Developing a Curriculum Model for In-Service Teacher Training Based on Educational Neuroscience
Keywords:
Curriculum, in-service teacher education, in-service education curriculum model, educational neuroscienceAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a curriculum model for in-service teacher training grounded in the principles of educational neuroscience.
Methodology: A sequential qualitative design was employed. In the model development phase, inductive qualitative content analysis based on Elo and Kyngäs (2008) was used, while in the validation phase, the Delphi technique following Helmer and Dalkey (1997) was applied. Twenty-one experts in curriculum planning, learning psychology, educational neuroscience, and educational administration were selected through snowball sampling for the qualitative phase. In the validation phase, sixteen experts were selected purposively. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a five-point expert checklist. Data analysis was conducted using Atlas.ti and SPSS software. The test–retest reliability coefficient was 0.88, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance in the third Delphi round ranged from 0.821 to 0.916, indicating substantial expert agreement.
Findings: Qualitative analysis initially yielded 439 primary codes, which were refined into 121 indicators organized into 24 components and 12 dimensions. The final model comprised four core elements: objectives, content, teaching methods, and evaluation. Within the objective element, “effective application of neuroscientific findings” obtained the highest mean score (4.02). In the content element, “integration of neuroscientific concepts with subject content” ranked highest (3.94). In the teaching methods element, “active learner engagement” achieved the highest importance (4.02), while in the evaluation element, “assessment of practical strategy implementation” received the highest mean score (4.06). Kendall’s coefficients indicated strong consensus among experts across the three Delphi rounds.
Conclusion: The proposed four-component model provides a coherent, validated, and context-sensitive framework for designing neuroscience-informed in-service teacher training curricula and has the potential to enhance teachers’ cognitive, emotional-regulatory, and professional competencies while improving the overall quality of teaching and learning.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Somayeh Rasouli, Ladan Salimi (Author); Seyedeh Esmat Rasouli
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