نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 گروه مطالعات تربیتی و برنامهریزی درسی، واحد تهران شمال، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران.
2 گروه علوم تربیتی، دانشکده علوم تربیتی و روانشناسی، دانشگاه شهید بهشتی، تهران، ایران.
3 گروه مطالعات برنامه درسی، دانشکده علوم تربیتی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران.
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Introduction: Theory and theorizing are pillars of knowledge production and indicators of the maturity of any academic discipline. In curriculum studies, knowledge development depends on the establishment of coherent, well-grounded theoretical frameworks. Despite the growing number of studies in Iran, findings remain fragmented and heterogeneous, offering no comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the growth of theorizing. Moreover, the expansion of scientific publications has increased the need for systematic reviews and meta-analysis to synthesize research evidence. Accordingly, this study combines meta-analysis and theoretical synthesis to estimate the effect sizes of influential factors while analyzing the overlap network of theoretical components and the pattern of studies based on Blaikie's framework (what, why, and how). The study aims to identify the factors influencing the growth and development of theorizing in Iranian curriculum studies and determine each factor's relative contribution. The study addresses the following question: What factors influence the growth and development of theorizing in Iranian curriculum studies, and to what extent has each contributed to theory development?
Methods: This study employed a systematic review and meta-analysis. The study population consisted of published studies on theory and theorizing in Iranian curriculum studies between 1989 and 2026. After searching scientific databases, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, removing duplicate records, and screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 41 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Theoretical components were extracted from foundational sources and coded into 13 components. Statistical analyses were conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (CMA version 4). Effect sizes, cumulative effects, heterogeneity, publication bias, 95% confidence intervals, and sensitivity analyses were calculated. The studies were classified according to Blaikie's framework.
Results: The findings showed that only 41 studies met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, and the number of publications increased from the late 2000s onward. Based on Blaikie's framework, 8 studies examined the "what", 19 the "why", and 14 the "how" of theorizing, indicating the predominance of explanatory approaches. Statistical analysis revealed that the social component had the largest effect size (0.798), whereas the philosophical component had the smallest (0.507). The social component, with a cumulative effect of 33.846 across 16 studies, formed the largest meta-analytic network, while the structural component, with a cumulative effect of 34.801 across 13 studies, represented the strongest data-flow network. By contrast, the philosophical component showed the weakest overlap network, with a cumulative effect of 28.800. Overlap analysis further demonstrated that most studies relied on a limited number of seminal references.. Heterogeneity, sensitivity, and publication bias analyses confirmed the robustness and credibility of the findings.
Discussion and Conclusion: The findings indicate that theorizing in Iranian curriculum studies depends more on social, structural, and institutional contexts than on individual or methodological factors. The predominance of the social component highlights the role of scholarly interactions, research policies, and collaborative networks in theory development, whereas the limited contribution of the philosophical component suggests that fundamental theoretical issues have not yet received sufficient attention. The classification of studies based on Blaikie's framework revealed that researchers have focused primarily on explaining why and how theorizing occurs, whereas studies addressing its theoretical foundations remain limited. Therefore, improving the quality of theorizing requires strengthening institutional infrastructures, revising research policies, enhancing education in theorizing methodology, expanding scholarly collaboration, and developing indigenous theoretical frameworks. Although limiting the study population to studies indexed in domestic databases and the dependence of the findings on the quality of primary studies constitute important limitations, this meta-analysis integrates statistical analysis with theoretical synthesis to provide a coherent account of the current state of theory and theorizing in Iranian curriculum studies and offers a valuable foundation for future research and science policy.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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