Fuzzy Multiple Attribute Decision Making Model for Selecting School Principals based on Managerial Competency Criteria in the Education Department of Isfahan Province

The present study was designed to develop a Fuzzy Multiple Attribute Decision Making model for choosing school principals based on Managerial Competency Criteria. This study has a combination exploratory design. An in-depth review of literature was carried out to extract the initial competency criteria. Semi-structured interviews were held with 25 professors and experts in education management, selected through network sampling from universities across the country, and the pre-model was accordingly modified and the sub-criteria were determined. Competency questionnaire was implemented in a sample of Isfahan school principals and then, the verification of the confirmatory factor analysis, the questionnaire was corrected. The sample size was determined based on the Cochran formula of 368 people. The questionnaire was distributed among a sample size of 51 school principals selected through purposive sampling from Isfahan Education Department by referral sampling, and the final model was thus developed. The hierarchical structure of the competency criteria, including the main individual, occupational and organizational criteria, 12 secondary criteria and, 74 sub-criteria was determined. The criteria and sub-criteria were ultimately ranked using the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process and based on the views of fifteen experts, selected through network sampling, the final model was developed. The findings demonstrated that occupational competencies were the core criterion, and human competencies ranked first among their sub-criteria. Eventually, based on the Fuzzy Inference Systems and according to opinions of eight experts, the Fuzzy rules database were formed and, using its outputs a model for choosing school principals were developed.