Challenges in Implementing Curriculum in Multigrade Elementary Classes

Subject Areas : curriculum

Marjan Khamisabadi ¹ , Mohammad javadipoor ^{2 *} , Keyvan Salehi ³ , masoumeh sadat abtahi ⁴

1 -
2 - university Tehran
3 - Associate Professor, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
4 - Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Islamic Azad University of Science and Research, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2024-12-24 Accepted : 2025-04-06 Published : 2025-06-11

Keywords: : Challenges, Curriculum Implementation, Elementary Education, Multigrade Classes, Grounded Theory,

Abstract :

This study aimed to identify the challenges in implementing the curriculum in multigrade elementary classes. A qualitative approach was adopted, utilizing grounded theory methodology and Kathy Charmaz's constructivist design. The research field included experts and specialists in multigrade classroom curricula. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 curriculum specialists selected via snowball sampling. Data analysis was conducted using three coding methods: initial, focused, and theoretical.

The findings identified six major categories of challenges:

Challenges Related to Goals:

 Comprising two main categories and three subcategories.Challenges Related to Teaching Methods: Comprising four main categories and six subcategories.Challenges Related to Students: Comprising five main categories and eleven subcategories.Challenges Related to Educational Content: Comprising two main categories and five subcategories.Challenges Related to Time, Location, and Educational Space: Comprising three main categories and nine subcategories.Challenges Related to Assessment: Comprising two main categories and six subcategories.The persistence of these identified challenges could jeopardize the integrity of the elementary education system, particularly the dynamics of multigrade classes, leading to significant and far-reaching consequences. Suggestions were provided to mitigate these challenges.

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