Proposing an Organizational Ethics Model in Iranian Schools
Keywords:
Organizational ethics , teacher ethics, ethical leadership, ethical culture, student ethicsAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to design and validate a comprehensive model of organizational ethics in Iranian schools, integrating leadership, teacher ethics, learner ethics, and ethical culture.
Methods and Materials: The research employed an exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 educational experts and provincial education directors selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation. Thematic analysis using the Attride-Sterling framework was applied to identify basic, organizing, and global themes. In the quantitative phase, a stratified quota sample of 368 school principals from Khuzestan and Kurdistan provinces completed a researcher-developed Likert-scale questionnaire derived from the qualitative findings. Content validity was assessed using CVR and CVI indices with expert panels. The model was further validated through confirmatory analysis using SmartPLS 3, applying structural equation modeling, composite reliability, and average variance extracted (AVE) for measurement robustness.
Findings: The structural model demonstrated that ethical leadership (β = 0.837, t = 43.608, p < .001), teacher ethics (β = 0.850, t = 47.868, p < .001), learner ethics (β = 0.908, t = 101.586, p < .001), and ethical culture (β = 0.515, t = 11.677, p < .001) were significant predictors of organizational ethics. Supporting mechanisms (β = 0.905, t = 99.443, p < .001), guaranteeing mechanisms (β = 0.758, t = 29.120, p < .001), and contextual enablers (β = 0.923, t = 132.177, p < .001) also contributed significantly. Reliability indices exceeded 0.90, and convergent validity (AVE) ranged from 0.55 to 0.74, confirming psychometric adequacy.
Conclusion: The validated model demonstrates strong explanatory power and practical relevance, offering an evidence-based framework for promoting organizational ethics in schools. By addressing ethical leadership, teacher and learner ethics, and school culture within supportive institutional contexts, the model provides a roadmap for fostering integrity, responsibility, and educational quality.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Azar Ghalavand (Author); Mohammad Senobari; Fardin Abdollahi (Author)
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