Presenting a Competencies Model of Curriculum Planners with an Emphasis on Optimizing Farhangian University Textbooks

Abstract

Purpose: Competencies of curriculum planners can improve textbooks by increasing awareness and understanding of academic issues. Therefore, the present research was conducted with the aim of presenting a competencies model of curriculum planners with an emphasis on optimizing Farhangian University textbooks. Methodology: The present research was applied in terms of purpose and mixed (qualitative and quantitative) in terms of implementation method. In the qualitative part, the statistical population of this study was students and graduates of the PhD of curriculum planning working at Farhangian University in the 2022-3 academic years, which according to the theoretical saturation principle number of 14 people were selected as samples with using the purposive sampling method. In the quantitative part, the statistical population of this study was students and graduates of the PhD of curriculum planning working at Farhangian University in the 2022-2 academic years, which according to the Cochran formula number of 78 people were selected as sample with using the using the available sampling method. The data of this research in the qualitative part were collected by semi-structured interviews and analyzed with using the content analysis method in MAXQDA 2020 software and in the quantitative part were collected by researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed with using the partial least square method in Smart PLS 3 software. Findings: The results of the qualitative part showed that the competencies of curriculum planners with an emphasis on optimizing Farhangian University textbooks have 34 sub categories in 5 main categories, were including perceptual competencies of curriculum planners (with 7 sub categories of critical thinking, creativity, foresight, decision-making, self-efficacy, lifelong learner and pragmatic teacher), attitudinal competencies of curriculum planners (with 7 sub categories of self-awareness, flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity, perseverance, commitment, honesty and patience), technical competencies of curriculum planners (with 8 sub categories of reverse engineering, design thinking, problem solving, technology, educational design, innovation, information literacy and media literacy), communication competencies of curriculum planners (with 4 sub categories of supervision, team building, interaction and collaboration and persuasion skills) and knowledge competencies of curriculum planners (with 8 sub categories of needs assessment in curriculum, curriculum evaluation, goal formulation in curriculum, how and patterns of content organization, curriculum patterns, learning approaches, curriculum theories and teacher knowledge. In addition, the results of the quantitative part showed that in competencies model of curriculum planners with an emphasis on optimizing Farhangian University textbooks the factor loading of all main and sub categories was higher than 0.30 and was significant due to the t statistic of higher than 1.96 (P<0.05). Also, the the reliability of all of main categories with using the Cronbach's alpha and combined methods was higher than 0.70. Finally, the competencies model of curriculum planners with an emphasis on optimizing Farhangian University textbooks was drawn. Conclusion: The results of this research confirmed the competencies model of curriculum planners with an emphasis on optimizing Farhangian University textbooks. Therefore, it is necessary to review the headings of Farhangian University textbooks according to the identified competencies and to provide a basis for optimizing Farhangian University textbooks with using the identified categories.