A study of curriculum laboratory schools in terms of school improvement

The main purpose of this research is to describe the Curriculum LaboratorySchool in terms of school improvement and explain how the system operates at theprimary school level.The sample of the research consists of 8 primary curriculum laboratoryschools within the provinces of the metropolitan towns of Izmir, Konak, .DUúÕ\DNDand Bornova. Eight school managers, 8 assistant managers, 46 teachers, 13 students,11 parents, 6 primary school inspectors and 4 teacher trainers were interviewed.Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected for the research. Inorder to collect qualitative data, semi-structured interview forms were developed foreach group; another form was developed to collect information about the physicalstructures and equipment schools; an observation form was also developed; and theschool improvement plans of the curriculum laboratory schools were studied. Thehigh school entrance exam scores were used as quantitative data.Some of the results of the research are outlined below:It has been found out that neither the school managers nor the teachers havesufficient information about curriculum laboratory schools, that these schools havenot been provided with the standards and necessary equipment stated in the relatedproject, and that the available equipment are not used effectively.It has also been discerned that both the school managers and the teachers arehighly unmotivated to form school development boards, and that democratic andparticipatory decision making and implementation processes are not used.