Identifying and Evaluating the Dimensions of the Research System in Higher Education

Abstract

Purpose: The current research was conducted with the aim of identifying and evaluating the dimensions of the research system in higher education. Methodology: In terms of the purpose, this research is fundamental-applied and also, in terms of the type of data, it is mixed (qualitative-quantitative) of the exploratory type, which was thematic analysis in the qualitative part and descriptive-survey in the quantitative part. The population studied in the qualitative section included academic (faculty members) and organizational (responsible for Islamic Azad Universities) experts, and in the quantitative section it included all academic faculty members of Islamic Azad Universities. The sample size in the qualitative section was 19 interviewees according to the principle of saturation and the purposeful sampling method, and in the quantitative section, 272 people were selected based on the calculation of the sample size in structural equations and the stepwise cluster random sampling method. To collect information, two documentary (library) and field methods were used: semi-structured interviews and a researcher-made questionnaire. Also, the answer was taken from a closed questionnaire from the model presented in the qualitative section, which was designed to measure the opinion of experts regarding the validity of the model (external validity). The method of data analysis in the qualitative part of theoretical coding was derived from thematic analysis method with Maxqda software. In the quantitative part, also, in the inferential part to answer the research questions from tests such as Pearson correlation, sample t-test, hierarchical analysis process and confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS-v23, Smart Pls-v3 software. and Lisrel V8.8 and Expertchoice-V11 were used. Findings: The data collection tools were semi-structured interviews in the qualitative part and researcher-made questionnaires in the quantitative part. The validity and reliability of the instruments were examined and confirmed. The method of data analysis in the qualitative part was theoretical coding (open, central and selective) and in the quantitative part included descriptive and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation, sample t-test and structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis). Conclusion: The findings of the qualitative section showed that the research system includes the dimensions of individual factors, infrastructural factors, and policy making. Also, the results showed that the components in the existing condition have a favorable condition.