Qualitative Research in Curriculum

Abstract Abstract
This study analyzes the discursive construction of the “Islamic-Iranian educated body” in the Fundamental Transformation Document of Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Adopting a qualitative approach, it employs discourse analysis based on Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory, with selected Foucauldian concepts used for interpretation. Laclau and Mouffe explain the articulation and temporary stabilization of the desirable body’s meaning, while Foucault illuminates its connection to normalization, self-care, self-regulation, and embodied subjectification. Findings indicate that “hayat-e tayyiba” functions as a nodal point articulating signifiers including servitude to God, piety, health, modesty, responsibility, identity, lifestyle, participation, productivity, and knowledge. Across six educational domains, the body is constructed as healthy, self-regulating, responsible, participatory, productive, knowledgeable, and normatively oriented. Thus, the educated body emerges as an analytical formulation linking educational values with normalization, self-care, and self-regulation.
Keywords: Educated body; Fundamental Transformation Document of Education; Hayat-e Tayyiba; Discourse Analysis; Laclau and Mouffe; Michel Foucault; Islamic-Iranian identity.

Abstract The history of curriculum in Iran constitutes a complex, multilayered narrative reflecting the interplay among power, ideology, social needs, and political transformations. This history has frequently been recounted in formal, descriptive formats lacking profound critical analysis. This study aims to perform a “critical reconfiguration” of of curriculum studies history in Iran and propose a novel framework for theoretical epochs, utilizing a “critical historiography”. The theoretical framework of this research represents a deep synthesis of Habermas’s “cognitive interests,” Foucault’s “knowledge and power,” and Cronin’s “critical narrative.” The research method based on the analysis of upstream documents, historical texts, executive reports, and official discourses during key epochs of Iranian curriculum studies. Findings indicate that curriculum historical trajectory in Iran was not solely driven by technical developments or educational policies. Rather, it served as a battleground for the power discourses, cognitive interest’s reproduction, and efforts to shape national identity. By examining hidden layers, suppressed voices, and invisible structures within Iran curriculum history, this study employs a qualitative approach on critical historiography, responds to the fundamental question: How have historical developments in curriculum studies shaped the current and future pattern of curriculum theorizing? It proposes a framework in which curriculum is understood not as a static document, but as a dynamic process of “emergence” arising from historical and critical roots. Furthermore, in a historical-critical formulation, it delineates a clear framework for the future of theory curriculum in Iran, wherein justice, emancipation, and participation serve as the main pillars for science development and curriculum design.

Abstract Introduction: Adolescence is a critical developmental period during which perceptions of self-worth are shaped by complex interactions among individual, familial, and social factors. Understanding how adolescents develop and maintain a sense of self-worth can provide valuable insights for promoting their psychological well-being. This study aimed to develop a conceptual model of perceived self-worth among first-year male junior high school students.
Methods: This qualitative study employed a grounded theory approach based on Strauss and Corbin's methodology. Participants consisted of 10 first-year male junior high school students in Karaj, Iran, during the 2025–2026 academic year. They were selected through purposive sampling, followed by theoretical sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding with the constant comparative method.
Findings: Perceived self-worth emerged as the core category of the study. The findings indicated that family, school, peer relationships, personal values, personality characteristics, and self-perception constituted the causal conditions influencing perceived self-worth. A sense of belonging and responsibility served as contextual conditions that facilitated its development. Students adopted strategies such as self-care, self-respect, emotional self-regulation, and striving for personal growth to maintain and strengthen their perceived self-worth. These strategies contributed to positive outcomes, including a greater sense of competence, life satisfaction, hope for the future, and self-confidence.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that perceived self-worth is a dynamic and multidimensional process shaped through the interaction of individual, familial, and social contexts.

Abstract Textbooks are the most significant instruments for achieving educational goals and serve as one of the most effective resources for fostering students’ critical thinking. In this context, the Persian language curriculum as the cornerstone of familiarity with Iranian-Islamic language, literature, culture, and thought plays a fundamental role in shaping thinking and judgment skills. Furthermore, critical thinking is a vital component of deep learning and a prerequisite for nurturing informed, inquisitive citizens. Accordingly, the present study aimed to analyze the content of “self-assessment” questions in Lower Secondary Persian Textbooks, based on the Paul-Elder critical thinking standards. The research method was descriptive-analytical, and the population consisted of all 135 self-assessment questions from grades seven, eight, and nine, which were analyzed via a census sampling method. Data collection was conducted using a checklist based on the nine Paul-Elder intellectual standards. Findings indicated that the “depth” standard, with an average of approximately 20%, had the highest frequency across all three grades. In the developmental progression from grade seven to nine, the share of cognitive standards (clarity, accuracy, and precision) declined from 27% to 22%, whereas analytical standards such as “breadth” increased from 11.9% to 14.8%. However, the “fairness” standard, with a negligible average of 2.5% (1.8% in grade seven and 3.9% in grade nine), held the lowest share. The results suggest that although efforts have been made to guide students toward conceptual analysis, a significant gap remains relative to the ideal critical thinking model. Consequently, revisions in the design of self-assessment questions

Abstract This study examined social interaction in learning, prior knowledge, and cognitive processing, highlighting the importance of teacher resistance in adapting methods to respond to students' needs and interests. The main objective of this study was to understand teachers' resistance to the prescribed curriculum in the classroom and its impact on teaching and supporting students. Accordingly, the research design of the present study was qualitative-interpretive, employing the narrative inquiry strategy of Clandinin and Connelly (2000). The research field was the education system of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The potential participants of the study were primary school teachers in the province of Sulaymaniyah. Therefore, purposive and criterion-based sampling was conducted, including participants who had experience of resisting the prescribed curriculum and possessed deeper insights into teacher resistance and its consequences. To collect data, a semi-structured narrative interview protocol was used. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis following the thematic network approach of Attride-Stirling (2001). The output of the aforementioned analysis yielded three categories of themes: basic, organizing, and global. The identified global themes were as follows: professional autonomy, understanding curriculum as a political text, caring teaching, professionalism in teaching, challenging the reproduction of hegemonic power, human/moral agency, and client-orientation.

Abstract The present study aims to identify the educational and developmental problems of children in the scattered witness plan and to provide innovative solutions for improving the current situation (case study: Witness Schools in Minab City). This research was based on the lived experiences of teachers and parents whose children are enrolled in the scattered witness plan. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach and an inductive coding system, the study included 25 participants—teachers and parents—from the Witness School, selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, and the recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed.

To enhance the study's validity, the results of some interview analyses were shared with several participants, whose feedback was used to refine certain aspects of the research. Additionally, after consulting three experts in the field of education for witness children in the province, the findings were comprehensively summarized, and necessary revisions were made.

The data analysis revealed that children in the scattered witness plan face two main knowledge-related weaknesses: deficiencies in processes and cognitive learning skills, as well as weaknesses in reading, with the former being more prevalent. In terms of attitudes, children's issues encompassed four key components: motivational weaknesses, lack of self-confidence, psychological problems, and social non-acceptance, with motivational weaknesses being the most frequent. Furthermore, in the skills section, four primary categories were identified: physiological disabilities, weaknesses in reading and writing skills, deficiencies in social relationships, and difficulties in proper planning, which were recognized as significant problems for these children.