An investigation into the secondary school geography curriculum in Iran, with reference to Tehran

• Main Author: Naghashian, E. S.
• Published: Swansea University 1994
• Subjects: 370.9
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.638290

This study is designed to seek evidence regarding the present geography curriculum in Iran, with reference to Tehran, in order to identify and analyze its past and on going development. The main objectives of the study were: - To investigate the consequences for geography teaching in Iran, with reference to Tehran. - To investigate the effectiveness of curriculum aspects concerning aims and objectives, content, teaching methods, and pupils' assessment. In order to achieve the above objectives, four different approaches were adopted in the study: 1. a questionnaire for 121 geography teachers in Tehran; 2. a questionnaire for 1000 secondary school pupils in Tehran; 3. interviews with geography teachers and the Iranian officials in Tehran; 4. finally a geography textbook analysis. Overall, the study showed that: 1. in terms of aims and objectives, despite the recent effort, rewriting of them, necessary actions required especially to implement them; 2. although the content of geography has been enriched since the Revolution, it requires a comprehensive review rather than partial modifications. Also despite some improvement in geography textbooks, further improvement is required; 3. geography teaching methods are based on exposition and mainly are teacher-centred, while child-centred methods have been relatively ignored. 4. the Iranian geography curriculum is very much examination-oriented and the present pupils' assessment does not fully reflect the aims and objectives of the curriculum.