فصلنامه پژوهش و برنامه ریزی در آموزش عالی
سال بیست و هفتم شماره 4 (پیاپی 102، زمستان 1400)

Success of national institutions of quality assessment (NIQA) and accreditation of quality depends on the external quality assurance (EQA) processes. In spite of the fact, it is more than two decades that continuous quality assessment started in higher education in Iran. Nevertheless, the external in higher education quality assessment (non-medical), has not been done in an organized way yet. At the national level, three institutions have been established to act as national quality assurance agency (QAA):1) comprehensive higher education, 2) medical education, and 3) engineering education. The QAA in medical education has been active in conducting EQA. However, the other two NIQA have not yet been able to carry out EQA and therefore not eligible for being recognized as an accredited QAA agency.  Based on the above, a research project was conducted to find out the actual and desired states of the NIQA in Iran. In doing so, three research questions were framed and answered in the research project. This article reports the findings of the research project. The results indicated that the National Institution of Quality Assessment of general medical education has been successful. However, there is room for improvement of the other two NIQA. In this regard, factors which are affecting such situation are analyzed and towards improving the conditions of these two NIQA, a set of measures are proposed.

Internationalization is an important phenomenon in 21st century higher education. Numerous researches in this field have carried out in different countries as well as in Iran. One of the significant aspects of internationalization is the quality of higher education. Essentially, entering the world community and internationalizing higher education is not possible without considering its quality and components. Since the accreditation is one of the most widely known higher education quality assurance methods. In the present study, an attempt was made to examine the types of current efforts in this field by examining the experiences of leading countries in accreditation such as the United States, the United Kingdom and other successful countries in this field like Malaysia. In this study, using a descriptive approach and a method of collocational analysis, the question was answered whether the efforts of selected countries in accrediting higher education have been in the direction of its internationalization? The results showed that there is a relationship between the components of accreditation and internationalization. Countries that pay more attention to accreditation and evaluation and have achieved international quality standards, especially members in international quality assurance networks such as INQAAHE, APQN, etc.,  have been more successful in acquiring internationalization components.

One of the important components of the internationalization of higher education is recruiting international students.  Despite the small number of international students and due the effects and consequences of their education on the educational systems of different countries, their satisfaction with the quality of university services is important.  Given the importance of this issue, few studies have focused on the evaluation of the quality of university services from the point of view of international students in Iran. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive survey study was to evaluate the quality of university services from the point of view of international students studying at Shahid Beheshti University. The statistical population was all 221 international students studying at Shahid Beheshti University.  sample size was determined 140 via Krejci & Morgan table. Based on simple random sampling method and Considering the drop coefficient, 150 questionnaires were distributed among students and 126 questionnaires were collected. The instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. It included 6 components of the quality of university services including educational-research services, library, and media services, administrative services, welfare services, physical spaces, social and cultural services. These 6 components were measured in expectations and real existing levels. To assess the validity of the questionnaire, the opinions of academic experts was used and the reliability of the questionnaire was estimated at 0.96 at the expectations and 0.96 at the existing   levels, using the Cronbach's alpha test. Findings indicated that there is a gap between the expectations and reality (p=0.001). Most gaps between expectations and reality included the quality of administrative services (-1.45) and the quality of educational and research services (-0.73).

The present study was conducted to investigate the structure and composition of the Board of Trustees and to evaluate the performance of the boards of trustees of second level universities in Iran. This research was conducted in the form of content analysis, quality of approvals and the pattern governing the decision-making process with emphasis on the financial effects of approvals and the scope of approvals in the three periods of 2013-2015-2017. In order to collect the required information, the library method was used, approvals were reviewed and the required information was extracted and quantified by open coding method. The statistical population of the study was universities and the samples were second level universities. The results showed that, on average, in the three periods under review, more than 50% of the approvals have a financial burden and impose new costs on universities. The results also showed that in the review period, the majority of approvals were related to the financial, budgetary, administrative and employment of universities. In fact, educational sections, development and physical development of capital assets, students affairs, research, international, technology and others are in the next ranks, respectively. The appointment structure with limited powers, centralized and with changes affected by the political changes of the government can be called the dominant features of the composition of university Board of Trustees in Iran which is a long way from the expected and desired model of an independent and professional Board of Trustees.

The purpose of this study was to present a model for policy making in technical and skills education. Ruling paradigm over this study was a constructivist interpretation and a qualitatively methodology. This research was conducted using Grounded Theory (Strauss and Corbin design). In order to design a policy-making model, the experts in the subject of skill training policy were interviewed and the open, axial and selective coding procedure. The study population was 41 of University of Applied Sciences and Technology' administrators of which 19 were selected by purposive sampling method. According to the aim of the study, in-depth and semi-structured interview method was used to collect data.  Findings showed that identifying educational needs of the work market and necessity of the dynamic and flexible policy-making is for those axial components that is being affected by casual factors including political, economic and managerial factors. Internal and external factors such as intervening conditions and internal organizational environment, external organizational environment and social factors are the underlying conditions that influence policy strategies. Internal and external factors such as intervening conditions and internal organizational environment, external organizational environment and social factors are the underlying conditions that influence policy strategies. The policymaking model with managerial and educational strategies leads to results in three dimensions: social-individual, managerial-governance and scientific.

Professional care of university faculty members plays an important role in the development of human resources of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Present study was implemented to design a university's faculty members professional care framework. This research was an applied type, exploratory combined (qualitative- quantitative) by nature in which data gathering at qualitative part was done through experts' opinions using Delphi technique and in quantitative part, researcher made questionnaire was utilized. Population of study consisted of administrators and staffs in Chamran University among which 17 individuals were selected through purposive sampling and Delphi technique. In the quantitative part, 235 out of 605 faculty members were selected as sample of study by Morgan's table. Data gathering tools were Delphi Checklist and a questionnaire based on Delphi output at qualitative part.  Data were analyzed using Kendall's coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis.  According to findings through three Delphi's rounds, 82 indicators and 25 components were identified among which instruction and research development, ethical regulatory plan, professional leadership, developing cultural plans and welfare vitality had the highest impact. In addition, 6 dimensions of instruction, research, ethics, administrative, culture and support were evaluated. According to findings, professional care was evaluated in terms of 6 dimensions and a consensus was obtained by experts upon 25 components effective on professional care of faculty members with Kendall coefficient of 0.804. The results of factor analysis showed that all dimensions and components of occupational care have a factor load higher than 0.5.

There is a need for rethinking in sociology, but numerous studies in this area, if not evaluated in the form of review efforts, can themselves lead to diversity, confusion, and sometimes contradiction in the findings and results obtained. In such an atmosphere, in addition to loss of rethinking effort, the field of attack on the legitimacy and position of sociology also expands. As stated on mentioned problem, the present study aimed to reflect on the reflection of sociology in Iran based on the systematic review strategy. The statistical population includes research done on sociology in Iran from 1991 to 1999 and published as articles, dissertations, and books. The fundamental question is, "What are the characteristics of accumulated knowledge in terms of form, methodology, and content?" To answer this question, based on the methodological steps, the literature on the subject was reviewed through field study, searching for works and sources, selection, studying, filing, coding, and finally, description and analysis. Finally, the results were presented in two sections: formal and content findings. Suggestions from this description and analysis emphasize the need to carefully ask questions, clarify concepts, and rely on approaches such as the sociological approach of sociology in future reflection efforts.