Designing and Validation of Pathology Model of Iranian Higher Education Policy Research Process

According to many experts and scholars of higher education, nowadays the most important factor of inefficiency of higher education policymaking in Iran is nonconformity of policies and decisions with scientific, theoretical and research basics. Policy research is defined as a research process, focused on providing policy options and referred to the practice of policymakers and can contribute to reasonable and rational policymaking in the field of higher education.

the main aim of this research was designing and validation of pathology model of Iranian higher education policy research process. For this purpose mixed exploratory approach was used. Process of this research has been conducted in quantitative and qualitative phases. In qualitative phase through semi-structured interviews with 15 policy makers, policy researchers and scientific experts and subsequently content analysis of interviews, a list of the current damaging factors of policy research process in Iranian higher education was adopted. Then, mentioned list is confirmed by participants through Delphi technique (binomial test). Based on the findings of qualitative phase of research, quantitative questionnaire was designed and conducted. Statistical population of quantitative phase were higher education policy researchers and decision-makers including those affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (as institute for social and cultural studies, institute for research and planning in higher education, center for international scientific studies and collaboration and etc.), those not affiliated to the Ministry (as national research institute for science policy, Islamic parliament research center, supreme council of cultural revolution), higher education policy-makers and scientific experts. 203 questionnaires were completed by them. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine research questions.

During the present research process, 93 sub-components were identified in the form of 12 main components and 5 dimensions: 26 components for contextual and environmental dimension, 11 components for structural dimension, 23 components for functional dimension (higher education policy makers), 23 components for functional dimension (higher education policy researchers) and 10 components for communicational and interactional dimension.

In order to reduce the damage of current policy research process of Iranian higher education, some solutions can be considered, including: reforming the system of evaluation and promotion of higher education policy-researchers, need-based establishment of policy-research structures, prioritizing policy-making needs in higher education, more participation of policy-makers in policy research process, Balanced distribution of power between policy-makers and policy-researchers.
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