Iranian Students Research Articles

Canadian and Iranian Graduate Students' Conceptions of Critical Thinking: A Comparative Study

This study compares Canadian and Iranian international students’ conceptions of critical thinking during their graduate studies in Canada. Critical thinking is an essential skill in Canadian higher education. It enables students to make reasoned judgments from their observations and experimentation. This narrative inquiry using open-ended interviews describes the narratives of eight students from different master’s programs at a university in western Canada to examine their experiences and notions of critical thinking. The preliminary findings reveal that while all Canadian participants had knowledgeable perspectives about critical thinking, Iranian participants required more knowledge to build their critical thinking conceptualizations. Moreover, content knowledge, instructors’ competence, and teaching methods significantly influenced students’ critical thinking development. Results offer a comprehensive understanding of how Canadian higher institutions and curriculum developers need to provide appropriate opportunities and curricula for cultivating and developing critical thinking among local students while paying attention to Iranian students’ needs and academic preparedness.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Adult Sources of Self-esteem Inventory Among Iranian Students

Objective: This study aims to determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the adult sources of self-esteem inventory as a cross-cultural scale for assessing self-esteem. Methods: A sample of 500 students (350 females, 150 males) were selected from Kharazmi University in Iran and they completed the Persian version of the adult sources of Elovson and Fleming’s self-esteem inventory and Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale. Results: The Cronbach α of 0.90 indicated the satisfactory reliability of the inventory. Also, the results of the explanatory factor analysis proposed 3 factors, namely the outer self, personal self, and relational self. Additionally, the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed this structure. Conclusion: The findings showed that the Persian version of the adult sources of self-esteem inventory is a suitable tool to assess sources of self-esteem and can be used in research and intervention fields in Iranian samples.

Exploring the components of acculturative stress: case of Iranian students in Poland

Exploring the components of acculturative stress: case of Iranian students in Poland

Difficult cases of using the indefinite pronouns and adverbs with affixes -nibud, -libo, -to, koe- with indefinite meaning among the Iranian audience

This article is dedicated to examining the difficult cases of the transmission of the indefinite meaning with the indefinite pronouns and adverbs with the affixes -nibud, -libo, -to, koe- among Iranian audiences. The indefinite pronouns and adverbs are a group of words with a specific meaning and usage that express the category of indefiniteness. This topic is important because among the Iranian students learning Russian the use of indefinite pronouns and adverbs with these affixes is a most difficult problem. It is not due to the grammatical features of the pronouns and adverbs mentioned, but due to their dependence on semantic subtleties and the insufficient number of theoretical works analysing the errors made by foreign, including Iranian, students when using the indefinite pronouns and adverbs with the mentioned affixes. The first problem that Iranian students face is the use of the indefinite pronouns and adverbs in the Russian language when in Persian their formal indicator is the indefinite article. The purpose of this article is to study the complicated cases of using the indefinite pronouns and adverbs with affixes -nibud, -libo, -to, koe- with indefinite meaning in the Iranian class and to consider how this group of the indefinite pronouns and adverbs is used in speech and text. The novelty of this article is in the fact that for the first time in the Russian studies of Iran, the difficult cases that Iranian students often encounter when using the indefinite pronouns and adverbs with affixes -nibud, -libo, -to, koe-, are analyzed and specified. In addition, principles have been developed to optimize the teaching process of this category of pronouns and adverbs among Iranian students. The results of the article can be used to eliminate the mistakes of Iranian students of Russian when using the indefinite pronouns and adverbs with the affixes -nibud, -libo, -to, koe- with the indefinite meaning, as well as to improve teaching Russian as a foreign language in the Iranian audience.

Analysis of Cultural and Social Factors of Happiness in Iranian Students.

The Article Abstract is not available.

Psychometric of the Dark Personality (Dark Triad) Instrument in Iranian Students

This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the dark personality instrument in students of general physical education units of Mashhad universities. The participants include all students of Ferdowsi, Imam Reza, Islamic Azad, and Payame Noor universities who had chosen the units of general physical education and sport in the academic year of 2021-22, using the Morgan table, 196 people were randomly selected as a sample. A standard dark personality questionnaire (Jonason & Webster, 2010) was used to collect data. Cronbach's alpha test was used to confirm the reliability of the questionnaire. To confirm the instrument's validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used. Data analysis showed that the factor load of all items is higher than the baseline value (0.4) and the research model has a significant fit. Also, the model fit indices had acceptable values. Finally, it is recommended to sports coaches and teachers of physical education classes and leisure time to use this scale at the beginning of each semester to get to know more about the personality characteristics of students in their class and to measure these people, this can help them a lot in how to manage their classes.

Reforming Islamic Education in Iran: Creating An Emancipated and Creative Generation

This research focuses on the theme of Islamic education reform in Iran, which aims to produce an emancipated and creative generation. The Islamic Republic of Iran has implemented a series of education reforms that prioritize the development of technical and vocational skills, entrepreneurship, interpersonal skills, and the cultivation of students' character and morality. The goal of these programs is to prepare students to face the challenges of the global job market and to advance the Iranian economy. Moreover, the Iranian government has introduced a series of initiatives to promote critical thinking and creativity in its education system. For instance, it has integrated modern technology into its educational system, established research centers and incubators, and encouraged student participation in extracurricular activities. As a result of these reforms, many Iranian students have emerged as successful graduates in various fields, including technology, science, business, and arts. Therefore, this abstract concludes that the Islamic education reform in Iran has been successful in creating a generation of students who are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete in the global job market and contribute to the advancement of their country's economy. Furthermore, it has also fostered a culture of critical thinking, creativity, and innovation among students, which will be critical to the country's continued progress in the future.

Can academic hope increase academic engagement in Iranian students who are university applicants? investigating academic buoyancy as a mediator

In Iran, a large number of adolescents compete every year to enter university, given the better job opportunities that may exist after graduation. The hope of having more education affects students’ academic engagement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between academic hope and academic engagement with the mediating role of academic buoyancy, using the Academic Hope Scale, Academic Buoyancy Scale, and Academic Engagement Scale. The participants in the study were 353 Iranian students in the last year of high school who had applied to enter university in 2019. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling procedures. The results showed that there was a direct significant relationship between academic hope ( p ≤ .01, β = 0.19) and academic buoyancy ( p ≤ .01, β = 0.25) with academic engagement. There was a direct and significant relationship between academic hope and academic buoyancy ( p ≤ .01, β = 0.33). And academic buoyancy partially mediated the relationship between academic hope and academic engagement. The discussion concerns the potential benefits of implementing interventions designed to enhance academic hope to increase learners’ academic engagement.

Validation of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5–Brief Form (PID-5-BF) with Iranian University Students and Clinical Samples: Factor Structure, Measurement Invariance, and Convergent, Discriminant, and Known-Groups Validity

The Personality Inventory for DSM–5, Brief Form (PID-5-BF) was developed to assess DSM-5's Alternative Trait Model for Diagnosing Personality Disorders (AMPD). This study aimed to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, measurement invariance, and convergent, discriminant, and known-group validity of the Persian PID-5-BF with 941 university students (aged 18–67, M age= 28.36, SD = 9.09, 39.1% males) and 178 male from a clinical (aged 18–60, M age= 33.77, SD = 10.60) sample in Iran. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the five-factor model in both groups, being fully and partially invariant across gender and study groups, respectively. PID-5-BF subscales were internally consistent, yielded expected associations with other personality variables, and differentiated the student sample from the clinical group, supporting the measure’s convergent, discriminant, and known-group validity. Our results indicated that the PID-5-BF holds promise as a screening measure of dimensional maladaptive personality traits in Iranian students and clinical samples.

The Relationship between Social Support and Hopelessness among Iranian Students during Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has major consequences for public health worldwide, especially for mental health. Hope is a dynamic motivational system that empowers one to achieve goals. Social support similarly increases the feeling of well-being to cope with hopelessness. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between social support and hopelessness in students studying at the Iran University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic considering the importance of performance in medical sciences students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed continuously for five months, from January to May 2021, at the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, where the Persian language is predominantly spoken. Participants were included if they could consent to participate in the study and internet access and membership in social networks. Those who did not fully engage with our data collection tools were excluded. A demographic information form, the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MPSS) were provided to students via social networks. After students (n=300) completed the questionnaires, data were analyzed through SPSS software version 21. Results: The mean age of participants was 23.46 (18-51) years. The mean score of hopelessness among the participants was 6.2. The majority of students (35%) had mild hopelessness, 34.7% had a minimum level of hopelessness, 26.7% had a moderate level of hopelessness, and 11% had a high level of hopelessness. The mean social support score was 59.49, with 52.3% of students having a high level of social support. The correlation coefficient between social support and hopelessness was - 0.401 (p < 0.001). Field of study, degree level, marital status and lifestyle were significantly correlated with hopelessness. Also, only marital status had a significant relationship with social support among students. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that out of the variables included in the model, only the variable of social support had a significant effect on the hopelessness score, so this variable predicted 18% of the hopelessness score. Conclusion: Given the inverse relationship between social support and hopelessness, it is suggested to increase the level of social support for students to improve their sense of hopelessness.

Investigating the Effects of Using Grammarly in EFL Writing: The Case of Articles

Online grammar checkers have increasingly been used in writing instruction to detect and remove English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ grammatical errors. This study investigated the effects of the automated writing evaluation software Grammarly on Iranian EFL learners’ article errors which are common in EFL writing. Ninety Iranian students majoring in English language and literature were selected through convenience sampling. They were divided into three groups, with one receiving Grammarly and teacher feedback (experimental group 1), one receiving Grammarly feedback (experimental group 2), and one receiving teacher feedback (control group). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data. In addition, one-way ANOVA, frequency analysis, and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data from pretests/posttests, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed that the Grammarly and teacher feedback group outperformed the other groups in the post-test. This study recommends that EFL teachers consider incorporating online grammar checkers into their EFL writing courses as writing assistant tools.

TÜRKİYE-İRAN GÖÇ SİSTEMİ: SÜREKLİLİK VE DEĞİŞİMLER

Amaç: Son yıllarda Türkiye’ye dair göç çalışmalarında ciddi bir artış gözlense de Türkiye-İran göç koridoruna dair araştırmalar sınırlı sayıdadır. Bu makalede Türkiye-İran Göç sisteminde son dönemde yaşanan gelişmeler incelenecektir. Bu bağlamda tartışılacak üç kategori: yıllardır süregelen uluslararası korumaya tabi kişiler; sayıları gittikçe artan uluslararası öğrenciler ve yatırım yoluyla vatandaşlık hareketliliklerini kapsamaktadır.Yöntem: Türkiye-İran göç koridorunda son yıllarda artış gösteren öğrenci hareketliliği ve konut alımı ile aynı süreçte Türkiye’ye gelerek sığınma başvurusunda bulunan İranlı bireylerin sayısında ciddi azalma olmuştur. Tarihsel süreçte bu değişimi iz sürme yöntemiyle sunan çalışma bu noktada verilerin ne ifade ettiğini göstermek adına TÜİK, YÖK ve GİB’den yararlanmaktadır. Azalan ve artan trendi anlamak adına ise makro politikalardaki değişiklikleri analiz ederek, makro değişimlerin yeni olan etkisini ortaya çıkarmaktadır.Bulgular: 1980’lerin başından itibaren İranlı bireylerin sığınma temelli Türkiye’ye olan hareketliliğiyle sınırlı olan Türkiye-İran göç koridorunda 2011 sonrası süreçte önemli bir dönüşüm yaşanmıştır. Özellikle 2011 sonrası dönemde İranlı öğrenciler ile İranlı ailelerin Türkiye’de konut edinimi yoluyla göçü her yıl sürekli olarak artış göstermektedir. Bu iki kategorinin varlığı ilk olarak Türkiye ve İran arasındaki göçü bir göç sistemine dönüştüğünün göstergesidir. Daha da önemlisi çalışma, bu iki düzenli göç kategorisinin varlığı Türkiye’nin göç politikalarının neoliberalleşmesiyle ilgili olduğunu tartışmaktadır.Özgünlük: Türkiye’ye olan İranlı bireylerin hareketliliği temel olarak İranlı sığınmacı ve mülteciler ile onların üçüncü ülkelere yerleştirilmesi üzerinden tartışılmıştır. Son dönemlerde Türkiye’de artan sayıdaki İranlı yabancı lisans öğrencisi ve konut satın alan İranlı bireyler akademik olarak yazında irdelenmemiştir. Çalışmanın özgün tarafı bu iki kategorileri makro politikalardaki değişikler ile ilişkilendirmesi, Türkiye-İran arasındaki hareketliliğin bir göç sistemine dönüşmesini göstermesi ve Türkiye göç yönetiminin giderek piyasa mantığına uygun politika tercihleriyle neoliberalleşmesini göstermektir.

The Effects of EASY Minds Program on Working Memory and Selective Attention in Students with Math Learning Disabilities

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the EASY Minds program on working memory and selective attention of a group of Iranian students with maths learning disabilities. The study had a quasi-experimental research design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up tests. Forty students with maths learning disabilities were randomly assigned to either experimental or control groups. The findings showed that the program improved working memory and selective attention of the experimental group, and this effect lasted for a two-month follow-up. It can be concluded that the EASY Minds program can be used as an interventional technique to improve working memory and selective attention of students with maths learning disabilities.

ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF TEACHING IRANIAN STUDENTS IN RUSSIAN VERBS OF MOTION

Moving in space and its expression in speech is one of the linguistic universals that are expressed in different ways in languages. Interlanguage differences lead to the creation of difficulties in the study of verbs of motion in a foreign audience and cause any errors. The communicative significance of the verbs of motion is extremely high. They are used in communication at all stages of training. Learning the prefixed verbs of motion greatly expands the potential vocabulary of learners. In the Iranian audience, the topic of “verbs of motion of the Russian language” causes significant difficulties. This article is devoted to the study of the difficulties faced by Iranian students in teaching the verbs of motion in the Russian language. The subject of the research is the verbs of motion of the Russian language. Descriptive and comparative methods of linguistic research are used in the work.

Attitude to Labor among Learners of Industrial Colleges in Russia, China and Iran

Introduction. A contradiction which we are able to observe over a few recent decades between necessity to participate in innovative processes and their natural stressogenic character has underlined the importance of developing programs for proactive organizational socialization which will be capable of building up successful behavior competences in VUCA environment in Industry 4.0. When self-actualization in labor is being devalued, attitude to labor is now considered as a key competence. Purpose: to reveal features of attitude to labor as a basis of professional socialization of learners studying at industrial colleges in countries which are now entering the new technological reality with a different degree of success: Russia, China and Iran. Materials and Methods. The analysis draws on the data obtained with WorkBAT method developed by J. Spence and A. Robbins, and their correlation with the values of organizational cultures which are characteristic of industrial colleges. The data on organizational cultures were obtained with OCAI method developed by C. Cameron and R. Quinn. Results. Russian students do not feel the changed nature of labor, their attitude to it is substituted by a wish to strengthen clan-based and loosen hierarchical components of the organizational cultures. Iranian students have a negative attitude to labor in a real hierarchical environment and a positive attitude to it in an innovative market environment, which suggests that they would be engaged and emotionally satisfied. Chinese students, having experienced specific organizational cultures of innovative companies in real life, have a positive attitude to labor in a hierarchical environment of stability and certainty. Discussion and Conclusion. The findings contribute to the development of scientific understanding of the role of value-based work readiness in the turbulent environment of a modern enterprise and the psychological mechanisms of proactive organizational socialization, taking into account socio-cultural country specificity.

The Role of Education in Promoting Safe Motorcycle Riding Behaviors Among Iranian Students: An Application of the Protection Motivation Theory and the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model

Background: Considering the influential role of teaching safe behaviors in preventing accidents and injuries, this study aims to determine the effect of educational intervention based on protection motivation theory (PMT) and information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model on promoting safe motorcycle riding behaviors in male students at Sabzevar University. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 100 motorcyclist students at Sabzevar University selected using two-stage cluster sampling method in 2018. After confirming the validity and reliability of the instrument, the questionnaire was completed three times before, immediately, and two months after the educational intervention. The intervention group was held in 9 educational sessions for three weeks. The data were analyzed by SPSS18 software using t-test, chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and repeated measures tests. Results: The mean scores of PMT and IMB and safe behaviors of students in the intervention group immediately and two months after the educational intervention compared to the control group showed a statistically significant increase (p<0.001). The mean scores of the studied constructs and safe behaviors in the intervention group had also a statistically significant change over time (p <0.05). Conclusion: The results indicate the effect of educational intervention based on PMT and IMB on promoting safe behaviors in young students. Face-to-face education and virtual education based on a combination of health education theories can be used to effectively promote safe behaviors of motorcyclist students.

The barriers to whole-grain consumption among Iranian students

Studies show that regularly consuming whole grains reduce the risk of obesity and a wide range of chronic diseases. Despite this, studies reveal that students are consuming fewer whole grains. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the barriers to the consumption of whole grains among Iranian students. This cross-sectional study examined students at Fasa, Iran in 2020–2021. The online questionnaires were completed by students after receiving informed consent. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26 and Chi-square, t-test, and logistic regression (P > 0.05). The current study involved 1890 students (1287 (68.1%) girls and 603 (31.9%) boys). Despite the preference for white flour bread among 53.8% of all students, 77.4% ate other whole-grain products, and 75.2% consumed all products at least once a week. Additionally, barriers such as access issues (70.5%), family supply issues (91.8%), lack appeal (72.8%), non-consumption by classmates (96.2%), and high prices in recent years (43.9%) were identified as obstacles to whole grain consumption. Furthermore, white bread eating students had significantly lower appetite levels and tended to eat fast food more often than those who ate whole grains (P < 0.05). We found that slightly more than half of the participants preferred to eat bread prepared with refined flour. Several other factors, including lack of access, lack of attractiveness, product price, parents not purchasing whole-grain products, students not paying attention to nutrition labels, peers’ effect, and eating with friends instead of family, also contribute to students avoiding whole-grain products.

Street network morphology and active mobility to school: Applying space syntax methodology in Shiraz, Iran

BackgroundPrevious research has found that built environment features (e.g., density, diversity and design) influence children's mode of transportation choice during school excursions. However, little is known about how and to what extent neighbourhood street morphology impacts students' commuting patterns. MethodsWe studied the commuting patterns of children from 18 primary schools in three distinct urban fabric zones (inner, middle, and outer) in Shiraz, Iran. Parents with children in primary grades of 1–6 (n = 1503) were chosen to report on their children's school journey diaries. To examine street network layout, five well-known indices based on the Space Syntax methodology were used: Connectivity, Integration, Control, Intelligibility, and Choice. In order to select a local catchment area for each individual student, an inventory GIS model was created. ResultsIntelligibility and Integration are found to have a positive association with students' walking distances of 400 and 800 m among local morphological elements. Students are more likely to stroll when the space's readability, continuity, and coherence improve. Control and Choice, on the other hand, had a detrimental influence on the walking of students. ConclusionActive mobility to school is associated with urban layout characteristics among Iranian Students, especially within a radius of 800 m. This study discovered that increasing the movement potential of space within an 800 m radius had a greater impact on a child's ability to walk than increasing the movement potential of space within a 400 m radius, and that the Integration (R3), Choice (R3), and Intelligence of the street network within an 800 m radius of students' homes was linked to better walking between home and school. Improving the readability, cohesion, and spatial continuity of the local street network might boost their propensity to walk to school.

The role of website features in creating value co-creation behaviors and enhancing the brand image and reputation of higher education institutions

PurposeDespite promising conceptual developments in value co-creation behaviors, the scholarly attention afforded to the importance of the university website features in strengthening the university brand image and reputation through students’ value co-creation behaviors is limited. University website features are conceptualized as a hierarchical construct with three dimensions: usability, availability and information. This study aims to investigate the effect of university website features and value co-creation behaviors of students on promoting brand image and brand reputation at Islamic Azad University in Iran.Design/methodology/approachThis study is quantitative. Using convenience sampling techniques, a responsive group of 384 students was chosen from the Islamic Azad University of Tehran in Iran. Survey methods were used for data collection. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the derived hypotheses.FindingsThe findings of this study indicated that website features have a positive effect on fostering value co-creation behaviors (participation and citizenship behavior), and participation behavior, in turn, improves university brand image and reputation. At the same time, among value co-creation behaviors, citizenship behavior has no impact on the university’s brand image. Finally, the brand image formed through website features and participation behavior positively affects brand reputation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted in the higher education (HE) sector in one cosmopolitan Iranian city (i.e. Tehran), to which Iranians from other cities travel for studying. Thus, the results of this survey include a variety of subcultures. In the future, a study that incorporates all major metropolitan cities of Iran may increase the generalizability of the findings. Unrelated to the purpose of this study, a future research study may extend the currently studied geographical dimensions and examine the antecedents of university brand reputation across different nations using a cross-cultural approach.Practical implicationsPragmatically, the findings of this study urge university policymakers, information technology managers and marketers to consider the university website’s unique role in assisting co-creation behavior, which in turn promotes university brand image and reputation in the HE market. One of the ways to assess a university’s brand image and reputation is through the university ranking system. Ascending the ranking system can allow a university to attract qualified students.Originality/valueThese findings contribute to the marketing literature by empirically validating the three elements in the website features construct, providing intelligence on how website features can drive value co-creation behaviors, brand image and reputation. Also, results revealed that the brand image of universities positively affects brand reputation. This study highlights the importance of national and international rankings of universities and students’ sensitivity to such rankings. Undoubtedly, this is evident in Iranian students’ behavior in selecting their university.

Investigating Internet Addiction and Sleep Quality Correlation Among Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2021

Background: The quality of sleep plays an important role in physical development, as well as maintaining physical and mental health. Approximately 20% of Iranian students suffer from Internet addiction, and 56% suffer from insomnia. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relevance of Internet addiction and sleep quality among Isfahan University of medical sciences students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted as a questionnaire at the Medical Sciences University of Isfahan. The collected data had three components: (1) Demographic information, (2) sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and (3) amount of internet use with a questionnaire of 20 Internet Addiction Tests (IAT). Logistic regression was used to find any association between Internet Addiction and Sleep quality. Results: A total of 562 female and male students participated in the study, with a mean age of 21.41 ± 1.87. Internet users with moderate and mild addiction had poorer sleep quality than those with normal and severe Internet addiction. Logistic regression analysis showed an association between Internet addiction scores and sleep quality (OR = 1.035: 1.02, 1.04, P &lt; 0.001). In addition, poor sleep quality was also predicted by the subgroups "excessive internet use" and "anticipation". Conclusions: The relationship between internet addiction and sleep quality was significantly negative. Universities and all educational institutions can use it to control the effects of Internet abuse and the quality of sleep of students.