The skills and effective factors on improvement of university educational departments performance in the network community

Gholamreza. Zakersalehi1*

1 Professor, Department of Comparative Studies and Innovation in Higher Education, Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education, Tehran, Iran

* Corresponding author email address: gh.zakersalehi@irphe.ac.ir

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand and explain the competencies affecting the performance of university departments in the age of networking, which was done from the perspective of department chairs and with an interdisciplinary approach in the field of educational management and communication sciences. The research method was qualitative and a case study type. The department chairs of Allameh Tabataba'i University of Tehran are the research field of this study to collect information. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used in sample selection.  Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 10 department chairs was used to collected the required data.  Data were analyzed through open and  axial coding, which identified a total of 5 themes to improve the performance of the departments: "Leadership skills, information literacy, media literacy, digital intelligence and factors related to university strategy of universities and existing socio-cultural platforms in higher education" regarding the qualifications and factors needed to improve the quality of management and performance of the educational departments in the information society were identified. Presence and effective performance of academic elites in media educational environments has created the need for attention and acquisition of competencies related to the age of communication by the leaders of educational institutions. Therefore, higher education and university support programs and futurology studies will be effective to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of educational departments. The findings of this study can be the basis for the development of higher education future programs.

Keywords:  educational departments, media literacy, digital intelligence, information Society, higher education, network community.

Introduction

The country's scientific community needs to identify the driving and repulsive forces of science and technology. Given the importance of the contextual and social conditions in which the drivers of science, technology, and innovation emerge, their details can be found in the perspectives and documents of elites as well as domestic writings and records. Under such circumstances, drivers, obstacles, and challenges are not considered *ad hoc* phenomena; their traces can be found in expert discussions and policy documents. The researcher aims to discover the main driving and repulsive forces and to explain possible future paths. The researcher's questions are: What drivers, enablers, and capabilities do Iranian policy documents represent through an exploratory approach? Also, what challenges, crises, and issues have these documents highlighted? Finally, which of these categories do experts prioritize more?

Methodology

The data collection method was documentary, and the analysis method involved weighting and prioritization using the Friedman test, followed by scenario writing. In this exploratory research, first, five key Iranian documents containing important orientations and content regarding factors influencing the future of science, research, and technology in Iran were reviewed, and relevant items were extracted. A questionnaire inspired by the literature and statements within these policy reports was developed and administered to a number of higher education specialists. The Friedman test was then used to rank the factors. Subsequently, the factors with the highest rankings were identified, and with attention to these, four scenarios for the future of higher education, science, and technology in Iran were constructed. Finally, these scenarios were prioritized based on weighted means, and the preferred scenario was revealed. At the end, a group of experts re-evaluated the scenarios in terms of feasibility and credibility, alignment with the country's realities, advantages, risks, and consequences.

Findings

Four scenarios were developed during the exploratory study process The description of the four scenarios is as follows:

1.  Collaborative Development: Over the past twenty years, significant parts of the missions of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) have been separated from its body and transferred to other institutions, such as medical education, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the Headquarters for the Comprehensive Scientific Map of Iran, the National Elites Foundation, etc. Other branches such as Islamic Azad University, Farhangian University, and universities and research institutes affiliated with executive bodies also lack the necessary convergence with the MSRT. This scenario emphasizes the necessity of cooperation, coalition, and national division of labor to fill this gap, as the MSRT alone cannot achieve optimal development in the sector.

2.  Targeted and Cautious Development: This scenario suggests that partners will not cooperate desirably and emphasize competition. Due to the continued supply-driven approach and lack of planning in other sectors, graduate unemployment will persist. Therefore, the Ministry of Science and other sector trustees must spend their limited resources in a targeted and cautious manner.

3.  Strengthening and Consolidation: This scenario seeks to maintain the status quo, enhance existing capabilities, and prevent the situation from worsening, as resources and opportunities for development are scarce.

4. Reorganization and restructuring: In this scenario, due to the weakness of the demand side, while preserving minimum achievements, restructuring is undertaken to become more agile or to downsize.

To examine the differences between scenarios one to four, the above table and the rankings of each component were used, and the weighted mean of each scenario was calculated. The weighted mean values for each scenario are shown in the table below.

Table 1. Weighted Mean Values for Each Scenario

According to the table above, at this stage, the Collaborative Development scenario has the highest score with a weighted mean of 14.26. In second place is the Strengthening and Consolidation scenario. These two scenarios are important in terms of the priority and significance of the contributing factors. Now it must be seen which of these two scenarios has greater feasibility and credibility in practice and reality, aligns with Iran's context, and entails lower risks and more advantages. This clarification was achieved in the next stage, which involved evaluating the scenarios. Thus, using the opinions of a group of experts, the scenarios were evaluated in terms of feasibility and credibility, alignment with the country's realities, advantages, risks, and consequences.

Conclusion

The evaluation of the four narrated scenarios indicated that the "Strengthening and Consolidation" scenario, followed by the "Collaborative Development" scenario for science and technology, have greater feasibility and credibility.

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