Journal of Educational Sciences

An Analysis of School Principals' Perspectives on Reducing Educational Inequalities

10.22055/edus.2025.50193.3785
Volume 33, Issue 2
September 2026
Pages 157-176
Journal of Educational Sciences

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Ali Moramazi 1
Saeed Farahbakhsh 2
Iraj Nikpay 2

1 PhD student in Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Lorestan, Khorramabad, Iran.

Abstract
Achieving educational justice is one of the fundamental requirements of the education system, especially in disadvantaged and border regions. The purpose of this research is to achieve educational justice in the border cities of western Khuzestan province by analyzing the perspectives of school principals on reducing educational inequalities. The research approach was qualitative, utilizing an interpretive phenomenological strategy. Participants were selected through purposeful, criterion-based sampling, choosing individuals who possessed the highest level of knowledge and experience related to the research topic. The sample size was determined based on theoretical saturation; meaning that the interview process continued until the point of saturation-that is, until encountering repetitive data. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, with a total of 15 school principals from the border cities of western Khuzestan province. The data were analyzed using thematic content analysis based on the model proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings indicated that six main categories play a key role in achieving educational justice and reducing educational inequalities, which are: 1) structural and managerial challenges of educational justice, 2) infrastructural and geographical inequalities and the digital divide, 3) school management strategies for reducing inequality, 4) human resource challenges and teacher professionalization, 5) contextual educational justice: the need for localization and flexibility in educational programs, and 6) the role of local community participation and social capital. The results of this research can contribute to a deeper understanding of the educational challenges in border and disadvantaged regions, and provide practical solutions for achieving educational justice and reducing educational inequalities within the country's education system.

Keywords

Regions
School Principals
Educational Inequality
Khuzestan Province
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