The Implemented Curriculum Model for the Physical Education at Farhangian University

Introduction

Farhangian University, in order to achieve its goals and mission to train teachers, develops a curriculum with specific elements according to the basics of the curriculum and this program should consider the necessary philosophical, social, cultural, psychological and sociological foundations and the elements of the program have coherence and coordination and the possibility of implementation. Farhangian University was founded based on the fundamental transformation of education document (2013). The university's establishment, as outlined in the fundamental transformation document, aims to create a national teacher training system and a specialized university for cultural figures, focusing on specialized and professional education, through collaboration between the Ministry of Education and relevant agencies.

Curriculums extend beyond formal content to encompass a range of learning experiences. As Wilson (1969) illustrates with 11 curriculum types, students learn more than just what teachers explicitly teach. The "implemented curriculum" is one important dimension of this broader learning.The implemented curriculum encompasses the actual teaching and learning processes within the classroom, differing from the officially designed curriculum. This highlights the discrepancy between the planned and the experienced curriculum (Karakus, 2021). Physical education constitutes an integral component of the curriculum at Farhangian University. Its primary objective is to develop and nurture students' comprehensive physical and psychological capabilities, thereby enabling them to lead healthy and successful lives within both natural and social environments. The quality of the physical education curriculum at Farhangian University can have a positive impact on the development of professional and specialized competencies of future teachers.

Curriculum review and quality control are essential in education. This requires a comprehensive analysis of the curriculum's dimensions and elements to identify and implement necessary corrections. Prior to developing goals, content, and methods, educational needs must be carefully considered and evaluated. Curriculum design should also account for learners' individual characteristics, knowledge levels, and needs, as well as the appeal and validity of learning materials (Kale et al., 2023).

Taba (1999) expanded Tyler's four curriculum elements to seven: needs recognition, goal setting, content selection, content organization, selection of learning experiences, organization of learning and evaluation experiences, providing a comprehensive and practical framework for curriculum planning (Blood et al., 2020). Carnevale et al. (2023) emphasize that curricula are central to universities' success and warrant careful attention as vital tools for achieving educational goals. The teacher training curriculum at Farhangian University, specifically in its goals, content, teaching methods, and evaluation, requires significant revision to meet desired standards. As Khadiv & Seyed Kalan (2018) note, the curriculum's primary element, its goal, drives the other components, necessitating their alignment.

The university's physical education curriculum aims to instill essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Successful implementation, guided by sound principles and internal coherence, is crucial for achieving course-specific goals. Each component's strengths and weaknesses impact program delivery, necessitating a thorough evaluation to address shortcomings and reinforce positive aspects for optimal program effectiveness.

Gholampour et al. (2023) examined Farhangian University's internship curriculum using Grounded theory. The study identified key themes including characteristics of the curriculum (intended, implemented, and acquired), contextual factors (macro policy, underlying factors of the university and internship schools), facilitator intervention conditions (supervisor and tutor qualifications), restrictive intervention conditions (organizational challenges and behavioral factors), proposed strategies (resuming planning in the curriculum, appropriate implementation, and attention to improvement), and current implications (reduced program effectiveness and efficiency).

Dehghani Ghahfarkhi and Goodarzi (2020) argue in "Pathology of General Physical Education Curriculum Programs in Universities and Higher Education Institutions" that effective professors and instructors are crucial to a curriculum's success. They contend that a capable teacher can largely compensate for shortcomings in goals, content, facilities, and other standards necessary for a quality physical education class.

Piri et al. (2018) evaluated the physical education curriculum quality from the perspective of students at public universities in Kurdistan, Hamadan, and East and West Azerbaijan. Their findings indicated that the curriculum moderately addressed students' needs and expectations regarding its purpose and content. However, it failed to adequately meet their needs in terms of executive (teaching-learning and management) and evaluation strategies.

Nazari et al. (2017) study of the Iranian physical education curriculum, assessed from an expert perspective, found it undesirable in its purpose, content, and curriculum. Teaching-learning strategies and evaluation methods inadequately met professional expectations. Experts recommended leveraging leading countries' studies and experiences, alongside local, national, and regional capacities, within an international perspective. They also emphasized needs assessment, flexibility, and creating educational facilities and spaces.     Stark et al. (1997) investigated faculty perspectives on the challenges of curriculum planning, revealing several key influences. These include the faculty member's field of study, student characteristics, workload, personal preferences, program goals, university budget, research trends, pedagogical beliefs, student goals, external examinations, faculty internships, and textbook content. Contrary to faculty expectations, they rarely perceive curriculum planning as a catalyst for significant change or innovation. This study addresses important research gaps identified in existing literature on curriculum models.

The practical implementation of the physical education curriculum at Farhangian University lacks sufficient research. Current studies focus on curriculum documents, leaving gaps in our understanding of integrating theory with practice, evaluating future teachers' professional skills, and adapting to school needs. Traditional curriculum development models prove inadequate for systematic analysis in this context. Furthermore, while physical education research is generally accessible, studies specifically examining the experiences of student-teachers at Farhangian University are limited. Given the unique characteristics of this teacher training institution and its national educational ideology, a specific analysis is required. Therefore, this research aims to develop a tailored physical education curriculum model for Farhangian University.

Research Methods

This research, using a qualitative grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin,1997). Data was collected through cross-sectional library studies and qualitative interviews with a statistical population of physical education professors and experts nationwide (minimum 10 years of experience and a doctorate). Interviews were conducted in person to gather data for designing the curriculum model. Each interview explored identified issues, prompting follow-up questions as needed. Recorded interviews were reviewed for clarity and completeness, transcribed, and then coded and analyzed. Codes were classified, merged into formulated concepts, and arranged into thematic categories and sub-concepts aligned with the research purpose.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. Purposeful sampling was used to select professors and experts in physical education at Farhangian University across the country. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached with 15 participants. Analysis of the interviews resulted in a pathology model of the physical education curriculum at Farhangian University, identifying five main areas: (1) causal conditions, (2) axial phenomenon, (3) contextual conditions, (4) interfering factors, (5) strategies, and (6) consequences.

The research questions explored the causal conditions, strategies, contextual, intervening conditions, and consequences of the physical education curriculum at Farhangian University. To ensure research validity, a rich description of the research process was provided, adhering to Tracy's (2024) criteria. Ethical considerations were addressed by obtaining informed consent and ensuring participant confidentiality. Effective researcher-participant interaction was prioritized. Pluralism was achieved through two types of triangulation: selecting participants from diverse fields (physical education, curriculum planning, psychology) and employing two independent code reviewers.

The coding process was conducted in three sequential stages, as follows:

1. Open Coding:This initial phase involved the process of breaking down, analyzing, comparing, and conceptualizing the data into discrete units. The researcher examined the data (e.g., interview transcripts) line-by-line to identify phenomena, events, actions, and interactions, and assigned conceptual labels (codes) to them.
2. Axial Coding:This intermediate phase entailed the process of relating codes (concepts) to one another to form a more complex framework. During this stage, relationships between codes were identified and categorized. A central phenomenon was selected as the core category, and other codes were organized around it in terms of their causal conditions, strategies, contextual and intervening conditions, and consequences. This procedure led to the formation of a coding paradigm.
3. Selective Coding:This final phase involved the process of integrating and refining the emerging theory. Here, a core category was identified and developed, and all other categories were integrated around it. The relationships between categories were articulated and validated, resulting in the finalization and maturation of the theory.

Results

The sample's demographic characteristics are summarized in Table 1. The sample consisted of 40% women and 60% men. The majority (87%) were in the field of physical education, while 13% were in curriculum planning. Academic ranks included instructor (7%), assistant professor (79%), and professor (14%). Years of educational experience were distributed as follows: 10-15 years (%12.8), 16-20 years (%12.8), 21-25 years (%31.8), and over 26 years (%42.6).

Table 1- Demographic characteristics of research participants

Following an analysis of theoretical foundations, researcher conducted semi-structured interviews, adhering to ethical principles, and ensuring interviewee satisfaction. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to open coding to identify key features of the physical education curriculum. Table 2 provides an example of interview text and open codes.

Table 2- Open, Axial and Selective Codes

Table 3 presents the open, axial, and selective codes. The research model comprises five main axes: causal factors, contextual factors, intervening factors, strategies, and consequences.

Table 3- Open, Axial, Selective Codes

Based on the interviews, the main categories are: (1) "Causal factors": Educational basics, Social values and norms, Social perspectives and missions, Attention to students' psychological attitudes; (2) " Contextual factors": Organizational culture of the university, The organizational climate of the university, Leadership style of university, The role of the instructors; (3) "Interventional factors": The decentralized program, Pay attention to professional features, Avoid bureaucratic and administrative structure; (4) "Strategies": Available sports conditions and facilities, Organization's financial resources, Integrate teacher competencies in practical implementation, Empowering professors as curriculum interpreters, Eco-friendly framework design, Strengthening context-based learning, Developing support infrastructure; and (5) " Consequences ": Enhance students' sports knowledge and knowledge, Increase sports skills of students, Increasing a positive attitude towards physical education.

Figure 1. Curriculum development model implemented in the Physical Education Department of Farhangian University

Discussion

This study aimed to present a physical education Implemented curriculum model for Farhangian University. Key components and dimensions include: causal conditions, contextual conditions, interfering factors, strategies and consequences. These findings suggest a need to review and improve the university's physical education curriculum to better meet student needs. Key themes in "Causal conditions" extracted from interviews include educational basics, social values and norms, social perspectives and mission, and attention to students' psychological attitudes. These results align with previous research (Noorianfar et al, 2022; Baniasad et al., 2017) indicating that neglecting causal factors can hinder curriculum implementation and effectiveness.

Contextual factors influencing curriculum efficiency include Organizational culture of the university, The organizational climate of the university, Leadership style of university, The role of the instructors, leadership styles of university managers, and the role of professors' educational models. This aligns with previous research (Aghaei et al, 2021), which emphasizes a lively and calm university environment, constructive criticism, organizational identity for staff, and professor involvement in decisions. Conversely, Aktan (2016) highlights the detrimental effects of professors failing to foster a supportive learning environment that strengthens intellectual independence. Duman & Konuk (2023) further demonstrates that a mismatch between curricula and underlying conditions reduces effectiveness.

Interventional factors the decentralized program, pay attention to professional features, Avoid bureaucratic and administrative structure. This resonates with Piri et al.'s (2018) research, emphasizing the importance of division of labor, task allocation, and self-monitoring in curriculum development. Similarly, Ivanoff and Hottel (2013) found that employee freedom in performing tasks and active, participatory training methods greatly impact the successful implementation of physical education curricula.

Key themes in "strategies" Available sports conditions and facilities, Organization's financial resources, integrate teacher competencies in practical implementation, empowering professors as curriculum interpreters, Eco-friendly framework design, strengthening context-based learning, Developing support infrastructure. aligning with research emphasizing the importance of effective strategies in curriculum development and implementation for improved educational quality (Garshasbi et al., 2020).

Similarly, "consequences" focused Enhance students' sports knowledge and knowledge, increase sports skills of students, increasing a positive attitude towards physical education. These outcomes are supported by prior research (Farsi et al., 2022; Wintle, 2022) demonstrating that curriculum implementation quality and its alignment with student needs directly impact its effectiveness.

Conclusion

The research findings highlight several key factors in developing a university physical education curriculum. Causal factors include addressing societal needs (both immediate and future), fostering learners' healthy personalities and physical/mental well-being, considering learners' developmental stages and abilities, adhering to ethical and professional standards, and incorporating general sports. Enhancing underlying factors requires strong leadership, learning and career development opportunities, and specialized personnel knowledgeable in modern science. A suitable platform can be formed by promoting professor-student interaction, attracting dedicated professors, ensuring professor responsibility and expertise, emphasizing job excellence and promotion, recognizing the educational role of professors, and fostering work commitment. To mitigate interfering factors, a two-way, multi-level relationship is crucial, enabling broad participation in decision-making, while addressing needs, facilities, and learner characteristics. Strategies for curriculum presentation are influenced by interaction with the external environment; therefore, anticipating future trends is essential, particularly understanding both environmental and internal factors. Adapting to the internal and external university sports environment allows academic sports leaders to achieve the curriculum's strategic goals through effective mechanisms. The curriculum's positive outcomes include improved student health and well-being, social and psychological growth, socialization, strengthened values, character development, responsibility, talent development, academic achievement, promotion of healthy lifestyles, enhanced skills and knowledge, individual and social vitality, and leisure planning. The link between sports and cultural, social, political, and economic phenomena underscores the importance of sports in national development programs and the development of academic sports in most countries.

Revising the physical education curriculum at Farhangian University requires addressing obstacles within the university's sports programs to foster positive change. Developing an effective program necessitates thorough research to align with societal needs and inform policy. University leadership, faculty training, sports facilities, financial resources, student knowledge and skills, and attitudes toward physical education all require long-term planning for improvement. Farhangian University must ensure a high-quality educational environment with relevant curriculum content that meets student and labor market demands.

Research limitations and Recommendations for Future Research

Although this study provides valuable insights into the curriculum model implemented for the physical education major at Farhangian University, it is important to acknowledge several limitations that suggest important directions for future research.

In this study, although the sample size is sufficient, it may not fully represent the diverse experiences of Farhangian University professors. Also, access to physical education curriculum experts at Farhangian University was limited to obtain accurate information, which consequently limited active participation in training sessions. In addition, access to diverse sources to collect the necessary information for this study was limited. Future research directions should include a comprehensive evaluation and review of the physical education curriculum at Farhangian University, and by making the necessary amendments and changes, in particular, coordination and coherence between the curriculum, its teaching and its assessment should be taken to improve its status by providing the relevant conditions and facilities. Also, what is worth mentioning in the interpretation and analysis of the validation of the proposed model is: It is necessary to take the necessary steps to transform the proposed model into a practical curriculum, in accordance with the developed upstream documents. In all physical education courses, the connection of Farhangian University students with the school is another vital area, so that they can analyze and explain the topics taught in schools.

Acknowledgments

This article is based on the first author's doctoral dissertation, and the authors express their gratitude to all who supported the research.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Funding

This work was supported only by the authors.

Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process

During the preparation of this work the authors used ChatGPT, and Grammarly in order to improve language and readability of certain parts of the article.