Identification and Validation of the Processes and Outputs of the Media Thinking and Literacy Curriculum from Isfahan City Teachers’ and students’ Viewpoints

The present study aims to identify and validate the processes and outputs of the media thinking and literacy curriculum from Isfahan City teachers’ and students’ viewpoints. This applied research employs an exploratory sequential-instrumental mixed-methods design for data collection. The research participants in the qualitative section include experts in the field of media literacy and curriculum from who 20 individuals were selected via purposive and snowball sampling methods. In the quantitative section, the population consisted of teachers of media thinking and literacy and tenth-grade students in Isfahan, from whom 210 teachers and 385 students were selected as participants. Research data were collected through a semi-structured interviewing technique and a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the interview and questionnaire was confirmed via content validity, and the reliability of the questionnaire was obtained via Cronbach's alpha coefficient as 96%. Findings indicated that the desired indicators of this curriculum have the necessary validity. Besides, compared to the desired indicators, the current state of the curriculum processes of media thinking and literacy in the category "using new teaching methods" was assessed lower than the expected level. As the research results showed, to improve the processes and outputs of the thinking and media literacy curriculum and to achieve its goals and missions, it is necessary to review the teaching methods of the course, officials, planners, and trustees of the educational system, and pay more attention to content and topics such as the growth of critical thinking in students as well as how they can manage and use the media properly.