Identification and Prioritization of Student Recruitment Policies in Educational Centers

Abstract

The present study aims to identify student recruitment policies in a selected unit of the Islamic Azad University. This study employs an exploratory mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) research design. In the qualitative phase, a typology model was utilized. First, practical concepts were defined and conceptualized, followed by a review of the qualitative literature and the grounded theory approach. Based on open sampling, a purposive and theoretical sampling process was conducted with a panel of experts comprising approximately 28 individuals until theoretical saturation was reached. The quantitative phase included the faculty members of a selected unit of the Islamic Azad University, which consists of 198 full-time faculty members and approximately 500 visiting professors. To determine the sample size from this statistical population, the Krejcie and Morgan table was used alongside cluster sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were applied for data analysis. In the inferential analysis, the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique was performed using SPSS 26 and Amos 23 software at a 95% confidence level. The qualitative framework followed the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin through three main steps: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire consisting of 15 items derived from the qualitative phase was designed on a 5-point Likert scale and distributed among the statistical population. The test results indicate that the proposed model possesses both external and internal validity. Reliability and validity were tested, and the findings demonstrate that the questionnaire items have acceptable validity and reliability. According to the developed student recruitment policy model: managerial performance, work teams, recruitment innovation, benchmarking, and geographical location act as causal conditions; productivity enhancement, university demands, specialized human resources, and cultural structure serve as contextual conditions; continuous student admission constitutes the central phenomenon; legal regulations, societal economic conditions, and software infrastructure function as intervening conditions; and fulfilling the scientific mission and elevating the university's status are considered the consequences...