فصلنامه نوآوریهای آموزشی (Mar 2008)
Investigating the degree of attention to “peace education” in primary school curriculum from the educationalists, experts of curriculum planning, and primary school teachers’ points of view
Abstract
The current research revolves around one of the main topics in the field of education and curriculum planning: “Peace Education”. In this topic, two fundamental issues create the research configuration. These two issues include, identifying the concepts and components of “peace education” plus the level of attention given to these concepts and component in the curriculum of the period of primary school education. In this research regarding the components of peace education, three areas of peace knowledge, ability, and attitude were considered and the curriculum level of attention to peace was investigated in three areas of design, conduction, and evaluation. The research questions revolve around investigating the opinions and differences of attitudes and the viewpoints of the research sample which included the teachers, experts, and specialists. The research method here has been of descriptive-survey type. The instrument for data collection was a special questionnaire which had its validity investigated and adjusted for nativity for the country’s conditions using available related resources and by organization of specialized interviews with experts. Its reliability was investigated and confirmed through the Cronbach Alpha method. The research sample included teachers of primary schools in Tehran (200 persons), education experts (27 persons), and curriculum planning experts (15 persons), in year 2004-2005/1383-1384. In order to analyze the data, the descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used (t-test, F test one-way analysis of variance). The results of the research showed that: Primary school teachers, education experts, and curriculum planning specialists are agree to a high level or to a relatively high level with teaching concepts and components presented in “Peace Education” in the areas of knowledge, ability, and attitude. Curriculum planning specialists have evaluated the level of attention to concepts and components of “Peace Education” in the field of curriculum planning design in the primary school level as very low and relatively low. Primary school teachers have evaluated the level of attention given to concepts and components of “Peace Education” in the field of curriculum operation and evaluation as very low and relatively low. There is no significant difference between the opinions by teachers, experts, and the specialists regarding “Peace Education”
