https://jte.sru.ac.ir/ Technology of Education Journal (TEJ) en daily 1 Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2500.html Background and Objectives: Educational technology has long been recognized as a powerful tool for enhancing foreign language learning opportunities, with particular relevance for students in under-resourced environments where instructional quality and materials are often limited. Among emerging tools, virtual reality (VR) videos have gained increasing attention for their capacity to create immersive, authentic learning experiences in recent years. Despite the promise of these emerging technologies, little is known about how their pedagogical effectiveness varies among learners with different psychological profiles. One such psychological factor-learned helplessness (LH)- plays a critical role in students’ academic behaviours, motivation, and resilience. Learners with high LH often experience persistent negative expectations about their abilities, reduced perseverance, and diminished engagement, potentially limiting the benefits they receive from technology-enhanced learning environments. Although previous research has explored LH in EFL settings and the equity implications of educational technology, no study to date has examined how teacher-made 360° VR videos influence language learning outcomes across LH levels in a low socioeconomic status  (SES). Therefore, the present study was designed to fill this gap by examining the effects of teacher-made 360° VR tours on English achievement among students with different levels of LH in an underprivileged setting.Materials and Methods: The study employed a mixed-methods experimental design. Fifty-eight female 10th-grade students (aged 15-16) from an underprivileged school were randomly assigned to an experimental (n=29) and a control group (n=29). The experimental group used tailored 360° VR tours, made by a Samsung Gear 360 camera, and the control group used ready-made 360 VR videos from YouTube for one academic year. The learning gains were assessed by the English final exam, and the level of LH was evaluated by the EFL-LH scale. Quantitative data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare post-test performance between research groups and participants with different levels of LH. To explore learner perceptions, an open-ended questionnaire was used with a purposive subsample representing both high- and low-LH groups. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns in learners’ perceptions of the VR learning experience.   Conclusions: The study highlights the nuanced role of LH in shaping learners’ responses to immersive educational technologies. While teacher-made 360° VR tours have the potential to enhance engagement and learning, their benefits are not equally distributed among all learners. In low-SES contexts, where LH may be more prevalent due to environmental and systemic constraints, simply introducing advanced technologies is not sufficient for ensuring equitable learning outcomes. Effective integration of VR tools requires pedagogical scaffolding, emotional support, and targeted interventions to address LH-related barriers. These findings underscore the need for context-sensitive technology integration frameworks that consider both technological affordances and learners' psychological differences https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2506.html Background and Objectives: With the advancement of digital technologies and the emergence of new tools, the education system has undergone fundamental changes, and in the meantime, electronic education has become one of the essential pillars of this transformation. As the pioneer of these changes, higher education plays a pivotal role in developing human resources skills and advancing societies. The role of higher education instructors in this transformation has changed significantly. They are no longer merely transmitters of knowledge but facilitators of the learning process and guides for creating knowledge through active student participation. To adapt to the changes of this era, higher education instructors need to review their teaching skills, requirements, approaches, and methods. Undoubtedly, empowering university professors and equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills will not only improve the quality of education but will also have a direct impact on the sustainable development of society. Therefore, this research aims to identify and comprehensively analyze the key requirements of higher education instructors in the context of e-learning.Methods: The present research was conducted using content analysis with a qualitative approach. For this purpose, 16 professors and experts in the field of educational sciences and higher education were selected through semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling. Additionally, 29 articles and six books were reviewed using purposive sampling and note-taking from credible resources from 2000 to 2025. The content analysis method proposed by Graneheim and Lundman was used to analyze the data, and Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to assess the validity and reliability of the study.Findings: The results of this study identified seven essential components as key requirements for e-learning instructors, which are: Personal requirements (Personal traits, Professional traits), Communication and interaction requirements (Constructive interaction ability, The ability to create motivational and encouraging activities, The ability to manage communications and participation strategies, The ability for grouping and team building), Educational and Professional requirements (Scientific and professional competence, Performance measurement and evaluation capability, Applying  educational and learning  strategies, Planning and management of e-Learning courses, The ability to enhance and develop the cognitive skills of students), Managerial and Organizational requirements (Support, Access to infrastructure and facilities, Educational policy-making, Empowerment and capability development), Cultural and Legal Requirements (e- learning culture, ethical-legal requirements), Technological Requirements (Technological knowledge, Technological skill), Health and Safety Requirements (Physical and mental health, Ergonomics and occupational health, Health policies).Conclusion: Research findings indicate that the success of higher education instructors in e-learning environments requires a combination of technical, professional, and personality skills. These results can be the basis for designing professional development programs to enhance the competence of instructors and improve the quality of e-learning in universities. The identified dimensions can help policymakers and instructors to identify the educational needs of professors and increase their ability to cope with the challenges posed by technological advances by continuously updating programs. The proposed framework provides a suitable basis for future research in instructors' evaluation and the development of e-learning systems, and helps to improve the skills and abilities of teachers in this field. It is recommended that macro and micro planning and policies be formulated in a way that, while keeping pace with the rapid changes of the present era, creates a suitable platform for innovation in education and dynamism in academic environments. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2530.html Background and Objectives: The growth of cognitive theories since the 1950s has significantly increased the role of technology in cognitive models and modern learning theories in psychology and educational sciences. Ausubel's meaningful learning in 1968 inspired an idea that Richard Mayer later utilized in 1989 for his cognitive theory of multimedia learning, a theory in which the use of images alongside text enhances learning. Every learning process requires evaluation, and there must be a correspondence between the two; therefore, the idea of multimedia testing was proposed by Lindner and Hu in the early 2020s, and they investigated the role of pictures in test questions in various studies. This research aims to determine the role of multiple-choice questions and multimedia constructed responses on students’ performance in the Science Test while following the cognitive theory of multimedia in the field of assessment.Methods: The present study is applied in terms of research purpose and quasi-experimental in terms of data collection, classified as a 2*2 within-subject design. The statistical population consisted of all fifth-grade students in the city of Sabzevar during the 2023-2024 academic year; from which 602 students were selected from four girls' schools and five boys' schools using a one-stage cluster sampling method. To collect data, a short 28-question TIMSS 2015 science test was used to assess student performance, which included four types of questions: text-picture multiple-choice, text-only multiple-choice, text-picture constructed response, and text-only constructed response, forming the four experimental conditions of the study. To randomly assign subjects to the four mentioned experimental conditions, the sheets were distributed randomly among the sample. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, and descriptive and inferential statistics were run using SPSS 26, while Microsoft Excel was used to organize the question type columns.Findings: The findings indicated that there are significant differences among types of questions in the dependent variable of performance in science. However, there is no significant difference between the effects of question type on the performance of male and female students. Students performed significantly better on the text-pictre multiple-choice questions compared to both the text-picture constructed responses and the text-only constructed responses, but there was no significant difference when compared to the text-only multiple-choice questions. Additionally, the results showed that performance on text-only constructed responses was significantly better than on text-only constructed responses. Performance on text-only multiple-choice questions was significantly better than on picture-text based constructed responses, and finally, text-only constructed responses had significantly lower performance compared to all other types of questions.Conclusion: The results showed that not only does the multimedia aspect matter, but also the type (the combination of format and multimedia) of the question presented affects the quality of assessment. Specifically, text-picture multiple-choice questions had a greater impact on performance compared to text-picture constructed responses, even though both types included a picture. On the other hand, better performance on text-picture constructed responses compared to text-only constructed responses indicates the influence of the multimedia aspect, even though the format was the same in both questions. This suggests that, in addition to the format, the multimedia aspect of the question plays a decisive role, and the impact is not solely dependent on the presence of a picture and the multimedia aspect; rather, a combination of both factors—format and multimedia—creates a significant effect. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2553.html The present study aimed to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of existing research on gamification and examine its long-term effects on the academic performance of elementary school students. In recent decades, gamification has emerged as one of the most innovative instructional strategies, with numerous educational systems adopting this approach to enhance motivation, engagement, and learning quality among students. Despite the widespread use of game elements in educational settings, a critical question that remains unanswered is the extent of the long-term impact of this strategy on academic outcomes, especially for elementary school students. At this developmental stage, children possess distinct cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics that may influence their responsiveness to gamification differently compared to other age groups. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the long-term effectiveness of gamification by synthesizing previous findings and presenting a clear picture of its actual impact on students' academic performance. This study employed a quantitative meta-analytic method. The statistical population included all national and international peer-reviewed articles, theses, research reports, and empirical studies published over the past 24 years that investigated the long-term effects of gamification on academic performance in elementary school students. Sampling was conducted using a non-random, purposive approach. Based on defined inclusion criteria—such as research design (quasi-experimental or longitudinal), the type of dependent variable (academic performance), and the age group of participants—21 studies were selected for the final analysis. To locate and retrieve relevant studies, keywords such as “gamification,” “academic performance,” “long-term effects,” and “elementary students” were used across reputable national and international databases. Data were extracted using standardized data coding forms developed by Masrabadi and Yadollahi (2016). Statistical analysis was conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software, focusing on overall effect size, heterogeneity indices, and moderator variables. Findings revealed that the fixed effect size of gamification on the academic performance of elementary students was 0.472, which is statistically significant and considered moderate in magnitude. This result indicates that gamification, on average, has a positive and meaningful long-term effect on enhancing students’ academic outcomes. Regarding heterogeneity across studies, indices such as Q = 19.14, chi-square = 36.415, and I² = 0% indicated no significant heterogeneity, suggesting a strong convergence of results. However, qualitative analysis identified several influencing factors, including individual differences among students, educational environment conditions, access to technology, teaching styles, and environmental changes during the learning period. Moreover, time, the implementation method of gamification, and the intensity of game element usage were found to play complex and multilayered roles in producing long-term outcomes. In conclusion, gamification can be seen not merely as an entertaining tool but as an effective and meaningful educational approach capable of improving the long-term academic performance of elementary students. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of this strategy is influenced by various factors and should not be viewed as a one-size-fits-all solution for all educational settings. Therefore, it is recommended that educational policymakers and the Ministry of Education support gamification as a complementary tool for improving learning quality in elementary schools, while considering individual differences, contextual adaptation, and the provision of appropriate technological infrastructure. Additionally, further research focusing on moderator variables and qualitative investigations into students’ lived experiences with gamification could significantly enrich the literature in this field. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2513.html Background and Objectives: Today, one of the main challenges of elementary education is to increase students' comprehension and academic engagement. One of the new educational strategies to achieve this goal is the use of educational comics. Comics can make the learning process more attractive and effective due to the combination of images and text. Despite numerous studies on the effect of comics on learning, the role of the type of comic producer (teacher or student) has not been studied much. Also, no research has been conducted in Iran that compares teacher-made and student-made comics. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of teacher-made and student-made comics on fourth-grade elementary school students' comprehension and academic engagement in Persian lessons.Methods: The study utilizes a quasi-experimental design with a multi-group pretest-posttest format, including two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population consists of all fourth-grade students in the central district of Pakdasht during the 2024-2025 academic year. A total of 90 students were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups of thirty students each. The experimental groups received instruction using teacher-created and student-created comics, while the control group followed traditional teaching methods. To collect data, researchers employed a reading comprehension test specifically developed for the study, alongside the Reeve Academic Engagement Questionnaire. To ensure validity, expert opinions from professors and teachers were gathered, and the validity of the reading comprehension test was confirmed with a CVR score of approximately 70%. Reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha, resulting in a score of 0.707. The Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to interpret the collected data.Findings: The results reveal that comics significantly improved students' reading comprehension (F = 12.816, p = 0.000) and academic engagement (F = 15.906, p = 0.000). Additionally, the results of Scheffe’s test indicate no statistically significant difference in reading comprehension between teacher-created and student-created comics (p = 0.057). However, concerning academic engagement (Sig < 0.05), significant differences were observed between the groups using comics and the control group following conventional teaching methods.Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that comics serve as effective tools for enhancing both reading comprehension and academic engagement. Among the two types of comics, teacher-created comics had a stronger impact on reading comprehension due to their structured design, while student-created comics facilitated higher engagement by actively involving students in the learning process. The combination of compelling visuals and minimal text in comics makes them an efficient medium for transmitting educational concepts. Significant differences were noted in academic engagement among the three groups: teacher-created comics, student-created comics, and the control group. In all four dimensions of academic engagement, student-created comics showed considerable differences compared to the control group. In behavioral and agentic engagement, teacher-created and student-created comics exhibited significant variations. Additionally, in cognitive engagement, teacher- created comics displayed noticeable differences compared to the control group. Given these results, integrating both teacher-created and student-created comics into instructional practices can provide educators with valuable strategies for improving reading comprehension and fostering student engagement. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2520.html Background and Objectives: The theory of multiple intelligences proposed by Howard Gardner plays a significant role in the education and learning processes of students. Recognizing the various components of this theory and considering individual differences among students can enhance the teaching and learning process, ultimately leading to improved academic performance. However, the role of the teacher alone is not sufficient; students themselves must also be diligent in their study habits. Therefore, it is essential to focus on various skills, including the adaptation of study and learning strategies among students. This study investigates the relationship between Gardner's multiple intelligences and study and learning strategies, as well as their impact on academic performance, utilizing a perceptron neural networkMethods: This research is applied in purpose and descriptive in nature, specifically correlational. The statistical population consists of 1,737 secondary school students majoring in Experimental Sciences in Baft in the academic year 2023-2024. A random sampling method was employed to select a sample of 159 male students. Data were collected using two questionnaires: the Gardner Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire and the Weinstein Study and Learning Strategies Questionnaire. Additionally, the students' academic performance was assessed. The content and face validity of the questionnaires were determined by five professors from the University of Teacher Education and secondary education teachers. The reliability of the Gardner Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.71, while the reliability of the Study and Learning Strategies Questionnaire was 0.76. Python was used to employ a perceptron neural network for determining the relationships between the variables..Findings: The results indicated that both the neural network model (with a coefficient of determination of 0.97) and the linear regression model (with a coefficient of determination of 0.99) demonstrated a significant positive relationship between the components of Gardner's multiple intelligences and study and learning strategies with academic performance. Both models exhibited high predictive capabilities. Regarding Gardner's multiple intelligences in relation to academic performance, the interpersonal intelligence component exhibited the highest feature importance (15.8), while intrapersonal intelligence showed the lowest feature importance (12.3). In terms of the study and learning strategies variable, the anxiety component had the greatest feature importance (14.8), whereas the main idea selection component had the lowest feature importance (8.8). Compared to other components of multiple intelligences and study and learning strategies, these features had the most significant influence on predicting students' academic performance scores in the model.Conclusion: The application of Gardner's multiple intelligences theory in classrooms offers numerous advantages to the educational system. Educators can create inclusive learning environments that recognize individual skills, including study and learning strategies. By understanding and integrating various intelligences, they can facilitate comprehensive educational development. Moreover, artificial intelligence plays a significant role in education, particularly through applications that predict students' academic performance based on personal information such as socioeconomic status, income, address, and more. These applications can propose and develop artificial neural network models. Consequently, by considering the different types of Gardner's multiple intelligences and the significance of each study and learning strategy, educators can utilize predictive neural network models to understand the impact of various components on students' academic performance. Therefore, it is recommended that schools and educational institutions pay special attention to improving and enhancing these aspects. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2518.html Background and Objectives: Research has shown that integrating technology into mathematics education through the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model can enhance students' academic performance. GeoGebra, as a dynamic tool, facilitates the understanding of abstract geometric concepts and strengthens learning. However, challenges such as teachers' lack of skills, technical limitations, and unequal access to equipment have restricted the full utilization of this technology. In Iran, limited studies have explored the impact of TPACK and GeoGebra in elementary education, highlighting the research gap and the necessity of the present study. This study aimed to investigate the impact of a teaching method based on the TPACK model, using GeoGebra software, on the academic performance and learning experiences of fifth-grade elementary students in topics related to symmetry, perimeter, area, and volume.Methods: This research was conducted using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach. The population consisted of fifth-grade female students in Bojnurd during the 2023-2024 academic year. Sixty students were matched and assigned to experimental and control groups (30 each). The quantitative tool was a researcher-made test with high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.9), and the qualitative tool was semi-structured interviews. The experimental group received 21 sessions of 40-minute instruction using GeoGebra and the TPACK model, while the control group was taught traditionally. Quantitative data were analyzed by Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) using  SPSS, and qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis.Findings: The quantitative findings, derived from a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test, showed that GeoGebra-based instruction had a significant positive impact on students' academic performance across all four topics. The result of ANCOVA confirmed the superiority of the experimental group, with results for symmetry (F = 30.513, Sig < 0.05, partial η_p² = 0.349), area (F = 35.777, Sig < 0.05, partial η_p² = 0.390), volume (F = 23.254, Sig < 0.05, partial η_p² = 0.311), and perimeter (F = 24.094, Sig < 0.05, partial η_p² = 0.301). The qualitative findings, based on thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 10 students from the experimental group, revealed themes including the visual and interactive appeal of GeoGebra, facilitation of geometric concept understanding, increased motivation, enhanced group collaboration, reduced math anxiety, and technical challenges. These results demonstrate the potential of TPACK and GeoGebra in improving elementary mathematics education, while also highlighting the need to address technical barriers.Conclusion: This study, aimed at examining the impact of a TPACK-based teaching method using GeoGebra on the academic performance and learning experiences of fifth-grade elementary students in mathematics, demonstrated that this approach can serve as an effective strategy for enhancing the learning of mathematical concepts and strengthening students' cognitive and social skills. The overall findings indicate the high potential of this method in improving the quality of mathematics education and creating a dynamic learning environment. These results have significant implications for designing technology-based curricula and improving teaching methods in elementary education, contributing to the development of educational policies for integrating technology into classrooms. Limitations of the study include its focus on female students in a specific geographic area and the short duration of the educational intervention. Challenges included a lack of technological equipment in some schools, students' insufficient initial skills in using the software, and technical issues such as internet outages, which occasionally hindered the intervention. Future studies are recommended to explore the impact of this method across other grade levels and subjects. The findings can be utilized in developing technology-driven educational programs, designing teacher training workshops, and improving access to digital tools in the education system. This approach could be particularly effective in reducing educational inequalities and enhancing learning quality in underserved areas. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2522.html Background and Objectives: High-level competitions require exceptional physical and cognitive abilities. Decision-making, as a key cognitive skill, plays a crucial role in sports activities. If this skill improves in any of the players, it will contribute to the success of the team and the group. Accordingly, identifying effective training methods and technologies that can enhance decision-making is essential, as such improvements may indirectly boost athletic performance. These methods should include a variety of exercises along with environmental control. Among emerging technologies, virtual reality (VR) has shown mixed effects on athletes’ performance, while video simulation also presents both strengths and limitations that warrant further exploration. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the impact of virtual reality and video simulation training on the decision-making abilities of novice basketball players.Methods: Participants included 51 novice female basketball players (mean age: 19.88 ± 0.68 years), who were randomly assigned to three equal groups: virtual reality (VR), video simulation, and a control group. The study consisted of two phases: a pre-test and a post-test. During the tests, participants viewed 10 video clips, each lasting 10 seconds, extracted from critical moments in basketball games involving changes in direction and course. At the 8th second of each clip, an auditory cue was played, and the screen went black for 2 seconds, signaling the participant to respond. At the end of this interval, the same cue indicated the end of the response period, and the next clip was displayed without interruption.Participants were instructed to indicate their predicted directional decision - right, left, forward, or backward — as the next move of the player in the scene. Throughout three training sessions, the VR and video simulation groups each watched 20 specialized clips containing critical scenarios and decision-making situations. The control group, by contrast, watched a regular basketball game for 15 minutes in each session. In the post-test phase, participants were again shown 10 clips similar to the pre-test and asked to make decisions regarding the next move. For statistical analysis, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre- and post-test results within each group, and the Kruskal–Wallis test was employed to examine differences between the groups.Findings: Indicated that within-group comparisons revealed a significant increase in decision-making scores from pre-test to post-test in both the virtual reality and video simulation groups (P < 0.05). However, no significant change was observed in the control group (p > 0.05). Post-test comparisons between groups revealed that the virtual reality group scored significantly higher than the control group (p = 0.039). However, there were no significant differences between the video simulation group and the control group (p = 1.00), nor between the virtual reality and video simulation groups (p = 0.066).Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that training with virtual reality and video simulation technologies can significantly enhance decision-making abilities in novice basketball players. Both methods led to improvements compared to the control group; however, virtual reality demonstrated a stronger effect than video simulation, although the difference between the two experimental groups was not statistically significant at the post-test stage. These findings suggest that emerging technologies, especially virtual reality, hold promise as effective tools for training and improving sport-specific cognitive performance. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2551.html Background and Objectives: Programming, as an interdisciplinary activity, creates an active link between mathematics and computer science, which can serve to solve problems, learn abstract concepts, and develop computational thinking. In recent years, the use of visual environments such as Scratch in mathematics education has received special attention. Despite this, there is little evidence regarding the impact of block-based programming on geometric skills and computational thinking in the first cycle of secondary school (middle school). The present study aimed to investigate the effect of block-based programming in the Scratch environment on the computational thinking and geometric problem-solving skills of seventh-grade students.Methods: The present research was applied in terms of purpose and was conducted with a mixed (quantitative-qualitative) approach with two research groups, experimental and control. The statistical population consisted of seventh-grade male students in Mahan city during the academic year 2024-2025, and the sampling method was random. The sample included 60 students who were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group, with 30 students in each group. The educational intervention lasted for eight weeks and focused on teaching the concepts of the ‘Geometry and Reasoning’ chapter from the seventh-grade mathematics textbook. The data collection instrument in the quantitative section was the Romano Gonzalez et al. standard computational thinking test, which was administered as a pre-test and post-test. Its reliability was reported with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.79. Also, the quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS software, and the pre-test and post-test data of computational thinking in both the experimental and control groups followed a normal distribution, which allowed the use of parametric tests (paired t-test and independent t-test). In the qualitative section, the learning process and perception of geometric concepts in the seventh-grade mathematics textbook were examined by utilizing content analysis of students' programming projects in the Dr. Scratch program and semi-structured interviews.Findings: In the experimental group, the average scores for computational thinking increased from 10.73 (SD= 4.727) in the pre-test to 14.57 (SD= 4.739) in the post-test, which was confirmed by a paired t-test showing a significant difference (p < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed little change from 10.60 to 10.90, indicating no significant difference (p = 0.405). The calculation of Cohen's d effect size for the experimental group indicated a strong effect, supporting the effectiveness of the Scratch intervention. In the Scratch Program, four main features of computational thinking in students' digital artifacts were presented, applicable to seventh-grade foundational geometry questions. These features include translating abstract concepts into tangible objects, developing generalizable algorithms, multi-faceted representation of problems, and the repeatability of recognizable solutions.Conclusion: Statistical findings from a paired t-test revealed that programming in the Scratch environment significantly increased computational thinking scores in the experimental group. Qualitative data, including students' programming projects, semi-structured interviews, and analysis of educational images and videos, also indicated that students were able to represent geometric concepts such as symmetry and rotation in a more tangible and multifaceted way in their Scratch projects. From this perspective, this research, by integrating the two domains of computational thinking and geometry education, provides an innovative platform for designing educational experiences and integrating technology and the learning of mathematical concepts. This article emphasizes that block-based programming should be considered not merely as a technological tool, but as a cognitive mediator in mathematics education. This approach can pave the way for transformation in teaching and learning methods of complex geometric concepts and be an effective tool for mathematics teachers to teach abstract concepts to students. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2482.html Background and Objectives: Architectural design as a thoughtful construction of space requires complex and multi-stage processes that involve spatial visualization, understanding, and mental rotation. Spatial thinking is one of the main factors of human intelligence that helps to understand, recognize and manipulate shapes and images. Education using technologies such as virtual reality, 3D modeling tools, and software can effectively enhance students' spatial thinking. These technologies not only help to provide better spatial concepts and skills, but also affect the ability to analyze, recognize and think to solve problems. SketchUp, as a type of 3D design software, is a powerful tool for creating accurate and realistic models of buildings so that the use of this software in the architectural design education process can help students to strengthen their spatial thinking skills and provide the best design methods. Therefore, this research focuses on the use of SketchUp in architectural design education and its impact on students' spatial abilities.Methods: The present study adopted a quasi-experimental within-group design conducted in three phases: pre-test, SketchUp training, and post-test. The initial step involved assessing the spatial abilities of the students before SketchUp training using a questionnaire consisting of 10 visual questions. The second step consisted of SketchUp training conducted over 21 sessions, each lasting six hours. Training was delivered through instructional videos and practical offline projects. Following the completion of the training, the spatial abilities of the students were reassessed using a post-test questionnaire containing 2 visual questions.The study population included 51 female students from 11th-grade architecture classes in a vocational school during the summer 2022 and summer 2023. A sample of seventeen students was selected using purposive sampling. Data collection utilized a researcher-designed visual Likert-scale questionnaire, validated through expert opinions for content validity. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.864. Data analysis was performed using paired samples t-test with SPSS version 26, assessing the impact of SketchUp training on students' spatial abilities. This methodology aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SketchUp training in enhancing spatial thinking skills among high school students studying architecture.Findings: The findings showed that teaching through sketch with test (t=2.286) and (p=0.036) had an effect on students' spatial ability and the difference between the mean scores before and after the test was significant. Also, training had a significant effect on spatial visualization with the test (t=2.814) and (p=0.012) and it had been strengthened during the projects. Commands to COPY (t = 2.63), UNION (t = 3.20) and Commands to SLOPE (t= 3.10) were the most used and effective. Moreover, due to the lack of significant effect (P>0.05), the difference between the mean scores before and after the test was not significant and Sketchup training had no effect on Spatial Perception. In addition, based on the non-significance level of the test (t=1.499) and (P>0.05), teaching with Sketchup software did not result in a difference between the mean scores before and after the test and did not have significant effect on the students' mental rotation.Conclusion: Teaching through Sketchup software has led to a significant improvement in students' spatial ability and spatial visualization. These results show that Sketchup can be an effective tool for teaching spatial and architectural skills. But it had no significant effect on students' spatial Perception and mental rotation. Therefore, to strengthen these skills, the use of other tools and methods and the need for more diverse training programs are recommended. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2509.html Background and Objectives: With the rapid advancement of digital technologies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-person education, participatory tools have emerged as an innovative approach to enhancing educational interactions in higher education. These tools promote active learning, increase student engagement, facilitate communication, and provide greater flexibility in teaching. However, their implementation presents challenges such as technical constraints, weak communication infrastructure, reduced human interactions, and difficulties in monitoring student learning progress. Despite the growing importance of participatory tools, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding their effects on teaching and learning processes, faculty experiences, and the need for curriculum revision. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of German language instructors in Iranian and German universities, analyzing the impact of participatory tools on teaching quality, identifying challenges and limitations, proposing optimal strategies, and assessing the necessity of faculty professional development and curriculum adaptation to digital environments. Additionally, this research compares the perspectives of Iranian and German instructors regarding the opportunities and constraints of these technologies.Methods: This qualitative phenomenological study employed semi-structured interviews for Iranian instructors and open-ended questionnaires for German instructors. The research participants comprised 13 university professors (six from Germany and seven from Iran) who were selected through purposive sampling based on criteria such as a minimum of three years of teaching experience and prior engagement with participatory tools. Data were collected using snowball sampling and analyzed using thematic analysis via MAXQDA 2022. The analysis process involved 892 open codes, categorized into four main themes: (1) the use of participatory tools in teaching, (2) faculty professional development, (3) curriculum revision and adaptation, and (4) a comparative analysis of Iran and Germany. To enhance research validity, techniques such as participant validation, source triangulation, and simultaneous data analysis were employed.Findings: The findings revealed that participatory tools offer multiple advantages, including enhanced student engagement, improved instructional quality, facilitated assessment methods, greater flexibility in teaching, time and cost efficiency, and better organization of educational content. However, several disadvantages were also identified, such as the reduction of face-to-face interactions, challenges in monitoring student engagement, the questionable reliability of online assessments, increased workload for instructors, and digital fatigue. Furthermore, five major categories of challenges in using participatory tools were identified: (1) technical and infrastructural constraints, (2) limitations in student participation and interaction, (3) psychological and human factors, (4) pedagogical and instructional challenges, and (5) managerial and organizational barriers. Key issues included unstable internet connections, inadequate faculty training in digital tools, reduced non-verbal communication, lack of institutional support for digital infrastructure, and difficulties in conducting accurate assessments in online environments.Conclusion: The study underscores the need for structured training programs to enhance faculty digital competencies. Investments in technological infrastructure, professional development initiatives, curriculum flexibility, and hybrid teaching approaches (combining online and in-person methods) are essential for optimizing participatory tools in education. A comparative analysis between Iran and Germany revealed that Iranian instructors demonstrated higher proficiency in using digital tools but faced greater infrastructural challenges, whereas German instructors emphasized the necessity of institutional support and centralized technology management. Ultimately, this research highlights that international academic collaboration, particularly between Iranian and German universities, can facilitate knowledge exchange, pedagogical innovation, and the enhancement of online learning experiences. Therefore, it is recommended that educational policymakers and universities address the identified challenges by expanding infrastructure, developing advanced training programs, and supporting faculty adaptation to new technologies to ensure the effective integration of participatory tools in higher education. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2460.html Background and Objectives: This research aims to present an organizational governance model in higher education based on artificial intelligence, with a case study of Farhangian  University, examining the role of artificial intelligence in improving managerial, financial, and educational processes. Organizational governance, as a set of structures, policies, and processes for guiding and overseeing organizations, can enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in higher education institutions through the utilization of artificial intelligence. Methods: The research method employed a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach. Initially, through two phases of the fuzzy Delphi technique, key components were identified and screened via a survey of 20 experts, including senior managers and faculty members with expertise in management and information technology, using targeted judgmental sampling. Subsequently, structural equation modeling with a partial least squares (PLS) approach was conducted for model validation. In this phase, 360 individuals, including managers, faculty members, and experts from the Farhangian University, were selected based on accessible sampling and the 5Q≤n≤15Q rule. Finally, the DEMATEL method was employed to analyze the impact, influence, and prioritization of the components, executed with a sample of 20 experts and key stakeholders from the university, also through targeted judgmental sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires designed for each phase. Findings: The findings indicate the development of a comprehensive model with two main dimensions: organizational governance and artificial intelligence technology, which includes 18 key components such as organizational knowledge management, applications of artificial intelligence in education, change management, control and supervision, and transparency and accountability. The DEMATEL analysis revealed that organizational knowledge management and applications of artificial intelligence in education play a central role due to their strong impact, while components like artificial intelligence ethics and technology infrastructure are influenced and require structural support. Conclusion: The prioritization of components showed that change management, applications of artificial intelligence in education, and inter-organizational collaboration are of higher importance. This model optimizes university processes by integrating artificial intelligence into big data analysis, intelligent decision-making, financial oversight, and personalized education. In conclusion, the proposed model is presented as a practical framework for improving organizational governance at the Farhangian University, which can enhance the quality of management and education and serve as a guide for future research. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2503.html Background and Objectives: The rapid integration of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot into education has opened new opportunities for feedback, idea generation, and revision support in academic writing. However, their impact on EFL learners’ engagement remains underexplored. Engagement in language learning spans behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and agentic dimensions, each playing a crucial role in learning effectiveness. Behavioral engagement involves active participation in writing tasks, cognitive engagement refers to mental effort and strategy use, emotional engagement captures learners' emotional responses, and agentic engagement reflects their active role in shaping instruction. Despite growing interest in AI-assisted learning, little is known about how learners engage with AI feedback across these dimensions, and few studies compare ChatGPT and Copilot regarding functional and pedagogical capabilities, user experience, and challenges and ethical concerns. This study examines how EFL learners engage with AI tools during academic writing and investigates their comparative experiences with ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot.Methods:  This qualitative study was conducted in an academic writing course with 18 Iranian undergraduate EFL students over a full semester in a national University in Tehran. Students engaged in writing five genres of essays (classification, process, extended definition, problem-solution, and argumentative), using ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot for support during drafting and revision. Data were collected through reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and some students’ prompt use records. Thematic analysis following a six-phase process was applied to examine the nature of engagement and comparative perceptions of the two AI tools, and the analysis involved both deductive and inductive coding strategies.Findings: Results revealed dynamic and multi-dimensional engagement with AI tools across all four engagement domains. Behaviorally, students actively revised multiple drafts, showing a shift from broad, general prompts to genre-specific and purpose-driven ones. They frequently used both ChatGPT and Copilot in cycles of immediate and delayed revision, demonstrating growing independence in managing the pace and focus of their work without teacher support. Cognitively, learners critically evaluated the feedback, selectively adopting suggestions that enhanced logic, clarity, and coherence. Many reported recognizing recurring writing issues, allowing them to anticipate needed revisions before receiving feedback, indicating increasing awareness of writing patterns and conventions. Emotionally, students described both confidence-building experiences through constructive feedback and moments of frustration when facing vague or excessive suggestions. Overall, AI tools reduced revision anxiety for many and made the process feel more manageable and encouraging. Agentically, students exhibited ownership over their writing by accepting or rejecting AI-generated suggestions based on their intent. They developed more precise prompting skills over time and used additional resources (e.g., dictionaries, teacher comments) to supplement AI feedback, demonstrating a move beyond AI dependence toward personalized writing strategies. When comparing Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, participants highlighted clear distinctions in their functional and pedagogical capabilities. Copilot was primarily valued for its effectiveness in grammar correction, formatting, and citation management, making it especially useful during the final stages of writing. In contrast, ChatGPT was more frequently used in the early and middle stages of the writing process due to its strength in idea generation, content development, and structural reorganization. In terms of user experience, Copilot was appreciated for being fast and easy to access, offering straightforward, predictable support for surface-level improvements. ChatGPT, on the other hand, was described as more interactive and flexible, enabling more dynamic engagement with content and fostering deeper reflection on writing choices. Despite their benefits, both tools raised ethical and practical concerns. Participants noted that each could generate generic or inaccurate content, with ambiguity surrounding authorship and intellectual ownership. Some learners expressed concerns about becoming overly dependent on AI tools, potentially undermining their voice and critical engagement in the writing process.Conclusion: This study provides a nuanced understanding of how EFL learners engage with AI tools in academic writing. It highlights that engagement is not passive interaction but an active, reflective, and agentic process shaped by the affordances and limitations of the technology. The findings suggest that while both ChatGPT and Copilot can support academic writing, they serve different pedagogical purposes. Educators should guide students in using AI tools critically and ethically, promoting engagement that enhances rather than replaces learners’ writing agency.  https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2477.html Background and Objectives: Teaching abstract chemistry concepts to students with hearing impairments is one of the fundamental challenges of the educational system. Mental rotation ability, as a core component of spatial thinking, plays a central role in understanding chemistry concepts, and research shows that the blended learning approach can help improve learning in students with special needs. In blended learning, students with special educational needs simultaneously benefit from online learning and in-person instruction and can work independently at their own pace. Additionally, this approach allows teachers to act with greater flexibility and dedicate more time to individual interaction with students. Given the lack of comprehensive studies in this field, this research aims to systematically review studies conducted on the impact of blended learning-based educational programs on the mental rotation ability of students with hearing impairments in understanding chemistry concepts.Methods: This research is a systematic review study conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Article searches were performed in five databases – Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, and Google Scholar – for the period from 2014 to 2025. Inclusion criteria included original research articles related to chemistry education for students with hearing impairments, use of blended learning approach or assistive technologies, and examination of the intervention’s impact on learning or mental rotation. From 172 articles found, after removing duplicates and reviewing titles and abstracts, 37 articles were selected for full-text review, and finally, 11 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The Betten et al., 2014 checklist was used to assess article quality. Data regarding intervention methods, type of technology used, and results were extracted from the articles and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Findings: Qualitative content analysis of the articles revealed four main themes: Educational Challenges (with three sub-themes: difficulty understanding abstract concepts, communication limitations, and lack of appropriate educational resources, with a total frequency of 18 cases), Technology Benefits (with three sub-themes: improved content accessibility, increased interaction and participation, and opportunity for repetition and practice, with a total frequency of 21 cases), Instructional Design Considerations (with three sub-themes: use of visual elements, language simplification, and immediate feedback provision, with a total frequency of 22 cases), and Educational Needs (with three sub-themes: teacher training, specialized content production, and infrastructure improvement, with a total frequency of 20 cases). Results showed that the blended learning approach helps improve learning through four main mechanisms: creating a multi-sensory learning environment, enabling deep content interaction, providing immediate feedback, and personalizing the learning path. Identified effective technologies included molecular simulation software, virtual reality environments, 3D visualization tools, and new game-based approaches such as block-based games and gamification methods.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that success in teaching chemistry to students with hearing impairments requires a systematic and multifaceted approach in which new technologies are intelligently integrated with traditional methods. For successful implementation of this approach, investment in three areas is essential: development of technological infrastructure, production of specialized educational content, and continuous teacher training. Recent advances in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and game-based approaches have created new opportunities for improving education, but their successful implementation requires attention to issues of accessibility, cost, and educational equity. The main limitations of the research included the small number of high-quality studies, limited sample size in some studies, and the geographic concentration of research in specific countries. It is suggested that future studies examine the long-term impact of educational interventions, the role of individual and environmental factors in the success of programs, and analyze the cost-effectiveness of different interventions. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2529.html Background and Objectives: In recent decades, the expansion of innovative educational technologies has profoundly transformed teaching–learning practices and has drawn the attention of researchers and educators to active, learner-centred approaches. Among these, the flipped classroom, by shifting direct instruction from the classroom to outside the school environment, provides more opportunities for interaction, practice, and critical thinking during class time. On the other hand, micro learning, by delivering content in short, purposeful, and accessible segments, enables gradual and personalized learning while helping to reduce cognitive load. Despite the growing use of these two approaches in advanced educational systems, there is still insufficient empirical evidence regarding their relative effectiveness on different dimensions of learning at lower educational levels. Since student engagement is recognized as a key indicator of academic success and sustained learning—encompassing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions—examining the impact of innovative teaching methods on engagement can offer valuable insights for improving the quality of education in elementary schools.Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test control group. The statistical population comprised all female second-grade elementary school students in public schools in Arak city during the academic year 2023-2024. From this population, a convenience sample of 105 students was selected from a girls’ elementary school and randomly assigned to three groups (flipped classroom, micro learning, and control). The research instruments included the standardized Reeve’s Academic Engagement Scale and the Cognitive Load Questionnaire by Paas and Van Merriënboer. The educational intervention was conducted over 8 weeks, during which the flipped classroom group utilized pre-class instructional videos and interactive in-class activities, and the microlearning group benefited from short digital instructional content and supplementary sessions. The control group received traditional instruction. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods (analysis of covariance).Findings: Examination of statistical assumptions indicated that the necessary conditions for conducting the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were met. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups in total academic engagement post-test scores after adjusting for the pre-test effect [F(2, 100)=17.85, p<0.001, η²=0.26]. Pairwise comparisons demonstrated that micro learning yielded superior performance compared to both the flipped classroom and the control group across all dimensions of academic engagement (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral), as well as in reducing cognitive load [F(2, 100)=39.52, p<0.001, η²=0.44] (p<0.05). A follow-up test three months later confirmed the sustained superiority of micro learning. While the flipped classroom also showed an advantage over the traditional method, its effectiveness was lower compared to micro learning.Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that micro learning, due to its flexible structure, gradual delivery of content, and effectiveness in reducing cognitive load, can serve as a highly efficient instructional strategy for enhancing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement among elementary school students. These findings highlight the importance of considering instructional design principles tailored to learners’ cognitive and developmental characteristics and suggest that integrating micro learning with conventional teaching methods can significantly improve the quality of teaching and learning processes. Moreover, the study underscores the necessity of teacher training and professional development in designing and implementing micro learning content. Familiarity with the principles of this approach can enable teachers to make creative use of educational technologies, foster students’ academic motivation, and enhance their active participation in the classroom. Accordingly, it is recommended that educational policymakers and school administrators promote the effective application of micro learning by offering in-service training programs, specialized workshops, and capacity-building initiatives for teachers. Employing this approach has the potential to improve not only learning outcomes in science education but also in other subjects and instructional contexts. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2525.html Background and Objective: Educational data mining, as a modern and interdisciplinary field, plays a crucial role in analyzing learners’ behavior, identifying factors influencing academic success or failure, and supporting educational decision-making. With the growth of e-learning systems and the increasing volume of educational data, the need for intelligent methods to extract hidden knowledge from these data has become more pronounced. Although traditional machine learning methods have been widely used in numerous studies, they face limitations in terms of accuracy and generalization capability when dealing with complex, nonlinear, and high-dimensional educational data. In this context, deep learning–based models and artificial neural networks have attracted significant attention due to their strong ability to model complex relationships. The main objective of this study is to develop and evaluate an intelligent hybrid model based on feedforward neural networks, including Artificial Neural Networks ( ANN ), Extreme Learning Machines (ELM), and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), combined with advanced feature selection methods, in order to identify key variables affecting students’ academic performance and significantly improve the accuracy of academic status prediction. Research Methodology: In this study, a comprehensive set of educational data was utilized, including demographic, socio-economic, enrollment-related information, educational records, and students’ academic grades. The data were collected from university educational systems as well as reputable public datasets. After performing necessary preprocessing steps such as data cleaning, handling missing values, and feature normalization, the feature selection process was carried out using three methods: MRMR, Chi-square, and ReliefF. Subsequently, the three neural networks (ANN, ELM, and MLP) were trained using 90% of the data, while the remaining 10% was used for testing and model validation. Finally, the outputs of the networks were integrated into a hybrid model using a majority voting strategy. The performance of the proposed model was evaluated using standard metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, and the F-measure. Findings and Contributions: The experimental results demonstrated that the ReliefF method outperformed the other feature selection techniques in identifying influential features. Using the top 20 features selected by this method, the proposed hybrid model achieved an accuracy of 81.44% and an F-measure of 72.09%. In the evaluation of individual neural networks, the ELM model exhibited the best performance with an accuracy of 82.8%, which was on average 2–4% higher than that of ANN and MLP. Moreover, comparison with traditional machine learning approaches revealed that the hybrid neural network model improved prediction accuracy by more than 7% and classification accuracy by over 4%, indicating the significant superiority of the proposed approach. Conclusion and Future Work: The findings of this study indicate that combining feedforward neural networks with appropriate feature selection methods provides an efficient and reliable approach for predicting students’ academic status. The proposed model can serve as an intelligent decision-support tool in educational systems to enable early identification of students at risk of academic failure. Future research may focus on incorporating attention mechanisms, more advanced feature selection techniques, deeper learning models, and larger and more diverse datasets to further enhance the accuracy and generalizability of the model. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2521.html Background and Objectives: The use of effective teaching methods for delivering educational content, particularly in mathematics education, has always been a key concern in educational systems. Research evidence indicates that low levels of active student participation and a decrease in positive emotional experiences in mathematics classes are significant challenges in this subject. Traditional teaching methods, in many cases, reduce academic engagement and students’ perceived enjoyment of classroom activities, creating conditions for demotivation and gradual disengagement from the learning process. Therefore, implementing changes and innovations in teaching methods and utilizing active learning approaches can play an important role in increasing participation, interaction, and positive emotional experiences among students. In recent years, schools and educational systems have increasingly focused on integrating technologies into the teaching process and curricula, particularly in mathematics education. In this context, a novel approach known as gamification has emerged. Gamification, through the use of game elements, has been introduced as an effective strategy to enhance academic engagement and create a pleasurable learning experience. Among these, collaborative gamification, which emphasizes group interaction, shared goals, and social support, holds great potential for strengthening academic engagement and students’ perceived enjoyment. Accordingly, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of collaborative gamification on academic engagement and perceived enjoyment in mathematics.Methods: This applied study used a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test. The statistical population consisted of third-grade female students with mathematics learning difficulties (mean age 9–10 years) in Marand County during the 2024–2023 academic year. A total of 30 students were selected using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to the experimental group (15 students) and control group (15 students). After the pre-test, the experimental group received a 12-session, 30-minute per session (four sessions per week) gamified program, while the control group was taught using traditional methods. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires on academic engagement, mathematics attitude, academic emotions, and a teacher-made mathematics learning test. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while inferential statistics included multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), Levene’s test, and Box’s test, conducted using SPSS 26. The significance level was set at p < 0.05.Findings: Levene’s test indicated that the assumption of equal variances between the experimental and control groups was met (p ≥ 0.05). Box’s test confirmed the assumption of equality of variance–covariance matrices for performing MANCOVA. The results of the multivariate analysis of covariance showed that collaborative gamification had a significant effect on academic engagement (F = 15.542, p< 0.001) and perceived enjoyment in mathematics (F = 17.836, p < 0.001), with significance at the 0.05 level.Conclusion:  The findings indicate that collaborative gamification can serve as an effective and creative approach to enhance academic engagement and perceived enjoyment in mathematics classes. Accordingly, it is recommended that teachers and educational planners, instead of relying solely on traditional methods, adopt collaborative gamification to create interactive, engaging, and enjoyable learning environments. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2478.html Background and Objectives: Academic enthusiasm and the factors influencing it are among the key indicators of educational success and the enhancement of students’ psychological well-being. In this regard, life skills — as a set of cognitive, emotional, and social abilities — can affect academic enthusiasm. Moreover, with the increasing use of social networks among students and their dual role in either facilitating or weakening educational interactions, it has become increasingly necessary to examine how these platforms influence the relationship between life skills and academic enthusiasm. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of social networks in the relationship between life skills and academic enthusiasm among upper elementary school students. Methods: From the perspective of research design, this study was descriptive, and in terms of purpose, it was applied. The research method was descriptive-survey of a correlational type, based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of 4,521 upper elementary school students from District 4 of Qom. Using the Krejcie and Morgan table, a sample of 384 students was selected through simple random sampling. To measure life skills, the Babadi and Meshkani Children’s Life Skills Questionnaire (2011) was used, which assesses four components among students: social skills, self-regulation, self-control (self-management), and social responsibility. To assess students’ academic enthusiasm, the Fredricks et al. (2012) Academic Engagement Questionnaire was utilized, which measures three components: behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement. To measure the use of social networks among students, the Jahanbani (2018) Social Networks Questionnaire was employed, evaluating three components: level of use, type of use, and level of trust in users. The content and face validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by 10 faculty members from the Department of Educational Sciences and Educational Management. Reliability was assessed in two stages — before and after the main implementation of the study. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for all questionnaires were above the 0.70 criterion, indicating acceptable reliability. Data were analyzed using correlation and t-tests, Sobel’s test for mediating effects, path coefficients, and model fit indices within the framework of structural equation modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS software. Findings: The results showed that social networks play a mediating role in the relationship between life skills and students’ academic enthusiasm. Moreover, life skills had a significant effect on social networks, with a t-value of 7.629 (p < 0.001). Similarly, social networks had a significant effect on academic enthusiasm, with a t-value of 6.26 (p < 0.001). However, the findings indicated that life skills alone did not have a direct and significant effect on students’ academic enthusiasm at the 95% confidence level (t = 0.535, p > 0.05). Nonetheless, through the enhancement and improvement of social network use, life skills indirectly contributed to an increase in academic enthusiasm. Conclusion: The findings indicated that life skills indirectly, and social networks directly, influence students’ academic enthusiasm. Accordingly, it can be concluded that teaching life skills, alongside the purposeful and informed use of social networks, can play an effective role in enhancing students’ academic enthusiasm. Moreover, social networks provide a significant pathway for transferring the effects of life skills to academic enthusiasm, and their mediating role is statistically validated. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2519.html Background and Objectives: Proof in mathematics is not merely a tool for verifying the truth of propositions, but also serves as a conceptual means for explanation, organization, discovery, and deepening mathematical understanding. However, research indicates that many university students fail to grasp the purpose of proofs effectively and tend to experience them as purely formal and abstract procedures. One contributing factor to this superficial understanding is the lack of appropriate instructional and assessment tools that clarify the diverse functions of proof. In this regard, dynamic assessment—particularly in electronic environments—can offer an effective strategy to enhance students’ understanding of the multiple purposes of proof, as it combines evaluation with learning through targeted feedback. The present study aims to investigate the impact of electronic dynamic assessment on students' awareness of various purposes of mathematical proof. It specifically seeks to determine whether an interactive dynamic assessment model can foster a purposeful understanding of proof, especially regarding underappreciated objectives such as organization, application, and the discovery of new concepts.Methods: This study is a mixed-methods research with a quantitative-qualitative approach, in which the quantitative part used a quasi-experimental research method with a single-group pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population consisted of 110 second-semester mathematics students in 2023 at one of the country's public universities, of whom 35 students participated in this study using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected through two researcher-developed questionnaires administered before and after the intervention to measure students' understanding of the purposes of proof, as well as an electronic dynamic assessment test. The test was developed using C++ and included five multiple-choice items accompanied by targeted, instructional feedback. The reliability of the questionnaires was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.7), and their validity was reviewed by expert faculty members. Quantitative data were analyzed using McNemar’s test to assess the significance of changes in students’ awareness of proof purposes. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 students to complete qualitative data analysis.Findings: Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between students' responses in the pre- and post-intervention questionnaires for seven out of eight proof purposes (p < 0.05). The most notable improvement was observed in the “organization” purpose, with the number of students recognizing it rising from 15 in the pretest to 31 in the posttest. Other purposes, such as ‘explanation and clarification,’ ‘discovery of new results,’ ‘application in other contexts,’ and ‘problem solving,’ also showed significant gains. The only purpose that did not exhibit a statistically significant change was ‘verification of truth,’ which was already well understood before the intervention. Interview analysis confirmed that electronic dynamic assessment helped students recognize conceptual relationships, internal structures of proofs, and better understand the educational aims of proof. Students reported that the test questions and feedback provided a novel and insightful experience in understanding proofs.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that electronic dynamic assessment can serve as an effective tool for enhancing students’ awareness of the diverse functions of mathematical proof. Beyond mere evaluation, this type of assessment facilitates deeper learning of proof concepts and structures through instructional and interactive feedback. The findings align with previous research in mathematics education and highlight the pivotal role of assessments grounded in Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development theory. It is recommended that mathematics educators incorporate interactive and feedback-driven models in the design of instructional and assessment activities to foster conceptual and purposeful understanding of proof among students. Such an approach not only helps students perceive proofs as tools for explanation, organization, discovery, and problem-solving, but also lays the foundation for developing mathematical reasoning and cultivating critical thinking. In doing so, students’ understanding of the nature and purpose of proof is transformed from a rule-based and repetitive view to a dynamic, analytical, and deeply applicable perspective. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_1751.html Background and Objectives: Female-headed households are responsible for providing material and spiritual livelihood for themselves and their family members. These women take care of the household without the regular presence or support of an adult male, and are responsible for managing the family financially, making major and vital decisions. Due to playing a dual role (parents) for their children, these women face problems such as loss of income, raising children, managing household affairs, working outside the home with low wages, etc., and enduring these life problems The reason for their different lifestyles compared to other women has led to the factors in which they have emerged. The aim of this study was to compare psychological hardiness, self-differentiation and psychological burnout in female-headed households and ordinary people in Marvdasht.Methods: The present study was comparative-causal one. The statistical population of this study included female-headed households under the auspices of the Marvdasht Relief Committee. The sample group consisted of 80 people in two groups (40 female-headed households and 40 ordinary women) who were selected using the convenience sampling procedure. Data collection tool to assess the degree of psychological hardiness was the questionnaire of Kubasa et al. The face and content validity have been reported in various appropriate studies. Also, the reliability of this tool was obtained by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The Differentiation Scale (DSI) was used to measure differentiation and its validity and reliability were confirmed. Women's psychological burnout was also assessed through the Smiths’ questionnaire; its validity and reliability of this questionnaire were evaluated in different demographic groups. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the questions of each dimension describe the same dimension and the questionnaire has a good internal consistency. The collected data were analyzed at two levels (descriptive statistics and inferential statistics). Mean and standard deviation values were calculated and MANOVA analysis test was run.Findings: According to the age distribution table of statistical sample size, in the group of female-headed households, 35.00% of people were less than 30 years old and 12.5% of people were more than 40 years old. In the group of normal women, 30.00% of women were less than 30 years old and 20.00% of women were more than 40 years old. According to the statistical sample size distribution table, in terms of education, 35.00% of women heads of households were under diploma and 65.00% of them were above diploma and in the group of normal women, 32.5% were under diploma and 67.5% were above diploma. The results showed that there was a significant difference between psychological hardiness and its dimensions in normal and female heads of households. There was no significant difference between self-differentiation and dimensions in ordinary female-headed households. There was a significant difference between normal and female-headed households in terms of psychological burnout and its dimensions. The average psychological hardiness and psychological burnout was higher among female-headed households than those of normal women.Conclusion: The results of this study can be used by relevant organizations with women heads of households and researchers interested in this field. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2514.html Background and Objectives: In the current era, the presence of digital devices in everyday life has increased dramatically. Excessive screen use has had significant impacts on people of all ages. The intensity of using digital devices and the internet can have serious negative effects on the dimensions of psycho-social health, as one of the fundamental pillars of public health. This concept encompasses multiple dimensions, including physical, mental, emotional, and social health. In this regard, concepts such as digital detox and electronic abstinence have been proposed as novel strategies to mitigate harms associated with excessive technology use. Digital detox is defined as a temporary, intentional, and purposeful pause in using digital devices aimed at reducing stress, improving concentration, and enhancing the quality of social interactions. In contrast, electronic abstinence refers to the voluntary or deliberate limitation of digital technology use during specific times or situations. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of digital detox and electronic abstinence on various dimensions of psycho-social health.Methods: The research design was fundamental in purpose, descriptive in nature, and constituted a systematic review. The research population consisted of scientific articles related to the topic published between 2000 and 2024, retrieved from reputable databases including Google Scholar, Oxford University Press, ResearchGate, Springer, PubMed, Academia, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, SID, and Taylor & Francis. Using purposive sampling, initially 68 articles containing the research keywords (digital detox, electronic screens, digital world, mental health, social health) were included. After applying inclusion criteria (topical relevance, full-text availability, publication year, scientific credibility) and exclusion criteria (lack of direct relevance, duplication, low quality), based on final quality assessment, 25 articles were selected for final analysis to answer the research question.Findings: Results were analyzed across five age groups: infants and toddlers; elementary school children; adolescents; university students; and adults. In the first category, digital detox was found to improve young children's mood, concentration, sleep, and behavior. In the second category, the findings indicated that this program enhances students’ social interactions at school and reduces distractions while increasing attention and concentration in class. In the third category, digital detox was effective in reducing nomophobia among adolescents. In the fourth category, digital detox was found to improve self-regulation and reduce stress levels among university students. Finally, in the fifth category, electronic abstinence was found to enhance quality of life among adults. Consequently, with few exceptions, all studies confirmed the effectiveness of digital detox and electronic abstinence programs in improving psycho-social health across age groups.Conclusion: Based on the findings of the current study, collaboration between industry, government, education systems, parents, and relevant institutions and individuals is essential to increase awareness and develop effective digital detox and electronic abstinence programs, particularly for at-risk groups such as children under age two, children with special needs, and students. Overall, the findings of this study indicated that raising awareness and implementing structured programs to mitigate the negative effects of electronic screens is essential. Collaboration of organizations, including the Ministry of Education, with educational officials and school teachers, coupled with parental cooperation for the purposeful implementation of detox programs, leads to improved academic and individual performance of students. This study, by examining the effects of digital detox and electronic abstinence, demonstrated that enhancing all dimensions of individuals' psycho-social health in the digital age is achievable through reducing excessive technology use. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_1086.html One of today's social issues is the expansion of behavioral abnormalities in children, which is reflected in aggressive behaviors. Prevention of such behaviors is one of the most important priorities of families and educational institutions. Schools as the first social institution, plays a significant role in promoting social skills and controlling such aggressive behaviors. Accordingly, the study tries to evaluate the impact of the school environment on the reduction of aggressive behaviors in children. Among the spaces in the school, the yard was selected as the most common space, and its spatial-physical characteristics were evaluated in six schools in Shiraz. The research method is descriptive-analytic based on quantitative and qualitative strategies. A semi-structured questionnaire and interview with students and teachers were used. The results indicated that among the various spatial features of the school yard, green area in the yard, as well as the diversity of open and semi-open spaces in the school yard, had the greatest effect on reducing student behavioral disorder. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2528.html Background and Objectives: Nowadays, modern educational technology and the underlying models and methods have become an integral part of the teaching and learning process and have shown rapid (innovative) growth in the field of higher education. As a result, many higher education institutions are trying to invest in digital technologies to help support various teaching and learning processes and curricula. From an educational perspective, existing studies suggest that “digital technologies” are one of the powerful tools that teachers or higher education institutions can use to facilitate teaching-learning processes and improve/change the learning experiences and engagement of students and faculty.Methods: The research was carried out by a combination method of sequential exploratory strategy type. In the qualitative stage, conventional content analysis method was used, and in the quantitative stage, the survey research method (combined exploration) of descriptive type was used. In terms of the environment dimension, the current research was of the field type and in terms of the purpose, it was a part of applied research. In the qualitative phase, 7 individuals were purposefully selected to conduct in-depth interviews and the interviews continued until the saturation phase. In the qualitative stage, the statistical population of the research included the lecturers from Shiraz Academic Jihad Applied Scientific Education Center, who were identified using the theoretical and targeted sampling method. The statistical population of this research in the quantitative part included the lecturers of Shiraz University Jihad Applied Scientific Education Center, andthe total sample size was calculated to be 160 participants based on the statistical yearbook of the university that was prepared by the Human Resources Department in 1402-1403, which was calculated and 113 participants were selected as a sample using the simple random sampling method of Krejcie & Morgan table. The tool for data collection was interview in the qualitative part and researcher-made questionnaire in the quantitative part. To analyze the data in the qualitative part, open and axial coding was done using MAXQDA software, and in the quantitative part, one-sample t-test and Friedman test were performed using SPSS 25 software.Findings: The results showed that the factors affecting the use of educational technology and information and communication technology in the teaching-learning process from the point of view of professors had severn core codes, including the teacher's preparation for using educational technology, supporting the use of educational technology, characteristics of educational technology, ethical considerations, the effectiveness of using educational technology, the challenges of using educational technology, and the solutions to overcome the challenges of using educational technology. Also, the barriers to using educational technology and information and communication technology in the teaching-learning process from the point of view of professors included five core codes including lack of resources, lack of knowledge and skills, lack of support and encouragement, considerations related to content and students. And the considerations were related to attitude and culture. Also, in the quantitative part, the results showed that among the effective factors, the highest average rating was related to ethical considerations in the use of educational technology, and the lowest rating was related to the preparation of the teacher to use educational technology, and in the obstacles section, the highest average rating was related to considerations related to attitude and culture and the lowest rank was related to the lack of support and encouragement.Conclusion: Teacher readiness to use educational technology, support for the use of educational technology, characteristics of educational technology, ethical considerations in the use of educational technology, effectiveness of the use of educational technology, challenges in the use of educational technology, and strategies for overcoming the challenges of using educational technology were factors affecting the use of educational technology and information and communication technology in the teaching-learning process from the perspective of teachers. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_1027.html Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the use of the interactive book on learning and remembering of students. The statistical population consisted of the students of Imam Hassan Mojtaba (pbuh) Conservatory in the academic year of 1396-97 and among this sample size, 60 subjects (30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group) were selected by available sampling method. . The research method is semi-experimental with pre-test-posttest design with control and experimental group. To collect information, two researcher-made questionnaires (pre-test and post-test) with appropriate validity and validity of 0/73 and 0/76 have been used. Data analysis has been used central tendency and dispersion at the descriptive level and also in inferential analysis has used covariance test. In addition, the correlation t-test, second post-test scores was compared to the post-test scores which were performed with a one month interval from the first pre test. The results of the findings indicate that the use of the interactive book has a positive effect on students' learning. The use of an interactive book also has a positive impact on student recollection https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2524.html Background and Objectives: This research aims to examine the impact of Scratch-based programming instruction grounded in the STEAM approach on learners’ critical thinking. Programming instruction using Scratch—a visual, block-based programming language—can significantly enhance critical thinking skills and facilitate the learning of programming content. This approach, rooted in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), helps learners acquire the essential skills needed in the digital age through practical and interactive methods. The utilization of Scratch, owing to its visual features and block-based structure that enables a hands-on experience of fundamental programming concepts, can effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice while reinforcing students’ cognitive and logical abilities. Previous research has demonstrated that integrating interactive instructional methods with multimedia environments increases self-efficacy, creativity, and learner engagement with educational content. Consequently, employing Scratch in the instructional process not only familiarizes students with basic programming concepts but also boosts their learning motivation and active participation in developing the skills required for the digital era. This study aims to provide a scientific foundation for designing interdisciplinary courses that prepare students for future challenges by precisely examining the educational effects of Scratch.Methods: The current research, based on its objective, application, and work approach, is quasi-experimental, using a pretest-posttest design with three groups: one control and two experimental groups. Out of 48 participants, 16 were assigned to the control group, 16 to the group taught with the STEAM approach, and 16 to the traditional teaching group. The population of this research includes all sixth-grade female students in Karaj city. A school with two sixth-grade classes was randomly selected. In order to gather the required data, both library and field research methods were utilized. In addition to eight sessions of Scratch programming teaching with the STEAM approach, Rick's Critical Thinking Questionnaire was used for the critical thinking variable, and a researcher-made questionnaire was used for the programming content learning variable.Findings: The results showed that the programming education using Scratch software based on the STEAM approach has been influential on learners’ critical thinking and programming content learning. The findings indicate that Scratch-based programming instruction within the STEAM framework has a significant positive impact on critical thinking components, specifically creativity (coefficient= 0.421), cognitive engagement (coefficient= 0.233), and cognitive maturity (coefficient= 0.267).Conclusion: The outcomes indicate that programming education and cognitive maturity in critical thinking have a positive correlation with each other, and as students' programming skills increase, their cognitive maturity in critical thinking also increases. In other words, as programming skills increase, improvements are observed in students' creativity, intellectual participation, and cognitive maturity, which underscores the importance of designing interdisciplinary courses tailored to learners’ needs for developing critical thinking and self-regulatory abilities. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_1075.html The purpose of this study was to identify effective dimensions for enhancing the effectiveness of secondary schools in Hormozgan province. The purpose of this research is applied and in terms of information gathering method, a quantitative-qualitative approach has been taken. The statistical population includes experts in the field of school effectiveness. Which in part of Quantitative Research, included a limited number of faculty members in Hormozgan universities in the fields of education, of which 30 were selected as samples. Also In the qualitative section, the sample volume was estimated with a theoretical saturation of 10 people. A targeted sampling was used to select the sample. The Data collection tools were through interviews and questionnaires. For data analysis in the Quantitative section, One sample t test and In the qualitative section, open and axial coding was used. The results led to the identification of six Dimensions from 24 concepts that named them as follows: management and leadership; Belief in collective wisdom; Promoting health, health and safety at school; Empowering staff; Establishment of the teaching and learning system and extracurricular activities. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2552.html Background and Objectives: The emergence of AI-based chatbots such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Bing in the past decade has opened new horizons for education, particularly in teacher education curricula. These advanced tools, through natural language processing, simulated educational interaction, content generation, learning activity design, and immediate feedback, have the potential to fundamentally reshape the educational experience of future teachers. The present study aims to compare and evaluate the educational performance of leading AI chatbots and to investigate the implications of their applications within teacher education curricula, with an emphasis on pedagogical innovation, curriculum modernization, inclusive digital pedagogy, and alignment with 21st-century digital teaching competencies.Methods: This study employed a descriptive–analytical approach based on a structured narrative review method. The research process was grounded in the analysis of scholarly sources published between 2018 and 2025. The sources included peer-reviewed research articles, expert reports, and case studies focusing on the application of AI chatbots in education, with particular attention to teacher education. Data were analyzed qualitatively using a comparative framework to assess the educational features, capabilities, and implications of the selected chatbots. The analysis incorporated theoretical models such as Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the Substitution–Augmentation–Modification–Redefinition (SAMR) model to interpret the degree of technology integration and its transformative potential in teacher training programs, alongside considerations of digital ethics and equity in access.Findings: The results indicate that AI chatbots have contributed to the transformation of content production and organization, enhanced learner engagement and immediate feedback, development of information and research literacy, improvement in language and writing skills, promotion of self-directed learning, and a paradigm shift in the teacher's role from knowledge transmitter to learning facilitator. ChatGPT 4, with its advanced capacity for specialized content creation, scenario-based instruction, and analytical feedback, fosters reflective thinking, adaptive pedagogy, and innovative lesson planning. Bard and Bing Chat, with their research, verification, and citation capabilities, support information literacy and inquiry-based learning grounded in evidence-based practice. Meanwhile, tools like Botnoi and LINE AI Chatbot are effective in informal learning, basic digital skills development, and educational messaging. Nonetheless, challenges such as overreliance on technology, diminished critical thinking, output instability, ethical concerns, data privacy issues, algorithmic transparency, and the need for digital competency remain significant barriers.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that AI chatbots—particularly ChatGPT 4, ChatGPT 3.5, Bard, Bing Chat, Botnoi, and LINE AI Chatbot—are initiating a fundamental shift in teacher education curricula. Beyond transforming content delivery methods, these tools are redefining the roles of teachers, student-teachers, and the broader teaching-learning process. Their positive implications include facilitating instructional design, delivering real-time feedback, enhancing research and information literacy, nurturing reflective thinking, and strengthening autonomous learning. At the same time, concerns around technological dependence, critical thinking erosion, algorithmic bias, and digital literacy gaps must be addressed with care. A comparative analysis of these platforms provides valuable insights into how each AI-powered chatbot offers distinct affordances that can empower learners, foster critical and creative thinking, improve problem-solving, encourage collaborative knowledge construction, and enhance adaptability to rapidly evolving technology-enhanced learning environments. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_1050.html The purpose of this study was to a Study of Factor effecting on Development in sport schools with Using the Structural Modeling Interpretative Model. The present study was descriptive -analytical study that was carried out fieldwork. The statistical population of the study consisted of physical education experts, sports teachers, and education experts in the field of education that had sufficient experience in sport education in the field. Based on a Snowball sampling, 17 individuals were identified as the sample of the study. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with 23 questions that included 23 factors influencing development of ICT in school sports, which were identified based on a comprehensive study of resources. The whole process of analyzing the data was done in SPSS and MicMac software. The present study revealed that some factors, as key independent actors have a significant role in the development of information and communication technology in sports schools. In order to develop information and communication technology in sport schools, comprehensive planning is needed to develop some key independent factors. Planning on the key factors identified in this study can create the ground for the development and promotion of information and communication technology in school sports. https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_2511.html Background and Objectives:  Information and communication technologies (ICTs), especially artificial intelligence (AI), play an important role in improving digital skills, enhancing the quality of learning, and facilitating educational and research processes. These technologies reduce educational gaps and increase the efficiency of scientific research by personalizing education and automating processes. Universities also play a key role in the development of science and increasing scientific competitiveness by providing research infrastructure and promoting a research culture. The present study examines the role of AI assistants in empowering students in research and identifying their antecedents and consequences. This study aims to design a conceptual model for the effective use of these technologies in academic processes in order to help educational and research policies in line with digital transformation.Methods: This qualitative research was conducted using the theory-generating meta-synthesis approach, following the six-step process proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso. A total of 187 relevant articles were identified through searches in reputable databases such as Magiran, SID, Web of Science, Sage, and Google Scholar. Ultimately, 65 articles were selected for in-depth content analysis.Findings: The findings of the study show that the use of AI assistants in empowering higher education students in research can be analyzed in three areas of antecedents, processes, and outcomes. The antecedents of this technology include five main themes: technological curiosity, knowledge of using AI, scientific writing skills, English language skills, and access and acceptance of technology. The related processes also include ten main themes: digital resource management, self-directed research, ideation on the research topic, receiving continuous feedback, reviewing and revising the text, purposeful information search, personalizing research experiences, data analysis, improving content quality and editing, and reviewing and publishing research. Finally, the outcomes of these processes can be categorized into eight main themes: reducing stress in writing, receiving immediate feedback, improving research structure, deepening critical thinking, digital distraction, over-reliance on AI, privacy issues and ethical violations, and facilitating and accelerating research.Conclusion: The transformation of education using information and communication technologies, especially AI, in today's world has improved digital skills and facilitated educational and research processes. These technologies have created new opportunities for optimizing processes, but they also bring challenges, including ethical and cultural issues. This study emphasizes the importance of carefully managing these issues and the need to pay attention to the ethical and social challenges of improper use of technologies. The findings show that AI assistants play an effective role in empowering students in research, especially in the areas of technological curiosity, scientific writing skills, and access to technology. Also, the use of these tools has improved research processes and increased students' scientific productivity. However, excessive dependence on AI may reduce independent thinking and create ethical challenges such as privacy violations. To optimally utilize these technologies, a comprehensive and balanced approach is needed that exploits the benefits and manages the challenges. This research, in particular, by identifying the antecedents, processes, and consequences of the use of AI assistants, creates a new theoretical basis for future studies. It is suggested that policymakers and university administrators should use these tools in designing educational programs to improve the quality of research and educational processes. Also, future research should pay more attention to the geographical, cultural, and social aspects of the use of AI in different countries.