An analysis on Justice theory coherence in educational policies of Islamic Republic of Iran program theory evaluation approach

Public policies constitute the key mechanism for achieving the ultimate objectives of national education. Lack of a solid theoretical foundation and functional coherence in these policies are among major challenges of the educational system. Undoubtedly, the quality of educational policies is based on the program theory of such policies. One underlying theory here is justice theory. This means that a kind of implicit or explicit justice theory is the base of educational policies.
The purpose of this study is evaluating the above-mentioned justice theory coherence using program theory evaluation method. The adopted model in this method is the combination of “logic analysis” model and “realistic matrix” model. The results of the study indicate that, in regard to the intrinsic elements of justice (need, effort, right, impartiality, equilibrium, equality and background), some weakness in theoretical coherence can be seen between two sets of educational policies, i.e. public and nongovernmental ones.