Designing a Sustainable School Model Based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Iran’s Primary Education System
Keywords:
Sustainable school, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Primary education, Digital transformation, Paradigmatic modelAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to design and validate a conceptual model for implementing sustainable schools aligned with the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Iran’s primary education system.
Methodology: A sequential qualitative design was employed, combining grounded theory with the systematic approach of Corbin and Strauss and a Delphi validation process. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 academic and organizational experts and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. In the validation phase, 16 senior educational managers and expert teachers participated in three Delphi rounds. Content validity was confirmed through expert review, and reliability was verified using test–retest procedures.
Findings: The analysis resulted in a paradigmatic model comprising 11 main categories, 27 subcategories, and 119 indicators organized into six dimensions: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, core phenomenon, strategies, and consequences. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance in the final Delphi round exceeded 0.85, indicating strong expert consensus. Cyber–physical infrastructure, continuous professional development, and improvement of teaching–learning quality emerged as the highest-priority components.
Conclusion: The proposed model provides an integrated framework for guiding digital transformation and sustainable development in primary schools and offers a practical roadmap for aligning Iran’s primary education system with the principles and opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Marzieh Karimi (Author); Kambiz Esmaeilnia; Tayebeh Tajari, Kolsoom Gholami Andarati (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
