A framework for understanding the problem of the scientific community of faculty members in Iran's higher education

Document Type : research article

Authors

1 associate professor, educational sciences. Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 professor, educational sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

3 associate professor, educational sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to present a model for understanding the problematization of the scientific community among faculty members in Iran's higher education system.
Methodology: This research employed a qualitative meta-synthesis approach, analyzing and synthesizing 25 selected research articles on the scientific community of faculty members using Strauss and Corbin's systematic grounded theory method.
Results: The research model illustrates the conditions under which faculty members find, or fail to find, opportunities to form and develop a scientific community. Consequently, the concept of "opportunity for the formation of a scientific community" was identified as the core category of the model. This model also explains the causal factors that influence the process of forming and developing a scientific community in universities, identifying the context and characteristics under which such a community can or cannot be formed, the interventions and strategies that can impact this process, and how these factors lead to outcomes influenced by the presence or absence of a scientific community.
Conclusions and Suggestions: The scientific community of faculty members in Iran’s higher education does not form in a vacuum; it is continuously shaped by causes arising from the context and intervening variables, leading to different outcomes. Therefore, policymakers must understand this situation and adopt appropriate measures in higher education planning to form and develop a scientific community in Iran's higher education system.
Innovation and originality: The innovation and originality of this research lie in its comprehensive, process-oriented approach, relying on a systematic analysis of established knowledge of the subject, providing a clear depiction of the current state and the transition towards the desired state, thus offering guidance for academic and managerial stakeholders in the formation and development of the faculty members’ community in Iranian universities.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Educational Planning Studies
Volume 12, Issue 24
September 2024
Pages 124-147

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History

  • Receive Date: 10 June 2023
  • Revise Date: 17 July 2023
  • Accept Date: 03 October 2023

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