The Obstacles to Curriculum Change in Higher Education: Viewpoints of Faculty Members of Shahid Beheshti University and Shahid Behehsti Medical University

Curriculum in higher education plays a key role and can affect the efficiency, quality and effectiveness of the educational system. It is important to change curricula for meeting social needs and reflecting the latest scientific achievements. The present study aims to identify barriers to change curricula in Shahid Beheshti University and Shahid Behehsti Medical University. In this descriptive-survey study, a sample of 130 faculty members from the above-mentioned universities was randomly selected through multi level cluster sampling method. Data was collected by using a researcher-made questionnaire, with 30 items related to 5 areas of main obstacles in curriculum change. The validity of the questionnaire was determined by curriculum studies scholars; the reliability was calculated 0.88 by using the alpha correlation. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics including sample T-test, independent T-test and Friedman test according to the variables. One sample T- test showed that both groups had considered all the designed items as the barriers to curriculum change. Friedman test prioritized five areas studied from the perspective of the faculty members of Shahid Beheshti University as internal barriers, external barriers, economic & financial barriers, motivational & human barriers, and professional & career barriers; and from the view point of faculty members of Shahid Beheshti Medical University as internal barriers, external barriers, economic & financial barriers, professional & career barriers, and motivational & human barriers. According to the barriers to change, strategies such as holding appropriate workshops and reviewing the curricula, creating a structure that will delegate reviewing the curricula and will institutionalize it in university and providing adequate funding to promote faculty members curricula in the process of change and reforming academic curricula are recommended for the elimination of the barriers.