Designing the Education Quality System Model of Shiraz University: A Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) Approach

The technological revolution and the resultant surge in employment opportunities have heightened the appeal of university education as a means to broaden knowledge and enhance income. Consequently, higher education institutions are compelled to elevate the caliber of their offerings and pedagogy to secure a competitive advantage and draw a larger student body. Over the past decade, the pursuit of quality within higher education has emerged as a pivotal concern (Prisacariu, 2015), with a discernible pivot from quantity to quality gaining momentum (McCowan, 2018). It is thus imperative to scrutinize the quality systems within universities and higher education institutions by dissecting the dimensions and factors that shape these systems and their interrelations. Such an analysis is crucial for managing the dynamic shifts impacting these systems and for mitigating qualitative deficiencies and challenges through strategic foresight and policy development. This study endeavors to craft a model for this purpose at Shiraz University employing Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM), aiming to bridge the structural research gaps in this domain and to support policymakers.

The study was structured into qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative phase, a systematic review utilizing the Prisma tool was conducted to pinpoint factors influencing the education quality system. Subsequently, semistructured interviews with three experts in higher education quality were carried out, enriching the existing knowledge base. The emergence of recurring variables from the third expert indicated the attainment of theoretical saturation. In the quantitative phase, the content validity of the identified factors was evaluated using Lawshe’s content validity ratio (CVR). Upon analysis of 12 completed questionnaires, factors scoring below the minimum CVR index value of 0.56 were discarded (Lawshe, 1975). Finally, the structural interconnections among the dimensions influencing the education quality system were examined, leading to the development of a Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) framework.

The review of literature on education quality from 2000 to 2021, following the Prisma protocol, led to the selection of 38 pertinent articles for content analysis. Complementing this, expert interviews were conducted, resulting in the identification of 26 factors influencing higher education quality. These factors were validated through Lawshe’s content validity ratio (CVR), with those scoring below the threshold being excluded. The study’s findings distilled 10 critical dimensions impacting the education quality system: individual characteristics, professors’ ability and skills, professors’ attitude and behavior, students’ attitude and performance, university employees’ behavior, education quality standards, growth opportunities and community engagement, technologybased requirements, library services, educational physical space, and curriculum and educational-research structure. These dimensions collectively form a comprehensive framework for assessing and enhancing the quality of education in higher education institutions.

The pivotal role of technology-based requirements emerged as the foundational dimension within the education quality system, as delineated by the TISM model. This research distinguishes itself from prior studies by endeavoring to construct a multi-tiered model that elucidates the factors affecting educational quality and their interrelations. The primacy of technology-based requirements in shaping educational quality underscores the need to prioritize this dimension to cultivate an optimal education quality system. Given the centrality of technology-based requirements in this study, it is advocated that the integration of information and communication technology in higher education be considered a core strategy. This strategic focus should guide the development of specific educational policies aimed at bolstering the quality of education.