Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences, İstanbul, Türkiye, 6 - 10 Kasım 2025, cilt.6, ss.145-155, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
Pre-service teachers' curriculum theory orientations represent fundamental variables that shape their future instructional decisions and classroom practices. This study investigated the curriculum theory orientations of 116 pre-service teachers at Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Education using the Inventory of Orientations in Curriculum Theories (IOCT), developed by Türe (2017) and adapted for pre-service teachers by Türe and Bıkmaz (2023). The IOCT measures three orientations based on Marsh and Willis's (2003) classification: Prescriptive, Descriptive, and Critical-Exploratory. Using descriptive survey methodology and Pearson correlation analysis, results indicated that pre-service teachers demonstrated high levels of CriticalExploratory (M=4.20) and Descriptive (M=4.12) curriculum theory orientations, while showing moderate levels of Prescriptive orientation (M=3.13). Correlation analysis revealed no significant relationships among the subscales (p>0.05), suggesting these orientations emerge as independent constructs. These findings indicate that pre-service teachers tend toward interpreting curriculum critically, considering individual differences, and evaluating with a critical perspective rather than accepting curriculum as given. Results have important implications for teacher education programs aiming to develop flexible, critically-informed practitioners.