Description:
The aim of this study was to examine whether the 5th grade elementary school curricula of Turkish, English, Mathematics, and Science and Technology courses were congruent with the principles and standards of the constructivist education. Qualitative research methods were used in this small-scale case study which was conducted in a private elementary school in Ankara. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and document analyses in the academic year of 2007-2008. The population of interest consisted of 2 school directors, 1 Turkish teacher, 3 English teachers, 4 Mathematics teachers, and 3 Science and Technology teachers. Descriptive analytical framework was employed for the analysis of the interviews. A rubric and a list of standards were used so as to provide a set of criteria for the analyses of the data. The findings indicate that the performances of the curricula under investigation are congruent with the principles of the constructivist education. Similarly, the stated and unstated intents of the curricula are congruent with their performances and the standards of the constructivist education. However, in-depth analyses of the findings signify that in certain areas of the curricula such as the contents, learning processes, evaluation processes, the use of the information technology, and the other resources are marked by some difficulties and ambiguity.