Journal of Research in Educational Systems

Abstract Objective: T This study aimed to design and validate a model of an ethical university in Iranian medical universities. Method: The research was applied and mixed-method. In the qualitative phase, data were collected using the grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) through semi-structured interviews with 26 experts in professional ethics, educational management, and higher education. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. The qualitative sample included managers and administrators from medical universities in Zanjan, Qazvin, Qom, Saveh, Arak, and Alborz, faculty members, Ministry of Health experts, and specialists in ethics and medical education. In the quantitative phase, a 30-item researcher-made questionnaire based on qualitative findings was developed and distributed among 384 managers, deputies, experts, faculty members, and researchers. Data were analyzed using SPSS, AMOS, and Smart PLS. Results: Second-order confirmatory factor analysis indicated satisfactory model fit: χ²/df = 2.081, RMSEA = 0.040, CFI = 0.948, GFI = 0.962, and TLI = 0.956. Key factors influencing the model included policies and structures, ethical education and research, ethical leadership, ethical artificial intelligence, ethical culture and behavior of actors, supervision, social responsibility, and ethical development. Thirty core indicators were identified, including a code of ethics, ethics committees, training courses, responsible research workshops, and ethical guidance for managers. Conclusions: An ethical university is a multidimensional and dynamic phenomenon that integrates policymaking, culture, education, and ethical technology. It can serve as a framework for enhancing organizational health and professional ethics in medical higher education in Iran.

Abstract Objective: Organizational cronyism is a significant issue in public organizations, particularly educational institutions, whose identification and assessment require reliable tools. The present study aimed to develop and validation a questionnaire for identifying organizational cronyism in educational settings. Objective: Organizational cronyism is a significant issue in public organizations, particularly educational institutions, whose identification and assessment require reliable tools. The present study aimed to develop and validation a questionnaire for identifying organizational cronyism in educational settings. Method: This research employed a mixed-method approach with a sequential exploratory design. In the qualitative phase, data were collected and analyzed using descriptive phenomenology through semi-structured interviews with 17 employees of the Department of Education in Hamedan Province. Based on the qualitative findings, a 65-item questionnaire was developed. Following face and content validity assessments, it was administered to 545 employees of the same organization using stratified random sampling. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were examined using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and Cronbach’s alpha, utilizing SPSS 25 and AMOS 24 software. Results: Psychometric analyses revealed that the final questionnaire, consisting of 44 items and five main factors—'favoritism,' 'unfair allocation,' 'unregulated appointments,' 'partisanship,' and 'kinship hierarchy'—explained 57.94% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that all final items had factor loadings above 0.40, and the fit indices (CFI = 0.908, TLI = 0.901, RMSEA = 0.057) demonstrated a good fit of the measurement model. The questionnaire's convergent validity was 0.621, its reliability coefficient measured by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92, and the test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.733. The results confirmed that the Organizational Cronyism Questionnaire has satisfactory validity and reliability. Conclusions: The Organizational Cronyism Questionnaire is a comprehensive, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing organizational cronyism in educational environments. This tool can assist officials in identifying and preventing various dimensions of organizational cronyism.
Results: Psychometric analyses revealed that the final questionnaire, consisting of 44 items and five main factors—'favoritism,' 'unfair allocation,' 'unregulated appointments,' 'partisanship,' and 'kinship hierarchy'—explained 57.94% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that all final items had factor loadings above 0.40, and the fit indices (CFI = 0.908, TLI = 0.901, RMSEA = 0.057) demonstrated a good fit of the measurement model. The questionnaire's convergent validity was 0.621, its reliability coefficient measured by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92, and the test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.733. The results confirmed that the Organizational Cronyism Questionnaire has satisfactory validity and reliability.
Conclusions: The Organizational Cronyism Questionnaire is a comprehensive, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing organizational cronyism in educational environments.

Abstract Objective: The present study aimed to Present and validate the Smart leadership model for school principals and was conducted based on a local conceptual model extracted from the research literature. Method: This study was conducted using a qualitative-quantitative method, in which thematic analysis was used in the qualitative part and the survey method in the quantitative part. First, 97 basic themes were identified using the inductive thematic analysis method from 40 scientific sources, based on the Atride-Sterling perspective, which became the basis for the formation of the Smart leadership model after calculating the agreement of the two coders and confirming its content validity by 15 experts. Relying on the conceptual model approved by the experts as the basis for designing the research tool, it was implemented on a statistical sample of 314 school principals using a non-random sampling method of the available type. The data collection tool was a 97-item researcher-made questionnaire with appropriate content and construct validity, whose reliability was also confirmed by a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.923. The research data were analyzed using Amos26 and SPSS26 software. Results: Based on thematic analysis, 3 overarching themes (semantic, argumentative, and insightful), 12 organizing themes, and 97 basic themes for Smart leadership of school principals were obtained, which became the basis for the formation of an Smart leadership model for school principals. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model had sufficient fit and the validity of the model was confirmed. Conclusions: The school principals' Smart leadership scale had adequate validity in measuring and fitting the model. This tool, due to its comprehensiveness, flexibility, ease of use, quality, and appropriateness, has adequate capacity for use in future research.

Abstract The aim of the current research is to critically examine the national system of monitoring and evaluation in Iran's higher education, which used a qualitative approach and a descriptive phenomenological method. The participants in the research included 16 university and research institute experts who are knowledgeable about the field of study. The purposeful sampling method was snowball type. In order to collect data, a semi-structured interview tool was used until theoretical saturation was reached, and in order to analyze the data, the content analysis method was performed with an inductive approach based on Granheim and Lundman's model. The results showed that the challenges of the national monitoring, evaluation and validation system in Iran's higher education system are six categories: the multiplicity of monitoring and evaluation institutions and the absence of a national institution and trustee for the monitoring and evaluation of universities, centers and institutions of higher education; lack of clear, specific and standard criteria for measuring, monitoring, evaluating and ranking universities; centralization in the evaluation of universities, institutes and higher education centers by the government; Academics' belief, trust and weak belief in the importance and benefits of monitoring and evaluation; Lack of a suitable and comprehensive database for evaluation and validation; Weakness of the culture of accountability, follow-up, demanding and evaluation in the higher education system were divided and finally political strategies were presented to improve the national system of monitoring and evaluation of higher education in Iran.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a teacher’s guide of 1st grade science subject-matter based on cognitive tools of imaginative education theory. The research method was qualitative content analysis. The research community included the textbooks and guide of the science teacher and related to the first primary sciences and resources, articles, and digital books associated with cognitive tools of imaginative education theory. The sampling method was purposive and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Based on open and axial coding,, 3 basic categories and 7 subcategories related to the water chapter of the first elementary sciences and 10 categories were obtained related to the subject of cognitive tools of imaginative education theory. The first primary science education guide was developed based on the cognitive tools of the imaginative education theory. In order to validate the developed guide, this guide was provided to the experts and their opinions and corrections were collected by Delphi method and applied in the guide. the content validity of the developed guide was investigated using the content validity index and content validity ratio. This guide, which has been approved by experts, has been compiled for the first time in the country and can be used by first grade teachers. It can also be used as a model for teachers and educators to use to teach any content in areas related to children's education such as schools and kindergartens.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to design a curriculum based on sustainable development, professional development and citizenship education and its validation from the perspective of specialists. The curriculum based on Tyler's Globalization approach includes goals, content, teaching methods and curriculum evaluation. The statistical population of this research includes professors and faculty members in the field of sustainable development and professional development and citizenship education working in Tehran universities and specialists in the education system in this field. To determine the required sample size, a targeted trial sampling Which number is 30 people. the way for collecting data is a researcher-made questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics are used to analyze the data. After validity, by content validity ratio of CVR and CVI content validity index, 13 items in the goals section, 13 content items, 9 items of teaching methods and 6 evaluation points were obtained, which consisted of 41 items in total.

Abstract The purpose of this research is to design curricula with the approach of globalization and preservation of cultural identity and validation of it from the point of view of experts. The curriculum with a global approach based on Klein's model includes objectives, content, teaching and learning strategies, materials and educational resources, learning activities, training time, learning space, learner grouping, curriculum evaluation. The statistical population of this study consists of all experts and curriculum specialists. To determine the required sample size, a targeted sample of 40 people is used. Data collection is a researcher-made questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics are used to analyze the data. After validity, the CVR content validity ratio and the CVI content validity index, 14 items in the goals section, 10 content classes, 5 teaching and learning strategies, 5 educational materials and resources, 5 learning activities, 6 training time points, 6 items of training space, 7 groups were grouped, 5 evaluation points, totally 62 items.

Abstract The present study aims to provide the view of managers and specialists for the internationalization of open and distance education in Iran. This research is in terms of purpose, applied-development, in terms of method, descriptive-survey, and in terms of strategy, mix (quantitative and qualitative). In the first stage, by studying the literature and the experts´ opinion, the factors affecting the internationalization of education were introduced and a researcher made questionnaire was made then the factors validated by independent T-test (100 samples), the results of component validation showed that 13 components as effective dimensions in "Internationalization of Education", introduced. Then, by using Delphi method, 41 indicators were introduced as effective indicators (20 samples), and finally, with the implementation of structural models (250 samples), they were investigated and confirmed. Finally, the proposed indicators and dimensions were presented. In this research, it has been tried to provide a base for the development of these dominant indicators, a step towards the internationalization of Open and distance education.
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Abstract Background: One of the important issues that contemporary education faces is the issue of moral education. The importance of ethical education in the education system, especially in the elementary period, is obvious and undeniable, and ethical education is also part of a curriculum that will boost the students' academic and practical skills. Method: This research is a qualitative research with a descriptive-analytical approach and its method is "Qualitative content analysis method" in particular. To identify the status of moral education in the elementary period, the primary data was obtained using qualitative and documentary analysis. To select interview samples, a targeted sampling method and specifically a snowball technique were used with 15 researchers involved in the subject and the "theoretical saturation criterion”. Findings and Conclusion: The results of the interview were arranged by using the selected coding and the final model was arranged in the form of four elements of goals (in the cognitive, emotional and emotional domain), principles, content and educational methods. Among the features of this pattern Can be native, attention to audience characteristics, scientific, specificity, simplicity, exquisiteness, realism, educational outlook, and active approach to teaching and learning.