"An Analysis of the Ideological Apparatus of the First Pahlavi State in the Teacher Training System"

This article examines the ideological apparatus of the First Pahlavi government within the teacher education system. During the reign of Reza Shah, teacher training emerged as one of the key institutions targeted for reform, modernization, and expansion. The research addresses two central questions: What was the nature of the ideological apparatus of the First Pahlavi government in the teacher education system? And how did this apparatus function in practice? The central argument of the article is that the First Pahlavi government's policy in the domain of teacher education was shaped by a nationalist ideology aimed at consolidating and deepening the cult of monarchy. The research adopts a historical methodology, employing documentary analysis for data collection and historical analysis for interpreting the evidence. An examination of archival and historical documents related to the teacher training system under the First Pahlavi state reveals the presence of a nationalist ideology centered on the glorification of the monarchy. The state sought to institutionalize this ideology through three main strategies: the establishment of the Pishahang Organization, the development of specific curricula in teacher training Daneshsaras, and the founding of the Institute for the Cultivation of Thought (Āmuzeshgāh-e Parvaresh-e Afkār). These strategies were instrumental in embedding a monarchist-nationalist ideology within the structure and function of teacher education during this period.