Validation of a Project-Based Curriculum Model for the Sixth-Grade Work and Technology Course
Keywords:
Project-based curriculum, Work and Technology, Elementary education, Fuzzy Delphi, Model design, Thematic analysisAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to design and validate a project-based curriculum model for the sixth-grade “Work and Technology” course using expert consensus through the fuzzy Delphi method.
Methods and Materials: Adopting a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, the study began with semi-structured interviews with 15 curriculum experts. Thematic analysis identified initial indicators structured around ten curriculum components. In the quantitative phase, a three-round fuzzy Delphi technique was applied. Indicators were validated using fuzzy aggregation and defuzzification (threshold D ≥ 0.7). MAXQDA and SPSS were used for data analysis.
Findings: Out of 68 initial indicators, 5 were removed, 3 added, and 3 revised during the qualitative phase. In Delphi round two, 57 indicators were confirmed, and 9 were submitted to round three. Ultimately, 5 additional indicators were validated and 4 rejected. The final model includes 10 core components and 62 validated indicators.
Conclusion: The validated model provides a localized and structured framework for implementing project-based learning in elementary education and can guide curriculum design, content development, and teacher training.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Nader Fakourniya (Author); Hosein Baghaei ; Behnam Talebi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
