Contextualizing the Integration of Social Learning Processes within a Transformative Environmental Governance Framework: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Key Stakeholders in the Tehran Metropolis

Contextualizing the Integration of Social Learning Processes within a Transformative Environmental Governance Framework: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Key Stakeholders in the Tehran Metropolis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Contextualizing the Integration of Social Learning Processes within a Transformative Environmental Governance Framework: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Key Stakeholders in the Tehran Metropolis Amirali Boroumand, Mohammad Javad Amiri, Esmail Salehi This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8769308/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The present study aims to qualitatively contextualize the integration of social learning processes within a transformative environmental governance framework in Tehran and to understand how this linkage can be strengthened to more effectively address complex environmental challenges. Adopting an interpretive–critical paradigm, this qualitative research combines two methods: content analysis of scientific documents and critical discourse analysis of the perspectives of 28 key stakeholders in the Tehran metropolitan area. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with key actors involved in environmental governance and were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. The findings reveal that the relationship between social learning and transformative governance constitutes a complex, multidimensional, cyclical, and self-reinforcing network. Social learning functions both as the "driving engine" and the "epistemic foundation" of transformative governance by generating collective knowledge, reducing uncertainty, building social capital, and fostering institutional innovation, thereby enhancing the legitimacy, flexibility, and resilience of the governance system. This relationship is shaped within specific spatio-temporal contexts and by a diverse set of actors, including civil society, academic elites, governmental institutions, and intermediary facilitators. The most significant barriers to integration in Tehran include institutional resistance, power imbalances, weak communicative and educational infrastructures, an authoritarian political culture, and the inherent complexity of measuring this relationship. The study concludes that integrating social learning into transformative environmental governance in Tehran is feasible but complex, time-consuming, and highly context-dependent. Successful integration requires institutional reforms (such as decentralization and the institutionalization of participation), investment in capacity building, strengthening social trust, developing qualitative and quantitative assessment mechanisms, and cultivating intermediary facilitators. This transition ultimately depends on political commitment, institutional will, and the active participation of all stakeholders. Humanities/Cultural and media studies Social science/Cultural and media studies Social science/Development studies Business and commerce/Economics Social science/Economics Social science/Politics and international relations Social science/Social policy Social science/Sociology Environmental education collective learning social learning transformative governance good governance Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 22 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 19 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 13 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 11 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 04 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 04 Mar, 2026 Editor invited by journal 25 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 20 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 20 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8769308","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":600660800,"identity":"a8335923-bbea-4f55-ae5e-f27b103c2baf","order_by":0,"name":"Amirali Boroumand","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACxgYGhgIJBgO4wPEGCM2GV4sBspYzBxgb8GsBAQMGJC03Ehgb8Cnmn3a47cMPAwsGc/beh495c+zy+G6+MX/AUGPHwCd9AKsWiduJzTN7gA6z7DlubMy7LblY8naOYQPDsWQGNr4E7NYAtTDwgPxyI41Nmncbc+IGsBa2AwxsPNh1yAO1MP5BaKlP3HDzDFDLP9xaDIBamJFsOZy44QaPYQNjG24thiAtMgYSPJY9x5gN5247njjzTFrhjMS+ZB5cWuRupz9mfFNRJ2fO3sb44O226sS+44c3fPjwzU5Ovge7FhhAMzEBQ2QUjIJRMApGASkAAHdRVdzI1ZoOAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tehran","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Amirali","middleName":"","lastName":"Boroumand","suffix":""},{"id":600660801,"identity":"6b626a5f-ff7e-47cb-a62d-6df8f706c0b0","order_by":1,"name":"Mohammad Javad Amiri","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tehran","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohammad","middleName":"Javad","lastName":"Amiri","suffix":""},{"id":600660802,"identity":"abab4666-9742-41a0-9922-2ecc683fd787","order_by":2,"name":"Esmail Salehi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tehran","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Esmail","middleName":"","lastName":"Salehi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-02 23:08:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8769308/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8769308/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104252151,"identity":"5ed0ec81-4157-44e0-9d00-50ca51052137","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-09 16:17:21","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1529151,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscriptre.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8769308/v1_covered_fb09e314-33e1-4f66-82c4-af0bcabb2534.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Contextualizing the Integration of Social Learning Processes within a Transformative Environmental Governance Framework: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Key Stakeholders in the Tehran Metropolis","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Environmental education, collective learning, social learning, transformative governance, good governance","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8769308/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8769308/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe present study aims to qualitatively contextualize the integration of social learning processes within a transformative environmental governance framework in Tehran and to understand how this linkage can be strengthened to more effectively address complex environmental challenges. 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