Developing a Model for Enhancing Administrative-Educational Integrity in the Iranian University System: The Pivotal Role of Educational Leadership

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. in Public Management, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

3 Master of Management, Mohaghegh Ardabili University , Ardabil, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objective: This study aimed to develop a comprehensive and indigenous model for promoting administrative-educational integrity in Iranian universities, focusing on the pivotal role of educational leadership.
research methodology: A qualitative study was conducted using the grounded theory approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 16 purposefully selected experts in the field (including professors, administrators, and specialists in professional ethics and human resources), continuing until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was performed in three stages—open, axial, and selective coding—using MAXQDA2020 software.
Findings: Data analysis resulted in the extraction of 66 open codes, 10 core categories, and 4 selective categories. These were organized into a paradigmatic model consisting of four main layers: 1) the Normative-Value layer (with ethical-educational and supportive components), 2) the Organizational layer (with intra-organizational and extra-organizational factors), 3) the Practical Actions layer (with capacity-building/educational, socio-cultural, and legal components), and 4) the Specific Strategies layer (with cultural-educational, organizational-institutional, and legal-normative components). The validity of the model's categories and components was confirmed using content validity indices (CVR and CVI), and its reliability was established through the test-retest method. Interview evidence indicates that educational leadership is the primary driver for activating these layers.
Conclusion: The proposed model demonstrates that promoting administrative-educational integrity is a multi-layered and systematic process. Educational leadership, by adopting a transformative and ethics-oriented role, can effectively integrate these layers and facilitate sustainable change. The innovation of this research lies in presenting an indigenous, contextually grounded model that elucidates the strategic role of educational leadership in linking the value-based, structural, and operational dimensions of administrative-educational integrity.

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Main Subjects

References

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Applied Educational Leadership
Volume 7, Issue 1
April 2026
Pages 33-51

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History

  • Receive Date: 31 October 2025
  • Revise Date: 05 January 2026
  • Accept Date: 23 January 2026

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