Teachers’ Lived Experiences of Communication in Curriculum Planning and Implementation in a Centralized Educational System

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to investigate teachers’ lived experiences of communication with the curriculum planning system in curriculum development and implementation processes. The research was performed by qualitative approach and phenomenology method. The sample of the research included 20 experienced teachers of elementary schools in Birjand, Mashhad, and Tehran who were selected in a purposive method. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were applicated. These interviews were recorded and made into written form with the permission of the participants. The deep analysis of teachers’ viewpoints was carried out by the Colaizzi pattern and content analysis, which entailed identifying three main categories and 10 subordinate categories. In this research, data validity was determined through the following techniques: the self-monitoring of the researcher (verifiability), the accurate direction of the interview and collecting data processes (reliability), and deploying multiple researchers to provide confirming evidence. Teachers’ experiences of communication with the curriculum planning system in curriculum development and implementation processes were recognized and classified according to three categories: “communicative channels between teachers and curriculum planning system,” “human communication factors,” and “curriculum planning system status.” Analyzing teachers’ experiences explains that taking into account the subject of communication between teachers and the curriculum planning system can lead to the realization of effective implementation of curricula by teachers. The relation between teachers and curriculum planning systems through various interactive communication networks in curriculum development and implementation processes is one of the suggestions of this study.