Effective Strategies in Curriculum Change in Higher Education Institutes (A Qualitative Study)

The aim of the study is to investigate the strategies affecting curriculum change in higher education institutes and universities by applying a qualitative approach. The population of this study includes university managers, curriculum experts and policy makers. Among them 16 individuals were selected from each group through interviews based on Graneheim and Lundman. The results from data analysis of open coding, axial and selective coding showed that four strategies affect curriculum change. First strategy is culture which involves acceptance and belief, participative culture, faculty members’ interactions and creating curriculum knowledge. The second strategy includes the legal strategy; rules and regulations, facilities and resources, organizational structure and university autonomy. Third one is managerial strategy; accountability, delegation, beneficiaries training and macro-policy making. Fourth strategy is environmental strategy; government role, social and cultural factors and economic factor. In balance, universities are supposed to response to the challenges raised from cultural, social, political, and economic changes around the universities. Therefore, the universities as to accomplish the matter, should plan the upgraded and updated curriculum. The curriculum change without cultural, legal, managerial, and environmental strategies could be ineffective and inefficient, in practice.