Analyzing the Curriculum Alignment of Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to analyze the curriculum alignment of teachers in secondary education 5 th grade Science course. Alignment levels of teachers in dimensions of acquisition, content, teaching methods and techniques, activity, material and measurement-assessment, and the reasons for their alignment/non-alignment to the curriculum were revealed. The research was carried out using case study model as one of the qualitative research designs. The research was carried out with totally four Science teachers carrying on their duties in three state secondary education schools and one private secondary education school with the highest, medium and lowest success levels determined according to Transition from Primary to Secondary Education (TEOG) exam results in Adıyaman province central district. The data were obtained observing the implementations of teachers they performed at schools and the interviews made with the teachers after these observations. For the analysis of the data, descriptive analysis and content analysis methods were used. Upon analyzing the curriculum alignments of the teachers, it was determined when considered in general that there was no high alignment, and curriculum alignment of all teachers were only at a very high level in "content" dimension; and when considered in details, curriculum alignment of teachers was not present in more than one dimension because there was no expression related to the relevant dimensions in the annual plan in units. Within the scope of the results obtained in the research, it was concluded that teachers considered they administered the curriculum in a way determined by Ministry of National Education (MoNE) during the teaching process, but none of them had a clear knowledge about the definition of program alignment, and their program alignment was not completely fulfilled.