Expectations of Primary Teachers and Inspectors about the New Science and Technology Curriculum in Turkey

Abstract

As it is known, education-instruction activities are executed in educational institutions according to predetermined programs prepared by education specialists. Instruction programs play an important role for the social, cultural, political and economic development of societies. Also, recent developments in science and instruction technologies and new approaches to education-instruction force the curricula to change. In this context, it is possible to observe an educational breakthrough in Turkey as well since the last fifteen years. In parallel with this, science curricula are being reviewed for the third time. This study is based on necessity analysis reports obtained by the Ministry of National Education from 79 provinces of Turkey for the evaluation of the Curriculum for the Natural Sciences of the Year 2000. Findings of the research were obtained via documentary analysis method. The reports analyzed in this study are prepared by 79 commissions consisting of 68 primary school inspectors and 348 teachers teaching the course concerned. In these reports, the Curriculum for the Natural Sciences of the Year 2000 is appraised in six main matters. It is hoped that the findings obtained by researchers with the categorization of the data and the suggestions made in this study will contribute to future curriculum development studies.