities. Moreover, the use of various teaching methods which are of great interest to learners can provide a firm basis for permanent learning. Education level was further found as another important factor for evaluating the appropriateness of the program for students of different grades. Finally, class time, usually 45 minutes per session, and evaluation, usually of students' performance, were considered as two other important factors affecting classroom atmosphere. Discussion Raising a child is not only satisfying his/her basic needs. Children further need love, proper education, and cheerfulness and joy, which is not seriously considered by educators. Happy children are usually both physically and mentally healthy. They will be more successful in future and have more self-confidence, flexibility, and decision-making power in the face of adversity. Therefore, careful attention of education policymakers and curriculum planners to the development of appropriate curriculum and provision of an uplifting education system is more than demanding. Finally, based on the overall results of this study, the use of happy color pictures, games, role playing, and group activities in elementary school textbooks, division of labor, participation in different workshops, nature strolls, and creation of a happy classroom atmosphere are strongly recommended to make the learning experience as pleasant and effective as possible.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6052_eac084b4251d9dfd452b65d7f09566bf.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 A phenomenological Study on Elementary School Teachers' Experiences About Implementation of the Plan for Identification and Direction of Gifted Students A phenomenological Study on Elementary School Teachers' Experiences About Implementation of the Plan for Identification and Direction of Gifted Students 179 200 6053 10.22099/jcr.2021.6053 FA Mohammad Reza Yousefzadeh Associate professor of Bu-Ali Sina university,faculty of humanities (corresponding author) Journal Article 2020 06 20 Introduction One of the basic principles in any education system is valuing learner’s individual differences and needs and providing them with instruction based on their abilities and talents. Identifying, directing and supporting gifted students has been considered as one of the most significant issues that has been received strong emphasis in higher education documents, including the National Curriculum Framework Document of Iran. Unfortunately, however, due to different reasons, they have been neglected in many education systems. This plan, like any other plan, requires scientific pathology of its essence, content and methods of implementation. Neglecting this vital phenomenon can lead to waste of social capital and loss of students' intellectual abilities. Considering the above problem, the objective of this study was to use a phenomenological approach for identifying perceptions and experiences of elementary school teachers about implementation of the plan for identifying and directing gifted students. Research question What are elementary girls' school teachers’ perceptions and experiences about implementation of the plan for identifying and directing gifted students? Methods The qualitative approach and, more specifically, descriptive phenomenological method was used for conducting the present study. The research population were all fifth grade teachers of elementary girls' school in Hamedan, Hamadan Province, Iran who were involved in implementation of the plan for identifying and directing gifted students over the academic year 2018-2019. The research sample included 16 teachers who were selected based on criterion sampling and by taking into account the principle of theoretical saturation. The most important criteria for selection of participants were having theoretical and practical knowledge, participation in relevant workshops, and having two years’ experience of implementing the plan for identifying and directing gifted students and five years of working experiences). Semi structured internes with participants were then carried out in order to collect data and each interview took between 25 to 40 minutes. The collected data was next coded. The validity of the obtained data was assessed through calculating Lawshe's content validity ratio. Accordingly, the collected data was presented to eight experts in different fields of study, including curriculum development and educational psychology. Concerning this, the obtained values were 0.88 for motivational factors, 0.84 for staff and supporting factors, 0.91 for cultural and social factors, 0.89 for instructional factors, and 0.88 for all the factors. As a result, content validity of data was confirmed. For determining credibility of the data, Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used. Accordingly, the interview process took place with a focus on the research objectives and questions. In addition, in order to make a correct interpretation of interviews, the results concerning teachers' perspectives were presented to participants and the identified misconception were corrected. Transferability of data was assessed through the use of different sources of data, for instance through listening to participants' narratives and interviewing them, constant reviewing of data, benefitting from environmental triangulation, and having external check. Results: Based on research findings, teachers perceptions' and experiences were classified into four organizing themes, namely motivational, staff and supporting, instructional, and social and cultural themes. Moreover, 31 basic themes were identified in relation to these organizing themes. The motivational dimension included themes such as indifferences between teachers involved in implementation of the plan for identifying and directing gifted students and other teachers, assumption of imposed additional work by teachers, and benefits like scientific visits and field trip. In staff and supporting dimension, basic themes included lack of monitoring for implementation of plan, uncertainty about future of the plan and implementation of multiple simultaneous plans. Some basic themes in cultural and social dimension were conflict perspectives among the relevant practitioners and experts, lack of coordination between families and teachers, unawareness of family, inadequate information presented by social media, stereotype believes, and inadequate information about the existing differences between the plan and gifted schools' mission. The instructional dimensions included themes such as impractical workshop, use of unqualified educators for in-service education, unawareness of assessment tools, and number of students in each classroom. Discussion: Based on the findings, teachers had some unpleasant perception and experiences for identifying and directing gifted students and the most unpleasant experiences were caused by instructional problems. In fact, it should be stated that there was no clear and comprehensive plan for directing student talent at elementary schools. Schools do not prepare students for accepting responsibility. They only prepare student to achieve higher levels of education and encourage them to compete with their peers. Overall, replacing product-centered, competition- and score-based instruction with creativity, self-initiation, self-discovery, curiosity and self-motivation requires comprehensive interaction between the country's National Elites Foundation, Organization for Gifted and Talented Education, the Office of Gifted and Talented Students, society, family, teachers and principals. Introduction One of the basic principles in any education system is valuing learner’s individual differences and needs and providing them with instruction based on their abilities and talents. Identifying, directing and supporting gifted students has been considered as one of the most significant issues that has been received strong emphasis in higher education documents, including the National Curriculum Framework Document of Iran. Unfortunately, however, due to different reasons, they have been neglected in many education systems. This plan, like any other plan, requires scientific pathology of its essence, content and methods of implementation. Neglecting this vital phenomenon can lead to waste of social capital and loss of students' intellectual abilities. Considering the above problem, the objective of this study was to use a phenomenological approach for identifying perceptions and experiences of elementary school teachers about implementation of the plan for identifying and directing gifted students. Research question What are elementary girls' school teachers’ perceptions and experiences about implementation of the plan for identifying and directing gifted students? Methods The qualitative approach and, more specifically, descriptive phenomenological method was used for conducting the present study. The research population were all fifth grade teachers of elementary girls' school in Hamedan, Hamadan Province, Iran who were involved in implementation of the plan for identifying and directing gifted students over the academic year 2018-2019. The research sample included 16 teachers who were selected based on criterion sampling and by taking into account the principle of theoretical saturation. The most important criteria for selection of participants were having theoretical and practical knowledge, participation in relevant workshops, and having two years’ experience of implementing the plan for identifying and directing gifted students and five years of working experiences). Semi structured internes with participants were then carried out in order to collect data and each interview took between 25 to 40 minutes. The collected data was next coded. The validity of the obtained data was assessed through calculating Lawshe's content validity ratio. Accordingly, the collected data was presented to eight experts in different fields of study, including curriculum development and educational psychology. Concerning this, the obtained values were 0.88 for motivational factors, 0.84 for staff and supporting factors, 0.91 for cultural and social factors, 0.89 for instructional factors, and 0.88 for all the factors. As a result, content validity of data was confirmed. For determining credibility of the data, Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used. Accordingly, the interview process took place with a focus on the research objectives and questions. In addition, in order to make a correct interpretation of interviews, the results concerning teachers' perspectives were presented to participants and the identified misconception were corrected. Transferability of data was assessed through the use of different sources of data, for instance through listening to participants' narratives and interviewing them, constant reviewing of data, benefitting from environmental triangulation, and having external check. Results: Based on research findings, teachers perceptions' and experiences were classified into four organizing themes, namely motivational, staff and supporting, instructional, and social and cultural themes. Moreover, 31 basic themes were identified in relation to these organizing themes. The motivational dimension included themes such as indifferences between teachers involved in implementation of the plan for identifying and directing gifted students and other teachers, assumption of imposed additional work by teachers, and benefits like scientific visits and field trip. In staff and supporting dimension, basic themes included lack of monitoring for implementation of plan, uncertainty about future of the plan and implementation of multiple simultaneous plans. Some basic themes in cultural and social dimension were conflict perspectives among the relevant practitioners and experts, lack of coordination between families and teachers, unawareness of family, inadequate information presented by social media, stereotype believes, and inadequate information about the existing differences between the plan and gifted schools' mission. The instructional dimensions included themes such as impractical workshop, use of unqualified educators for in-service education, unawareness of assessment tools, and number of students in each classroom. Discussion: Based on the findings, teachers had some unpleasant perception and experiences for identifying and directing gifted students and the most unpleasant experiences were caused by instructional problems. In fact, it should be stated that there was no clear and comprehensive plan for directing student talent at elementary schools. Schools do not prepare students for accepting responsibility. They only prepare student to achieve higher levels of education and encourage them to compete with their peers. Overall, replacing product-centered, competition- and score-based instruction with creativity, self-initiation, self-discovery, curiosity and self-motivation requires comprehensive interaction between the country's National Elites Foundation, Organization for Gifted and Talented Education, the Office of Gifted and Talented Students, society, family, teachers and principals.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6053_2af407cbe151628f989b2f64939a9769.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 Studying Mentors' Experiences about the Internship Programs at Farhangian University Studying Mentors' Experiences about the Internship Programs at Farhangian University 201 221 6054 10.22099/jcr.2021.6054 FA Fatemeh Eslami Ph.D. Student in Curriculum Development, Department of Curriculum Studies, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Nematollah Mousapour Professor,Department of Elementary Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran AliReza Sadeghi Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum Studies, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2020 02 28 Introduction Internship curriculum has been implemented, in form of a training course at Farhangian University since 2016. This program seeks to provide an ideal opportunity to experience the application of theoretical knowledge in a practical situation, and thus to achieve teaching competencies. The objective of this study was to analyze the lived experiences of internship mentors at Farhangian University. Accordingly, a qualitative approach to and, more specifically, a descriptive phenomenological method of research were used for conducting this study. Research Question What is the lived experience of the mentors in relation to the implementation of the internship programs? Methods[m1] Participants of this study were 10 Mentors of at Qom Campus, Pardis, of Farhangian University who were selected through the use of intensity sampling method. To collect data required for conducting this study, the present researchers conducted a number of in-depth interviews with mentors involved in internship programs. All the interviews were recorded after gaining participants' consent and the researchers continued interviewing participants until data saturation reached. The obtained data was then transcribed and read line by line. Next, the data was analyzed using grounded theory method [m2] proposed by Strauss and Corbin’s (1998). Accordingly, open coding, axial coding, and selective coding were done. It is noteworthy here that the initially identified codes were categorized and differentiated based on the components of the present research, for instance the lived experiences of participants and internship issues, and the research questions, i. e. through reflective coding. Findings Administrative requirements of the teacher training internship program entailed that each trainee's activities be entrusted to a group consisting of a mentor with the subject teaching experience and a mentor with educational knowledge. The mentors reported that they faced some problems for the implementation of the internship programs. From participants' viewpoint, the identified problems in the implication of the internship programs were related to their acceptability, logic, objectives, assessment, and implementation methods. The participants also believed that mentors need to be trained in such a way that they would be able to perform the prescribed internship activities. They believed that in choosing internship mentors, more attention should be paid to employing those who have the necessary qualifications. Participants' positive attitudes towards the internship program and its effectiveness were also worth noticing. The results of the study done by Jamshidi, Imam Jomeh, Asareh and Mousapour (2018) confirm the results of this study. The authors reported that internship can gradually increase discipline-based knowledge, knowledge of educational practice, and knowledge of thematic educational practice of both trainees and mentors. Oveysi Kohkha and Sarabandi (2017) have further reported that there is a direct relationship between internship and trainees' professional performance, and that the internship period can often increase trainees' self-esteem, lead to development of their personalities, heighten their sense of social responsibility, and develop their professional competence. From the mentors' viewpoints, efficiency of the internship program is affected by some problems, including internship program agents' lack of competency. Indeed, program agents, due to different causes, do not receive the necessary training, and, obviously, this important point is neglected in the implementation process. Pejman and Aliabadi (2016) have believed that mentors should provide the trainees with a clear picture of internship program. Furthermore, they have stated that there might be some unpredictable executive problems which can negatively affect the internship program. Considering this, it has also been found that temporal problems can make the internship process difficult. For instance, the amount of time which is allocated to the internship program is much less than the amount of time which has been considered as necessary for the implementation of program. According to the researchers, if the golden time of learning a one-year internship course can have the greatest impact on gaining the desired qualifications of a teacher, this opportunity is easily lost by not allocating enough time to the implementation of the program. This has been referred to as the pathology of Farhangian University internship program by Ghanbari, Nikkhah and Nikkht (2017). The results of studies done by Bahrami et al. (2002) and Tabrizi and Azimi (2015), too, indicate that lack of time is amongst the most significant weaknesses in the implementation of internship programs. Introduction Internship curriculum has been implemented, in form of a training course at Farhangian University since 2016. This program seeks to provide an ideal opportunity to experience the application of theoretical knowledge in a practical situation, and thus to achieve teaching competencies. The objective of this study was to analyze the lived experiences of internship mentors at Farhangian University. Accordingly, a qualitative approach to and, more specifically, a descriptive phenomenological method of research were used for conducting this study. Research Question What is the lived experience of the mentors in relation to the implementation of the internship programs? Methods[m1] Participants of this study were 10 Mentors of at Qom Campus, Pardis, of Farhangian University who were selected through the use of intensity sampling method. To collect data required for conducting this study, the present researchers conducted a number of in-depth interviews with mentors involved in internship programs. All the interviews were recorded after gaining participants' consent and the researchers continued interviewing participants until data saturation reached. The obtained data was then transcribed and read line by line. Next, the data was analyzed using grounded theory method [m2] proposed by Strauss and Corbin’s (1998). Accordingly, open coding, axial coding, and selective coding were done. It is noteworthy here that the initially identified codes were categorized and differentiated based on the components of the present research, for instance the lived experiences of participants and internship issues, and the research questions, i. e. through reflective coding. Findings Administrative requirements of the teacher training internship program entailed that each trainee's activities be entrusted to a group consisting of a mentor with the subject teaching experience and a mentor with educational knowledge. The mentors reported that they faced some problems for the implementation of the internship programs. From participants' viewpoint, the identified problems in the implication of the internship programs were related to their acceptability, logic, objectives, assessment, and implementation methods. The participants also believed that mentors need to be trained in such a way that they would be able to perform the prescribed internship activities. They believed that in choosing internship mentors, more attention should be paid to employing those who have the necessary qualifications. Participants' positive attitudes towards the internship program and its effectiveness were also worth noticing. The results of the study done by Jamshidi, Imam Jomeh, Asareh and Mousapour (2018) confirm the results of this study. The authors reported that internship can gradually increase discipline-based knowledge, knowledge of educational practice, and knowledge of thematic educational practice of both trainees and mentors. Oveysi Kohkha and Sarabandi (2017) have further reported that there is a direct relationship between internship and trainees' professional performance, and that the internship period can often increase trainees' self-esteem, lead to development of their personalities, heighten their sense of social responsibility, and develop their professional competence. From the mentors' viewpoints, efficiency of the internship program is affected by some problems, including internship program agents' lack of competency. Indeed, program agents, due to different causes, do not receive the necessary training, and, obviously, this important point is neglected in the implementation process. Pejman and Aliabadi (2016) have believed that mentors should provide the trainees with a clear picture of internship program. Furthermore, they have stated that there might be some unpredictable executive problems which can negatively affect the internship program. Considering this, it has also been found that temporal problems can make the internship process difficult. For instance, the amount of time which is allocated to the internship program is much less than the amount of time which has been considered as necessary for the implementation of program. According to the researchers, if the golden time of learning a one-year internship course can have the greatest impact on gaining the desired qualifications of a teacher, this opportunity is easily lost by not allocating enough time to the implementation of the program. This has been referred to as the pathology of Farhangian University internship program by Ghanbari, Nikkhah and Nikkht (2017). The results of studies done by Bahrami et al. (2002) and Tabrizi and Azimi (2015), too, indicate that lack of time is amongst the most significant weaknesses in the implementation of internship programs.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6054_c35ba2fa2e2eae20503881d901b18cb4.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 A study on the Independence of Intelligence Quotient from Rationality Quotient Among Students of Humanities and Basic Sciences A study on the Independence of Intelligence Quotient from Rationality Quotient Among Students of Humanities and Basic Sciences 222 240 6055 10.22099/jcr.2021.6055 FA Hajar Nazarpour M.A Students at Dep of Education & Psychology, Yasouj University Nasser Noshadi Assistant Professor at Dep of Education & Psychology, Yasouj University (Corresponding Author) Fariborz Nikdel Assistant Professor at Dep of Education & Psychology, Yasouj University Journal Article 2020 03 10 Introduction 1970s social scientists widely accepted two ideas about human nature. First, people are generally rational and their thinking is normally sound. Second, emotions such as fear, affection, and hatred explain most of the occasions on which people become irrational. Our study challenged both of these assumptions without discussing them directly. From 1970s to 2000s, Kanehman and Tversky analyzed systematic errors in thinking of normal people, and the present researchers traced these errors to the operation of the machinery of cognition rather than to the corruption of thought by emotions. Kanehman and Tversky showed that the aforementioned assumptions were actually wrong and intelligent people may be susceptible to irrationality too; therefore, intelligent people often make irrational decisions and use their intuitions more than reasoning to solve problems. Naturally, emotions are provoked immediately and have more power than the intellect. Therefore, there are two systems in the mind. System 1 operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control. System 2 allocates attention to the effortful mental activities that demand it, including complex computations. The operations of System 2 are often associated with the subjective experience of agency, choice, and concentration (Kahneman, 2011). System 1 operates automatically, intuitively, quickly, instinctively, without much effort, and draws conclusions from judgments based on evidence which might not be strong enough, but System 2 is inferential, contemplative, calculating and self-aware, requires effort, is focused, and always slow. Then, students found judgement heuristic quite useful, but sometimes misleading. Therefore, in researchers' viewpoints, man is essentially irrational and cannot always avoid bias. The main objective of this study was to investigate the independence of intelligence quotient (IQ) from rationality quotient (RQ) among students of Humanities and Basic Sciences Students at Yasouj University. Research questions Is there any statistically significant difference in the IQ level of students in different fields of study? Is there any statistically significant difference in the RQ level of students in different fields of study? Is there any statistically significant difference between IQ and RQ levels of students in different fields of study? Is there any statistically significant difference in the average IQ level of students who got high or low RQ scores? Methods The present researchers benefitted from survey method, and thus the quantitative approach to research for conducting the present study. The statistical population of this study were 137 first semester students of mathematics, physic, psychology, and sociology at Yasouj University in the 2019 academic year. The study sample included 70 students selected through classified sampling. The Comprehensive Assessment of Rational Thinking (CART) scale (Stanovich, West, & Toplak, 2016) was used to measure the RQ of participants. Furthermore, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WISC-III) was used to measure the IQ of participants. ANOVA and t-test were then run to analyze the obtained data. Results There were no statistically significant differences between students of Humanities and Basic sciences in their levels of IQ and RQ. In other words, there was no statistically significant difference between students of mathematics, physics, sociology and psychology in their levels of IQ and RQ. Moreover, participants' IQ level was higher than their RQ level. The results further indicated that participants with high and low IQ scores had the same level of cognitive and intellectual errors and biases. Therefore, it was revealed that IQ was independent from RQ. Discussion Are the intelligent necessarily rational? According to the findings of the present study, rationality has no place in the Iranian education system. In other words, the Iranian education system ignores rationality and its importance in students' lives. In addition, the Iranian education system is an elite system based on which logical-mathematical intelligence is considered as the most important criterion for assessing students' cognitive ability. This is clearly reflected in the principles and practices of the National Elite Foundation. Indeed, if the Iranian education system is to teach Iranian students something which has not yet been taught, it is rationality. Based on the findings of the present study, the country's curriculum developers should replace the Platonic-Spencer imitative question "Which type of knowledge is more valuable?" with the more critical questions "Should the concept of education be based on intelligence or rationality? Introduction 1970s social scientists widely accepted two ideas about human nature. First, people are generally rational and their thinking is normally sound. Second, emotions such as fear, affection, and hatred explain most of the occasions on which people become irrational. Our study challenged both of these assumptions without discussing them directly. From 1970s to 2000s, Kanehman and Tversky analyzed systematic errors in thinking of normal people, and the present researchers traced these errors to the operation of the machinery of cognition rather than to the corruption of thought by emotions. Kanehman and Tversky showed that the aforementioned assumptions were actually wrong and intelligent people may be susceptible to irrationality too; therefore, intelligent people often make irrational decisions and use their intuitions more than reasoning to solve problems. Naturally, emotions are provoked immediately and have more power than the intellect. Therefore, there are two systems in the mind. System 1 operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control. System 2 allocates attention to the effortful mental activities that demand it, including complex computations. The operations of System 2 are often associated with the subjective experience of agency, choice, and concentration (Kahneman, 2011). System 1 operates automatically, intuitively, quickly, instinctively, without much effort, and draws conclusions from judgments based on evidence which might not be strong enough, but System 2 is inferential, contemplative, calculating and self-aware, requires effort, is focused, and always slow. Then, students found judgement heuristic quite useful, but sometimes misleading. Therefore, in researchers' viewpoints, man is essentially irrational and cannot always avoid bias. The main objective of this study was to investigate the independence of intelligence quotient (IQ) from rationality quotient (RQ) among students of Humanities and Basic Sciences Students at Yasouj University. Research questions Is there any statistically significant difference in the IQ level of students in different fields of study? Is there any statistically significant difference in the RQ level of students in different fields of study? Is there any statistically significant difference between IQ and RQ levels of students in different fields of study? Is there any statistically significant difference in the average IQ level of students who got high or low RQ scores? Methods The present researchers benefitted from survey method, and thus the quantitative approach to research for conducting the present study. The statistical population of this study were 137 first semester students of mathematics, physic, psychology, and sociology at Yasouj University in the 2019 academic year. The study sample included 70 students selected through classified sampling. The Comprehensive Assessment of Rational Thinking (CART) scale (Stanovich, West, & Toplak, 2016) was used to measure the RQ of participants. Furthermore, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WISC-III) was used to measure the IQ of participants. ANOVA and t-test were then run to analyze the obtained data. Results There were no statistically significant differences between students of Humanities and Basic sciences in their levels of IQ and RQ. In other words, there was no statistically significant difference between students of mathematics, physics, sociology and psychology in their levels of IQ and RQ. Moreover, participants' IQ level was higher than their RQ level. The results further indicated that participants with high and low IQ scores had the same level of cognitive and intellectual errors and biases. Therefore, it was revealed that IQ was independent from RQ. Discussion Are the intelligent necessarily rational? According to the findings of the present study, rationality has no place in the Iranian education system. In other words, the Iranian education system ignores rationality and its importance in students' lives. In addition, the Iranian education system is an elite system based on which logical-mathematical intelligence is considered as the most important criterion for assessing students' cognitive ability. This is clearly reflected in the principles and practices of the National Elite Foundation. Indeed, if the Iranian education system is to teach Iranian students something which has not yet been taught, it is rationality. Based on the findings of the present study, the country's curriculum developers should replace the Platonic-Spencer imitative question "Which type of knowledge is more valuable?" with the more critical questions "Should the concept of education be based on intelligence or rationality?

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6055_4aad1dd4539f258ac124583cb0c7a1ca.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 The Effect of Genre-Based Teaching Approach on the Persian Writing Performance of the Fifth-Grade Bilingual Students The Effect of Genre-Based Teaching Approach on the Persian Writing Performance of the Fifth-Grade Bilingual Students 241 257 6056 10.22099/jcr.2021.6056 FA Javad Keyhan - Department of Educational Sciences, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran (corresponding author) Mahta Atif Department of Educational Sciences, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran Journal Article 2020 04 18 Introduction Teaching writing skills to bilingual students has always been one of the major tasks of the primary education system. Accordingly, the use of different methods and techniques for the effective teaching of writing skills has always been encouraged over the past few decades. Despite this, little attention has been paid to creativity in teaching writing, even Persian writing, skills of Iranian bilingual students. Considering this, this study aims at investigating the impact of the genre-based teaching approach on Persian writing performance of the fifth-grade bilingual students in the elementary schools of Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Research Hypotheses 1- The genre-based teaching approach affects the fifth-grade bilingual students' biography writing performance in the Persian language course. 2- The genre-based teaching approach affects the fifth-grade bilingual students' summary writing performance in the Persian language course. 3- The genre-based teaching approach affects the fifth-grade bilingual students' diary writing performance in the Persian language course. 4- The genre-based teaching approach affects the fifth-grade bilingual students' report writing performance in the Persian language course. Research materials and method The present researchers benefitted from a quasi-experimental research design for conducting this study. The research data was collected over the 2018-2019 academic year and the study population were all the fifth-grade elementary school students in Urmia. At first, from among all the elementary schools in Urmia, one was randomly selected through cluster sampling method. Then, after obtaining a permission letter from the education organization and also school officials' consent, one class was randomly selected from among the fifth-grade classes. The 30 students in the class were then randomly assigned either to the control or the experimental group. Before beginning the intervention program, a writing skill test was administered as the pre-test to the two groups. The test was designed by the researchers and its validity and reliability were assessed and confirmed. It was developed based on the Persian language curriculum of the fifth grade, assessed participants' biography, summary, diary, and report writing skills, and composed of 8 written items, two items for each skill. Then, the genre-based approach to teaching was used, as the independent variable, to teach writing skills to the experimental and control groups for ten 45-minute classroom sessions. After the 10th session, the writing test was rerun, this time as the post-test. Students' writing skill was next assessed by considering their abilities in making sentences and connecting with the topic. The collected data were then analyzed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results Based on the obtained results, experimental group students' ability in writing developed significantly after the use of genre-based approach to teaching writing skills. In other words, the findings revealed a significant difference in the post-test and pre-test performances of experimental and control groups regarding their abilities in writing biographies, summaries, diaries, and reports. Discussion The use of genre-based teaching approach to teaching writing skills can help students overcome such psychological barriers as anxiety to their writing skill development and improve their self-regulation skills. Writing is creative, and thus it is involved with the creation of thoughts and ideas in the one hand and creation and regulation of ideas in linguistic forms on the other hand. Adopting the genre teaching approach, teachers can create positive human interactions with learners, provide them with good models to copy, teach them the general principles and concepts more effectively, and heighten their sense of exploration. This way, teachers create a friendly atmosphere in which students can feel calm, cope with their stress through their learning process, and develop their autonomy. In other words, through benefitting from different teaching approached and methods, teacher can provide students with useful information and then ask them some questions. This way, students can gain the necessary insight by using the available information and improve their writing skills. With regard to the high efficiency of this approach in improving the writing skill of fifth graders, school administrators and curriculum developers are strongly suggested to benefit from the genre-based teaching approach to help lower grade students improve their writing skills. Introduction Teaching writing skills to bilingual students has always been one of the major tasks of the primary education system. Accordingly, the use of different methods and techniques for the effective teaching of writing skills has always been encouraged over the past few decades. Despite this, little attention has been paid to creativity in teaching writing, even Persian writing, skills of Iranian bilingual students. Considering this, this study aims at investigating the impact of the genre-based teaching approach on Persian writing performance of the fifth-grade bilingual students in the elementary schools of Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Research Hypotheses 1- The genre-based teaching approach affects the fifth-grade bilingual students' biography writing performance in the Persian language course. 2- The genre-based teaching approach affects the fifth-grade bilingual students' summary writing performance in the Persian language course. 3- The genre-based teaching approach affects the fifth-grade bilingual students' diary writing performance in the Persian language course. 4- The genre-based teaching approach affects the fifth-grade bilingual students' report writing performance in the Persian language course. Research materials and method The present researchers benefitted from a quasi-experimental research design for conducting this study. The research data was collected over the 2018-2019 academic year and the study population were all the fifth-grade elementary school students in Urmia. At first, from among all the elementary schools in Urmia, one was randomly selected through cluster sampling method. Then, after obtaining a permission letter from the education organization and also school officials' consent, one class was randomly selected from among the fifth-grade classes. The 30 students in the class were then randomly assigned either to the control or the experimental group. Before beginning the intervention program, a writing skill test was administered as the pre-test to the two groups. The test was designed by the researchers and its validity and reliability were assessed and confirmed. It was developed based on the Persian language curriculum of the fifth grade, assessed participants' biography, summary, diary, and report writing skills, and composed of 8 written items, two items for each skill. Then, the genre-based approach to teaching was used, as the independent variable, to teach writing skills to the experimental and control groups for ten 45-minute classroom sessions. After the 10th session, the writing test was rerun, this time as the post-test. Students' writing skill was next assessed by considering their abilities in making sentences and connecting with the topic. The collected data were then analyzed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results Based on the obtained results, experimental group students' ability in writing developed significantly after the use of genre-based approach to teaching writing skills. In other words, the findings revealed a significant difference in the post-test and pre-test performances of experimental and control groups regarding their abilities in writing biographies, summaries, diaries, and reports. Discussion The use of genre-based teaching approach to teaching writing skills can help students overcome such psychological barriers as anxiety to their writing skill development and improve their self-regulation skills. Writing is creative, and thus it is involved with the creation of thoughts and ideas in the one hand and creation and regulation of ideas in linguistic forms on the other hand. Adopting the genre teaching approach, teachers can create positive human interactions with learners, provide them with good models to copy, teach them the general principles and concepts more effectively, and heighten their sense of exploration. This way, teachers create a friendly atmosphere in which students can feel calm, cope with their stress through their learning process, and develop their autonomy. In other words, through benefitting from different teaching approached and methods, teacher can provide students with useful information and then ask them some questions. This way, students can gain the necessary insight by using the available information and improve their writing skills. With regard to the high efficiency of this approach in improving the writing skill of fifth graders, school administrators and curriculum developers are strongly suggested to benefit from the genre-based teaching approach to help lower grade students improve their writing skills.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6056_6852c8b3bfdb6c3a55169bc06beadb18.pdf

Journal of Curriculum Research 2251-6794 10 2 2021 02 19 A study on the Indices of Optimal Teaching and Learning Environment Relevant to the Humanities Courses at Universities and the Extent of Attention Paid to Them A study on the Indices of Optimal Teaching and Learning Environment Relevant to the Humanities Courses at Universities and the Extent of Attention Paid to Them 258 289 6057 10.22099/jcr.2021.6057 FA Mostafa Bagherian Far Ph.D Candidate of Curriculum Studies in higher education, University of Isfahan, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Isfahan, Iran 0000-0001-5552-7887 Ahmadreza Nasr Esfahani (Corresponding Author): Professor, Department of Education, University of Isfahan, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Isfahan, Iran. Mohamad Reza Ahanchian, Professor, Department of educational management and human resource development, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Mashhad, Iran Journal Article 2020 06 16 Introduction Aim: Higher education system is the most valuable resource for facilitating social progress and development and the teaching and learning environment is one of the most important determinants of an effective education system because any teaching and learning process takes place in a learning environment. The learning environment can be defined in terms of the physical, social, and psychological context in which learners learn and socialize. The present study is aimed at identifying indices of optimal teaching and learning environment relevant to the Humanities Courses at different universities and the extent to which these indices are paid attention to. Method Exploratory mixed-methods approach to research was used for conducting the present study. The qualitative phase was done through the use of case study method. Semi-structured interviews with 20 recognized and qualified university experts and faculty members with experience of teaching and learning and designing curriculum were conducted. Furthermore, 360 university students, selected using multistage cluster sampling method, took part in the quantitative phase of the study which was conducted through the use of descriptive survey method. In this phase, a questionnaire, developed based on the qualitative phase results, was distributed among participants. Concerning validity, face and content validity of the questionnaire was assessed and confirmed. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was also used to assess reliability of the developed questionnaire. Then, descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analyzing the obtained data. Concerning ethical issues, the needs to protect confidentiality of participants' personal information and to assure if they are willing to participate in the study were met in doing the present study. Findings Based on the obtained results, the nine identified indices for evaluation and revision of teaching and learning environments were selection of an educational location based on the course content, proportion of the learning environment to the number of students, suitability of the instructional environment in terms of temperature, light, ventilation and color, possibility of forming small groups in the environment, optimal distance of the environment from crowded places, simulation of the educational environment to the real environment of labor market, the use of favorable, pleasant, and stimulating instructional environment, appropriateness of the environment to the Islamic-Iranian culture, creation of a sense of belonging to the environment and ensuring security of students in the environment. The quantitative results also indicated that the level of attention paid to the indices of teaching and learning environments seem to be less than optimal. Discussion and Conclusion In consequence, it can be argued that the identified indices can be used to assess and revise the content of courses in different humanities majors. In order to promote the quality of the curriculums, then, particular attention needs to be paid to students and to the development of the content for university curriculum and educational planning based on students' perspectives and recommendations. Finally, the instructional environment should be learner-centered and follows the principles of social constructivism because learners can accelerate their learning process in a learning oriented and active environment. The overall results of this study also indicated that having knowledge of theoretical issues is not enough in today's complex world, but rather individuals must learn in an instructional environment which provides them with enough opportunities for practicing and experiencing. Therefore, experts believe that students should be present in labor market and be able to spend part of their time gaining experience. This will enable them to solve their professional problems after graduation and help them achieve their desired goals at the right time and based on their capabilities. Overall, a richer and more flexible instructional environment results in a better quality of education and a more successful learning process. Introduction Aim: Higher education system is the most valuable resource for facilitating social progress and development and the teaching and learning environment is one of the most important determinants of an effective education system because any teaching and learning process takes place in a learning environment. The learning environment can be defined in terms of the physical, social, and psychological context in which learners learn and socialize. The present study is aimed at identifying indices of optimal teaching and learning environment relevant to the Humanities Courses at different universities and the extent to which these indices are paid attention to. Method Exploratory mixed-methods approach to research was used for conducting the present study. The qualitative phase was done through the use of case study method. Semi-structured interviews with 20 recognized and qualified university experts and faculty members with experience of teaching and learning and designing curriculum were conducted. Furthermore, 360 university students, selected using multistage cluster sampling method, took part in the quantitative phase of the study which was conducted through the use of descriptive survey method. In this phase, a questionnaire, developed based on the qualitative phase results, was distributed among participants. Concerning validity, face and content validity of the questionnaire was assessed and confirmed. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was also used to assess reliability of the developed questionnaire. Then, descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analyzing the obtained data. Concerning ethical issues, the needs to protect confidentiality of participants' personal information and to assure if they are willing to participate in the study were met in doing the present study. Findings Based on the obtained results, the nine identified indices for evaluation and revision of teaching and learning environments were selection of an educational location based on the course content, proportion of the learning environment to the number of students, suitability of the instructional environment in terms of temperature, light, ventilation and color, possibility of forming small groups in the environment, optimal distance of the environment from crowded places, simulation of the educational environment to the real environment of labor market, the use of favorable, pleasant, and stimulating instructional environment, appropriateness of the environment to the Islamic-Iranian culture, creation of a sense of belonging to the environment and ensuring security of students in the environment. The quantitative results also indicated that the level of attention paid to the indices of teaching and learning environments seem to be less than optimal. Discussion and Conclusion In consequence, it can be argued that the identified indices can be used to assess and revise the content of courses in different humanities majors. In order to promote the quality of the curriculums, then, particular attention needs to be paid to students and to the development of the content for university curriculum and educational planning based on students' perspectives and recommendations. Finally, the instructional environment should be learner-centered and follows the principles of social constructivism because learners can accelerate their learning process in a learning oriented and active environment. The overall results of this study also indicated that having knowledge of theoretical issues is not enough in today's complex world, but rather individuals must learn in an instructional environment which provides them with enough opportunities for practicing and experiencing. Therefore, experts believe that students should be present in labor market and be able to spend part of their time gaining experience. This will enable them to solve their professional problems after graduation and help them achieve their desired goals at the right time and based on their capabilities. Overall, a richer and more flexible instructional environment results in a better quality of education and a more successful learning process.

https://jcr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_6057_508275824eea7d90afd58891a2279ac8.pdf