Papers by Mahmoud Talkhabi
Advances in Cognitive Science, Oct 10, 2016
Research in Teacher Education(RTE), Mar 21, 2021
Along with the tremendous advances that have been made in recent years in the exploration of the ... more Along with the tremendous advances that have been made in recent years in the exploration of the neural mechanisms underlying learning, memory, reasoning, emotion, and other cognitive processes, there has been a strong desire to apply this knowledge to improve educational policies and practices. While there is seen such a growing desire by educators, teachers, policymakers and other educational agents, some neuromyths have become common. The present study aims to identify the prevalent neuromyths among teacher-students of Farhangian University. For this purpose, a survey research methodology has been used. The population was included all teacher-students of the six centers located in Tehran(4785 people) and the sampling method was proportional stratified sampling method. A total of 449 valid questionnaires were completed voluntarily and applied in the final analysis. A questionnaire including 59 true and false claims about the neuromyths has been used. The validity of the instrument was confirmed by experts and its reliability was higher than 0.88 by calculating the Kuder-Richardson 21 formula. The results showed that 8 of neuromyths are the most prevalent among teacher- students. These misunderstandings included: to differentiate curriculum and instruction according to the preferred sensory learning style of individuals; to improve literacy skills through exercises that rehearse co-ordination of motor perception skills; to differentiate curriculum and instruction based on hemisphere dominance(left brain, right brain); to improving attention through the brain gym; to learn the second language after learning the native language; to assimilate human memory with computer; to enhance the mental capacity of children using omega-3 supplements; to improve academic performance through fatty acid supplements(omega 3 and 6). Overall, the results of this study indicate the widespread prevalence of neuromyths among teacher-students, and it is suggested that appropriate policies be taken to promote teacher-student's literacy about the valid educational applications of brain research.
Naqd-i Zabān va Adabīyyāt-i Khārijī, May 22, 2019
Investigating the Effect of Applying Brain-based Learning. . .
Advances in Cognitive Science, 2019
Introduction: The Socratic Dialogue is one of the effective strategies of teaching, with strong r... more Introduction: The Socratic Dialogue is one of the effective strategies of teaching, with strong research evidence supporting its positive effects on improving student learning and thinking skills. In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Socratic Dialogue teaching on sixth grade students' attention and academic achievement. Methods: This study was conducted with a mixed method approach (quasi-experimental and phenomenological). Participants in this study were 24 sixth grade male students, half of whom were in the experimental group (dialogic method) and the other half in the control group (non-dialogic method). The Attention Network Test and CPT were used for measuring the changes in the efficacy of students' attention and a multi-choice test was designed to assess students' academic performance. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were also used for recording and representing the changes in neural network of attention when they performed the attention network test. Moreover, the semi-structured interview was utilized to describe the experiences of the teachers and students in the experimental group at the end of the intervention period. Results: Results of the study indicated that in different aspect of attention, there was a significant difference only in overall omission component of sustained attention test between the experimental and control groups. Further, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the student of the experimental and control groups on the academic achievement tests (except for mathematics) in favor of the experimental group. The ERPs data also indicated the effect of amplitude of the incongruent task at the Fz electrode and the latency of neutral task at the CZ electrode for the P200 component enhanced significantly after training for experimental group. Howevr, there was not a significant relationship among all measured changes for the N200 component. The analysis of the qualitative data obtained from the interview confirmed the role of the Socratic dialogue method in improving attention and academic performance. Conclusion: These results support the positive effects of Socratic dialogue in enhancing some aspects of students' attention and their academic achievement. These effects are highly likely related to the questioning nature of dialogic learning context that encourages students to continuously control and monitor their own attention processes.
Objective: Where as tendency toward making bridges between neuroscience and education has increas... more Objective: Where as tendency toward making bridges between neuroscience and education has increased among scientists and educators, the purpose of this study is to investigate challenges and hopes for connecting the two fields. Method: The nature of the research is philosophical critique in which possibilities and difficulties of the connection between the two domains are investigated. Results: Findings show that the interdisciplinary field of educational neuroscience provokes philosophical problems like mind- brain relationship, free will, and the descriptive / prescriptive role of science. Education, however, cannot be explained by the function of the brain alone, but is a field that inevitably takes multiple approaches. In this view, educationists acquire knowledge and skills from diverse scientific domains and synthesize them to develop defendable theories. Conclusion: In this way, neuroscience can be one of the multiple approaches which are used to justify and support education...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2012
This study examined the impact of portfolio on the development of first-grade students' cognitive... more This study examined the impact of portfolio on the development of first-grade students' cognitive skills in reading. The research methodology was semi-experimental and based on pre-test and post-test. One hundred and sixty male, first-graders constituting the population of the study were divided equally into test and control groups. The evaluation method in the test group was portfolio and in the control group scoring method. In order to perform statistical analysis, descriptive and illative statistical methods were applied. The results of the study showed the superiority of portfolio method over conventional scoring method in the development of the students' cognitive skills of reading.
Introduction: Teachers' beliefs are the essential factor in their practice. However, the sour... more Introduction: Teachers' beliefs are the essential factor in their practice. However, the source of many teachers' beliefs is their personal experiences from their experiences as students and teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the conceptions of Iranian teachers about the concepts of learning and teaching and examine its compatibility with contemporary scientific perspectives, especially cognitive science of learning. Methods: In this research, the phenomenological method was used, which examines various ways of understanding a concept or phenomenon from the perspective of a specific group of people. Participants in the study were 15 elementary school teachers whose beliefs about learning and teaching were examined through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results: The results revealed that during the recent educational reforms, Iranian teachers have become more aware of the role of teachers in providing various experiences for students. At the same tim...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the Bereiter’s educational notion and its applicabil... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the Bereiter’s educational notion and its applicability, conceptually and critically. The method of research was empirical applicability by means of which the essential components of the notion were formulated, criticized and verified, to see if it is applicable. In the study, primarily Bereiter’s philosophical assumptions and his main educational ideas were categorized, reformulated and criticized. The results of the study showed that, although Bereiter’s educational notion has a relatively consistent framework, it could be criticized and its practice in real situations may face difficulties. One of the major difficulties of his philosophical assumptions is his distinction between World two and three and its implication for correlation between mind and knowledge. In addition, the key problem of his educational idea is generalization of knowledge building as a task of all students. However, although his ideas rely on cognitive science as ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the Bereiter’s educational notion and its applicabil... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the Bereiter’s educational notion and its applicability, conceptually and critically. The method of research was empirical applicability by means of which the essential components of the notion were formulated, criticized and verified, to see if it is applicable. In the study, primarily Bereiter’s philosophical assumptions and his main educational ideas were categorized, reformulated and criticized. The results of the study showed that, although Bereiter’s educational notion has a relatively consistent framework, it could be criticized and its practice in real situations may face difficulties. One of the major difficulties of his philosophical assumptions is his distinction between World two and three and its implication for correlation between mind and knowledge. In addition, the key problem of his educational idea is generalization of knowledge building as a task of all students. However, although his ideas rely on cognitive science as ...
Introduction: Decision- making as an executive process, consists of a wide range of inputs such a... more Introduction: Decision- making as an executive process, consists of a wide range of inputs such as conditioning based on past experiences, sensory and emotional responses, and the anticipation of future goals. The present study aims to investigate the effects of cognitive/executive functions on decision making competence in organizational settings. Method: The sample of this research consisted of 430 managers from 5 industrial companies in Iran who were selected by random sampling method. The instruments which were used in this study were the Cognitive Ability Questionnaire and the Adult Decision Making Competence (A-DMC) tasks. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used through AMOS-22 for data analysis. Results: The results indicated that cognitive/executive functions –planning, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, & social cognition- had significant effects on 5 decision making competencies mediating by applying decision rules in the current model. Conclusion: To conclude...
This study explores the necessity of conceptual change in teachers' professional development ... more This study explores the necessity of conceptual change in teachers' professional development through creating knowledge building environment. In cognitive approaches to education the quality of education is considered to be a result of teachers' pedagogy and teachers' pedagogy is considered as a result of their cognition. Thereby the goal of many professional development programs is to educate teachers whose cognition is consistent with the latest research findings from cognitive and learning sciences. In this study the research synthesis was used to develop basic statements for salient characteristics of conceptual change framework. The analysis of the results showed that pedagogical belief system, teachers' preconceptions and how they align with scientific concepts, implicit theories, coherency of cognition, epistemological beliefs, metaconceptual awareness and experience-based belief system need to be considered in teachers' professional development. Finally, ...
Introduction: Regarding Thagard's viewpoint, the purpose of this paper is to verify the relation ... more Introduction: Regarding Thagard's viewpoint, the purpose of this paper is to verify the relation between philosophy and cognitive science. The mission of cognitive science is to understand how human mind works, but assigning mind studies to (cognitive) "science" once again has posed the reductionism approach to find out the nature of human mind. Method: This article conceptually analyzes the Thagard's approach to the role of philosophy in formation of the new field of mind study (cognitive science). Results: Thagard argues that philosophy has two kinds of contribution to cognitive science. The general contribution is done by optimizing tenability of philosophical presumptions and methodologies of cognitive science that how and with what concept of explanation understand the functions of mind. According to Thagard's point of view, cognitive science should explain the mechanism that leads to production of a phenomenon. This contribution reveals the state of interactions between different disciplines of cognitive science to create a new interdisciplinary field of study and understanding of the mind/brain function which, according to Wittgenstein's viewpoint, should be studied. Conclusion: Cognitive science, in interaction between different fields, needs to create a new language game in which knowledge workers of these fields contribute to build new knowledge about mind/brain based on a common system of reference.
Advances in Cognitive Science
Introduction: The present study is an attempt to explain the components of the teacher education ... more Introduction: The present study is an attempt to explain the components of the teacher education curriculum based on the situated cognition theory. This theory, with a new attitude to the cognition and learning, believes that these two categories have been applied in specific situations. Therefore, people need to be involved in real-world situations to gain authentic knowledge. Methods: Based on the perspective of situated cognition theory, the four main components of the teacher education curriculum, including teaching-learning opportunities, learning strategies, and evaluation were explained using theoretical inquiry. A prescriptive model of teacher education curriculum was presented in the form of teaching and learning strategies. This prescriptive model underlies the two concepts of cognitive apprenticeship and community of practice using learning opportunities to achieve the goals of the curriculum. The hidden evaluation component in the prescriptive model carried out to assess the process and output results. Results: The findings of the present study were discussed in terms of components such as goals, teaching-learning opportunities, learning strategies, and evaluation. In the goals section, four goals were focused on transferring well-appointed and applied knowledge to learners, social construction of meaning, training efficient and productive professional teachers, and shaping learners' professional identities. Learning opportunities have focused on doing authentic practices, discourse, narrative writing, scenario building, design, and visualization of their professional perceptions. Learning opportunities at the heart of two learning strategies, including cognitive apprenticeship, and communities of practice will accomplish the mentioned goals. Finally, the validated and authentic evaluation was proposed to evaluate the designed curriculum. Conclusion: Researchers believe that the application of the curriculum framework based on the situated cognition theory in teacher education contributes to reducing the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge, and as a result, between theory and practice.
Annals of Behavioral Neuroscience, Aug 1, 2018
This study is a mixed method design which employed both quantitative and qualitative methods in o... more This study is a mixed method design which employed both quantitative and qualitative methods in order to investigate the impact of dialogic learning on students' attention and academic achievement. Data were collected using several instruments, including: the Attention Network Test; academic performance tests and semi-structured interviews. Results of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that there is a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of students of the experimental and control groups on the executive control in favor of the experimental group after controlling the IQ score and pre-test scores. Further, there is a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of student of the experimental and control groups on the academic achievement tests (except of mathematics) in favor of the experimental group. The qualitative data also supported the quantitative findings. Therefore, dialogic teaching has significantly greater and more positive changes on some aspects of attention and academic performance.
Advances in Cognitive Sciences, 2019
Introduction: The Socratic Dialogue is one of the effective strategies of teaching, with strong r... more Introduction: The Socratic Dialogue is one of the effective strategies of teaching, with strong research evidence supporting its positive effects on improving student learning and thinking skills. In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Socratic Dialogue teaching on sixth grade students’ attention and academic achievement. Methods: This study was conducted with a mixed method approach (quasi-experimental and phenomenological). Participants in this study were 24 sixth grade male students, half of whom were in the experimental group (dialogic method) and the other half in the control group (non-dialogic method). The Attention Network Test and CPT were used for measuring the changes in the efficacy of students’ attention and a multi-choice test was designed to assess students’ academic performance. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were also used for recording and representing the changes in neural network of attention when they performed the attentio...
Journal of Curriculum and Teaching
This study compares the national curriculum of Iran and the UK to find out how the educational sy... more This study compares the national curriculum of Iran and the UK to find out how the educational system indeveloping countries such as Iran can be improved. Because of implementing thinking skills and cognitive education,the educational system in the UK benefits from a high-quality standard. The science of mind, brain, educationintroduces some principles to improve teaching and learning methods and provide thoughtful and lifelong learnersfor the societies. In this study, we specified the main parts of the national curriculum in both countries and selectedsome of the principles to determine whether these two countries apply them in their national curriculum. Some ofthese principles focus on some significant issues: teaching models, the use of Meta-discipline and HolisticTechniques, authentic learning experiences, use of products, processing and progressing Evaluations, developingexplicit learning objectives, how to benefit from thinking and reflective practices, using collaborative and...
ABSTRACT The goal of this paper is to investigate implications of cognitive science as an interdi... more ABSTRACT The goal of this paper is to investigate implications of cognitive science as an interdisciplinary study for educating philosophy of mind. Cognitive science with respect to unified investigation of the mind (UIM), in its methodology, has created new possibilities in educational planning of philosophy of mind while applying new methods and techniques in teaching. Knowledge and skills were analyzed to reveal the pedagogic innovation of cognitive science in philosophy of mind instruction. This analysis shows that teaching philosophy of mind should be involved both knowledge and skills. Also, it could be an opportunity to take interdisciplinary approach for designing heterogeneous study groups for diversity of competencies and differences of philosophy of mind students. As such, in the UIM, it is argued, could be utilized several educational resources and nonlinear problem solving, beside of explanation that has been usual in philosophy tradition, benefit from computational simulation and empirical studies (e.g. neuroscience) in the UIM that enrich learning experiences of students.
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Papers by Mahmoud Talkhabi