Iranian Journal of Educational Research

en From the "Vicious Cycle of Education" to the "Cadre Building Ecosystem": A Pathological Analysis of the Teaching Assistant Project from the Perspective of Academic Activists Educational Studies پژوهشي Original <div style="text-align: justify;">Objective: The main objective of this study was to redesign the Teaching Assistant (TA) scheme model at Islamic Azad University by examining the current system and identifying effective policies and strategies for improving its structure and performance. Methods: This study was applied in purpose and employed a mixed‑methods approach using a sequential exploratory design. The research population included full-time faculty members, teaching assistants, department heads, and students at Islamic Azad University. In the qualitative phase, 60 participants were selected through purposive sampling based on the criterion of theoretical saturation, including 10 full-time professors, 10 teaching assistants, 10 department heads, and 30 students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data were analyzed using Clarke and Braun’s (2006) thematic analysis method. Results: The analysis of the qualitative data resulted in the identification of the main dimensions of the proposed model, including the pathology of the current situation, transformation policies and strategies, and expected outcomes. The findings revealed that the existing teaching assistantship model requires a shift from a primarily executive-oriented approach to a more educational-professional framework. Conclusions: The redesigned model emphasizes empowerment, continuous monitoring, and the clear definition of job responsibilities for teaching assistants. This framework can serve as a practical guideline for policymaking and contribute to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the teaching assistantship system at Islamic Azad University.</div> Teaching Assistant, Accreditation/Validation, Higher Education, Islamic Azad University 0 0 http://ijer.hormozgan.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-589-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Ronak Mohajerpour mohajerpourr@iau.ac.ir 0000-0000-0000-0000 No Department of Educational Governance and Human Capital, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran Rafiqh Hasani hasani.rafigh@iau.ac.ir 0000-0000-0000-0000 Yes Department of Educational Governance and Human Capital, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran Fardin Abdollahi abdollahifar@iau.ac.ir 0000-0000-0000-0000 No Department of Educational Studies and Curriculum planning, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran