Title:
Identifying and explaining organizational support policies for teachers in upstream education documents: A study based on qualitative content analysis
Authors:
marzieh mottaghi
(Corresponding Author
)
(Corresponding Author
)
Abstract:
Objective: Teachers, as the most important human capital of the education system, play a decisive role in achieving education goals and implementing educational policies. Despite the importance of organizational support in promoting teacher motivation, commitment, job satisfaction, and performance, the level of attention paid by official and higher education documents to this concept has not been systematically examined. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the qualitative content of official and higher education documents from the perspective of organizational support for teachers and to present a proposed model based on the research findings.
Methodology: This study was conducted with a qualitative approach and qualitative content analysis method. The research population included official and higher education documents that were selected purposefully. Data were collected through a systematic study of documents and analyzed using an open, axial, and selective coding process. Finally, based on the extracted themes, a proposed model of organizational support for teachers was developed.
Findings: The findings showed that the concept of organizational support in the documents under review, although it is sporadically mentioned in topics such as professional empowerment, human resource development, and improving educational quality, does not have an independent, comprehensive, and coherent position in official education policies. The dimensions of financial, welfare, psychological, legal, participation in decision-making, and executive mechanisms of teacher support have either received limited attention or lack specific and systematic policies. In contrast, the most emphasis of the documents is focused on macro-educational goals, management structures, and executive requirements. Accordingly, the proposed research model was presented with an emphasis on financial, professional, welfare, psychological, legal, organizational justice, participation in decision-making, and professional empowerment of teachers. Conclusion: The research findings indicate a gap between the strategic position of teachers in the education system and the level of attention official documents pay to their organizational support. Therefore, reviewing upstream documents and developing comprehensive, coherent, and executive policies for organizational support for teachers can pave the way for promoting human capital, improving the quality of education, and more effectively realizing the goals of fundamental education transformation.
Methodology: This study was conducted with a qualitative approach and qualitative content analysis method. The research population included official and higher education documents that were selected purposefully. Data were collected through a systematic study of documents and analyzed using an open, axial, and selective coding process. Finally, based on the extracted themes, a proposed model of organizational support for teachers was developed.
Findings: The findings showed that the concept of organizational support in the documents under review, although it is sporadically mentioned in topics such as professional empowerment, human resource development, and improving educational quality, does not have an independent, comprehensive, and coherent position in official education policies. The dimensions of financial, welfare, psychological, legal, participation in decision-making, and executive mechanisms of teacher support have either received limited attention or lack specific and systematic policies. In contrast, the most emphasis of the documents is focused on macro-educational goals, management structures, and executive requirements. Accordingly, the proposed research model was presented with an emphasis on financial, professional, welfare, psychological, legal, organizational justice, participation in decision-making, and professional empowerment of teachers. Conclusion: The research findings indicate a gap between the strategic position of teachers in the education system and the level of attention official documents pay to their organizational support. Therefore, reviewing upstream documents and developing comprehensive, coherent, and executive policies for organizational support for teachers can pave the way for promoting human capital, improving the quality of education, and more effectively realizing the goals of fundamental education transformation.