Identification and explanation of synectics teaching-learning strategy ‎requirements, proportionate‎ to generational characteristics of students in 2020-21

The purpose of this research was to identify and explain the requirements of synectics teaching-learning strategy appropriate to the generational characteristics of undergraduate students in 2020-21. ‎ The research design was mixed and of sequential  exploratory type (qualitative-quantitative). The research method in the qualitative part was based on grounded theory and in the quantitative part was descriptive-survey. The statistical population in the qualitative section was the experts in the two fields of educational and social sciences, of which the sample of them continued to be 31 people in a purposeful and snowball manner until the saturation of information. The statistical population of the quantitative section included professors and undergraduate students from the Faculties of Educational Sciences and Social Sciences of Tehran and Isfahan Universities from which a sample of 121 faculty members and 349 students were selected by quota sampling method. In the qualitative part, the semi-structured interview tool and in the quantitative part, the researcher-made questionnaire was used.  The content validity of the questionnaire and interview was estimated according to the opinion of 8 experts and the reliability of the questionnaire was also estimated through Cronbach's alpha with a value of 0.90.  The findings were analyzed in the qualitative part with thematic analysis approach (structural and interpretive) and in the quantitative part by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Based on the findings, the most important requirements of the synectics strategy corresponding to the generational characteristics of the students were:‏‎ preparation of creative and idea-generating activities, abstain from absolutism, encourage innovative ideas, provide multidimensional thinking contexts, using analogy, metaphor and simile techniques, using brainstorming technique, application of artistic and aesthetic models and finally attention to imagination to achieve logical inference. As a result, one can say: the application of these elements leads to academic motivation and scientific growth of today's students. Therefore, it is suggested that the mentioned methods be used by professors in order to make the best use of educational opportunities and effective teaching.