Identifying the Causal Conditions Influencing Faculty Professional Growth with a Reflective Faculty Development Approach at Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch

The purpose of this study was to identify the causal conditions influencing the model of faculty professional growth with a reflective faculty development approach at Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch. The research employed a mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, the statistical population included all academic experts and scholars who were faculty members at Islamic Azad Universities in Mazandaran Province. Based on the principle of theoretical saturation, 15 individuals were selected as the sample. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population included all full-time, part-time, and adjunct faculty members employed during the 2023–2024 academic year at Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch, totaling 540 individuals. Based on Cochran's formula, a sample size of 225 was determined using a random sampling method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in the qualitative phase and a researcher-made questionnaire derived from the qualitative findings in the quantitative phase. For data analysis, coding techniques were used in the qualitative phase, while SPSS version 23 and AMOS software were used in the quantitative phase. The results indicated that the causal conditions include charisma and personality traits, communication skills, effective teaching, cognitive literacy, professional ethics, and the learning environment. Among these, the most influential factor was "communication skills" with a t-value of 20.156, while the least influential was "learning environment conditions" with a t-value of 10.220. Additionally, the results of the one-sample t-test showed that all six main causal components significantly influenced the model of faculty professional growth with a reflective faculty development approach (sig = 0.000). The findings demonstrate that all these factors collectively contribute to creating a suitable learning environment in which faculty members can achieve professional growth. It can be concluded that achieving professional growth and cultivating reflective educators requires attention to all these components and conditions.