Modern Educational Approaches
M. Baradaran; M. Taghibaygi; A.H. Alibaygi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Metacognition as an individual's knowledge about how to learn in agricultural higher education centers should be taken into consideration because the familiarity with metacognitive topics and its role in the process of teaching learning in agricultural higher education centers ...
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Background and Objectives: Metacognition as an individual's knowledge about how to learn in agricultural higher education centers should be taken into consideration because the familiarity with metacognitive topics and its role in the process of teaching learning in agricultural higher education centers is an attempt on the part of the educators to take an effective step so that they can play an influential role in the effectiveness of the country's agricultural higher education system. The education that is based on metacognition leads to lifelong learning in the learners in a way that cultivating such a trait in agricultural students leads to curiosity, responsibility, and the flourishing of creativity in them. In fact, by using the right methods of learning and studying (metacognition), agricultural learners and students can learn the material that is related to their field of study better and more easily. Methods: The present applied research was a kind of descriptive survey method. The statistical population of the study were the faculty members of Agriculture at Shahid Chamran University (N = 82) and the faculty members of Khuzestan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (N = 85) from which all the information was collected. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that in the first stage of its design, due to consultation with the research team and based on the theoretical foundations, the most important components of higher education and agriculture were identified. After determining these components, the criteria for each componentwere identified based on the theoretical foundations. The markers were identified during three Delphi stages through conducting interviews with 15 metacognitive experts. The method of selecting experts was in the form of snowballs. In the first stage, based on a review of the theoretical foundations and the viewpoints of the experts (in the form of open-ended questions and interviews), the indicators were identified for the main components related to metacognition. In the second stage of Delphi, a new questionnaire was prepared based on the Likert scale of five sections. After collecting the second stage questionnaires and analyzing the answers, the items with an average of 3.33 and above that were confirmed. The approved items were used to design the third stage questionnaire and to indicate the agreement or the disagreement of the experts. Having done the date analysis, those indicators with which 66% and above were finally approved. Findings: The results showed that the agricultural higher education system of Khuzestan province is in an unsuitable level in terms of all components of metacognition except educational planning and educational environment. Examination of the current situation of agricultural higher education based on the identified indicators showed that in the components of the curiculum, education management and inservice training courses, planning, evaluation, educational environment and teaching based on the amount of one-sample t-test, there is a significant difference between the real value and the assumed value. The course has two criteria of participation and justification that the value of the t-test showed that there is a significant difference between the two real and assumed values. The component of education management and in-service training courses has two criteria of empowerment and justification and the t- test shows a significant difference between the real and the assumed value. The evaluation component has two criteria of participation and performance that the value of the t-test showed that there is a significant difference between the two real and assumed values. The component of the educational environment also has two criteria of motivation, facilitation- interaction in a way that the value of the t-test in all these three criteria shows a significant difference between the amounts of the two real and assumed values. The teaching component has three criteria, namely before teaching, during teaching, and after teaching. The value of the t-test shows a significant difference between the two real and the assumed values. The results of the F-test show that there is a significant difference between at the level of 0.001 between the academic rank of the respondents at the level of 0.005 and between the field of study of the faculty members in terms of performing the tasks that are related to metacognition. Conclusion. In the components of the curriculum, education management and inservice training courses, educational evaluation, instructor or teaching duties, educational planning and learning environment, the current situation is not at an appropriate level. This means that the various indicators of metacognition are not properly observed in these components. Given the importance of these components in agricultural higher education in order to achieve its macro goals and vision, the system should be reviewed and revised based on the indicators that are of significance and priority. It is necessary for the policymakers and planners of agricultural higher education to consider the indicators related to the main components of the system which have been identified in this research in planning and designing the educational programs. The Policymakers and planners are advised to change the educational system in a way that the dominant atmosphere in the classrooms would be participatory and cooperative and the content of the books be adjusted in such a way that critical thinking as a strategy of deep learning can be facilitated.
TVET
M. Taghibaygi; B. Khosravipour
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The role and importance of agricultural vocational schools and training centers in forming the educated human resources needed in agriculture and the issues and problems that these centers face in the current situation are matters to be taken into consideration. It all shows ...
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Background and Objectives: The role and importance of agricultural vocational schools and training centers in forming the educated human resources needed in agriculture and the issues and problems that these centers face in the current situation are matters to be taken into consideration. It all shows that the pathology of these centers can not only help improve the prevailing situation, rather, it is possible to provide the necessary backgrounds for quality improvement in education by identifying the effective factors and elements that strengthen and improve it. Doing so these centers will be able to train students who have both the necessary skills and expertise to be able to enter the job market. A literature review on the pathology of vocational training schools and centers in agriculture revealed that despite many research studies conducted viewing the matter from diverse set of perspectives, none of them tended to study the non-functionality (flaws) of these centers from the viewpoint of two groups involved in the learning process, 1- students and 2- educators and managers. This study was conducted with the aim of pathology of agricultural vocational schools and training centers in Kermanshah province, as one of the agricultural hubs in Iran, from students’, educators’ and managers’ perspective. Methods: Generally stating, this study is applied in terms of its nature, and uses descriptive survey method in terms of data collection. The statistical population of the study consists of students (n=2800), and educators and managers (n=210). The sample based on Krejcie and Morgan table consists of 338 students who were selected by stratified random sampling. Teachers and administrators are selected according to their population number. To collect data, a two-part questionnaire was used, the first part including questions on individual characteristics of study subjects and the second part identifying the damages of agricultural vocational schools and training centers from the perspective of students, educators and managers (42 items, using Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 to 5). Interviews with managers and observations were also used as needed to obtain additional information. Findings: According to students, the most important flaws of agricultural vocational schools and training centers are the incompatibility of curriculum content with market needs, inflexible educational structures, low diversity of curriculum content, large number of general education courses and lack of up-to-date teachers. Educators and managers also stated that the most important flaws of these centers are inflexible educational structures, time-limit problems with courses duration, low diversity of curriculum content, accepting more students from urban areas and their lack of familiarity with agriculture and inappropriate equipment. Both groups agree on issues such as the inflexibility of the educational structures, top-down curriculum planning and lack of adequate diversity of content. To sum up, The most important flaws of these centers include 1- executive and educational shortcomings, 2- lack of a good planning, 3- lack of interorganizational communication system, 4- environmental barriers, 5- individual and motivational problems, 6- lack of proper evaluation and 7-governmental obstacles. Conclusion: In order to reduce damage, scholars and faculty members can develop a wide variety of materials well-suited for different branches in the field of agriculture. Additionally, more attention should be paid to practical training (in-field education) and development of a well-planed bottom-up curriculum for vocational schools. Also, establishing a memorandum of understanding and agreement between these centers and various industrial sectors in agriculture, and students’ participation in these sectors can be effective for them in gaining required skills and expertise of the field.
