A Progress-Oriented Assessment Model for Physical Literacy in Secondary School Physical Education: A Grounded Theory Study
Conventional assessment in school physical education frequently privileges short-term physical performance and fixed motor benchmarks. Such practices may underrepresent the cognitive, affective, and developmental dimensions that are central to physical literacy. This study aimed to develop a context-sensitive, progress-oriented assessment model for secondary school physical education based on the paradigm of physical literacy. A qualitative grounded theory design was used. Sixteen experts in curriculum studies and physical education were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding in MAXQDA. Trustworthiness was addressed through member checking, peer debriefing, audit-trail documentation, and constant comparison. The analysis generated 58 initial codes, 9 subcategories, and 3 overarching categories. The core phenomenon was the establishment of holistic, formative, and progress-oriented assessment. The model comprised causal conditions, including the need to broaden the goals of physical education; contextual conditions, including quantitative grading structures and unequal school infrastructure; intervening conditions, including the absence of formal protocols and the dominance of entrance-exam culture; strategies, including standardized rubrics, ipsative assessment, portfolios, self-assessment, peer assessment, and descriptive feedback; and expected consequences, including fairer grading, stronger teacher accountability, holistic student development, and increased physical self-efficacy. The proposed model reframes assessment from a mechanism for ranking students to a pedagogical process that supports learning, inclusion, and lifelong active living. A preliminary 60-20-20 weighting structure is proposed, with 60% allocated to psychomotor performance, 20% to cognitive knowledge, and 20% to affective-social competence. The weighting requires empirical validation, and implementation requires formal assessment protocols, teacher professional development, and infrastructure-sensitive interpretation of student progress.
Design and Development of the Strategic Plan of the Handball Federation of Iran
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The present study is classified as qualitative research in terms of research method. Regarding its objective, this research is applied, and considering the nature of the subject, it falls within the field of strategic studies. In terms of data collection method, the present study is a combination of field studies and a descriptive–analytical approach. The statistical population of the quantitative section included 580 coaches, players, referees, and related staff members; the sample size was estimated at 234 individuals based on the Krejcie and Morgan table, and participants were selected through stratified random sampling. The data collection instruments included the review of documents as well as library and internet resources, semi-structured interviews with managers and experts associated with the Handball Federation of Iran, and a researcher-made questionnaire. To prioritize the factors, the Friedman test was applied, followed by the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) and External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrices within the framework of SWOT analysis. The findings indicated that the EFE score was 2.44 and the IFE score was 2.48; therefore, the strategic position of the Federation was located in the WT quadrant, indicating the necessity of adopting defensive strategies to reduce weaknesses and mitigate the effects of threats. Accordingly, a set of strategies was formulated in four categories: SO, WO, ST, and WT. The results of this study demonstrated that the Handball Federation of Iran needs to focus on reducing internal weaknesses and addressing environmental threats in order to improve its position. Implementing the proposed strategies in the areas of infrastructure improvement, human resource development, and strengthening international interactions can facilitate the path toward growth and enhanced performance of the Federation. |
Meritocracy in the Selection of Senior Physical Education Managers in the Ministry of Education
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The objective of this study was to identify the factors affecting the merit-based selection of senior physical education managers in the national Ministry of Education. The present study was mixed-methods research (qualitative–quantitative) with an exploratory approach. The statistical population in the qualitative phase consisted of all experts in the research field (senior physical education managers of the Ministry of Education, faculty members familiar with the research literature, and specialists), while the quantitative phase included physical education managers and teachers in metropolitan areas of the country. The statistical sample in the qualitative phase consisted of 18 experts selected until theoretical saturation was achieved using purposive theoretical sampling and snowball sampling techniques. In the quantitative phase, considering that 5 to 10 samples were required for each item, a total of 384 individuals constituted the statistical sample. The data collection instruments included a semi-structured interview in the qualitative phase and a researcher-made questionnaire in the quantitative phase. Content validity was assessed based on expert opinions, and construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses), composite reliability indices, Cronbach’s alpha, divergent and convergent validity, and structural equation modeling were employed. The model fit index was reported as GOF = 0.43. Finally, eight factors were identified: merit-oriented governance, professional ethics in power, transformational leadership in physical education, structural justice in access to opportunities, commitment to educational–health missions, professional autonomy in decision-making, intelligent resource management, and the organizational–cultural identity of managers. Therefore, the development and implementation of a “transparent system for managerial evaluation and appointment” based on objective merit indicators (such as professional competence, ethical commitment, and resource management capability), along with continuous supervision by independent monitoring bodies to prevent the influence of informal networks, is recommended. |
Designing a Competency Model for Negotiators of International Sports Contracts (Case Study: Football)
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The purpose of this study was to design a competency model for negotiators of international football contracts. The present study was an applied developmental study conducted using a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative). The statistical population included experts, specialists, faculty members, and managers of Premier League football clubs. In the qualitative section, participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling, and theoretical saturation was achieved with 16 participants. In the quantitative section, football-association experts, sports-law specialists, and experienced football experts familiar with sports negotiation participated. To ensure research validity, the researchers considered prolonged and continuous engagement, persistent observation, peer review, progressive subjectivity, participant involvement, and the use of multiple sources of information. Qualitative analyses were conducted through manual coding, and quantitative analyses were conducted using Expert Choice software. The results of the final coding of the interviews showed that negotiation skill, personal competency, knowledge competency, communication competency, analytical thinking and decision-making, lawfulness and legal compliance, and marketing capabilities were the main themes identified in the professional competency of international football negotiators. The prioritization of competency themes was as follows: negotiation skill, with a relative weight of 0.298, ranked first; personal competency, with a relative weight of 0.266, ranked second; and analytical thinking and decision-making, with a relative weight of 0.160, ranked third. These were followed by knowledge competency, lawfulness and legal compliance, communication competency, and marketing capabilities. |
Factors Affecting Green Governance with an Emphasis on Ethical Teachings
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Green governance, grounded in ethical teachings, emphasizes the incorporation of environmental sustainability and social justice into decision-making processes. It seeks to balance environmental responsibility with ethical standards and ultimately contributes to a more sustainable and just society. The present study aimed to identify the factors affecting green governance with an emphasis on ethical teachings. In terms of purpose, this study is applied-developmental, and it was conducted using a descriptive-survey method. In the qualitative phase, the statistical population consisted of professors, experts, and academics in the field of environmental studies in Iran, of whom 15 were selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population included all managers in the environmental sector in Tehran. Based on the sample-size formula for structural equation modeling used in Kline (2011), 200 participants were selected through convenience sampling (Kline, 2011). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in the qualitative phase and a questionnaire in the quantitative phase. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and MAXQDA software in the qualitative phase, and structural equation modeling and PLS software in the quantitative phase. The initial model was designed with 76 initial codes, which were categorized into 14 axial codes. According to the results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, all 76 factors were confirmed as indicators of green governance with an emphasis on ethical teachings. The results indicate that green governance depends on integration among management, economics, technology, government policies, and social participation. The indicators identified in this study can support the development of more effective policies and the improvement of green governance based on ethical principles. |
Forecasting the Future of Futsal Performance: Integrating Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Factors, and Environmental Constraints
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This review aimed to forecast the future of futsal performance by integrating evidence from artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive science, and ecological dynamics. Futsal is a high-intensity, time-constrained sport characterized by rapid transitions, frequent ball contacts, and continuous perception–action coupling. A narrative review approach was adopted to synthesize peer-reviewed studies relevant to performance analysis, decision-making, tactical behavior, and technology-enhanced training. The literature indicates that AI-driven tools, including machine learning models, tracking systems, and wearable technologies, are increasingly used to monitor player behavior, optimize workloads, and support tactical analysis. At the same time, cognitive factors such as executive functions, anticipation, attention, and perceptual-cognitive expertise play a central role in successful performance in team sports, particularly in fast and information-rich environments such as futsal. Environmental constraints, including space, rules, number of players, and task design, further shape behavior through adaptive interactions between the athlete and the game context. Taken together, these domains suggest that futsal performance should be conceptualized as a dynamic, multidimensional system rather than as an outcome of isolated physical or technical qualities. The review proposes that the future of futsal performance will depend on the integration of intelligent technologies, high-level cognitive functioning, and ecologically valid training environments. |
Developing a Model of Organizational Inclusion in Multicultural Environments:Evidence from Government Organizations in Kermanshah Province, Iran
Growing cultural diversity within public organizations has made organizational inclusion a strategic necessity rather than a symbolic commitment. In multicultural settings, inclusion refers to the creation of a fair, participatory, and respectful environment in which employees from different cultural and social backgrounds can contribute fully, access opportunities equitably, and experience genuine belonging. Kermanshah Province in western Iran offers an important empirical setting for examining this issue because of its substantial ethnic and cultural diversity and the managerial challenges this diversity can create in government institutions. This developmental-applied study used an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 managers, specialists, and key employees from government organizations in Kermanshah Province. Interview data were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis following the approach of Braun and Clarke. In the quantitative phase, the emergent model was tested using a researcher-made questionnaire administered to 384 employees selected by stratified random sampling from a population of 71,500 government employees. Instrument reliability was supported by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.906, and the quantitative model was examined using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The final model comprised four overarching dimensions and twelve components. The first dimension, an organizational culture of diversity acceptance, included institutionalizing diversity acceptance, establishing an anti-discrimination system, strengthening psychological safety, and promoting intercultural convergence. The second dimension, inclusion-oriented leadership, included exemplary inclusive leadership, transparent and fair decision-making governance, institutional support for marginalized employees, and systematic management of cultural and generational conflicts. The third dimension, transparent technologies and processes, included organizational feedback and participation systems and transparent evaluation mechanisms. The fourth dimension, training and skill development, included intercultural training and development and equality in access to resources and information. Qualitative coding yielded 295 initial codes, which were refined into 53 basic themes, 12 organizing themes, and 4 overarching themes. In the quantitative phase, all factor loadings exceeded 0.50. The highest second-order loading was observed for training and skill development (0.80), followed closely by organizational culture of diversity acceptance (0.79), while inclusion-oriented leadership and transparent technologies and processes showed loadings of 0.64 and 0.62, respectively. The proposed model demonstrated acceptable fit and can serve as a practical framework for strengthening organizational inclusion in multicultural public-sector environments. The findings suggest that inclusion in government organizations is most effectively advanced when cultural acceptance, inclusive leadership, transparent procedures, and equitable learning opportunities are addressed as mutually reinforcing organizational conditions.
Toward Intelligent Governance of Healthy Digital Learning Systems: A Future-Oriented Model of AI-Supported Blended Learning in Higher Education
This article develops a future-oriented model for the intelligent governance of healthy digital learning systems in higher education, drawing on doctoral research conducted at Islamic Azad University. While the original dissertation established a blended learning model supported by artificial intelligence to improve e-learning quality, the present article reinterprets those findings through a governance lens. Rather than treating artificial intelligence as an autonomous driver of educational transformation, the study argues that AI should be governed as an enabling layer that strengthens pedagogical coherence, learner support, and institutional responsiveness within blended environments. A sequential mixed-methods design was used. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with 15 experts in education, e-learning, and educational technology were analyzed through thematic analysis to identify the core dimensions of the proposed model. In the quantitative phase, data from 384 faculty members and university experts were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), artificial neural networks (ANN), and the MABAC multi-criteria decision-making technique. The findings indicate that the governance architecture of a healthy digital learning system consists of three interrelated domains: blended learning (flexibility, interaction, personalization, and infrastructure/access), AI capabilities (educational data analysis, intelligent recommendation, intelligent support, and automated assessment), and healthy digital learning outcomes, operationalized in the dissertation as e-learning quality (learner satisfaction, learning effectiveness, and educational interaction). The model showed substantial explanatory capacity (R² = 0.712 in the dissertation summary). Blended learning had a stronger direct effect on e-learning quality (β = 0.574) than AI capabilities alone (β = 0.437), whereas AI exerted a very strong enabling effect on blended learning (β = 0.926). ANN results prioritized learner satisfaction (0.2772) and learning effectiveness (0.1780), while MABAC ranked intelligent support first, intelligent recommendation second, automated assessment third, and educational data analysis fourth. The article concludes that universities should adopt pedagogy-first, support-centered, and ethically governed AI strategies to build resilient and healthy digital learning systems.
About the Journal
Journal of Foresight and Health Governance is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to advancing knowledge in the field of public health with a future-oriented perspective. The journal provides a platform for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to explore emerging trends, innovations, and strategic solutions aimed at improving health outcomes at the individual, community, and societal levels. By integrating foresight methodologies with public health research, the journal seeks to anticipate future challenges, inform policy decisions, and promote sustainable healthcare systems.
Our mission is to bridge the gap between scientific research, policy, and practice by publishing high-quality, innovative, and interdisciplinary studies that address pressing global health concerns. We welcome contributions from diverse disciplines, including epidemiology, health policy, digital health, environmental health, health equity, and health technology, with a special focus on the long-term impact of societal transformations on public health.
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Current Issue
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Serial Number 7
Published:
2026-05-27
