Management, Education and Development in Digital Age

Parsons' approach is based on the methodological foundation of voluntarism and the epistemological basis of analytical realism, aiming to balance the two major methodological traditions. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to present a Parsonian model of human resource productivity in the timely completion of school renovation projects. This research utilized a descriptive-analytical method, employing a survey of 15 expert school renovation specialists from Alborz Province. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), factors influencing human resource productivity in the timely completion of school renovation projects were examined based on the Parsonian model, focusing on the city of Karaj. The final weight of each model indicator was calculated using the fuzzy AHP technique. The goal achievement index, with a weight of 0.181, was ranked as the top priority. Furthermore, the option of utilizing modern technologies—applying advanced technologies to enhance performance and productivity—was the highest priority among strategies, with a closeness coefficient (CL) of 0.674. The empowerment and training option, which involves aligning team members' skills and knowledge with project requirements and enhancing their capabilities to increase productivity, ranked second with a CL of 0.661. The resource allocation strategy—efficient and optimal allocation of resources based on project needs and priorities—ranked third, with a CL of 0.545. Based on the findings, goal achievement was identified as one of the most critical factors, while the utilization of modern technologies emerged as the most important strategy among the Parsonian theoretical approaches.

An important factor that helps schools perform better and have high productivity is having managers with high professional qualifications, which is only possible by identifying and attracting experts by policymakers. The aim of this article is to analyze the dimensions and components of identifying and attracting primary education managers in Tehran. In this article, the method of conducting qualitative research is used. In addition to document study, the content analysis method with MAXQDA12 software was used to analyze the dimensions, components, and indicators. The statistical population in the qualitative section was all experts in the fields of educational management, human resources, educational psychology, primary education, and experienced school managers and education district managers. After conducting 20 theoretical saturation interviews, after analyzing the interviews and using the content analysis method, basic, organizing, and comprehensive themes were extracted. The findings in the qualitative section included 3 dimensions, 9 components, 42 categories, and 103 indicators. Finally, the initial conceptual model was validated using the Strauss and Corbin method for qualitative data, and all codes were found to have sufficient validity in terms of (understanding, adaptation, generalization, and control).

This study aimed to examine the social factors influencing permanent singlehood among women aged 40-50 living in Tehran. This applied study utilized a survey research method. The statistical population consisted of all single women aged 40-50 residing in districts 3, 10, and 19 of Tehran, from which a sample of 381 individuals was selected using Cochran's formula. Data collection was conducted through a structured questionnaire, whose validity was confirmed via the KMO index and Bartlett’s test (KMO=0.801, sig=0.000), and reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α=0.788). Data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results indicated that the most significant social factor influencing permanent singlehood was women’s employment and career advancement, as the item "Finding a job after university was very important to me." had the highest mean score (4.13). Furthermore, social attitudes toward employed and educated women had improved, with 49.4% of respondents believing that educated women are perceived as more successful in society. Conversely, items such as "Married female relatives envy my singlehood" and "Marriage limits my social activities" had the least impact on permanent singlehood. The findings suggest that in contemporary society, education and employment have become primary indicators of success for women, influencing attitudes toward marriage and reducing social pressures associated with permanent singlehood. However, certain socio-cultural challenges for single women persist, necessitating further examination and policy reforms.

In the educational system, policymakers and decision-makers in educational planning consistently regard educational justice as a central principle of their programs. However, they often encounter numerous ambiguities and questions in interpreting this concept. In this context, the present study aims to provide a comprehensive model of educational justice, emphasizing inclusivity and considering all relevant dimensions. This model seeks to offer an appropriate response to the ambiguities and questions raised in Iran's education system regarding educational justice. This study employs a qualitative research method based on the grounded theory approach using the emergent strategy, incorporating an interpretive paradigm and an inductive approach. Data collection was conducted through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 experts in the field of education, with continuous attention to the criterion of theoretical saturation. The findings of this study present a multidimensional and comprehensive model of educational justice, encompassing causal factors, contextual conditions, intervening factors, strategies, and their resulting outcomes. The components of this model interact dynamically, creating a situation in which each component simultaneously influences and is influenced by the others. Furthermore, this model reflects the perspectives and mental representations of the study’s interviewees regarding educational justice. Utilizing this model not only assists educational policymakers at the macro level but also facilitates the realization of holistic justice by considering all stakeholders in the education sector.

Since education is a globally extensive organization, many countries seek to develop and transform their national education systems by following effective models aligned with their indigenous culture to meet the needs of their societies and students. This study aims to present a recruitment model considering the recruitment factors from the perspective of teachers. The research employs a descriptive-correlational method using structural equation modeling and a stratified random sampling method based on Krejcie and Morgan’s table. The statistical population consists of secondary school teachers in Urmia, with secondary school teachers from District Two selected as the sample population. After determining the overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the researcher-made questionnaire, the collected data from its administration among teachers were analyzed using AMOS statistical software. The analysis results indicated that talent, with a factor loading of 0.74, physical health, with a factor loading of 0.38, interest, with a factor loading of 0.33, selection, with a factor loading of 0.20, interview, with a factor loading of 0.33, and competence, with a factor loading of 0.78, have a positive and significant effect on recruitment at the 0.001 significance level. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a positive and significant causal relationship between student-teacher recruitment and all the examined factors. In other words, adherence to these factors is essential for the recruitment of student-teachers.

This study was conducted to identify and prioritize the dimensions and components for evaluating the quality of virtual physics education. The research method is applied in terms of purpose, descriptive-survey in terms of data collection, and mixed-methods in terms of data type. The qualitative section utilized the content analysis strategy, while the quantitative section employed a survey method. Participants in the qualitative phase included secondary school physics teachers in Iraq with at least five years of teaching experience in this subject, as well as experts in education from Iraqi universities. The sample size for this phase consisted of 15 individuals, selected purposefully based on the principle of theoretical saturation. The statistical population in the quantitative phase included all secondary school physics teachers in Iraq, from whom 246 individuals were selected as the sample using the modified Cochran formula and a cluster random sampling method. The research instrument in the qualitative phase was a semi-structured interview, while in the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed questionnaire was used. The findings indicated that the evaluation of virtual physics education quality includes eight dimensions: management, satisfaction, interaction, educational services, educational content, infrastructure and technology, feedback, and student characteristics, along with 26 components. The quantitative results showed that the satisfaction variable ranked the highest, while the student characteristics variable was in the eighth priority.

The present applied research, conducted using a mixed-methods design (qualitative and quantitative), aimed to design a curriculum model based on teacher empowerment with an emphasis on the cognitive flexibility theory in lower secondary schools in Mazandaran Province in 2021. In the qualitative phase, 20 faculty members and experts from Islamic Azad University participated, of whom 15 were selected through purposive sampling based on the principle of saturation. In the quantitative phase, the study population comprised 5,149 teachers employed in lower secondary schools in Mazandaran Province, from which a sample of 358 teachers was determined using Cochran’s formula and selected through two-stage cluster sampling. The Delphi method was employed in the qualitative phase, while in the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed questionnaire on teacher empowerment in curriculum design, incorporating a cognitive flexibility approach, was utilized, containing 62 identified indicators. The validity of the research instrument was confirmed through face, content, and construct validity. The reliability of the instrument was estimated and confirmed using internal consistency via Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability. Data analysis was conducted through confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS 21 and PLS 2 software. Regarding the qualitative findings, 15 indicators were identified in the content dimension, with the integrative method (theory and practice) ranking highest in importance. The results further indicated that as teachers become more empowered, their professional status improves, they become more adept at solving problems, and they deliver higher-quality educational performance. Their professional knowledge increases, and they develop latent power through their expertise. This empowerment essentially involves the activation of this latent power, leading to benefits such as enhanced commitment and a stronger sense of belonging to the school.

The purpose of this study is to explain the impact of green supply chain management on sales force agility, considering the mediating role of firm performance among employees of manufacturing companies in Ardabil Province. The present research is a descriptive-correlational study employing path analysis. The study population consists of managers and employees of manufacturing companies in Ardabil Province, where preliminary estimates indicate that 53 managers and 1,500 employees are active in the region's manufacturing firms. Based on Morgan's table, 306 employees from industrial companies in Ardabil Province were selected as the sample. The sampling method used in this study was purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Green Supply Chain Management Questionnaire by Saman (2019), the Sales Force Agility Questionnaire by Breau et al. (2006), and the Standard Firm Performance Questionnaire by Altuntaş et al. (2013). To test the research hypotheses, path analysis was utilized, and LISREL statistical software was employed for this purpose. The findings of the study indicate that the relationship between green supply chain management and sales force agility is mediated by firm performance. When firm performance improves, the effect becomes stronger, whereas when firm performance declines, the relationship weakens. This inference is based on the significance and directional consistency of firm performance’s impact. Additionally, a positive and direct relationship was observed between firm performance and sales force agility, between green supply chain management and firm performance, and between green supply chain management and sales force agility.