Journal of Research in Educational Systems

Abstract Objective: The country's higher education management system has always faced many issues that it is not able to deal with all of them easily. Therefore, it is necessary to know the nature of the issues in this field in order to provide the best management and governance methods. The present study was conducted with the aim of identifying the complex issues in the higher education management system of the country. Methods: This research was a type of qualitative research that was conducted in 2023 using thematic analysis method. The research community included professors and experts with academic education in public administration, executive managers working in the Ministry of Ataf, and researchers and experts in higher education, and sampling was done using a targeted non-probability method. Data collection continued until theoretical data saturation and 15 semi-structured individual interviews were conducted. MAXQDA qualitative data analysis software was also used for coding. Results: The findings of the research showed that identity crisis, quantification, centralization, process complexity and diversity of governance and legislative authorities are among the complicated issues in the country's higher education management system. Conclusion: As a result, deep attention to each of these issues by the managers of the country's higher education system can lead to the sustainable development of the country, improving the quality of service provision and reducing related costs, increasing the transparency of processes, etc. with such issues to be used by them. .

Abstract Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of positive self-talk training on selective attention and processing efficiency among female students.
Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design, along with a control group. The statistical population included all female students of the second secondary level of Yasouj city in the academic year 2021-2022, 40 of whom were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. The experimental group received positive self-talk intervention training for 8 sessions of 90 minutes, and the control group did not receive any training. In order to measure their selective attention and processing efficiency, the Stroop test and the information processing index test were used, the pre-test was performed one week before and the post-test was performed one week after the training period.
Results: Data analysis using the MANCOVA analysis method showed that the scores of the post-test of selective attention and processing efficiency were significantly different in the two groups; In this way, the attention and processing efficiency of the experimental group increased after self-talk training, and positive self-talk training was effective in improving the selective attention and processing efficiency of the experimental group.
Conclusion: Therefore, it is suggested to carry out training for positive thinking and positive self-talk in schools.

Abstract Objective: Educational organizations of our country, especially schools, in order to deal with the many issues and problems they face in today's changing conditions are in urging need of principals and teachers who are creative and up-to-date and show this creativity in their job performance. Considering the importance and necessity of the creative performance of teachers and principals, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between digital leadership and creative performance through psychological empowerment of teachers. Methods: The research method was quantitative, descriptive and correlational. Thirty hundred and ten teachers were selected from 1,610 elementary school teachers in the 5th district of Tehran, Iran by simple random sampling based on Cochran's formula in 2023-2024 academic year. The participants completed the Digital Leadership Questionnaire (Ulutas & Arsalan, 2017), the Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (Spreitzer, 1995) and the Creative Performance Questionnaire (Oldham & Cummings, 1996). Results: Data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling by SPSS and LISREL softwares. The results indicated that digital leadership had a direct, positive and significant effect on the creative performance and psychological empowerment, psychological empowerment had a direct, positive and significant effect on teachers' creative performance, and digital leadership had an indirect, positive and significant effect on the creative performance through the psychological empowerment. Conclusion: Finally, in order to respond appropriately to the innovative changes and advances of the digital-oriented environment, educational organizations and schools should use the digital leadership style to eliminate teachers’ stress about possible mistakes in expressing ideas and new opinions, and thus increase the creative performance of teachers.

Abstract Objective:The present study aimed to model the academic vitality of critical thinking mediated by academic self-efficacy of gifted students of gifted schools.
Methods:The study employed a correlational-descriptive method using structural equation modeling (SEM). The research statistical population consisted of the gifted students of the lower secondary school (7th and 8th grade) in Isfahan gifted schools in the second semester of the academic year 2022 - 2023. The sample was selected via a convenient sampling method. Finally, 340 students were selected as participants to answer Hossein-Chari and Dehghanizadeh’s Academic Vitality Questionnaire (2013), Rickett's Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (2003), and The Morgan-Jinks Student Efficacy Scale (1999). Data were analyzed using SEM.
Results: As the results showed, the proposed model had a good fit to the data. The results demonstrated that critical thinking has a significant and positive effect on academic vitality both directly and indirectly through academic self-efficacy.
Conclusion: As a result, to increase the gifted students’ academic vitality, while paying attention to increasing critical thinking skills, focus on increasing their academic self-efficacy.

Abstract Objective: Many organizations face with threats due to the lack of talents, so developing talents is one of the most important challenges they encounter. One of these organizations is the Ministry of Education which needs to develop the talent of novice teachers. In order to tackle this challenge, the aim of the present research was to design a talent development model for novice teachers. Methods: The study design was sequential explanatory in which both qualitative research methods and quantitative research methods were used. The study was conducted in Tehran, Iran in the year 2023. Results: Since targeted approach and theoretical saturation were used in the study, semi-structured interviews were held with 25 experts in the field of education. Finally, 286 components were identified: Six main categories and 53 sub-categories. The sub-categories were central phenomenon (5 categories), causal conditions (6 categories), contextual factors (6 categories), intervening factors (12 categories), strategies (9 categories), and outcomes (15 categories). To validate the proposed model first and second order confirmatory factor analysis were used and the internal validity of the model was confirmed. Conclusion: The findings suggested that in order to achieve a suitable talents development model for increasing the efficiency of the educational system requires a comprehensive view and the maximum participation of all effective people and institutions in this field.

Abstract Objective: The study aimed to analyze the pathology of faculty members’ social responsibility in research area and to provide solutions to increase the fit between research outputs and local and regional needs. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were held with 12 faculty members from Shiraz, Ilam and Yazd universities. The sampling method was theoretical sampling. The collection of data continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The data were analyzed by thematic analysis method. Results: Intra-institutional factors were research expediency, lack of belief in the function of problem–solving, insufficient support of social responsibility in promotion regulations, quantity orientation and article orientation, minimal research per capita. Extra-institutional factors were clientless research, lack of acceptance of need-based research, research lobbying, weak mutual trust between the university and society, luxury and marginality of research, lack of comprehensiveness in upstream documents, lack of meritocracy in appointments, employer’s unprofessional behavior, industry lack of trust in internal power, and incomplete database. Conclusion: In order to respond to the local and regional needs, it is possible to increase the faculty members’ adherence to the research social responsibility to a desirable level by providing funds and injecting financial credits, creating permanent joint desks and scientific communities consisting of local researchers and policy makers, revising the policies of faculty members’ promotion and encouragement, reviewing understanding of science and the world of localization, strengthening interdisciplinary research teams, mission orientation of universities, meritocracy in the appointment of managers and strong supervision, and prevention of collusions in research. .

Abstract Objective: the aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of academic optimism in the relationship between mindfulness and resilience and academic performance of female high school students in Mashhad.
Methods: The research method was descriptive correlational. The statistical population of the study consisted of female students of the seventh district of Mashhad in the academic year of 2022-2023. The sample size based on Klein's suggestion, was 250 students who were selected by available sampling method. The collection tools in this research are Connor-Davidson Resilience Questionnaire (2003), Baer et al.'s five-factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (2006), Tschannen-Moran et al.'s Academic Optimism Questionnaire (2013) and the grade point average was used for the students' academic performance. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics methods such as correlation tests and structural equations with path analysis were used to analyze the data.
Results: The results of showed that the conceptual model of research fits well and academic optimism plays the role of a mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and resilience and academic performance of female high school students. The relationship between academic optimism on the resilience and academic performance was also direct and significant.
Conclusion: According to the results, It can be concluded from the results of the study that academic optimism in the students has a facilitating role in the development of resilience and academic performance. Thus, mindfulness, academic optimism will be established, and eventually the resilience and academic performance will be upgraded and developed.