A comparative study of the epistemological foundations of technical and non-technical curriculum patterns with an emphasis on virtual education.

Salmanikalleh, Somayeh; Sarmadi, Mohamadreza; Zandi, Bahman; Abtahi, Masomalsadat

doi:10.30473/etl.2025.72553.4286

A comparative study of the epistemological foundations of technical and non-technical curriculum patterns with an emphasis on virtual education.

Document Type : Research

Authors

¹ Phd student of Curriculum Studies, Research and Science Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Professor of Educational Sciences Department, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

³ Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education and Islamic Studies, Research and Science Unit, , Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.30473/etl.2025.72553.4286

Abstract

The approach of the present research, which aims to compare the epistemological foundations of technical and non-technical curriculum models, has been a qualitative comparative strategy. The researcher, using a descriptive-analytical method and relying on the theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis and Norman Fairclough's theory, has sought to reveal the intellectual framework of curriculum theorists in light of the social conditions. Over time, due to the importance of curriculum planning in education and training, various approaches and trends have emerged in this field, which are generally categorized under two titles: technical scientific approaches and non-scientific non-technical approaches. To answer the research question, four epistemological questions were raised regarding the types of technical and non-technical curriculum models. The results showed that knowledge was relative in technical rational patterns and in non-technical patterns. The technical patterns and the views of figures such as Tyler and Taba, and the distance between them and the views of Pinar and Eisner reflect the gap between two epistemological systems: idealism and pragmatism. Since virtual education has features such as flexibility, motivation, independence, interaction with content, and interaction with individuals, it is suggested to curriculum planners and educational systems to design new approaches, methods, and models that can logically integrate epistemology with modern curriculum patterns.

Keywords