Curriculum literacy skills of primary school English teachers: A review in the context of official and functional curriculum

Curriculum stands for all of the practices and learner experiences in educational activities. Teachers interact with the curriculum as practitioners; for this reason, teachers' proficiency in the curriculum is important. This study investigates the effect of primary school English teachers' curriculum knowledge on official and functional curriculum practices. The aim of this research is to determine the curriculum literacy levels of primary school English teachers and to reveal the effect of teachers' curriculum literacy levels on curriculum practices by examining teachers' compliance with the objectives, teaching process and assessment elements in the official curriculum. In line with these determined purposes, the study was carried out in an explanatory sequential design in which qualitative data were collected based on quantitative data. The study was carried out in various primary schools on the European Side of Istanbul in the second semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. The participants of the study consisted of 98 primary school English teachers working in various primary schools on the European Side of Istanbul for the quantitative part. The participants for the qualitative part consist of 6 teachers selected by the maximum variation sampling method. The quantitative data of the study were collected with the Curriculum Literacy Scale (CLS). Standard deviation, mean and independent groups t-test were used in the analysis of quantitative data. Qualitative data were analyzed using the descriptive analysis method through the In-Class Program Compatibility Observation Form. In the analysis of the data, a classification was made for the cognitive process and the knowledge dimensions of Bloom's revised taxonomy for the objectives. In the teaching process and evaluation elements, a comparison was made with the relevant items of the primary school English curriculum. Findings regarding the quantitative dimension of the study show that primary school English teachers' curriculum literacy levels are high, with the reading sub-dimension being higher than the writing sub-dimension of the scale. In the qualitative aspect of the study, it was found that teachers with high curriculum literacy levels were more aligned with the official curriculum than the teachers with low curriculum literacy levels in terms of objectives and evaluation elements. In the teaching process, it was determined that the teachers with low curriculum literacy level showed higher level of compatibility. It was concluded that the curriculum alignment of teachers with high curriculum literacy was higher than teachers with low curriculum literacy. The results show that primary school English teachers' curriculum literacy level is high. In addition, they are more successful in the reading sub-dimension, which is for the knowledge level of the teachers' Curriculum Literacy Scale, than the writing sub-dimension, which indicates the curriculum-oriented applications. In the examinations of the curriculum applications of the teachers in the lower and upper groups determined regarding the level of curriculum literacy, it was determined that the differences in the curriculum alignment levels did not show significant features. It has been observed that the level of adaptation of teachers is shaped within the framework of commitment to the content of the textbook, and in some applications, it is affected by factors such as class duration and student numbers. Based on this, it was concluded that teachers' curriculum literacy levels are effective in determining alignment; however, curriculum alignment is affected by different factors (textbook content, course durations and student numbers) besides curriculum literacy. The results of the research showed that primary school English teachers' curriculum literacy levels had an effect on official and functional curriculum practices. In line with these results, researchers can examine the effect of different factors on curriculum alignment through different participant groups and variables; they can investigate the effect of alignment on student achievement. For practitioners, it is recommended to conduct in-service trainings where knowledge and experiences about the curriculum are shared.