Information literacy
F. Fazli nejad; S. Salimi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The only remaining solution for the continuation of the activity of students during the Covid-19 pandemic was to move towards online education. The role of technology literacy, especially information and communication technology, is fundamental for the realization of online ...
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Background and Objectives: The only remaining solution for the continuation of the activity of students during the Covid-19 pandemic was to move towards online education. The role of technology literacy, especially information and communication technology, is fundamental for the realization of online education for teachers. Modern societies employ information and communication technology as a tool to transform educational systems, support the development of the economy in agriculture, strengthen health and education, and establish a close connection between communities, teachers, and students. Various technological and social developments have affected all aspects of human life. On the one hand, the role of knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies, and personal characteristics that were very prominent in the past centuries has become ineffective.On the other hand, the role of many new sciences has been highlighted. Most of these changes have been caused by new technologies, especially information and communication. The potential of using information and communication technology in different areas of human life has a prominent role in human well-being and the prosperity of society. Improving the literacy of information and communication technologies is one of the main priorities of social, economic, and educational policies in many countries. Nowadays, having information and communication technology literacy can be very effective in enhancing the professional development of teachers. As a result, this research aimed to evaluate the relationship between information and communication technology literacy and teachers' professional development.Methods: The current descriptive study adopted a correlational design. The statistical population under study included 615 elementary school teachers of Khorramshahr in 2021-2022. Using the stratified random sampling method and based on the Krejcie and Morgan’s table, 235 teachers from the community were selected for the final study. The questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The information and communication technology literacy questionnaire by Katz and McLean (2007) was used. It had 63 items and seven dimensions including describing (4 items), realizing (6 items), evaluating (4 items), managing (7 items), combining (9 items), creating (17 items), and communicating (16 items). Also, Nova professional development questionnaire (2008) was prepared having six dimensions. The dimensions in this questionnaire included educational items (5 items), teamwork (5 items), organizational skills (6 items), professional path development (6 items), interpersonal relationship development (4 items), and communication (4 items). The content validity and reliability of both questionnaires were confirmed based via Cronbach's alpha. Also, inferential statistics (Pearson's correlation coefficient test, stepwise regression, and t-test) were applied using SPSS 21 software.Findings: The results showed a significant relationship between information and communication technology literacy and professional development. Also, skills such as communicating, creating, combining, and evaluating were dimensions capable of predicting the professional development of teachers. Finally, the findings proved that the current status of teachers' information and communication technology literacy and professional development was favorable.Conclusion: This study recommends that education planners and policymakers consider the fields of improving teachers' information and communication technology literacy and put them at the center of in-service programs and training. It is also recommended to design and implement information and communication technology literacy courses for teacher training programs.
e-learning
S. Hamedinasab; M. Ayati; M. Rostaminejad; F. Seraji
Abstract
Background and Objectives: In recent years, social networking sites and software have become one of the most influential phenomena among new technologies. Student-teacher learning and their professional development also take place in this context, both formally and informally. In this regard, the purpose ...
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Background and Objectives: In recent years, social networking sites and software have become one of the most influential phenomena among new technologies. Student-teacher learning and their professional development also take place in this context, both formally and informally. In this regard, the purpose of the present study is to design a curriculum model for the use of informal learning based on Authorized social networks to develop the student-teacher profession.Methods: The method of this research was done with a multi-method approach. To design the above model, the grounded theory method was first used. Participants in this study were all primary school teachers in Farhan Gian University of South Khorasan in 2018-2019. Based on purposive sampling with semi-structured interviews, until the theoretical saturation of the data, 15 of these students were interviewed. To analyze the data, using the dimension analysis approach and during the open, pivotal and selective coding steps, the existing model of informal learning based on student-teacher social networks was extracted for their professional development. To obtain the validity and verifiability of the data, two methods of reviewing the participants and reviewing the non-participating experts in the research were used. In the end, with the theoretical research method and based on previous findings, at first, the nine elements of Klein were the basis of the work and based on it, the desired model was designed. In the next step, the basic concepts or the same characteristics of the curriculum elements and structural concepts, which are in fact the same as identifying the relationship between these elements, were identified. Finally, the model presented by the experts was validated.Findings: Findings showed that goals in unpredictable social networks are flexible and continuous, which have the property of snowballs and should be validated. Content on social media requires features such as; be in tune with the audience, pave the way for critical thinking, action and screening. Learning activities; They create self-sufficiency and belonging, satisfy desires, motivate and lay the groundwork for individual and group education. Materials and resources; Diverse, easy to access, fluid and interactive. Learner grouping; It is non-linear, optional and based on extensive collaboration and online responsiveness. Also, on social media; Enough time to reflect on the answer, the possibility of communicating with communication nodes at any time, the possibility of wasting useful time with attractive content and achieving a large amount of information in a short time. In addition, access to information and educational resources is available everywhere, and the place of learning is the creator of opportunities and is based on ecology and interactive communication. Teaching strategies; Problem-oriented, interactive, based on inclusive buoyancy and with flexible instructor guidance. Evaluation methods; It is quality-oriented, process-oriented, self-assessing, continuous and based on instant feedback. The findings also showed that most experts confirmed the validity of the model in the criteria of validity, coherence, perceptibility, innovation, usability, acceptability and comprehensiveness.Conclusion: Due to the characteristics of social network-based curriculum elements, curriculum planners are suggested to use the coordinates of these elements to design a curriculum based on social networks in order to achieve the development of student-teacher careers. It is also suggested that Farhangian University provides the necessary infrastructure for the purposeful use of social networks for the development of student-teacher professions.
TVET
A. Kamarei; A. Khorshidi; F. Hamidifar; A. H. Mahmoodi; M. Shariatmadari
Abstract
Background and Objective:Professional development is one of the most important issues in the field of human resources, which results in the emergence of levels of professionalism within employees. In education, studies on professional development have been done with different approaches: identifying ...
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Background and Objective:Professional development is one of the most important issues in the field of human resources, which results in the emergence of levels of professionalism within employees. In education, studies on professional development have been done with different approaches: identifying and determining the professional needs of school principals and teachers; and examining the methods through which professional development takes place is among the most frequently done ones. Considering any approach, determining and measuring the dimensions, components and elemenst that construct professional development of principals and teachers has been essential required. The purpose of this study was to identify the dimensions and components of professional development and designing a model for professional development of technical and vocational school principals. Methods: This research is applied in terms of objectives, qualitative in terms of data and emerging- data in terms of nature and type of study. The population of the present study consisted of all science and management experts at the level of staff managers in the Ministry of Education and technical and vocational colleges, from whom 30 experts were selected as the sample of the study, based on purposeful snowball sampling. The instrument used in the study was a semi-structured interview for the development of which the dimensions, components, indicators and national and international theories in the field of prrofessional development model were studied and applied. First, a significant number of national and international models, findings, studies, and theories were examined and then through open coding more indicators were counted and classified into dimensions, components, and indicators by axial coding. Finally, the categorized indicators were set in the form of a semi-structured interview and opinions of 18 experts were obtained through this form. This process was followed by selective coding through interviews, Delphi technique, and brainstorming until theoretical saturation was achieved. Findings: After the research stages and applying three coding procedures (open coding, axial coding, and selective coding) 10 dimensions, 39 components, and 320 indicators for the professional development model of technical and vocational school principals were identified and finalized. Conclusion: Finally, the dimensions of school principals’ professional development in 10 dimensions were determined in terms of priority, including: knowledge, attitude, intellectual and mental abilities, management abilities, functional management skills, interpersonal skills, management skills, excellence and improvement, transformational leadership skills, professional and career skills, and psychological and personality traits, respectively. These dimensions included 39 components that constituted the final dimensions and components of the professional development model for technical and vocational school principals, which involved general knowledge, educational management, school principal, specialized knowledge, attitude towards human resources, attitude to change, transformation and improvement , attitude towards stakeholder participation, attitude to education, attitude to technical and vocational and skills training, attitude to entrepreneurship, strategic thinking, critical thinking, problem solving, creative thinking, general ability, vocational ability, technical and professional ability , people’s motivation , development training, planning and organizing, consequentialism, collaboration and empathy, team making, effective communication, networking, attention to stakeholders, organizational awareness, change and Improvement, authority, Ideal and charismatic influence, inspirational motivation, mental persuasion, individual attention and considerations, vocational skills, technical and professional skills, self-confidence, responsibility, honesty, perfectionism, and professional growth.
Educational Technology
Sh. Bakhshaliizade; K. Fathi Vajargah; M. Arefi; A.R. Kiamanesh
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Third Mellenium World is a world that is faced with rapid scientific, cultural, and technological change. Increasing access to education services at higher education levels has resulted in admission of students with personal differences to higher education institutes. The change ...
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Background and Objectives: Third Mellenium World is a world that is faced with rapid scientific, cultural, and technological change. Increasing access to education services at higher education levels has resulted in admission of students with personal differences to higher education institutes. The change in the higher education context is associated with a change in the roles and responsibilities of faculty members. Therefore, in order to fulfill their duties and take their responsibilities, it is necessary for faculty members to deploy their understanding, knowledge, and skills in different areas and improve them in accordance with the changes that occur in the society and deploy the teaching-learning approaches to take these differences into consideration. This study is aimed at identifying the qualifications required for becoming a faculty member at higher education institutes on the basis of their roles and responsibilities. Materials: This study is a Basic Qualitative research with a pragmatic and epistemological, interpretive / constructivist approach. First, the documents related to the teaching qualifications in higher education were collected. Then, in order to understand the views and experiences of the Iranian universities’ faculty members, semi-structured in-depth interviews with 14 faculty members were conducted. The documents were described in a qualitative Metasynthesis approach in terms of concepts and themes in a deductive manner within the research context and on the basis of a theoretical framework, and, then, they were analyzed along with the concepts and themes identified in the interviews in an interpretive (deductive and inductive) manner and in the last stage, the concepts and themes were inductively integrated and interpreted and line-by-line coding in MAXQDA 10 was used to analyze the documents and interviews. Findings: In this study, 349 semantic units (open codes), 32 categories and 9 themes (competencies) were extracted which are as follows: Competencies related to: futurology (futurism, risk-taking, entreprenuership), professional ethics ( no abuse of powere, observing students’ boundary, attending with readiness, assuming responsibility for educating the community and observing professionalism), personal competencies (personal identity, ethics and personal behavior, being up-to-date, problem-solving ability and thinking skills), interpersonal-social competencies (cultural identity, effective communication skills, role modeling, patnership and cooperation), organizational competencies (organizational identity, familiarity with objectives and missions of the organization, familiarity with roles including offering services competencies, research competenceies, education competencies, management competencies (self-management, leadership, occupational management, resource management, teaching-learning management, preparation and learning environment management, research management, education-research guidance, planning and organization), practical competencies ( the ability to connect science and practice, effectiveness), writing competencies (knowledge of language and academic writing), and competencies related to acceptability in the communities of practice (scientific community approval. Conclusion: Analysis of the findings showed differences between competencies identified among faculty members in Iran and outside Iran. 10 out of 14 interviewees pointed out abuse of others’ scientific abilities and abuse of power by some faculty members in their own professional condition which probably indicates the need to emphasize this principle in the Iranian higher education society whereas foreign documents mostly emphasized technology. Not mentioning this issue in the interviews by most professors may indicate that some faculty members in Iran are not still amiliar with this concept. The competencies identified in this research can be used to make informed decisions and to determine the required content for the development programs of the candidates intending to cooperate with the higher education institutes as faculty member.
Electronic learning- virtual
S. Khodaveisi; F. Seraji
Abstract
Background and Objective As one of the key components of the curriculum, the teacher has an effective role in teaching effectiveness and facilitating learning. The quality of teachers’ work is the most important factor influencing the quality of students' learning and the success of the educational ...
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Background and Objective As one of the key components of the curriculum, the teacher has an effective role in teaching effectiveness and facilitating learning. The quality of teachers’ work is the most important factor influencing the quality of students' learning and the success of the educational systems. Teachers, as one of the complex components of the school ecosystem must be able to meet the expectations and demands of various admin administrators and stakeholders and have a deep understanding of social developments and future changes. Therefore, teachers must constantly seek to update their knowledge and skills and improve their professional development. The field of teacher professional development consists of various aspects such as perceptions, educational beliefs, epistemology, ideology, behavior, and practice related to teaching and learning. The present study seeks to investigate how Iranian teachers use cyberspace for their professional development. Methods: In this study, qualitative research method with descriptive phenomenological approach used the subjects, who consist of 25 teachers who actively promote the educational applications of cyberspace, were selected from among the teachers of Hamedan Province and invited to an interview. Snowball sampling technique was used and the number of subjects was decided to be 25 according to the principle of theoretical saturation the reliability and validity of the data were determined by transferability and dependability. Findings: By using information retrieval tools, they can access their required information in various fields, become informed about conferences and educational workshops, rethink their experience as well as improve their self-confidence in responding to students' questions. By using tools content production and presentation, they can produce high-quality multimedia contents, design various learning activities, encourage students to participate in activities, and adopt active teaching methods. Finally, teachers can make use of interactive tools to express their experience and receive feedback, exchange information with other teachers and scholars, improve their communication skills, get involved in participatory learning along with their colleagues and conduct team projects. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that Iranian teachers use three tools of information retrieval, production and presentation of content and interactive tools to develop themselves professionally with respect to content, pedagogical and technological knowledge. Based on the findings, teachers can use the retriveal tools to find the information they need in a variety of areas, such as information about the field of study and the latest changes in textbooks, information about students' educational issues, teaching methods, evaluation methods, research methods, learning theories, education in other countries as well as time, place and themes of wbinars and conferences. The results also showed that teachers can use interactive tools to express their experiences and use the opinions of others to improve them; create a participatory atmosphere; strengthen their critical thinking; improve their writing skills and promote their skills in using word processors; exchange information with experts and colleagues; strengthen their conversational skills; work with partners and experts on collaborative projects; and design individual and group learning activities. So teachers can use cyberspace as a platform to empower themselves professionally.
Sociology of Educational Technology
F. Gandomi; S.M. Sajjadi
Abstract
Nowadays, digital technology has reduced teachers’ professional isolation by facilitating communications and interactions. In the modern knowledge-based world, teachers as learners participate in professional learning communities to seek knowledge resources for more effective teaching and consequently ...
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Nowadays, digital technology has reduced teachers’ professional isolation by facilitating communications and interactions. In the modern knowledge-based world, teachers as learners participate in professional learning communities to seek knowledge resources for more effective teaching and consequently the improvement of their students’ learning. In fact, professional learning communities are as context for teachers’ professional development. The goal of this research is discovering achievements that teachers achieve by participating in learning communities. Method of Research is the literature review. Results show that teachers’ participation in learning communities leads to valuable achievements for them.