Evaluation of the Intended General Education Curriculum in Undergraduate Higher Education: A Qualitative Study from the Perspectives of Students and faculty members

Pirzadi, Hojat; Seyed Ali, Khaleghinezhad

Evaluation of the Intended General Education Curriculum in Undergraduate Higher Education: A Qualitative Study from the Perspectives of Students and faculty members

Articles in Press

Authors

Hojat Pirzadi ¹

Khaleghinezhad Seyed Ali ²

¹ , Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd. Iran

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the intended general education curriculum in undergraduate education in Iran from the perspectives of students and faculty members. The research employed a qualitative program evaluation approach. A total of 11 faculty members specializing in general education curriculum and 31 undergraduate students from various academic disciplines at universities in Tehran were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis with a deductive approach. The evaluation of the intended general education curriculum based on the criteria of realism, advancement, adaptability, and scientific credibility revealed several key challenges, including the lack of accessible learning outcomes, inadequate content coverage, low student motivation and engagement, failure to foster independent and lifelong learning, misalignment between learning outcomes and stakeholder expectations, weak organization of infrastructural resources, and outdated learning objectives. Overall, revising the general education curriculum in Iranian higher education to address students' diverse academic and cultural needs and support their personal and social development could serve as a strategy for improving the quality of education, as recommended for policymakers and curriculum planners.

Keywords

Evaluation

general education curriculum

higher education

intended curriculum

Subjects