An Evaluation of the Current Model of Nishat (Vitality) Curriculum in Primary School: A Grounded Theory Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the current model of ‘Nishat (vibrant) curriculum’ in primary school. This qualitative study used the grounded theory approach. The statistical participants of the study included all the agents involved in the development of Nishat curriculum for primary education. Purposeful criterion sampling was used to select participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 teachers, five school administrators, and eight parents of students. In order to analyze the data, open, axial, and selective coding was used. The criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba (1985) were used to assess transferability and dependability. The results led to the identification of 21 core concepts and eight categories, which were put together in the form of a paradigm model. The model included the neglect of vitality in school curricula as the core category. It also comprised causal conditions (weakness in school management, weakness in educational culture schools, weakness in students’ social relations), contextual factors (sociocultural factors, organizational factors, and educational factors), facilitating conditions (personality and individual factors, content attractiveness of textbooks, attention to individual differences, and qualitative evaluation), intervening conditions (individual challenges, cultural challenges, and school challenges), strategies (interactions and communication among students, creation of a friendly classroom atmosphere by teachers, attention to active teaching methods, dynamization of the physical space), and consequences (increased depression and academic frustration). Therefore, it can be concluded that it is necessary for all education stakeholders to pay attention to sociocultural, organizational, and educational factors in the integration of Nishat (vitality) into the curriculum.