New Normal: The Future Curriculum Development in Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to conduct a needs analysis concerning the future of curriculum development in education. A mixed-methods study was conducted with a sequential exploratory research design, where the qualitative data were collected first followed by the quantitative data. As a needs analysis was undertaken in this research, the Delphi technique, one of the techniques for determining needs, was employed in this study. In the first stage of the three-stage Delphi technique, an open-ended question was directed to curriculum development experts. The qualitative data were analyzed using a content analysis method under four themes, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. In the second stage, a questionnaire was prepared based on the resultant findings and experts were asked whether they agreed with the questionnaire items. After analyzing the questionnaire data using central tendency measures, the second stage was initiated to determine whether there were differences in their views regarding the same questionnaire items. As a result of these procedures, first, the views of experts were obtained on the future of curriculum development and then the quantitative data were collected. Finally, the collected data were analyzed together. Under the design stage of curriculum development, the study findings suggested creating curriculum drafts based on the needs analyses, skills, and abilities and ensuring their suitability to digital platforms. Under the development stage, the results suggested preparing curriculum with interdisciplinary approaches that value student-centered practices, skills, values, and activities. The implementation stage included inclination towards practices such as creating digital content and guiding towards social accountability projects that eliminate the disadvantages of distance education. Lastly, the evaluation stage included effective use of digital platforms, taking safety precautions, and providing counselling services.