Development a Process-based model of drivers and consequences of commercialization of higher education: a grounded theory approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master's student, Department of Educational Management, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran

2 university of kashan

3 University of kashan

10.22098/ael.2023.12836.1272

Abstract

In recent years, market principles and business criteria have dominated the rules and values of educational institutions in such a way that in this attitude, educational institutions are considered as economic enterprises and learner as consumers. Therefore, the aim of the research was to provide a conceptual model of commercialization of education from the point of view of administrators. The approach of the research was qualitative and the method of systematic grounded theory was used. the statistical population of the research were 20 faculty members of Isfahan educational institutions, who were selected by purposeful sampling and until theoretical saturation was reached. Data was collected through in-depth interviews. Then these qualitative interviews were coded with Atlas.Ti software. Qualitative data analysis of the conceptual model of the process of commercialization of education in 5 dimensions: causal conditions (increasing demand for education, economic crisis of the government), contextual conditions (international and domestic educational laws, educational developments), intervening conditions (globalization, new world order, cultural, economic transformation and political), the central category (demand to increase the income of educational institutions) includes strategies (making money from education through commercialization of education, privatization of education) and consequences (9 positive consequences and 21 negative consequences of commercialization of education). By examining the central category of demand for increasing the income of educational institutions, the research has examined the causal factors, cultural background conditions and intervening conditions and has proposed recommendations for the government's policy in the process of providing educational services of the institutions.

Keywords

Main Subjects