Examples and frequency of symbolic violence in elementary school curricula

This study aimed to identify the examples and frequency of symbolic violence in the Iranian elementary school curricula according to teachers and school staff in order to help change the existing curricula by raising and critically addressing this problem. The statistical population comprised teachers and staff of elementary schools in Tehran in academic year 2021-2022. Based on Morgan’s table, the sample size was calculated as 384 people who were selected via stratified random sampling. The data were collected via a researcher-made questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts through content validity ratio (CVR) of 0.62-1 and content validity index (CVI) of 0.79-1. Its construct validity was confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis, and its reliability was 0.70 based on Cronbach’s alpha. The data were analyzed via tables, figures, and one-sample t test. The results revealed that, according to the respondents, different types of sociocultural, ideological, economic, political, and non-physical symbolic violence are widely common in elementary schools and can be imposed through all elements of the curricula. Its frequency was very high in the content of the elementary school curricula, high in the setting, the time of instruction, teaching-learning strategies, assessment methods, and the social atmosphere of schools, and to some extent in the goals of the curricula, teaching sources and materials, and teachers.