1
Phd Student, Department of Sociology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
2
Department of Sociology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
10.22034/sls.2026.71226.1627
Abstract
The hidden curriculum plays a fundamental role in shaping students’ social behaviors in higher education institutions. Beyond the formal and written curriculum, students are continuously exposed to implicit messages embedded in teaching–learning processes, organizational structures, interpersonal interactions, and cultural norms. These messages influence students’ social behaviors, values, attitudes, and patterns of interaction in both academic and social contexts. The present study aimed to identify and synthesize the factors influencing students’ social behaviors within the framework of the hidden curriculum in higher education. To this end, a qualitative research synthesis using a thematic synthesis approach was conducted. Relevant qualitative studies published between 2010 and 2025 were systematically searched and reviewed across national and international databases. Based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 qualitative studies were selected for analysis. The findings revealed five core categories influencing students’ social behaviors: faculty-related factors, organizational and environmental factors, peer and interpersonal factors, individual student factors, and cultural and value-based factors. These categories interact dynamically and may lead to both positive outcomes, such as social responsibility, ethical awareness, and cooperation, and negative consequences, including conformity, exclusion, and the reproduction of social inequalities.
Kanani, K. , Adib, Y. , Tahmasebzadeh, D. and Vahedi, S. (2026). Factors Shaping Students’ Social Behaviors within the Framework of the Hidden Curriculum: A Qualitative Research Synthesis. Journal of Sociology of Lifestyle (SLS), (), -. doi: 10.22034/sls.2026.71226.1627
MLA
Kanani, K. , , Adib, Y. , , Tahmasebzadeh, D. , and Vahedi, S. . "Factors Shaping Students’ Social Behaviors within the Framework of the Hidden Curriculum: A Qualitative Research Synthesis", Journal of Sociology of Lifestyle (SLS), , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22034/sls.2026.71226.1627
HARVARD
Kanani, K., Adib, Y., Tahmasebzadeh, D., Vahedi, S. (2026). 'Factors Shaping Students’ Social Behaviors within the Framework of the Hidden Curriculum: A Qualitative Research Synthesis', Journal of Sociology of Lifestyle (SLS), (), pp. -. doi: 10.22034/sls.2026.71226.1627
CHICAGO
K. Kanani , Y. Adib , D. Tahmasebzadeh and S. Vahedi, "Factors Shaping Students’ Social Behaviors within the Framework of the Hidden Curriculum: A Qualitative Research Synthesis," Journal of Sociology of Lifestyle (SLS), (2026): -, doi: 10.22034/sls.2026.71226.1627
VANCOUVER
Kanani, K., Adib, Y., Tahmasebzadeh, D., Vahedi, S. Factors Shaping Students’ Social Behaviors within the Framework of the Hidden Curriculum: A Qualitative Research Synthesis. Journal of Sociology of Lifestyle (SLS), 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22034/sls.2026.71226.1627
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