Presentation of a Model for Educating Professionl Citizens in Higher Education System of Iran in the Third Millennium

Subject Areas : Futurology

N.G. Ghurchian ^{1 *} , S.F. E ftekharzadeh ²

1 - ندارد
2 - ندارد

Received: 2015-01-13 Accepted : 2015-01-13 Published : 2006-09-23

Keywords: citizenship education, Educating professional Citizen, University Management, key competencies, Learning Management,

Abstract :

The purpose of this study was to design a model for educating professional citizens in higher educationsystem particularly Islamic Azad University branches which is essential to meet the new challenges of thethird millennium in the age of postmodernism.The review of relevant research literature is indicative of supercomplexity and extensiveness of the range oftheoretical and practical frameworks of educating professional citizens in leading universities and highereducation institutions of the world. However, literature review in Iran shows lack of any model or theoreticaland research framework in this regard.To obviate this shortcoming, the researcher attempted to design an appropriate model, on the basis ofrevision of the relevant literature and theoretical foundations and some prevailing models such as educatingmultidimensional citizen, extending social context of educating citizen, human capital, intellectual capital,social capital, teaching- learning process of educating citizens and paying due attention to values, the sum ofwhich led to the development of an initial model. An attitude measurement scale (a questionnaire) composedof 22 elements was designed to evaluate the initial model. Reliability of the questionnaire was established bytest-retest method. It was calculated 85.46%. A panel of higher education expert (n=30) established thecontent validity. Minor changes/modifications were made based on evaluation of pilot study and suggestionsfrom the panel of experts. Final questionnaire (proposed model) was distributed among the randomlyselected target sample (n=480), composed of university chancellors, (n1=150) deans of faculties, heads ofdepartments (n2=150). Faculty members (N3=150) and higher education experts (n4=30).The collected data and the proposed model was then approved with a scale of 4.79 out of 5 through theapplication of statistical methods of pierson and Donkan coefficient of correlation and was analyzed by usingdescriptive and inferential statistics and Spss software, afterward.The major finding of this study was a model made up of six main components: philosophy, goals, theoreticalfoundations, conceptual framework, implementation procedures, evaluation and reengineering systems.By implementing the proposed model in higher education system, particularly in Islamic Azad Universitybranches , educating professional, knowledgable, responsible, and proficient citizens who will be able tomeet the challenges of knowledge-based society, knowledge economy, and knowledge management in thethird millennium would be actualized.To educate professional citizens, it is required to develop technological, economic, social, intellectual,management and leadership, spiritual, ethical & religious, environmental, global & international, individual,research , political, and cultural competencies through an integrated program in higher education systemparticularly in the Islamic Azad University. It is recommended that the proposed model be applied by the“Office of Human Resource development Studies” after being approved by the University`s SupremeCouncil of Planing, through considering teaching and learning (conceptual, affective, active, andinstituionalization) levels