Comparative Analysis of the Structure of Farhangian University in Iran with Teacher Education Systems in Five Selected Countries (Finland, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and Germany)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

PhD in Curriculum Development, Department of Educational Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.48310/jcdr.2025.20035.1203

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Teacher education systems play a pivotal role in ensuring educational quality. This comparative study aimed to analyze the structure of Farhangian University in Iran against five leading countries in teacher education to identify strengths and weaknesses of Iran's teacher training system. Methods: The study employed a qualitative, comparative-descriptive approach using Bereday's four-stage model. Data were collected from documents of Farhangian University and international sources, then analyzed across 36 key comparative indicators. Findings: Results revealed that Farhangian University has distinct features in centralized structure, guaranteed employment system, and emphasis on national identity. However, significant improvements are needed in practicum quality (512 hours compared to 750-hour average in leading countries), student-teacher ratio (1:15 vs. 1:4 in Finland), research focus (2 mandatory research units vs. 15 in Finland), and proportion of theoretical courses (65% vs. 40% in leading countries). The study highlights three critical gaps: 1) the limited 512-hour practicum versus 800-900 hours in benchmark countries, 2) the high student-teacher ratio impacting instructional quality, and 3) the imbalance between theoretical and practical coursework. Conclusions: The study proposes transformative reforms in three key areas: 1) decentralization of the organizational structure, 2) enhancement of practicum quality through extended duration and improved supervision systems, and 3) implementation of competency-based evaluation mechanisms. A primary limitation was the difficulty accessing some internal documents from the studied countries. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on teacher education reform by providing empirical evidence for policy improvements in Iran's teacher training system while considering international best practices.

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References

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Journals of Research in Teacher Education Curriculum Studies
Volume 5, Issue 2 - Serial Number 9
March 2025
Pages 101-115

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