پديد آورندگان :
قلمكاري، مهان دانشگاه آزاد اسلامي واحد تهران جنوب - دانشكدۀ روان‌شناسي و علوم تربيتي - گروه علوم تربيتي، تهران , نوريان، محمد دانشگاه آزاد اسلامي واحد تهران جنوب - دانشكدۀ روان‌شناسي و علوم تربيتي - گروه علوم تربيتي، تهران , مسعودي ندوشن، عصمت دانشگاه آزاد اسلامي واحد تهران جنوب - دانشكدۀ روان‌شناسي و علوم تربيتي - گروه علوم تربيتي، تهران , نوروزي، داريوش دانشگاه علامه طباطبايي - دانشكدۀ روان‌شناسي و علوم تربيتي - گروه علوم تربيتي، تهران
چكيده لاتين :
Introduction
Due to the importance and the role of higher education in the world,
different countries have made attempts to keep their higher education
dynamic and provide constant evaluation of its main components. As one
of the components of higher education, students have been attracted to this
system with their various expectations. The increased population of
students as well as the rise in the number and variety of higher education
institutions have led to higher expectations of higher education
(Brinkworth et al, 2009). After their admission to university, as a result of
their interaction with other participants there (e.g. students, professors,
staff), students might find their expectations and goals challenged and
might revise some; accordingly, they might get further attracted to or may
tend to skip university (Ailes et al, 2017) in that the gap between their
expectations and experiences could cause them to feel discouraged,
stressed, and uncertain about their goals (Basow & Gaugler, 2017). Studies
have revealed a wide variety of such expectations and goals, which are
essential for keeping higher education active and dynamic. Nevertheless,
it might not be always possible for higher education to respond to and meet
all such demands due to the limitations in public and governmental
resources. Hence, it is necessary to identify and recognize the different
aspects of these expectations in order to keep higher education active and
dynamic.
Identifying the valid components of different aspects of these
expectations can help the authorities in macro educational planning to
estimate the possibility of their fulfilment and to keep the educational
settings dynamic through the programs and goals consistent with the
participants’ expectations. Students' lack of hope of fulfilling their
demands on their fields of study will cause adverse effects on their
objective and motivation for learning as well as their responsibility and
future efficiency (Salehi et al, 2010). Studies have also shown that the
students whose experiences are not in line with their expectations are more
likely to get frustrated and disappointed, which will correspondingly affect
their performance (Byrne et al, 2012). Factors such as the development of
communities, the generation differences, and the technology changes in
today’s students all point to their difference with their previous
generations. Students have become more demanding and try to meet their
needs and expectations; hence, further research must be conducted to
verify the students' expectations of higher education. Such findings are
significant in that they can enable higher education planners find a way to
communicate closely with the students by understanding their
expectations. Thus, they can provide the necessary planning to gain the
students' satisfaction, which can respectively contribute to the
development of the society through increasing motivation in the educated
people. Therefore, this study aimed at validating the components of
doctoral students' expectations from the higher education.
Research questions
The present study was an attempt to design a valid questionnaire to
assess the validity of the components of doctoral students' expectations
from higher education. Therefore, the study had two main objectives: first,
designing an accurate questionnaire, and second, determining the validity
of its factor structure.
The question that guided the study concerned whether these
components are valid among doctoral students in Iran.
Methods
Using the identified components presented in Nourian and
Ghalamkari's (2019) qualitative study, a research-made questionnaire was
prepared. Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory and exploratory factor
analyses were used to confirm the validity and reliability of the
questionnaire. The population consisted of the doctoral students in Tehran
(55515 students). 382 students were selected as the sample through
stratified random sampling method. The results were analyzed using
structural equation testing using AMOS.
Results
The results indicated that the components specified for the doctoral
students' expectations of higher education are well validated with 31 major
themes and 7 subthemes (considering the students’ conditions, giving them
social dignity, providing services and proper educational facilities,
opening up opportunities for their employment, providing financial and
scientific support and efficient management, and improving their personal
and social life). The subthemes of considering the students’ conditions and
social dignity and improving their personal and social life were below the
average levels in explaining the doctoral students' expectations from
higher education. On the other hand, the subthemes of providing services
and proper educational facilities had the highest contribution in explaining
the expectations. Contribution to employment was ranked upper than the
average levels. However, financial support had the highest level after the
subthemes of providing services and proper educational facilities. Offerinf
scientific support was the third component in explaining the expectations.
Efficient management, however, was in a lower than average level in
explaining the doctoral students' expectations of higher education. In sum,
services and proper educational facilities were ranked as the subthemes
with the highest contribution to explaining the doctoral students'
expectations of higher education and the subthemes of improving personal
and social life and considering the students' conditions and social dignity
had the lowest contribution.
Discussion and Conclusion
Studies on the students' expectations of higher education are mostly
focused on one dimension. Considering the importance of studying the
students' expectations of higher education, it is required to suggest valid
and comprehensive components to provide a better understanding. Each
identified component has been individually discussed in other studies, but
examination of all components provides the basis for a major review of the
higher education system. The present study demonstrated that students'
expectations had various dimensions. Thus, considering the multiple
dimensions of students' expectations at the same time and attempting to
meet them can lead to the students' increased satisfaction. Regarding these
components as a whole as well as the individual contribution of each
subtheme and category in explaining the expectation can contribute to
providing appropriate strategies and programs. In addition, increasing
motivation among students can direct them towards the development of
themselves and the society.
