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The main purpose of this research is to derive Seminary virtual education effectiveness criteria. Seminary education has main differences with tertiary or professional education. Therefore, to assess their effectiveness, we must take into account these differences. In this research we have used qualitative methodology and set a semi-interview mechanism with 15 experts in e-learning, all employees in Seminary educational institutions established in Qom. Data analysis was done in three stages: open encoding, axial encoding and selective encoding. In open encoding stage 114 codes was detected. In axial encoding stage these codes were categorized around six basic categories. With recurrent reviewing of interviews in selective coding stage we reached one inclusive category. Based on these research findings, to assess Seminary virtual education’s effectiveness, there are two layers, i.e. surface and deep. In surface layer we must consider six categories which include: Seminary’s essential values, seminary educational aims, curriculum design, teacher skills, learner skills and behavioral and attitudinal outcomes. But in deep layer, based on Seminary essential values and interactions among six categories, it boiled down to one inclusive category which we called “Seminarian traits”. This concept involves elements such as: Seminarian style, religious inquiry, propagation skills, observing the teacher’s dignity, developing an inner feeling and life-long learning.

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number of postgraduate students has been growing exponentially in Iran in the last two decades. That is while the number of faculty has not increased proportionally to keep up with the fast growth. Hence, the student-faculty ratio has widened, turning thesis and dissertations into chaotic scene. Accordingly, this paper aims at uncovering how Iranian professors supervise postgraduate research projects in such a complex unprecedented context. The research participants are 45 postgraduate students who were selected purposively by criterion sampling strategy and interviewed by informal and in-depth techniques. Methodologically, the research may be deemed as grounded theory with emergent design (proposed by Charmaz). Thus, the data were analyzed at two levels, namely initial and focused (secondary) coding, and a quadripartite typology emerged consequently

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This study tries to formulate elements of practice -based curriculum in Iranian higher education from the perspective of education specialists with an interpretive approach. The research approach used is a qualitative methodology that has conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 academic actors. The data obtained from the interviews have been analyzed based on the research theory of the grounded theory in the form of three stages of open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The result was the determination of the elements of the practice-based curriculum model in seven elements: purpose, content, teaching-learning strategies, materials and resources, teaching-learning opportunities, learning environment conditions and evaluation. Each of these elements has components