Designing a Model for Aligning the Curriculum and Assessment System with Industry Needs in Technical and Vocational High Schools in Tehran

Fereshteh  Hajatmand; Nazanin Bani Asadi; Rashid  Zolfaghari Zafarani

doi:10.61838/etbf5696

Authors

Fereshteh Hajatmand Department Educational Sciences, NT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0805-7691
Nazanin Bani Asadi Department Educational Sciences, NT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6937-2609
Rashid Zolfaghari Zafarani Department Educational Sciences, RO.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5123-5374

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61838/etbf5696

Keywords:

education–industry gap, alignment, curriculum, technical and vocational education, thematic analysis

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to explain the education–industry gap and design a model for aligning the curriculum and assessment system with industry needs in technical and vocational high schools in Tehran Province during the 2025–2026 academic year.

Methods and Materials: The study adopted a qualitative approach and was conducted through semi-structured interviews with experts, administrators, and teachers. The data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis and ATLAS.ti software, and the Delphi technique was employed to validate and finalize the model. In the qualitative phase, 15 experts were selected through purposive sampling, and an initial research model was developed after the themes had been extracted. The model was subsequently presented to 58 members of the Delphi panel. Through several rounds of feedback and the achievement of an agreement level exceeding 70%, the validity, coherence, and applicability of its components were confirmed.

Findings: Data analysis through open, axial, and selective coding resulted in the extraction of 16 axial codes and seven selective codes and the development of the conceptual model. The findings indicated that the education–industry gap was evident in dimensions such as the recruitment and empowerment of instructors and students, the alignment of curriculum objectives and content with industrial developments and needs, the adaptation of teaching methods to the actual workplace, and the establishment of a competency-based assessment system. The final model was developed at three interconnected levels: input, comprising the recruitment and empowerment of human resources; process, comprising the alignment of objectives, content, teaching methods, and the assessment system with industry needs; and output, comprising the enhancement of professional competencies, reduction of the education–industry gap, and improvement of the quality of technical and vocational education.

Conclusion: The results emphasize the necessity of transitioning from traditional approaches to a skill-based, competency-based system founded on continuous feedback. Such a transition can strengthen the systematic relationship between technical and vocational education and industry, improve educational quality, and reduce the gap between education and the actual needs of the labor market.

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