Journal of Iranian Higher Education
Year:2012 | Volume:4 | Issue:3 (15)|Papers Count:8

The main purpose of this study was defining the contextual barriers of research activities in universities. A survey descriptive method was applied in this research. The statistical population included faculties of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Sample size determination was done by stratified random. Research tool was designed by researcher which its reliability was confirmed by kronbach alpha (a=92.8%) respectively. The findings showed that based on correspondents' views all educational, cultural, political, and strategic barriers are interfering in research activities at the universities. Also, although a significant difference was observed among faculties' views and their gender, academic position, and administrative responsibility, but no significant difference was observed between the faculties' experiences and discipline. Overall it seems that educational reform, institutionalizing the scientific culture in society, avoiding dominant the political approaches over of scientific approaches and paying attention to the main goals and priorities in the policymaking are the major needs in higher education that should be tackled seriously.

This study aims to identify the cognitive and emotional effects of dialogic teaching methods on students' critical thinking.Using a mixed method (quantitative-qualitative), this research project was carried out by a quasi-experimental design (unequal control group) on three groups of matched education undergraduate students.After designing implementing patterns, relevant to the course of educational psychology, two experimental patterns (group discussion and Socratic dialogue) were performed simultaneously with the control pattern (lecture). Applying the California Critical Thinking Skills Test, California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and final semi-structured interviews, data was collected via two evaluations (pre-test – post- test) which provided bases for research questions to be answered.While quantitative data indicated superior to the mean of two experimental groups in comparison with the control group, the statistical analysis (MANCOVA) did not confirm significant differences between groups. But in quality process, data from the final interviews for the two experimental groups, indicated the effectiveness of dialogic teaching methods in improving of tendency to seven elements of critical thinking disposition, social interaction and dynamics in the classroom.

The globalization of economy, culture and technology, attracting foreign students results in active participation in the global process of science production, facilitation of technology transmission, and enrichment of education process.Nowadays, factors such as advent of higher education as a business, and the key role of foreign graduates in the social and cultural development of countries of origin, and the effect of students mobility in the promotion of human capital causes special attention to the hidden advantages of attracting foreign students. Furthermore, the role of multi-cultural education in enrichment of trainings and promotion of equality, respect, mutual understanding and acceptance of cultures has duplicated the significance of internationalization of higher education.Although the number of foreign students has increased 2.3 times more than before in the last two decades, and countries of the region has provided ambitious plans for attracting foreign students in a serious competition, there is a kind of indecisiveness and lack of a major national strategy in Iran in this field. This article therefore, aims to introduce various models and different efforts currently made in this field through presenting world’s different experiences specially those of countries of region. Accordingly, through a survey, the viewpoints of experts, specialists, and administrators acquainted with different strategic choices were compiled by highlighting their priorities.The findings indicates that in the country's policy for attracting foreign students which has focused on the research and technology, the priority has been given to the concentration in regional competition rather to competition in global arena or keeping the existing situation. Additionally, regarding “student admission strategy” experts recommended that the country should follow attracting competent students as an effective strategy in compare with other approaches. Also findings show that main features of Iranian strategy include: preparing suitable welfare and scientific ecosystem, presenting high quality education, flexible education and providing inexpensive educational services.

In order to utilize available potentials and abilities at universities more fittingly and also to achieve the goals of the economic, social and cultural development plan in Iran, creating the university spins-off companies is importantly crucial. These companies aim to provide bases for more and effective faculties' participation towards meeting societal needs which their shares belong to a university or a research institute. Using SWOT as one of the most important strategic management methods, this paper tries to highlight and analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Semnan University for establishing university spins-off company. Additionally it tries to offer strategies from four dimensions which can be called SO, ST, WO, WT strategies. Data was collected through studying other universities’ experiences, interviews, questionnaire and Delphi technique. In summary, 11 strengths, 12 weakness, 8 treats, 10 opportunities, 11 SO strategies, 7 ST strategies, 11 WO strategies and 7 WT strategies was represented. However, establishment of innovation and research fund, establishment of joint information bank between university and industry and insuring faculties' investment are among the most important strategies respectively.

The study is conducted to investigate the relationship between the transformational leadership style of leaders and personnel development in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM).The research method was selected as a correlation one. The sample included 192 employees who were hired permanently and conventionally. The data was collected by two separate instruments: One for recognizing transformational leadership and other for measuring personnel development. Data were analyzed by referring statistics to respond research questions. The most important findings show that: 1) The quality of FUM managers were higher than transformational leadership indicators; 2) Based on Mc Lagan’s model, the quality of personnel development was higher than average; 3) There was a meaningful and direct relationship between transformational leadership and personnel development; 4) Based on the overall mean of Mc Lagan's model, the quality of personnel development cannot be predicted by the transformational leadership indicators.

Private universities and other higher education institutions have an important role in the implementation of economic, social and political development programs and achievement of countries to the development goals. So, many countries including Japan, have tried to establish and develop the private universities to take the advantages of their potential capabilities. Recently, private higher education institutions have been established and developed in our country too. Despite the necessity of quantitative development, these institutions face with many difficulties and challenges and so far they have failed to perform their task effectively. Through analysis of the private higher education experience in Japan, this study therefore, has sought effective approaches to tackle the private universities challenges. For this purpose, twelve papers and doctoral theses regarding Japanese private higher education were analyzed.The findings showed that this type of education faces with several challenges such as globalization of higher education, the development of information and communication technology, changes in the value of academic knowledge, shrinking the population of young people, strong government control, problems related to the allocation of allowances and competence with public universities. Some approaches have been proposed and developed to solve these challenges which can be utilized for relevant problems in the Iranian higher education context.

This research aimed to identify the requirements of the university's policy research in Tehran state universities. In this regard, some requirements were identified through extensive study of literature and research findings and were confirmed by 48 experts involved in a two staged Delphi technique.Then in order to confirming and finalizing 9 internal and 5 external requirements, via a questionnaire, the views of 121 University's managers from the departments of instruction, research and administrative-financial affairs were taken and analyzed. The findings indicated that with the exception of political requirement that was eliminated in the first stage of the interviews, all the major and the minor requirements have been approved by the respondents.Additionally the findings revealed that with exception of Shahid Beheshti University and Khoje Nasir University and Amir Kabir University's success in providing some internal and external requirements, the universities' degree of success in achieving these requirements in all cases were below average. Finally, in order to fulfill these requirements in the country's universities some approaches and solutions have been identified.