Evaluation of activities in school excitement theme at elementary school third-grade life science course regarding teachers' views towards cross-curriculum objectives

In this study, the main purpose was to evaluation of activities in school excitement theme at elementary school third-grade life science course regarding teachers' views towards cross-curriculum objectives. In the study, qualitative research method and the case study design which enable to investigate the situation stated as "evaluation of activities in school excitement theme at elementary school third-grade life science course regarding teachers' views towards cross-curriculum objectives" in its core context, was used. In accordance with the purpose, interviews were performed with 14 teachers who have worked as a teacher at elementary school third-grade in Adana National Education Directorate (from the different districts such as Seyhan, Yüreğir, Çukurova, Sarıçam) in 2014-2015 education year spring semester. Data obtained from the interviews were analyzed through MaxQda 12 software based on deductive content analysis technique. During the analysis process, the context of cross-curriculum was taken into consideration as a core point of the analysis. From this point of view, codes were created and the themes were determined based on the codes. To provide the validity of the results, detail descriptions, direct quotations were presented, and expert review was taken into consideration. Moreover, to determine the reliability of the analysis, Miles and Huberman's (1994) inter-coder reliability score was calculated. According to the results of the study, teachers' views such as the cross-curriculum approach used in life science course is important and essential, cross-curriculum objectives are relevant to daily life, and they are effective objectives for life, and also they are one of the bases of life science course, were determined. Moreover, teachers stated that life science course disregards both the cross-curriculum and the cross-curriculum has weak relations to the subjects presented in the guide-book. In addition, teachers have a view that teaching activities are not enough in terms of providing students' active participating. In this context, they emphasized that the number of teaching activities should be increased and the current activities should be reconstructed. On the other hand, teachers stated that the cross-curriculum objectives are not transform into psycho-motor behavior as the knowledge gained by the students, has not a harmony with the knowledge gained in the family and the near environment of the students. For these reasons, family involvement and student activity should be supported. It was determined that teachers are mostly use observation technique to evaluate their students. Additionally, teachers emphasized that ages of the students in the same classroom are different and also students are in the concrete operational stage so they are having learning disabilities when they learn abstract concepts. Life science course periods were decreased from five to three so the current course periods are not enough for teachers. The course periods should be increased. Due to the crowded classroom, the effectiveness of the activities related to cross-curriculum objectives are influenced negatively. Therefore, number of the students in the classroom should be reduced. Teachers emphasized that system should be re-constructed thoroughly, and the teachers' problems should be solved. Finally, the results discussed based on the related literature, and several research suggestions were presented.