Investigating the TEFL Research Methodology Course: Syllabi and Document of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology

Syllabi in the higher education system are a key element for achieving educational goals and missions. Developing and adjusting a quality and relevant research methods course according to the current needs is one of the main concerns in the global education systems. Teaching research methods, however, is still one of the most complex and challenging issues. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the elements of research methods syllabi in graduate programs in English language teaching in public universities of Iran and compare it with the objectives stated in the curriculum document of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. In this study, based on purposive sampling, 28 syllabi from 23 public universities in Iran were analyzed and evaluated using MAXQDA software. Using inductive and comparative coding, a framework was adopted that eventually provided a picture of the objectives, content, and assessment and evaluation methods of the research methods courses. Finally, the results were compared with the curriculum document of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT). The comparison results showed that there is a considerable alignment between the objectives and topics of the document of the MSRT and the syllabi examined. The results of this study showed that the document of the Ministry of Science and Research can have significant impacts on how to prepare and develop the syllabi of research methods courses. At the end of this study, some suggestions for revising the document of the MSRT are presented and some suggestions for further research are provided.