Turkish preschool teachers' beliefs on integrated curriculum: integration of visual arts with other activities

Abstract

This study investigates preschool teachers' beliefs about integrated curriculum and, more specifically, their beliefs about integration of visual arts with other activities. The participants of this study consisted of 255 female preschool teachers who are employed in preschools in Ankara, Turkey. For the study, teachers were asked to complete 'teachers' beliefs about integration of visual arts questionnaire'. The questions in the instrument were constructed as open-ended and closed-ended. Results indicated that teachers have positive beliefs about an integrated curriculum in general; however, teachers revealed that they tend not to integrate visual arts activities with subjects, rather they use them as a consolidation of other activities. The results also revealed that there was a significant link between both teachers' years of experience and their educational background and their beliefs about the integrated curriculum and integration of art activities into early childhood curriculum.

Investigating early childhood teachers’ views on science teaching practices: the integration of science with visual art in early childhood settings

“…Many studies showed that an integrated curriculum was able to support the whole child model by providing different types of activities (visual, linguistic, and physical), in order to improve their holistic development (Schirrmacher, 2002;Walker, 1995). Similarly, Öztürk and Erden (2010) found that early childhood teachers used integrated activities because it addressed children's different developmental areas such as physical, cognitive, and social development.…”

The effects of visual art supported inquiry based science activities on 5th grade students’ scientific process skills

“…For this reason, high-level of thinking and approaching the problems with different perspective could be provided and rich learning environments could be created (McComas & Wang, 1998). Interpretation of gathered information could be made easier (Kaya, Akpınar & Gökkurt, 2006;Öztürk & Tantekin Erden, 2011). There are different ways of merging disciplines in an educational aim.…”

“…It is understood that this sense of art does not address only affective aspects but also improve the cognitive skills (observation, perception, interpretation, synthesizing, creative-thinking, critical perspective, etc.) (Çapar, 2006;Öztürk & Tantekin Erden, 2011;San, 2001). By discovering this effect of art, today, education of maths, social studies, science, history, foreign language etc.…”

“…Bu sayede öğrencilerin üst düzey düşünebilmesi, problemleri farklı bakış açılarıyla değerlendirebilmesi sağlanabilir ve zengin öğrenme ortamları oluşturulabilir (McComas & Wang, 1998). Edinilen bilgilerin anlamlandırılması kolaylaştırılabilir (Kaya, Akpınar & Gökkurt, 2006;Öztürk & Tantekin Erden, 2011). Disiplinlerin öğretimsel amaçlı bir araya getirilmesinde çeşitli yollar vardır.…”

“…Başlarda bu mantıkla bakılan sanatın yalnızca duyuşsal yönlere hitap etmediği, aynı zamanda bilişsel becerileri de (gözlem, algılama, yorumlama, sentezleme, yaratıcı düşünme, eleştirel bakış açısı vb.) geliştirdiği anlaşılmıştır (Çapar, 2006;Öztürk & Tantekin Erden, 2011;San, 2001). Sanatın bu etkisinin keşfedilmesiyle günümüzde matematik, sosyal bilgiler, fen, tarih, yabancı dil vb.…”