Intelligent Learning and Management Transformation

The present study aimed to design a mentoring model for educational school principals in District 4 of Mashhad and identify the factors influencing the enhancement of their educational leadership. This study was applied in purpose and employed an exploratory mixed-method design consisting of qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis and semi-structured interviews with educational leadership experts were conducted to identify the dimensions and components of mentoring. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-made questionnaire based on qualitative findings was administered among secondary school principals in District 4 of Mashhad. The sample size was determined as 350 participants using Cochran’s formula. Data were analyzed using Shannon entropy weighting, TOPSIS, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS, Smart PLS, and MAXQDA software. The findings revealed problem-solving skills, spiritual intelligence, and optimism demonstrated the strongest path coefficients in the final model, with coefficients of 1.12, 0.97, and 0.53, respectively. Structural equation modeling results further showed that creativity, self-confidence, self-awareness, self-efficacy, and communication skills were not significant in the final model and were therefore removed. Model fit indices confirmed the acceptable reliability and validity of the final mentoring model. The findings demonstrated that mentoring can serve as an effective mechanism for the professional development of school principals and the enhancement of educational leadership. Furthermore, problem-solving skills, spiritual intelligence, and optimism were identified as the most influential factors contributing to the effectiveness of mentoring processes and improving managerial performance within educational systems.

The present study aimed to identify the perceived challenges, consequences, and coping strategies of elementary school teachers regarding the teacher ranking system and its impact on teaching quality. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and thematic analysis method. Participants included elementary school teachers and school principals selected through purposive and informed sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved, resulting in interviews with 28 participants. Data analysis was conducted through open, organizing, and global coding processes. To ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, qualitative credibility criteria were applied throughout the research process. The findings revealed that the teacher ranking system was associated with three major categories of challenges: structural and executive challenges, psychological-emotional tensions, and social-communication challenges. Results indicated that the system increased administrative workload, ambiguity in evaluation criteria, and distrust in professional assessment, leading to teacher burnout, anxiety, and erosion of professional identity. Furthermore, the ranking system negatively affected teaching quality by promoting excessive standardization of instruction, reducing educational creativity, weakening teacher–student interactions, and distorting assessment and feedback processes. In response to these conditions, teachers adopted various coping strategies, including performative behaviors, protective reactions, and individual and collective forms of resistance to preserve teaching quality and reduce systemic pressures. The findings suggest that the teacher ranking system, rather than enhancing educational quality, has redirected teachers’ professional practices from authentic teaching toward documentation, performance display, and compliance with administrative indicators. In addition to negatively influencing teaching quality, the system has challenged teachers’ professional relationships, psychological well-being, and occupational identity. Therefore, revising evaluation mechanisms, reducing administrative pressures, and adopting supportive and development-oriented approaches appear essential for improving the effectiveness of the teacher ranking system.

The present study aimed to identify and prioritize the antecedent and consequent factors influencing the impact of artificial intelligence on human resource development using a qualitative and fuzzy Delphi approach. This study was developmental in purpose, descriptive-exploratory in nature, and qualitative in terms of data type. The research population consisted of hospital managers, information technology specialists, and university professors in fields related to human resource management who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed through inductive content analysis. After extracting the preliminary factors, a fuzzy Delphi questionnaire was developed and distributed among 11 experts in three rounds. Triangular fuzzy numbers, fuzzy mean analysis, defuzzification methods, and Kendall’s coefficient were used for data analysis. The findings of the fuzzy Delphi analysis indicated that “technology infrastructure and integration” was the most important antecedent factor influencing artificial intelligence impact on human resource development with a fuzzy score of 4.969. “Human factors and organizational readiness” ranked second with a fuzzy score of 4.965, while “organizational structuring and process-related factors” ranked third with a score of 4.114. Kendall’s coefficient increased from 0.38 in the first round to 0.64 in the third round, indicating improved expert agreement and acceptable consensus. The findings further demonstrated that artificial intelligence contributes to improving decision-making quality, increasing productivity, enhancing employee skills, optimizing human resource processes, and personalizing employee training and development. The results demonstrated that successful implementation of artificial intelligence in human resource development depends on technological infrastructure, human readiness, supportive organizational culture, and alignment between technology and human resource management. Artificial intelligence can significantly improve organizational agility and workforce capabilities through enhanced managerial and developmental processes. However, ethical considerations, transparency, and organizational trust remain essential requirements for sustainable and effective use of artificial intelligence in human resource development.

The purpose of this study was to identify and explain the dimensions and components affecting the empowerment of Gas Company managers based on a project management approach and to present a conceptual framework for enhancing managerial capabilities in organizational projects. This study was applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of methodology, using thematic analysis based on the Braun and Clarke approach. The research population consisted of academic experts and senior managers of the Gas Company who were selected through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews, and the interview process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. MAXQDA software was used for data analysis, and the trustworthiness of findings was ensured through Lincoln and Guba’s criteria, including credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The findings revealed that the factors affecting the empowerment of Gas Company managers could be categorized into 107 basic themes, 26 organizing themes, and 5 overarching themes. The overarching themes included the development of professional project management competencies, empowerment in managing project resources and constraints, strengthening leadership and project team management, establishment of supportive project management systems and structures, and empowerment based on stakeholder interactions and management. The results further indicated that planning skills, risk management, human resource management, project leadership, conflict management, project-oriented structures, evaluation systems, and organizational interactions were among the most important dimensions of managerial empowerment. The findings indicate that managerial empowerment in project-oriented organizations is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by the interaction of individual, managerial, and organizational factors. Developing professional competencies, strengthening leadership capabilities, establishing supportive organizational systems, and enhancing internal and external interactions can improve managerial effectiveness and increase the success of organizational projects. Therefore, organizations in the gas industry can enhance project managers’ capabilities through educational programs, supportive management systems, and the development of knowledge and stakeholder management practices.

The present study aimed to identify and explain the key components of enhancing employees’ digital skills in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and to provide a conceptual model for developing digital competencies in governmental organizations. This study was applied in terms of purpose and qualitative-exploratory in nature, conducted using thematic analysis. The research population consisted of digital skill experts, policymakers, managers, and specialists familiar with digital transformation in the public sector. Participants were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling, and sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. A total of 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, of which 11 interviews were selected for final analysis after refinement. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. To enhance trustworthiness and validity, peer review, member checking, and audit trail strategies were employed. The data analysis resulted in the extraction of 120 basic themes, 8 organizing themes, and 4 overarching themes. The overarching themes included development of employees’ technological competencies, cultural transformation and digital learning within the organization, digital transformation management and organizational infrastructures, and challenges and consequences of digital skill enhancement. Findings indicated that enhancing digital skills is a multidimensional process dependent not only on technical competencies but also on positive attitudes toward technology, continuous learning culture, managerial support, digital leadership, technological infrastructure, and organizational policymaking. In addition, barriers such as lack of resources, employee resistance to change, and inadequate communication infrastructures were identified as the most significant challenges to digital skill development. Conversely, outcomes such as increased productivity, improved service quality, enhanced job satisfaction, and greater organizational innovation were identified as positive consequences of digital skill enhancement. The findings demonstrated that improving employees’ digital skills cannot be achieved solely through technical training; rather, it requires a comprehensive approach integrating technological competencies, digital learning culture, transformational leadership, and organizational infrastructure. The conceptual model proposed in this study can serve as a foundation for policymaking and planning aimed at developing digital human capital and improving the performance of governmental organizations.

The present study aimed to design and simulate a dynamic educational model for improving the financial literacy of 10–12-year-old elementary school students in Tehran with an emphasis on gender differences and the role of family, educational, and systemic factors. This study employed a mixed-methods (quantitative–qualitative) approach. The statistical population included elementary school students, their parents, and teachers in Tehran. Using multistage cluster sampling, 675 participants were selected. Quantitative data were collected through the OECD/INFE standardized questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained via semi-structured interviews with teachers, parents, and financial literacy experts. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 27, thematic analysis was performed using MAXQDA, and system dynamics modeling was implemented using Vensim PLE software. The main variables included financial knowledge, financial behavior, financial attitude, family factors, educational factors, and gender differences. In addition, causal loop diagrams and stock-flow models were used to simulate the dynamic relationships among the variables. The findings revealed that girls demonstrated significantly higher financial knowledge (Mean=12.32) than boys (Mean=11.28) (t=-3.88, p<0.001). Financial behavior was also significantly stronger among girls (Mean=13.35) compared to boys (Mean=12.43) (t=-2.73, p=0.007). The correlation between financial knowledge and financial behavior was stronger among girls (r=0.700) than boys (r=0.669). Results further indicated that mothers played a more influential role than fathers in children’s financial education, and higher-income families exhibited more positive attitudes toward financial literacy education. Regional ANOVA results showed significant differences in financial knowledge and systemic factors across different districts of Tehran. Thematic analysis emphasized the critical roles of family, teachers, media, and gender differences in shaping children’s financial literacy. The system dynamics simulation demonstrated that educational interventions implemented from the sixth month onward could substantially improve financial knowledge over time and reduce the gender gap in financial literacy. The results demonstrated that applying a system dynamics approach to children’s financial literacy education can facilitate the design of effective, sustainable, and gender-sensitive educational policies. Integrating family, educational, and cultural factors into a systemic model enabled the prediction of long-term educational outcomes and showed that targeted interventions can improve financial behaviors and reduce gender disparities in financial literacy. The proposed model may serve as a practical framework for developing financial literacy programs in developing countries.

The present study aimed to conceptualize the mentoring process of school principals and develop a grounded model based on participants’ lived experiences. This applied qualitative study was conducted using a grounded theory approach. Participants included school principals, deputies, educational experts, and experienced mentors selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Data were collected via 18 in-depth semi-structured interviews and continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis was conducted concurrently through open, axial, and selective coding. A total of 120 initial concepts were identified during open coding and subsequently organized into 43 axial categories. Finally, a paradigmatic model including causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening factors, strategies, and consequences was developed. The findings indicated that mentoring of school principals is a multidimensional, interactive, and transformative process shaped by factors such as the need for guidance, experience-based learning, mutual trust, and supportive structures. Strategies such as reflective feedback, reciprocal learning, supportive mentoring, and learning from errors play a critical role in its effectiveness. Intervening conditions including cultural resistance, lack of reward systems, and absence of formal structures may either facilitate or hinder the process. Ultimately, mentoring leads to outcomes such as professional growth, managerial self-efficacy, resilience, and improvement in organizational culture. Mentoring, as a developmental, relational, and experience-based mechanism, can significantly enhance the professional capabilities of school principals, and implementing a localized mentoring model can improve the overall quality of educational leadership.

This study aimed to design a localized model for implementing evidence-based policymaking in the Iranian education system through the analysis of upstream policy documents. This research employed a qualitative approach using thematic analysis. The data consisted of official upstream education documents, including the Fundamental Transformation Document, general national policies, legislative acts, and resolutions of policymaking bodies. Documents were selected through purposive sampling based on their policy relevance and authority. The analysis process involved initial coding, conceptual categorization, and the extraction of overarching themes. To ensure trustworthiness, independent coding, consensus procedures, and expert validation in educational policymaking were applied. The findings revealed that evidence-based policymaking in Iranian education is constrained by significant structural and institutional challenges. Five core themes were identified: lack of intermediary institutions, disconnection between policy formulation and implementation, dominance of political considerations, absence of systematic evaluation and feedback mechanisms, and weak policy analysis capacity. These findings indicate that the full cycle of evidence-based policymaking is not coherently established, and the use of evidence in decision-making remains limited. In response, a six-dimensional model was proposed, encompassing structural, conceptual, governance, evaluation and feedback, human resources, and cultural-normative dimensions. The model is designed to bridge the gap between research and policymaking, enhance institutional capacity, and strengthen the application of evidence in decision-making, thereby offering a practical framework for improving educational policymaking in Iran.