Identification of Effective Factors on the Paradigmatic Tendencies of Faculty Members of Curriculum Studies: A Mixed Method

Understanding paradigmatic tendencies and factors that are effective in the formation of such tendencies in faculty members of curriculum studies can help faculty members address the contradictions in their paradigmatic tendencies. Furthermore, it facilitates the development of paradigm-oriented teaching and research programs for faculty members, which, in turn, foster the development of curriculum studies based on a scientific and systematic process.

 Research Questions:

 Quantitative section question What are the paradigmatic tendencies of faculty members in the field of curriculum studies? Qualitative section question What factors do faculty members of curriculum studies consider being effective in forming their paradigmatic tendencies?

The present study aimed at identifying the effective factors on the paradigmatic tendencies of faculty members in the field of curriculum studies. This study adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-method design and a follow-up explanations model in two quantitative and qualitative steps. The statistical population included all Iranian state university faculty members in the field of curriculum studies. In the quantitative part, 85 faculty members were selected using simple random sampling, and a researcher-made scale was used to collect data. During this phase of the study, faculty members’ ideas germane to different aspects of ontology, anthropology, epistemology, methodology, and pedagogy were extracted. In addition, their ideas regarding the curriculum model, including goal, content, and teaching strategies, and five paradigms, including critical, interpretative, post-modern, positivist, and Islamic paradigms, were extracted. After examining the reliability and validity of the tools, data were collected. In the qualitative phase, a case study method was used, and data were collected until data saturation was reached. In line with the findings of the quantitative section, a semi-structured interview was developed and conducted with 10 of the participant faculty members.

Quantitative data analysis using Friedman’s test and repeated analysis of variances showed that curriculum studies faculty members lacked paradigmatic coherence. The results of content analysis (qualitative phase) showed that scientific and research factors, epistemological factors, and academic atmosphere were the three factors causing paradigmatic incoherence in faculty members.

The most important contribution of this study was to highlight the point that the faculty members of curriculum studies lacked coherence in their paradigmatic tendencies. This lack of coherence can adversely affect their education, research, and writing tendencies. The study also showed that academic conditions and requirements (academic atmosphere), epistemological and personality factors, and faculty members’ insufficient theoretical understanding of major paradigms in humanities and philosophy of science led to the formation of contradictory patterns in the paradigmatic tendencies of faculty members of curriculum studies. In this regard, it can be stated that these contradictions can be greatly reduced by holding training workshops for faculty members of humanities and educational sciences and developing paradigm-oriented educational and research programs for faculty members. These plans, once materialized, can orient the field of curriculum studies toward a more scientific and systematic basis