Investigating the status of ICT in the educational system of Iran : Case study ( Islamic Azad University ( District 2 ) )

This study aimed to investigate the current status of using information and communication technology (ICT) in the educational system of Iran from the perspective of teachers and students. The population consisted of the teachers (N=310) and students (N=3370) of Islamic Azad University (District 2). However, 85 teachers and 300 students were selected through stratified random cluster sampling. In addition to theoretical studies and literature review, data were collected by questionnaire. The reliability was obtained 0.91 for teachers and 0.86 for students. This was an applicationfield research. By analyzing data through descriptive and inferential statistics, the results showed that the status of using ICT in educational system of Iran was satisfactory. The findings also showed significant differences between the views of teachers and students about the use of ICT.


Introduction
According to experts, the shift of learning perspective from behaviorism to constructivism has lead the students to involve in in teaching -learning process (Betham, 2002).In the traditional beliefs of learning, a limited facts and concepts are provided and students should memorize those concepts (Zoofan, 2004).However, in contemporary approaches to teaching and learning such as constructivism and student-orientation, the emphasis is the way of collecting and creating knowledge based on personal experiences, mental structures, and beliefs.The learning in new area is student-oriented (Wiles & Bondi, 2002).Using the information and communication technologies especially computers, the goals of this new area in educational process will be realized.Educational and research system in Iran should evaluate the need for information technology in its infrastructures to include it in its structure.In other words, to recognize the role of information technology in educational system, its role in the quantitative and qualitative development of research and education field should be identified and explained.In the new millennium, traditional training structures and processes do not meet the needs of human society in the information age, because knowledge-orientation is the major goal of modern human.Therefore, the opportunities for improving the results of training process should be found.The illiterate people in new century are not those who cannot read and write, but those who do not know how to learn.Certainly, taking advantage of educational technologies using new methods will lead to more efficiency and effectiveness of educational systems.Studying the conducted research, it can be easily understood that with the establishment of such educational systems, the huge costs of universities will be reduced significantly.
Globalization is an inevitable process of the present century and its driving motor is the economic needs of communities.Undoubtedly, the extensive ICT developments can be followed in all social and economic areas.Its impact on human society is such that the world is rapidly becoming an information society.A society in which knowledge and useful use of knowledge has crucial and central role and doing tasks, regardless of geographical distance and free from time limitations, is the central achievement of this technology.Although information and communication technologies alone cannot feed the hungry, eradicate hungriness, or reduce the death of children, there are more important things which direct the economic growth and social equality.Today, as a powerful phenomenon affecting the lives of individuals and society, information and communication technology has a special and important place in education.We are living in a world that uses technology every day more than before.So, everyone should understand this technology and the concepts and skills which are necessary for its optimal use.The development of technology is so significant and pervasive that we cannot ignore its effects on education.Using developed capacities of information and communication technology in education is inevitable and necessary (Attaran, 2002).Many experts believe that the IT revolution speed is much greater than the industrial revolution speed.If Iran -as a developing country-does not attempt to join the fast train, it definitely will has greater distance with other countries than the industrial revolution.The fundamental and important issue is the empowerment of learners to achieve self-leadership skills in learning (Amir Teymoori, 2001).Considering the rapid changes in information, human knowledge, knowledge production process, and obsolescence of existing knowledge, Mehr Mohammadi (2004) asserts that the methods of learning and lifelong learning must be considered more than ever.A society which aims to develop based on knowledge and technology must transform its education.For this purpose, it should use the educational technology; i.e. the design, implementation, and evaluation of basic and applied research (Rastegarpoor, 2005).The significant changes arisen from information technology have caused fundamental transformation in the classroom.It is because of the fact that technology has enabled students www.hrmars.com to access to information outside of class.This has increased their motivation for learning.The studies have shown that approximately less than half of the teachers use computers for educational purposes such as the use of word processors, spreadsheets, and graphics software (Mishra, 2005).In general, it can be said that by changing the teaching methods, information technology has directed the the traditional concept of memory-based learning to the creative and dynamic learning (Jariani, 2001).In general, the role of information and communication technologies in the educational system can be summarized as follows: -Teacher is no longer an individual who seats in front of the students and teaches.He/she acts as a guide and helps students to find the right educational path and evaluate their learning.Teachers coming together to work in group and joint projects.

Materials and Methods
Given the subject and objectives, this is application research.Given that the researcher intends to investigate the current status of ICT in educational system from the perspectives of professors and students and it is not possible to manipulate the independent variable, descriptive research method is used.

The population
The population consists of the teachers (N=310) and students (N=3370) of psychology, Educational Sciences, and Teacher Education majors from Islamic Azad Universities (District 2) in West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan (35 units and academic centers).

Sample and sampling method
Given that the population size is large, researcher used the cluster sampling method in the first stage.In this study, the academic unit of District 2 was divided into three provinces.Randomly, Zanjan province were selected as sample that includes 9 units or academic centers.Given that the number of male teachers (82%) is more than the female teachers (18%) and the number of female students (81%) is more than male students (19%), stratified random sampling method was used in the second stage.These values are considered as follows:

International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences
July 2014, Vol. 3, No. 4 ISSN: 2226-3624 By selecting 85 professors as sample, it can be said -with 95% confidence-that the estimates of this study will have difference up to 5% from the actual value.From the student population, 300 subjects should be selected.
After determining the sample size, stratified sampling method was used for selecting samples of the academic units.The sample size in each category are summarized in the following tables.
It should be noted that 18 percent of professors are female; this proportion is observed during sampling.
It should be noted that in target population, 19% are male and 81% are female students.
The researcher made questionnaire in this study is based on Likert method with five options (very high, high, low, and very low).The questionnaire was prepared after consultation with supervisor and consultant professors.Then, the validity and reliability of the questions was evaluated.The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency tables, percentage, central indices, and distribution indices.Given the type of data, one-sample t-test was used to analyze the data related to all questions and t-test was used to compare the perspectives of professors with students.These tests are described below.

Findings
Descriptive and inferential analysis of the first hypothesis From the perspective of professors, the status of ICT in Iran's higher education system is satisfactory.

International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences
July 2014, Vol. 3, No. 4 ISSN: 2226-3624  The above table represents the descriptive information related to the first hypothesis (the status of information and communication technology from the perspective of professors).This table described the 1 to 17 questions related to the first hypothesis.As can be seen, the (observed) mean of all the questions and the mean of the first hypothesis's questions (3.3024) is more than the theoretical mean (=3), except the Question 2, 15, and 17.This implies that respondents have chosen very high and high options more than other options.Thus, professors believed that the status of ICT in Iran's higher education system is satisfactory.The T-test was used for comparing the observed mean and theoretical mean (the mean of codes allocated to each question's options).The null hypothesis in this test is as follows:

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Students are not inactive individuals who just listen to the teacher.They are active learners who work in groups to create new knowledge and engage in problem solving.-Instead of being away from school and the community, schools enter to the community and workplace.-Parents involve in learning of their children (Koozma and Aschank, 1998).

Table 1 :
Estimation of the sample size among the students and teachers

Table 2 :
Descriptive indicators and frequency distribution of answers to questions relate to the first hypothesis