INTEGRATING GROUNDED THEORY AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS TO EXPLAIN THE CHOICE OF TECHNICAL MAJORS: TOWARD A NOVEL APPROACH

Shiri, Nematollah; Pourghasem, Fatemeh; Khoshmaram, Mojgan

doi:10.22047/ijee.2025.533298.2185

INTEGRATING GROUNDED THEORY AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS TO EXPLAIN THE CHOICE OF TECHNICAL MAJORS: TOWARD A NOVEL APPROACH

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

Nematollah Shiri ¹

Fatemeh Pourghasem ²

Mojgan Khoshmaram ³

¹ Department of Entrepreneurship and Rural Development, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.

² Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculure, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

³ Researcher, Social and Economic Research Department, Ilam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Ilam, Iran.

10.22047/ijee.2025.533298.2185

Abstract

Choosing a field of study is one of the important and destiny-shaping stages of education for students and despite the advantages - such as practical application, quick entry into the job market, training of skilled technicians and workers, a large number of fields, focus on workshop and practical training, etc. - that vocational and technical fields have, most Iranian students still choose theoretical fields to continue their education. The present study was designed and implemented with the aim of identify, explain, and prioritize the factors affecting the choice of vocational and technical fields by students in Ilam province, using a combination of grounded theory and Micmac software. The results showed that variables such as “interest”, “perceived usefulness”, “perceived future career”, “motivation for progress”, “subjective norms”, “educational counseling and guidance”, “prior knowledge and experience”, “perceived economic value”, “attitude towards the field”, “perceived effectiveness”, “having a role model”, “environmental support”, and “self-efficacy” had a strong and direct impact on the choice of vocational and technical fields. This study introduces a novel approach in mixed-methods research, providing an integrated framework for understanding students’ selection of technical fields. It emphasizes the importance of targeted educational and counseling interventions to guide students toward skill-based training.

Keywords

Educational guidance

technical and professional education

interaction effects

classical grounded theory

Micmac software

20.1001.1.16072316.1404.27.108.5.1

Subjects

Developments in Engineering Education

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