Journal of Educational Sciences

Developing and Validating an Existentialist Curriculum Scale with Emphasis on Teaching-Learning Strategies

10.22055/edus.2025.49278.3736
Volume 33, Issue 1
April 2026
Pages 173-188
Journal of Educational Sciences

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

meimanat abedini baltork 1
Hojjat Saffar Heidari 1
Mokarrameh Shabanpour Karnami 2

1 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Babolsar, Iran.

2 M.A. in Curriculum Studies, University of Mazandaran, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Babolsar, Iran.

Abstract
The present study aimed to develop and validate an existentialist curriculum scale with an emphasis on the teaching–learning strategies component. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach was adopted. In the qualitative phase, a case study method was employed. Participants included professors, experts, and teachers familiar with the existentialist school of thought. Using purposive sampling of typical cases, theoretical saturation was reached with 25 participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and the trustworthiness of the findings was established based on credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. In the quantitative phase, a descriptive survey design was employed. The statistical population for scale validation consisted of elementary school teachers in Sari County, Iran, from whom 250 participants were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. The developed scale comprised four main criteria: educational environment, teacher, student, and existentialist teaching method. The results of the factor analysis confirmed the proposed structure of the scale, indicating that the four-dimensional model consisting of educational environment, teacher, student, and existentialist teaching method was supported.

Keywords

Scale
curriculum
existentialism
teaching-learning strategy
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