Assessing the middle school (8th Grade) visual arts curriculum based on teachers' perspectives

For a curriculum to achieve success, it is essential that teachers adopt and implement it effectively. The viewpoints of Visual Arts teachers hold significance for the success of the course's curriculum, as teachers play a crucial role in students' education and assist them in comprehending and learning the curriculum. The efficacy of a curriculum is strongly connected to teachers' acceptance and effective implementation of the curriculum. Consequently, the opinions of Visual Arts teachers are vital for the advancement of the course's curriculum. In this research, a mixed-methods approach incorporating both quantitative and qualitative research was employed. The mixed model involves gathering and analyzing data using a variety of techniques within a single study, aiming to achieve more valid and reliable outcomes. The quantitative aspect of this study utilizes the "relational survey model" from among survey models to portray the opinions of Visual Arts teachers on the 8th-grade middle school curriculum in its context, considering various factors such as "age, gender, professional experience, and the department from which they graduated." The qualitative aspect of the research involved conducting a case study to obtain comprehensive information from teachers about the eighth-grade Visual Arts curriculum.The study's population comprises Visual Arts teachers working in Kırşehir city center during the 2022-2023 academic year. To enable the implementation of the interview form in middle schools in Kırşehir city center during the 2022-2023 academic year, the researchers obtained the necessary official permissions from the Governorship of Kırşehir and the Provincial Directorate of National Education. Data was gathered through an interview form with an open-ended question, and participants' opinions were analyzed, categorized, and described, supported by their original views.The study found that, based on the participating teachers' opinions, 248 views were expressed across 25 categories concerning the implementation of the 8th-grade Visual Arts Curriculum. These views were predominantly negative and grouped into categories such as "Lesson Hours, Student Attitude, Unfair Grades, Parent Attitude, Physical Environment, Content, Exam Year, Curriculum, Student Interest, Material Shortage." Keywords: Visual Arts Education, 8th Grade Visual Arts Curriculum, Curriculum Evaluation