Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Mohammad Mojtabazadeh ¹
• abbas abbaspour ²
• hasan makeki ³
• maghsoud farasatkhah ⁴

¹ Assistant Professor of Management and Administration Science, Faculty of Humanities, Khodabandeh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khodabandeh, Iran

² Department of Management and Educational Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University , Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Curriculum Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University , Tehran, Iran

⁴ Associate Professor, Department of Planning in Higher Education, the Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The aim of this study is to design an accreditation and quality assurance model, appropriate to underlying condition and   contextual features Iran's higher education system. The study was conducted using qualitative research with the Grounded Theory approach. The study population had higher education experts, which 36 persons by purposive sampling for semi-structured interview were selected. In addition to interview, 3 other sources were used to collect data, which are, observing, taking notes and documents. After that, we act the first to open coding, then, to have axial and selective action. In the first phase open coding, in 2027 the concept was obtained. The second phase of open coding data, in 1262 concept and 157 major categories were classified. In axial coding stage, 25 theoretical codes were determined. Then, in terms of condition, interactive / process and outcome characteristics was classified. In selective coding, category of quality discourse, fear and hope, as the central category where selected. In the opinion of higher education experts, Existing challenges in academic quality in Iran are due to the challenge of discourse, and no challenge in nature in and shape and even epistemological. Due to the understanding and interpretation of the experts, quality has two dimensions of fear and hope. accordingly, in a general perspective, dual and conflict vision of quality discourse, in the name of the discourse of regulatory quality as fear, and discourse of cooperative quality as  hope was typified and classified.in the universities of Iran. Also, the model designed in this study is a complex and multidimensional concept. In case this model will have a positive function, which like a unit totality should be considered in every aspect of it alike.

Keywords

• Accreditation
• Quality assurance
• Higher education