A systematic review of educational equity in Iran: Conceptualization, Challenges, and Indicators

The present research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of educational equity in Iran through a systematic review, focusing on three primary aspects. The first facet delves into the conceptualization of educational equity, the second reviews the challenges and proposed solutions within this domain, and the third categorizes indicators that can be used to evaluate educational equity in Iran.

In the process of screening related articles and quality assurance, the study drew upon the principles and the framework proposed by the PRISMA protocol and the McDermott model; Ultimately, 23 studies were selected for this purpose, and the overall research methodology relies on qualitative methods such as qualitative content analysis and document analysis.

The review of these studies reveals that the indicators employed in the research can be categorized into five broad groups. Additionally, challenges surrounding educational equity in Iran can be classified based on four key dimensions: availability, accessibility, adaptability, and acceptability of education.

The investigation conducted in this study indicated that there has been limited in-depth conceptualization of educational equity and the majority of inferences are based upon the distributive justice. Therefore, it is believed that by integrating relevant theories such as critical race theory, social capital theory, capability approach, and human capital theory, a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of educational equity can be formulated.

Innovation and originality: 

Educational equity in Iran, due to its intricate and multifaceted nature, has not been deeply studied. This review study attempts to delineate the contours of this complex landscape and provide a solid theoretical foundation for future research endeavors.