Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran
2 PhD in Higher Education Managment, Department of Management and Education Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
3 Postdoctoral Researcher in Entrepreneurship, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Economics and Accounting, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
Abstract
Background and Objectives
Effective teaching is a pivotal factor in elevating higher education quality and promoting deep, meaningful learning in students. Despite increasing global focus, limited research in Iran has explored locally grounded, experience-based components of effective teaching from the perspectives of faculty and students. This study sought to identify and clarify these components within the Iranian university context to guide the enhancement of faculty professional development programs.
Methods
This qualitative study adopted a descriptive phenomenological design. Through purposeful sampling until theoretical saturation, 21 participants were selected: 11 faculty members (average 14 years of teaching experience) and 10 graduate students from public universities in Tehran. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method. Rigor was ensured through member checking, peer debriefing, and source triangulation.
Findings
Analysis revealed five core components of effective teaching: personal characteristics of faculty, professional competencies, classroom management, psychological engagement, and educational assessment. These components interact dynamically and reciprocally, forming a cohesive, self-regulating system that renders effective teaching a profoundly human, reflective, and transformative process.
Conclusion
In Iranian higher education, effective teaching transcends mere techniques and emerges as an integrated human process. It is recommended that faculty development programs focus on fostering reflective practice, strengthening communication and emotional competencies, and shifting assessment from grade-orientation to learning-orientation to significantly improve student learning and advance the quality of higher education in Iran.
Keywords
)