Scientific Paradigms in Iran's Educational Administration: A Critical Exploration

Abstract

Many educational administration (EA) experts have voiced their concern over the lack of scientific attitude in Iranian schools' leadership. However, what has not been taken into consideration is the precise knowledge of the science of EA of these experts. This study is meant to delve into Iranian EA experts' perceptions of the scientific foundations of this field through an interpretive phenomenological approach. To that end, this paper carefully selected 11 experts for this study through the use of convenience sampling, as well as being sensitive to theoretical data saturation. Using indirect questioning methods, we sought to elicit their complex views. The findings bear great importance within the field and in terms of broader social implications. From a disciplinary perspective, the findings indicate a consensus between specialists that converges with the principles espoused by the theoretical movement. Socially, such notions indicate a phenomenon known as Identification with the Aggressor (IWA). Notably, the concerns pointed out by the experts regarding EA—such as insistence on uniqueness, the adversarial nature of the external environment, and power dynamics as potential threats—echo the propaganda of the oligarchic management ideologies. These findings compete with the historical theory of nation-state conflict when defining the historical and political texture of Iranian society. According to this theory, people from all social classes, even intellectuals, naturally resist all administrative systems' ideologies and refuse integration. The deviation of the results of this research from the theory of nation-state conflict implies a change in the socio-economic environment of society.

Keywords

• Identification with the aggressor
• State-nation conflict
• The science of educational administration
• Theory movement
• Phenomenology method

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