Identification of Dimensions and Components of the Internship Program at Farhangian University

Abstract

One of the most practical and significant courses for students at Farhangian University is the internship course. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the dimensions and components of the internship program at Farhangian University. This study was applied in terms of its objective and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The research population consisted of faculty members and experts at Farhangian University in Hormozgan Province during the 2023–2024 academic year. The study sample comprised 17 participants, determined based on the principle of theoretical saturation, and selected using a purposive sampling method. The research instrument was a semi-structured interview conducted individually with faculty members and experts, consisting of eight questions. The validity of the interview was confirmed using credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability methods, while its reliability was calculated using an intercoder agreement coefficient of 0.81. The study data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding in MAXQDA software. The findings of this study indicated that the internship program at Farhangian University included 75 subcomponents, 19 components, and 7 dimensions. These dimensions included the professional competence of the supervising professor (with three components: educational approach, technological approach, and attitudinal approach), the professional competence of the mentor teacher (with three components: cognitive approach, behavioral approach, and emotional approach), the professional competence of the student-teacher (with two components: perceptual and technical characteristics and teaching skills), the professional characteristics of the internship school (with three components: physical space and equipment, human resources, and organizational structure), the internship curriculum (with four components: Internship Curriculum I, Internship Curriculum II, Internship Curriculum III, and Internship Curriculum IV), administrative, financial, and management services related to the internship course (with two components: financial support and planning and coordination), and the evaluation and feedback system (with two components: supervision and control process and evaluation and feedback process). Ultimately, a model of the dimensions and components of the internship program at Farhangian University was designed. Based on the findings of this study, planning for the improvement of the internship program at Farhangian University through the identified dimensions and components is essential.