An Interpretive Structural Analysis of Indicators Contributing to Ineffectiveness in the Iranian University System

Document Type : پژوهشی

Author

• Seyed Hedayat Davarpanah

Assistant Professor, Department of Education, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

10.22067/fedu.2024.84489.1292

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to identify and analyze indicators of the ineffectiveness of the university system in Iran. In so doing, we recruited exploratory mixed (qualitative-quantitative) approaches. In the first stage (qualitative), we purposively selected and analyzed 12 lectures, interviews and criticism of Iranian academic experts in the media, and the results showed that according to experts, the most important indicators of the ineffectiveness of the academic system in Iran include: Quantitativeism, ineffectiveness of researches, lack of scientific authority, certificationism, deterioration of the concept of discipleship, failure and positional arrogance, class chaos and turmoil, vulnerability and reduced public trust in the university and academics, and the separation between university and society. In the second stage of the research, to analyze the relationships between the identified indicators and their leveling, was used the interpretive structural analysis (ISM) approach based on the opinion of experts, and finally, the findings showed that the indicators of the ineffectiveness of the university system in Iran based on the degree of influence on each other in There are five levels. According to the findings, the indicators of higher levels, in order of level, have a high influence on lower levels and play a central role in the ineffectiveness of the university system in Iran.
Keywords: interpretive structural analysis, ineffectiveness, university, Iranian higher education system
 
Synopsis
In the current Iranian society, however, we see that the university institution, unlike in the past, is incapable of establishing an organic relationship with a restless society that has many dreams; we see that the university is unable to speak accurately and provide scientific and rational solutions to society’s problems. In other words, the institution of the university is everywhere but nowhere in Iran (Farasatkhah, 2020).
We seem to be facing a big paradox in Iranian higher education, a paradox that leads to the formation of fundamental questions such as why, despite the growth of the Iranian higher education system, the university institution is not organically and effectively connected with the surrounding community? Why despite witnessing the abundance of news concerning the considerable number of higher education institutions; the substantial number of students, university graduates, and research projects; and the improved ranks of Iranian universities in international ranking systems, there is still talk of the inefficiency of the university institution in Iranian society? Meanwhile, deeper questions arise too: why Iran's scientific production has failed to be directed towards the developments in the realm of technology and wealth. Are not there enough aspiration in the scientific production required to improve the country's technological capacity? While the growth of scientific production in some branches of science is 80 times higher than the global average, why have Iranian universities been unsuccessful in dealing with the science-wealth relationship? (Golmakani, Nabavi, & Ahmadpour, 2014). Behind all these questions, there is a critical view of the modern university institution in Iran, a view that accuses as inefficient the institution of the modern university in Iranian society in some respects. In this regard, the present article, with an experimental method and an exploratory mixed (approaches qualitative-quantitative), seeks to identify indicators of the ineffectiveness of the Iranian university system in the three areas of education, research and social responsibility.
Conclusion
The current research was conducted with the interpretive structural analysis approach during two qualitative and quantitative stages. In the first stage (qualitative stage), information was collected through the analysis of 12 lectures held by or interviews made with experts and critics of IHES in the media, and the results showed that according to the experts, the most important indicators of the ineffectiveness of the Iranian university system include: quantitativeism, ineffectiveness of researches, lack of scientific authority, certificationism, deterioration of the concept of discipleship, failure and positional arrogance, class chaos and turmoil, vulnerability and reduced public trust in the university and academics, and the separation between university and society. In the second stage of the research (quantitative stage), to analyze the relationships between the identified indicators and their leveling and to determine which of the identified indicators are more effective and which are more effective was used the interpretive structural analysis (ISM) approach based on the opinion of experts, and finally, the findings showed that the indicators of the ineffectiveness of the university system in Iran based on the degree of influence on each other in There are five levels. According to the findings, the indicators of higher levels, in order of level, have a high influence on lower levels and play a central role in the ineffectiveness of the university system in Iran. According to the finding, the first level, where only the indicator of " the separation between university and society " is placed, is the most influential level, and the fifth level, where the two indicators of " quantitativeism " and " certificationism" are placed, is the most influential level.
In general, the examination of research bases indicates that researchers have mentioned various reasons for the ineffectiveness of the Iranian university system. For example, some researchers attribute the causes of the ineffectiveness of the university system to Intra-institutional Factors such as the dominance of the bureaucracy over the university, quantitative rules and bureaucracy, the personal interests of higher education actors, the lack and weakness of lack of meritocracy especially in the field of management and attracting faculty members (Ganei Rad, 2016; Hosseini Hashemzadeh, 2019; Kiaie Taleghani, Zeinabadi, Arasteh, & Abbassian, 2019; Motalebifar, Arasteh, Navehebrahim, & Abdollahi, 2016); And some have attributed it to extra-institutional factors such as superior regulations and documents, government economy and government control and supervision (Ariannejad, 2017; Farasatkhah, 2017; Khalili, Taskoh, Arasteh, & Ghiasi Nodooshan, 2017).
However, reflecting on the findings and the research background, we can argue that there are certain factors in any society that can lead academic institutions to ineffectiveness and malfunctioning: the role of the state/ a lack of academic independence, commercialization (i.e., the domination of neoliberal policies), international norms (i.e., language and ranking systems), and institutional norms (i.e., reward systems, hierarchy based on non-academic discourse, dominance of institutional capital over private capital, and symbolic violence).

Keywords

• interpretive structural analysis
• ineffectiveness
• university
• Iranian higher education system

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