Analyzing the Components of International Educational Systems in Alignment with Iran’s Fundamental Transformation Document of Education

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the components of international educational systems and explain their alignment with Iran’s Fundamental Transformation Document of Education. The study was applied in purpose and employed a qualitative approach within an interpretive–critical paradigm using a comparative–analytical design. Data were collected through document analysis of official documents and policy reports of ten international educational systems—including Singapore, Swiss Matura, the International Primary Curriculum, Australia, Cambridge, the International Baccalaureate, Brussels, France, Britain, and Geneva—interviews with ten principals, teachers, and graduates of these schools, and the views of experts in the philosophy of education, curriculum planning, and educational policy obtained through interviews and focus groups. Data were analyzed using directed content analysis, deductive thematic analysis, and comparative matrix analysis. The findings revealed four main components across all systems: curriculum, student characteristics, teacher and principal characteristics, and educational leadership and management, with common emphasis on active learning, competency development, process-oriented assessment, teacher professionalization, instructional leadership, and evidence-based decision-making. Components such as active learning, interactive instruction, participatory management, and teacher professionalization are potentially compatible with the Fundamental Transformation Document. However, elements that weaken national and religious identity or prioritize transnational standards over indigenous objectives require revision or exclusion. The study concludes that international experiences should be utilized through critical localization, selective adaptation, and conceptual reconstruction within the cultural and identity-based foundations of Iran’s education system.