چالشها و راهکارهای استقرار کوچینگ آکادمیک در ایران: خلأهای ساختاری و مسیرهای سیاست‌گذاری بر اساس تجربه جهانی

Academic coaching has become a central component of student support systems in leading universities worldwide, contributing significantly to self-regulation, motivation, academic persistence, and psychological well-being. Despite its rapid expansion in international higher education systems, academic coaching in Iranian universities remains undefined, fragmented, and lacking structural support. This study aims to identify the challenges of implementing academic coaching in Iran’s higher education system and to derive context-sensitive solutions informed by successful global models. A mixed-methods approach was employed in two phases: (1) a systematic review of international literature published between 2001 and 2024 across Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and ProQuest; and (2) semi-structured interviews with 14 experts in higher education, academic coaching, and university administration. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis using a three-level coding process. Findings revealed that the challenges fall into four major categories: structural–organizational, economic, sociocultural, and individual. Key structural barriers include the absence of a formal institutional position for coaching, role ambiguity, lack of professional standards, limited evaluation systems, and weak coordination across university units. Economic challenges were associated with insufficient long-term funding, lack of dedicated financial allocations, and limited faculty motivation due to research-oriented promotion criteria. Sociocultural barriers included resistance to change, a faculty-centered culture, conceptual confusion between coaching and other support services, and low student engagement. At the individual level, psychological stressors, financial pressures, and limited decision-making skills reduced students’ readiness for effective participation in coaching. Comparative analysis with global models indicated that Iran’s gaps are rooted not merely in implementation, but in deeper institutional, policy, and cultural layers. The study concludes that establishing academic coaching in Iran requires more than isolated initiatives; it demands formal structures, clear professional roles, standardized competencies, specialized training, sustainable funding, targeted cultural change, and integration with other student-support services. This study offers a localized roadmap for developing academic coaching in Iran and highlights its potential to enhance student experience, reduce academic burnout, and improve educational effectiveness across universities.