Identification and Prioritization of the Elements of a Virtue-Based Organization Based on Educational Justice in the Education System

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to identify and prioritize the elements of a virtue-based organization grounded in educational justice within the education system.

Methods and Materials: This study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative section, the research included two stages: meta-synthesis and qualitative content analysis. During the meta-synthesis stage, 18 scientific studies were selected through systematic screening based on the PRISMA model and purposive sampling from domestic and international databases. In the interview stage, 19 academic and organizational experts were selected using purposive sampling and the principle of theoretical saturation. Data collection in the qualitative section was conducted through systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews. In the quantitative section, the statistical population consisted of secondary school teachers in the Department of Education of Saveh County, among whom 259 participants were selected using multistage cluster random sampling. A researcher-developed questionnaire containing 78 items derived from the qualitative findings was used for data collection. Data analysis in the qualitative section was conducted using thematic analysis with MAXQDA 2018 software, while descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis were performed in the quantitative section using SPSS-V27 and SmartPLS-V3 software.

Findings: The findings indicated that the proposed model of a virtue-based organization grounded in educational justice consisted of four main dimensions: fair structures and processes, virtue-based leadership, educational justice, and cultivation of employees’ moral virtues. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that all dimensions possessed significant factor loadings greater than 0.70 and t-values above 2.58, indicating strong relationships with the central construct. Among the identified dimensions, fair structures and processes had the highest factor loading (0.781), followed by virtue-based leadership (0.766), educational justice (0.748), and cultivation of employees’ moral virtues (0.732). Furthermore, the model fit indices demonstrated acceptable explanatory and predictive power, confirming the desirable validity and reliability of the proposed model.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that achieving educational justice in the education system requires the integration of ethical leadership, fair organizational structures, and the cultivation of moral virtues within educational organizations. The proposed model provides a comprehensive framework for strengthening organizational justice, ethical culture, and equitable educational practices in schools. Therefore, educational policymakers and administrators can utilize the identified dimensions to improve organizational effectiveness, enhance educational equity, and promote sustainable ethical development within educational institutions.