Identifying the Dimensions and Components of Enhancing Teachers’ Social Responsibility through an Empowerment Approach in Girls’ Technical and Vocational Schools in Mashhad

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and explain the dimensions and components of enhancing teachers’ social responsibility through a job empowerment approach in girls’ technical and vocational schools in Mashhad. This qualitative study was conducted within an interpretive paradigm using a case study strategy. The participants were 15 university professors and experts in educational management and educational sciences with relevant scholarly and research experience in job empowerment, social responsibility, educational leadership, and school management. They were selected through purposive sampling, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews addressing participation in decision-making, empowerment opportunities, empowering leadership, and teachers’ intrinsic motivation. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic network analysis. The analytical process involved open coding, extraction of basic themes, organization of conceptually related themes into broader categories, and development of an overarching conceptual framework. The trustworthiness of the findings was assessed according to Lincoln and Guba’s criteria of credibility, dependability, and confirmability. The analysis indicated that teachers’ social responsibility is enhanced through the interaction of three interrelated dimensions of job empowerment: organizational, individual, and attitudinal. The organizational dimension, encompassing organizational trust, transparency and justice, participation in decision-making, delegation of authority, managerial support, collaborative culture, recognition, professional development, collective responsibility, and continuity of empowerment programs, emerged as the most influential foundation for responsible behavior. The individual dimension strengthened social responsibility by improving self-efficacy, professional confidence, communication, decision-making, problem-solving, personal resource management, creativity, self-assessment, and intrinsic motivation. The attitudinal dimension promoted professional and social commitment through meaningful work, perceived personal influence, ethical orientation, openness to feedback and change, teamwork, growth orientation, and commitment to individual and collective success. Teachers’ social responsibility is the outcome of a continuous, balanced, and multidimensional empowerment process. It develops most effectively when supportive organizational structures, individual competencies, and positive professional attitudes are strengthened simultaneously.