Designing an Integrated Educational Package on Successful Academic Identity and Future Outlook Based on the Fundamental Reform Document of Education

Abstract

This study aimed to design an integrated educational package that fosters successful academic identity and future outlook among lower secondary school students, grounded in the principles of the Fundamental Transformation Document of the Education System of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The study employed a sequential mixed-method design with an exploratory orientation. The qualitative phase included a systematic review of 18 scholarly works selected via the PRISMA approach, and semi-structured interviews with 16 experts in psychology, educational sciences, and adolescent development recruited using purposive sampling until theoretical saturation. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis using Maxqda-V2018, applying open, axial, and selective coding to derive thematic categories. Based on the resulting matrix of core themes, an eight-session educational package was developed, structured around self-awareness, goal-setting, decision-making, communication, competence, autonomy, emotion regulation, academic well-being, and future perspective. Content validity was confirmed by 15 subject-matter experts using a standardized checklist, and final revisions were approved by the supervisory panel. The thematic analysis yielded six major thematic axes encompassing 41 subcomponents, which were incorporated into the package sessions. Expert validation confirmed the package’s content relevance, coherence, and cultural appropriateness. Preliminary implementation indicated statistically significant improvements in students’ goal-setting ability (p < .01), academic enthusiasm (p < .01), and academic well-being (p < .05), suggesting the intervention’s efficacy in strengthening both motivational and identity-based constructs linked to academic engagement and achievement. The developed educational package provides a culturally grounded, theoretically integrated framework for promoting adolescents’ academic identity and future orientation, offering educators a practical tool to enhance motivation, engagement, and well-being in alignment with national educational transformation goals.