An Analysis of the 2018 Life Study Curriculum Learning Outcomes and Textbook Assessment Questions in Türkiye

Abstract

This study evaluates the learning outcomes and assessment questions in the 2018 Life Study Course Curriculum (LSCC) through the lens of the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. Employing a qualitative document analysis methodology, the research examined the curriculum's learning outcomes and corresponding questions in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade life study textbooks. These materials were sourced from the Education Information Network platform managed by the Ministry of National Education. In total, 138 learning outcomes and 270 assessment questions targeting cognitive skills were analyzed. Our analysis revealed a predominant focus on unistructural-level learning outcomes within the curriculum, while also identifying numerous learning outcomes at the multistructural and relational structure levels. Additionally, learning outcomes at the abstracted structure level were notably present in the 3rd-grade curriculum. Conversely, the textbooks contained a minimal number of multistructural and relational assessment questions and entirely lacked questions at the abstracted structure level. When considered in conjunction, these findings highlight a low level of consistency between the curriculum's learning outcomes and the assessment questions in terms of their alignment with the SOLO taxonomy. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing the cognitive alignment between textbook questions and curriculum learning outcomes.