Designing a model for General Foreign Language Curriculum at Higher Education Level

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student in Curriculum Planning in Higher Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Curriculum Planning, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

3 Professor of Curriculum Planning, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The present study aims to explore the elements of general foreign language curriculum in addition to introducing main factors and categories composing it in Iran and eventually to present a comprehensive model according to the context of Iran. This is a qualitative study using grounded theory method. In order to collect data with the purpose of finding the categories of the model, 21 semi-structured interviews with specialists and professors of the area of foreign language education were conducted. These specialist were selected based on snowball sampling.Then, the model was accredited using members checking method. The results of were presented in the form of a model consisted of 11 main categories including causative factors (practice-based planning), background (political-economical context and cultural context), interfering (teacher and learner characteristics), strategies (primary, educational and feedback), and outcomes (improving the level of foreign language education in the country and forming a sustainable curriculum). Also, multiple specialist-based planning was considered as core category in this study. Based on the findings, some recommendations were presented at the end of the study.

Keywords

References

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