Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to design an innovative curriculum model in Iran's higher education system by using Grounded theory. The study population consisted of all experts in the field of educational planning in universities and institutes of higher education affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Twenty-four of them were selected by purposive sampling method and then by snowball and theoretical sampling methods. The results indicated that innovative curriculum included dimensions of ambiguity, modernity, socialism, transformationalism, complexity, perfectionism, market orientation, value orientation, need orientation, and axial communication. According to the findings, the causal factors influencing the development of innovative curriculum included instructor characteristics, management, university approach, curriculum structure, decentralization, resources and teaching methods, motivational-supportive factors, higher education structural factors, and learner characteristics. Contextual factors influencing the development of an innovative curriculum included university facilities, rules and regulations, socio-cultural factors, working conditions, and economic factors. Intervention factors that influenced the development of innovative curriculum included technology, policy, and macro-management factors. Suggested strategies for developing innovative curricula included constituencies' feedback, need assessment studies, feasibility and future research, decentralization in higher education, action research studies, providing funding and conditions, conducting courses and workshops, establishment accreditation centers, the identification and support of creative and thinker individuals, the formation of formal and informal structures and networks, developing a university ranking system based on the innovation index, and paying attention on to pivotal learning and knowledge management approach. The findings showed that the most important consequences of implementing an innovative curriculum are achieving the core vision, missions, and goals of higher education, empowering learners, developing entrepreneurship and sustainable employment, enhancing the university's relationship with the labor market and industry, improving community well-being, and achieving a comprehensive sustainable development.
Machine summary:
Proposed strategies for developing an innovative curriculum include using stakeholder opinions, conducting needs assessment, feasibility, and foresight studies, decentralization in higher education, conducting action research studies, securing budget and conditions, holding training courses and workshops, establishing accreditation centers, identifying and supporting creative and idea-generating individuals, forming formal and informal structures and networks, determining a university ranking system based on innovation indicators, and paying attention to the learner-centered approach and knowledge management.
Finally, the research findings showed that the consequences of developing and implementing an innovative curriculum in the country's higher education system from the perspective of the studied individuals include items such as achieving the visions, missions, and primary goals of the higher education system, empowering learners for a better life in society, developing entrepreneurship and sustainable employment in society, increasing the connection between the university and the labor market and the industrial sector, developing and improving welfare indicators in society, and achieving comprehensive sustainable development (Table 2).
Causal conditions: characteristics of educators, management, university approach, curriculum structure, decentralization, educational resources and methods, motivational-supportive factors, structural factors of higher education, characteristics of (refer to the page image) strategies: Figure 1- Innovative curriculum development model in the higher education system of Iran Discussion and Conclusion The research findings showed that from the perspective of the experts and specialists studied in the higher education system of Iran, an innovative curriculum possesses ten concepts: ambiguity, innovativeness, social orientation, transformationalism, complexity, perfectionism, market-orientation, value-orientation, need-orientation, and connection-orientation.
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