822380

research-article20192019
SGOXXX10.1177/2158244018822380SAGE OpenAl-Shanawani

Original Research

SAGE Open

Evaluation of Self-Learning Curriculum

January-March 2019: 1­–13
© The Author(s) 2019
DOI: 10.1177/2158244018822380
https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018822380

for Kindergarten Using Stufflebeam’s journals.sagepub.com/home/sgo

CIPP Model

Hania M. Al-Shanawani1

Abstract
This study sought to evaluate the self-learning curricula of a kindergarten in Saudi Arabia by applying the context, input,
process, product (CIPP) model. To this end, the study utilized a mixed-method design, where teachers (N = 420) had
been randomly selected and surveyed, and school inspectors (N = 15) had been interviewed. Furthermore, a content
analysis had been carried out to analyze the curricula content based on CIPP model construction. Findings revealed
that the objectives of the curricula were moderately correlated to the context. The input, process, and product also
moderately contributed to the educational needs and to the Saudi community. However, the curricula failed to meet the
kindergarten students’ needs and community in providing multiple sources of knowledge, teaching competencies, and
training opportunities. The study recommended the need to develop a kindergarten curriculum on the basis of children’s
educational needs and the community developmental needs. It suggests that future studies be conducted in various
aspects of child education for preschool, continuous and comprehensive evaluation, and development of the kindergarten
curriculum.

Keywords
evaluation, curriculum, self-learning, Stufflebeam, CIPP model

Introduction Al-Ghamdi (2005) states that self-learning curriculum of

kindergartens was subjected to criticism and suggestions
Early childhood care is becoming a crucial avenue for mea- from specialists, researchers, and staff from its first applica-
suring countries’ development because preparation of kids tion. These criticisms include reassessing the curriculum,
for future is deemed a civilized inevitability. The kindergar- rejudging its effectiveness, and determining the need for
ten is an essential stage in which children are learning, devel- development of content, materials, and equipment to match
oping their varied skills, and getting an integrated child community interests and development. To have a more
development. The kindergarten is not only a teaching envi- accurate and effective evaluation, the process of the self-
ronment but also an environment for the inclusive develop- learning curriculum of kindergartens must be based on a
ment of the child’s senses, tendencies, and preparation. reliable and standardized model that has been previously
Saudi Arabia is no exception among countries that care employed by peer-reviewed studies. In this regard, Dar
for early childhood at a relatively early stage. The private Assalam (2010) pointed out that there were a large number
sector showed an interest in kindergartens before the govern- of different assessment models (e.g., Tyler’s objective-cen-
mental sector. The first private kindergarten was established tered model; goal-free evaluation model; Hammond model;
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 1955. Then, a number of govern- management-oriented evaluation models; context, input,
mental kindergartens have increased to reach 102 kindergar- process, product [CIPP]), which have different purposes of
tens in Riyadh only. The efforts to build kindergartens use according to the different evaluators and their scientific
curriculum, which was based on scientific and educational backgrounds and practical experience. Of these models, the
basis were initiated through a collaboration agreement
between the General Presidency for Girls’ Education and the
Arab Gulf Program for the United Nations Educational 1
King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The self-
Corresponding Author:
learning curriculum, the target of this study, was printed in Hania M. Al-Shanawani, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi
addition to seven books related to the units of this curriculum Arabia.
(Smaadi & Marwa, 1991). Email: [email protected]

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2 SAGE Open

CIPP model was chosen for this study as it is widely known methods of education (Sharif, 2007). Jad (2011) identified
worldwide for its reliability and practicality. the evaluation of kindergarten curriculum as the process of
Contextually, the self-learning curriculum of kindergar- gathering information on all components of the curriculum,
tens in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) neither had suffi- to reveal child’s skills and aptitudes that might affect the
cient development, nor had been evaluated since inauguration achievement of overall balanced growth goal of the kinder-
in 1976 (Ameel et al., 2009). The curriculum lacks the focus garten child, to decide about the curriculum itself. Evaluation
on important skills in kindergartens such as reading and writ- is carried out using accurate research methodology based on
ing, which requires the need to rewrite goals and plans of reliable criteria to examine the effectiveness to suit the con-
child activities to match the up-to-date trends in modern kin- text, which the curricula intend to develop. Of these evalua-
dergarten education. Therefore, this study attempts to evalu- tion models, Stufflebeam model is the most adopted
ate the self-learning curriculum of kindergartens using the evaluation for programs, institutions, and curricula that is
Stufflebeam model, and to identify the extent to which the used widely and well known for its efficacy, comprehensibil-
objectives of the self-learning curriculum of kindergartens ity, and reliability, which is adapted in the current study.
are correlated to its context and the contribution of its inputs,
processes, and outputs in achieving the educational needs of
children and the developmental needs of Saudi society. The
CIPP Model
study will shed light on notion of early childhood and the The model was designed first by Danial-Stufflebeam in the
need for evaluating the kindergarten curricula that attuned to late 1960s to help evaluate programs, institutions, and curri-
their needs based on the CIPP model, and review the previ- cula in the educational field, and then the model has been
ous studies related to the research objectives. further used in different areas other than education such as
The child is considered the core of education in kindergar- social programs, business, and military (Stufflebeam, 2003).
tens for whom the objectives, content, methods, and means The purpose of the model is to help raters who evaluate
are evolving. The direct experiences of the child represent school programs, course of instruction, and curricula design,
the beginning of his or her educational curriculum. Hence, covering four different dimensions: context, input, process,
specialists concerned with the planning of childhood pro- and product, and the ultimate goal is not “prove but to
grams depend on adapting the child’s curriculum and meth- improve” (Stufflebeam, 2003. p. 31).
ods of education to match the child’s preparations, needs, The first phase is context, which mainly concerns with
and abilities. identifying target population’s needs, defining problems, set-
Sassila (2010) noted that children’s characteristics in kin- ting objectives, identifying resources, and putting criteria for
dergartens, whether those related to physical, social, or emo- assessing outcomes (Stufflebeam & Shinkfield, 2007). It is
tional needs, require an appropriate climate that allows mainly based on finding an answer to the question, “What
interaction between children in kindergartens. This can be needs to be done?” Zhang et al. (2011) stated that context
done by providing all physical and technical tools and facili- evaluation is the base of evaluation. It represents the general
ties. Needs can be considered as the most relevant topics of framework of any evaluation model that includes the cul-
overall growth, in general, and growth in preschool child- tural, political, economic, and educational philosophy of the
hood, in specific, where the child goes through rapid physi- surrounding environment. Its role lies in verifying the defini-
cal, social, emotional, and mental development. The tion of the educational objectives and their appropriateness
educational needs of kindergarten children vary as follows: to students’ needs. The information about target groups is
collected and the limits of evaluation are defined, which help
1. Psychological and social needs such as the need for to understand the surrounding environment and bases that
love and acceptance from others, emotional security, must be taken into consideration when designing and struc-
need for social appreciation, success and excellence, turing curriculum and setting its objectives.
self-assertion, freedom and independence, and accep- The second component is input, which refers to all the
tance of power and play; plans, strategies, and budgets of approaches chosen for
2. Mental and cognitive needs such as research and implementation. Stufflebeam (2003) states that input “aid
exploration, and the need to acquire linguistic skill evaluation users to design improvement efforts, develop
(Yakhlif, 2014). defensible funding proposals, detail action plans, record the
alternative plans that were considered, and record the basis
Educators and researchers have identified the seriousness for choosing one approach over the others” (p. 32). According
of the curriculum and the important role it plays in bringing to Karatas and Fer (2009), inputs are concerned with provid-
up generations of learners, in making them acquire the skills ing information about the potential and resources of the
and knowledge that help them in integrated development of body, which will implement the curriculum, review similar
their personalities and advancement of their societies. The literature and curricula, consult specialists. Furthermore, the
curriculum reflects the culture of society with all its elements alternative strategies for implementation and evaluating
of religious beliefs, patterns of thinking, behavior, and them in terms of cost, utility, timeline, and possible obstacles
Al-Shanawani 3

and identifying plans that might be more appropriate to the In a recent study, Rooholamini et al. (2017) evaluated a
needs of the design of the curriculum implementation meth- medical program at Shiraz University utilizing the CIPP
ods. It serves decision making and conducting workshops model. They studied how good the relationship was
and seminars. between the science basic courses and the clinical courses,
Concerning process, Stufflebeam (2003) argues that eval- as based from the responses of professors and students of
uators need to predict, assess, observe defects in the plan or the first and second years of the medical program. The
its implementation, and then give feedback on how to exe- authors adopted triangulated mixed methods to collect data
cute improvement in the action plan. With regard to educa- via surveys, semi-instructed interview, brain storming ses-
tional curricula, it means using different methods to reveal sions, and content analyses of students’ portfolios. Findings
how to apply and implement the curriculum to detect feasi- revealed that for the context evaluation, majority of
bility of plans for implementation and execution. It corre- respondents perceived that the educational system moti-
sponds to the role of structural evaluation of the curriculum vated them for active participation and the atmosphere of
in collecting information and data on the progress of the edu- classes was found suitable. Concerning input evaluation,
cational process to provide feedback, which will help detect- the resources were acceptable, and for the process evalua-
ing of deficiencies while implementing the curriculum. This tion, the quality of integrated models was good for stu-
would improve the operational plans developed by the cur- dents. With regard to product evaluation, the authors found
riculum planners, and in the interpretation of the results, and some positive points about the integration and some points
identifying the reason behind a specific result (Al-Qararaa, need to be improved.
Al-Qaisi, & Al-Rofai, 2011). On the contrary, Mirzazadeh et al. (2016) found that the
The last component is product, which means to measure CIPP model failed to address some evaluation questions and
the intended and unintended learning outcomes. This factor resulted in evaluation burden. The authors applied the CIPP
helps to identify whether the student and beneficiary needs model to revise a medical educational program on Iran. Data
have been met and to what extent. It also assists in discover- were collected from students, teaching staff, administrators,
ing the intended and unintended side effect, and to render and undergraduates through different tools such as focus
decision as whether to continue, stop, or make an improve- groups, questionnaires, and measurement performance.
ment plan (Stufflebeam, 2003). According to Attieh (2008), Results found that the CIPP model was the best model to
evaluation of curricula outputs means the collection and inform all the people concerned with educational curricula
analysis of the provisions related to the success of the cur- such as stakeholders, decision makers, and curriculum
riculum and its intended and unintended effects and positive designers, to make informed decision on reactions at every
and negative outcomes. The output calendar corresponds to stage of the reform. However, the CIPP model has some limi-
the final evaluation of the curriculum, and aims to determine tations on evaluation.
the extent to which the purpose and objectives of the meth- On the relation to kindergarten curriculum evaluation,
odology is achieved. This is linked to context, inputs, and there was a single study—to the best of the author’s knowl-
processes, when measuring and interpreting outputs to serve edge—that tackled this issue despite its limitations. Lin and
as a review of decisions and determine the effectiveness of Ching (2012) conducted a study aimed at clarifying the real-
the methodology. ity of kindergarten curricula in Taiwan and evaluating them
Many studies have been conducted on the context of in the light of the CIPP model. The study analyzed govern-
education curricula, applying the CIPP model and evaluat- mental documents and curricula to correlate them to the
ing higher education curricula. However, little is known CIPP model. The results showed the current kindergarten
about kindergarten curricula evaluation. Of those related to curriculum in Taiwan required more transparency in its
higher education curricula evaluation, Karatas and Fer administration, and some improvements in different stages
(2009) identified how the English curricula at Yeldiz of the CIPP components should be taken. Although Lin and
University in Turkey were correlated to CIPP model. The Ching’s (2012) was the first study in kindergarten curriculum
researchers administered a survey and an interview to 35 evaluation using the CIPP model, it has some limitations on
teachers and 415 students. Their responses have been ana- its methodology as the data have not been triangulated. Only
lyzed, and findings revealed although their opinions varied documentary analyses had been run to elicit the data, whereas
on different items of the model, they tend to support the stakeholders were not involved to support the findings that
notion of CIPP model components. Similarly, Tunk (2010) came from written documents analyses. I argue that this is
evaluated the preparatory year curricula of Ankara the first study tackling evaluation of kindergarten self-learn-
University using the CIPP model. Four hundred six stu- ing curricula, following the CIPP model for which data were
dents and 12 instructors had been surveyed and interviewed. collected qualitatively and qualitatively to come up with reli-
Besides, a content analysis had been run on the curricula of able findings that may be overgeneralized to the body of
English. The results revealed that the curricula of Ankara evaluating the curriculum of early childhood. This study
University served partially the CIPP model and certain attempts to answer the main research question and three sub–
issues need to be developed. research questions:
4 SAGE Open

Research Question 1: To what extent does the self-learn- of the study—who had been interviewed—was a purposive
ing curriculum of kindergartens in Saudi Arabia match sample to study a phenomenon in depth. Fifteen supervisors
both the educational needs of children and the develop- out of 27 supervisors voluntarily accepted to participate in
mental needs of Saudi society using the Stufflebeam the interview.
model?
Study Tools
The research subquestions are as follows:
To achieve the objectives of the study, three tools were used.
Research Question 2: How closely are the objectives of The following is a detailed description:
the self-learning curriculum of kindergartens correlated to
the context using the Stufflebeam model? First tool: Questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to
Research Question 3: How far do the inputs of the self- elicit the views of members of the study population on the
learning curriculum of kindergartens contribute to achiev- actual content of the self-learning curriculum of kinder-
ing both the educational needs of children and the gartens using the CIPP model, which was constructed in
developmental needs of Saudi society using the form and content according to the following resources.
Stufflebeam model? The general framework of the evaluation of educational
Research Question 4: How far does the process of the curricula as defined by Stufflebeam consists of four
self-learning curriculum of kindergartens contribute to dimensions:
achieving both the educational needs of children and the
developmental needs of Saudi society using the context of the self-learning curriculum in KSA;
Stufflebeam model? inputs of self-learning curriculum;
processes focused on the self-learning curriculum includ-
ing the selection of content, activities, methods, and tech-
Method niques, and their implementation;
This section describes the methodology employed, sample output, which includes the changes covered by the curri-
selection, and data collection tools with steps followed to cula in all stages of the child’s growth as per the child’s
ensure their reliability and validity. needs and developmental needs of the community.

Validation of questionnaire.  The face validity was assessed

Study Approach by raters, where the first draft of the questionnaire was given
Qualitative methodology was used to collect data on a card to a group of 13 faculty members specialized in curriculum
corresponding to in-depth access to feedback from supervi- and kindergartens. The draft was assessed in relation to the
sors to reveal the reality of the self-learning curriculum for suitability of content and areas for various aspects of the sub-
kindergartens and the content analysis card. The quantitative ject. They were also asked to propose modifications. The rat-
methodology was used by using (the built) Stufflebeam eval- ers gave their observations, and asked for amendments and
uation model to survey the sample’s views on the reality of proposals. Consequently, the researcher amended accord-
the self-learning curriculum currently applied in governmen- ingly, so that the items had become 56 instead of 64.
tal kindergartens.
Reliability of the questionnaire.  The reliability of the ques-
tionnaire was verified using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of
Population and Sampling the questionnaire. The result showed high reliability between
The study population consisted of (a) 1,362 kindergarten .97 and .98 and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the instru-
staff (supervisors, directors, principals, and teachers) accord- ment as a whole was .96, indicating that the questionnaire
ing to the Kindergarten Management Statistical Survey 2016, has a high degree of reliability.
(b) 27 supervisors in charge of kindergartens in the Ministry
of Education departments, and (c) the book of self-learning Second tool: Interview card.  Achieving the objectives and pro-
curriculum adopted in kindergartens to be included in the cedures of the study requires preparing a card to interview a
content analysis. A random sample was selected from the sample of kindergarten supervisors in the field. Data obtained
original population consisting of female staff in 50 public from the interview contribute to answering the various study
kindergartens in Riyadh, from the total sum of 102 kinder- questions. To prepare the interview card, the interview aimed
gartens (50%) by drawing lots; then, 30% of the staff were at obtaining more opinions and information about the reality
randomly chosen—as an acceptable known percentage of the self-learning curriculum in kindergartens.
(supervisors, directors, and teachers) to answer the question-
naire in a simple random manner. Three hundred ninety six Validity of interview card. To achieve validity of the inter-
participants responded (i.e., 93% of population). The sample view used in this study, a draft form of the card was prepared
Al-Shanawani 5

comprising a number of questions in each of the fields of the questionnaire and interview had been analyzed, whereas the
CIPP model, which was given to three reviewers specialized qualitative data obtained from the content analysis card were
in the field of kindergartens and curricula. They assessed the used to answer the fourth question.
questionnaire in terms of suitability of the questions and rel-
evance of the items to the investigated issue of the current
Research Question 1: To What Extent Are the
study. The reviewers gave their remarks and the researcher has
amended the questions on the basis of their comments. Objectives of the Kindergarten Self-Learning
Curriculum Correlated to the Context Using the
Reliability of the interview card. To achieve the required Stufflebeam Model?
reliability and to enable future researchers to reconduct the
To identify the extent to which the objectives of the self-
same study, the author has performed three actions: (a) giv-
learning curriculum is correlated to context, descriptive sta-
ing an accurate description of the design of the research and
tistics of the questionnaire’s respondents were collected and
the method of applying the interview card and the content
summarized in Table 1.
analysis card; (b) recording and interpreting all the data col-
It is clear from Table 1 that the overall mean of the
lection, and detailing the steps of the study; and (c) analyz-
responses on the correlation of the objectives of the self-
ing of data and formulation of the results, and provide a full
learning approach with the context was 3.30 (SD = 1.01),
description of the study sample and the context in which the
where the means ranged between 4.1 and 2.2 and standard
study was carried out.
deviations were 1.02 and 1.4, respectively, with a medium
degree, indicating that the respondents view that the objec-
Implementing the interview.  The author conducted inter-
tives of the self-learning curriculum for kindergartens are
views with the sample members via mobile messages and
consistent with the syllabus context (67%).
their conversation by telephone, to make sure they accepted
to be interviewed and set the date of the interview. The
author conducted 15 interviews with supervisors in the
Qualitative Results From the Interview
offices of educational supervision, and the interview period
lasted three consecutive weeks. The interview time was The author has transcribed the interviews of the target
between 30 and 45 min. The interview card included a brief sample (i.e., supervisors) for later analysis. The qualita-
description of the study subject, its objectives, personal tive results of the questionnaire found the following
data for the interview, and the interview questions, which remarks:
are nine questions.
•• The majority of supervisors believe that the kinder-
Third tool: Content analysis of card of self-learning curriculum garten curriculum prepares children for learning. This
in kindergartens.  The content analysis card of the curricu- indicates that kindergarten in its traditional and mod-
lum book contributed to answer all various study questions ern concept focuses on basic skills such as reading
and achievement of the objectives of the study. The analy- and writing.
sis of the content, adopted by the CPPT model, is based on •• The opinion of nine interviewees agree that the cur-
the analysis of contexts, inputs, processes, and products. riculum does not care about the integration of technol-
The criteria for the analysis were 11 standards out of 60 ogy into the kindergarten curricula.
phrases.
The results of the analysis revealed that the content of the
Validity of the content analysis card. The list of criteria self-learning curriculum, containing information and
was handed in to a committee that assessed the interview experiences provided to the child through the activities of
card. The committee suggested determining each criterion reading and arithmetic during the periods of the daily
according to the dimensions of the Stufflebeam model and schedule in the kindergarten, the ring, the pillars, and the
reducing the number of standards to facilitate the analysis playground, achieves cognitive and motor skills that meet
process. The author responded to all suggestions and com- the physical and mental needs; this explained the structure
ments raised by the committee. As a result, the number has of the curriculum, which is based on Piaget’s theory of
reduced to 26 instead of 60. mental growth that correlates with the child’s physical
growth, in what he calls the sensory-motor intelligence
phase.
Data Analysis
The author has triangulated the data by using three different •• The results of the analysis, along with the results of
research instruments to gain valid results, namely, a ques- the questionnaire and the interview of the supervi-
tionnaire, an interview, and a content analysis card. To sors, agreed on the inadequacy of the curriculum in
answer the first three questions of this study, data from the achieving the developmental needs of the Saudi child.
6 SAGE Open

Table 1.  The Participants’ Response Toward the Correlation of Kindergarten Curricula With Context.
Agreement degree

Sentence Frequency and Strongly Strongly

number Sentence percentage agree Agree Neutral Disagree disagree Number M SD

1 There is no clear and written vision Frequency 46 80 78 90 96 390 2.2 1.44

and mission for the curriculum Percentage 11.8 20.5 20 23.1 24.6
2 The curriculum defines the learning Frequency 181 126 61 11 14 393 4.14 1.02
objectives in kindergarten Percentage 46.1 32.1 15.5 2.8 3.6
3 The objectives of the curriculum are Frequency 71 52 75 90 100 388 2.7 1.44
consistent with the vision, mission, Percentage 18.3 13.4 19.3 23.2 25.8
and objectives of the Ministry of
Education
4 The objectives of the curriculum Frequency 8 129 83 41 56 317 2.97 1.16
are to train the learner to relate Percentage 2.5 40.7 26.2 12.9 17.7
the theory to the application in a
simplified manner
5 The curriculum is concerned with Frequency 168 132 63 11 16 390 4.09 1.03
the cognitive needs of children Percentage 43.1 33.8 16.2 2.8 4.1
6 The curriculum focuses on the Frequency 48 72 106 100 392 392 2.4 1.42
emotional needs of children Percentage 66 48 72 106 100
7 The curriculum is concerned with Frequency 16.8 12.2 18.4 27 25.5 391 4.04 1.09
the physical needs of children Percentage 170 117 70 17 17
8 The curriculum is concerned with Frequency 43.5 29.9 17.9 4.3 4.3 391 3.0 1.10
the social needs of children Percentage 73 24 167 112 15
9 Topics of the self-learning curriculum Frequency 18.7 6.1 42.7 28.6 3.8 391 3.33 1.43
are concerned with arousing Percentage 106 100 72 44 69
curiosity in children
10 The curriculum takes into account Frequency 27.1 25.6 18.4 11.3 17.6 392 2.4 1.27
new electronic developments in Percentage 40 80 82 90 100
learning
11 The objectives of the self-learning Frequency 10.2 20.4 20.9 23 25.5 392 2.5 1.37
curriculum for kindergartens are Percentage 40 74 70 120 88
designed to build a community-
based knowledge
12 The curriculum addresses the need Frequency 10.1 18.9 18 30 23 388 3.63 1.19
for women to work Percentage 108 123 86 46 25
13 Provides a self-learning curriculum Frequency 27.8 31.7 22.2 11.9 6.4 388 3.77 1.17
for primary-stage curriculum Percentage 125 129 76 34 24
14 The objectives of the self-learning Frequency 32.2 33.2 19.6 8.8 6.2 391 3.32 1.35
curriculum emphasize the Percentage 100 90 84 69 48
consolidation of the identity of the
community
  Total Ms 392 3.30 1.01 %67

The result revealed the achievement of the curricu- Research Question 2: To What Extent Did
lum for the physical and mental needs as clearly as the Inputs of the Self-Learning Approach to
previously mentioned, and the absence of emotional
needs and interest in technology in education. The
Kindergartens Contribute in Achieving the
National Report of the Saudi Ministry of Education Educational Needs of Kindergarten Children and
(2015) affirmed that its curricula should take into the Developmental Needs of Saudi Society Using
account the developmental criteria for building com- the Stufflebeam Model?
munity-based knowledge to contribute to the civiliza-
tion of the 21st century. Therefore, the curriculum, To understand the contribution of the input to the educa-
which is not based on scientific foundations derived tional needs of kindergarten children and the developmental
from the changing society and the evolving needs of needs of the Saudi community using the Stufflebeam model,
the child and undeveloped curriculum, had a clear the questionnaires were analyzed by calculating the fre-
impact on the weakness of the curriculum. quency, percentages, means, and standard deviations of the
Al-Shanawani 7

Table 2.  The Participants’ Response Toward the Correlation of Kindergarten Curricula With Input.
Agreement degree

Sentence Frequency and Strongly Strongly

number Sentence percentage agree Agree Neutral Disagree disagree Number M SD

1 Is interested in developing the kindergarten Frequency 90 98 103 70 31 392 3.37 1.24

curriculum departments Percentage 23 25 26.3 17.9 7.9
2 The curriculum provides opportunities for the Frequency 70 90 98 80 56 394 3.10 1.31
professional growth of teachers Percentage 17.8 22.8 24.9 20.3 14.2
3 The curriculum provides tools and materials Frequency 113 131 81 44 23 392 3.68 1.17
suitable for children’s activities Percentage 28.8 33. 4 20.7 11.2 5.9
4 The curriculum provides an exciting and Frequency 90 91 71 49 89 390 3.11 1.48
stimulating learning environment Percentage 22 22.2 18.2 12 21.7
5 The curriculum provides multiple sources of Frequency 90 91 71 49 89 390 3.11 1.48
knowledge Percentage 17.8 20.6 21.4 19.1 21.1
6 The curriculum seeks to provide a secure Frequency 135 130 76 30 19 390 3.85 1.13
physical environment Percentage 34.6 33.3 19.5 7.7 4.9
7 The curriculum provides a safe psychological Frequency 83 80 76 80 71 390 3.06 1.41
environment Percentage 21.3 20.5 19.5 20.5 18.2
8 The curriculum is concerned with NAEYC Frequency 41 70 87 81 69 348 2.81 1.29
standards related to kindergarten Percentage 11.8 20.1 25 23.3 19.8
9 The curriculum is consistent with the recent Frequency 51 71 106 95 68 391 2.85 1.27
global trends in kindergarten Percentage 13 18.2 27.1 24.3 17.4
10 The curriculum defines the characteristics of Frequency 97 140 91 31 34 393 3.60 1.19
special teacher Percentage 15.2 20.7 24.3 22.7 17.1
11 The curriculum adopts games in learning Frequency 102 93 77 53 65 390 3.29 1.42
Percentage 26.2 23.8 19.7 13.6 16.7
12 A specific guide to the self-learning curriculum Frequency 155 122 74 23 16 390 3.97 1.09
for kindergartens is available Percentage 39.7 31.3 19 5.9 4.1
13 The curriculum is concerned with the Frequency 82 91 93 30 24 320 3.55 1.18
establishment of standards for admission to Percentage 25.6 28.4 29.1 9.4 7.5
kindergarten
14 The curriculum sets standards for evaluating Frequency 95 91 77 60 72 395 3.19 1.43
children’s growth Percentage 24.1 23 19.5 15.2 18.2
  Total M 395 3.29 0.98
65.8

respondents’ responses on the consistency of curriculum supervisors were more detailed of the contents of the
objectives with context. manual, where it supported eight of the supervisors,
Table 2 shows that the general mean of participants’ who constitute 53% of the sample that the manual in
responses to the contribution of curriculum inputs to the edu- the general curriculum did not present behaviors and
cational needs of children and the developmental needs of strategies that may contribute in guiding teachers to
the Saudi society was 3.29 with a standard deviation of 0.98. practices that deal with children’s psychological and
This indicates that the respondents believe that the inputs of behavioral problems.
the curriculum contribute to achieving the educational needs •• In terms of the weakness of the environment, nine par-
of children and the developmental needs of the Saudi society ticipants have argued that there was a clear discrep-
by 65.8%, no statements reached a high score. ancy between the private sector and governmental
The results of the analysis of supervisors’ answers to the ones, in favor of the private sector in terms of process-
interview questions revealed an agreement as follows: ing the kindergarten environment and classes.
•• In terms of lack of teaching competencies and lack of
•• In terms of providing a specific guide to the self- training opportunities and the lack of educational
learning curriculum for kindergartens, the specific qualifications and professional development of kin-
guide is intended for the kindergarten teacher. The dergarten teachers, 12 supervisors agreed that there
researcher reached an agreement on the results of the was a large percentage of kindergarten teachers who
questionnaire with the results of the interview as did not specialize in childhood. In addition, the kin-
obtained from the supervisors. The curriculum con- dergarten teacher did not have sufficient opportunities
tained a teacher manual and the results of the for on-the-job training to be an incentive because the
8 SAGE Open

teacher developed herself by her own skills and statistics were calculated on the contribution of curriculum
knowledge and because there was no teacher to processes about the educational needs of children and the
replace her while the basic teacher was in training. developmental needs of Saudi society.
The supervisor (M8) added that the curriculum is the Table 3 shows that the mean of respondents’ answers to
teacher and the teacher is the curriculum. the extent of the contribution of curriculum processes to
•• The results of the content analysis in terms of the con- meet the educational needs of children and the developmen-
tribution of inputs to meeting the needs of children tal needs of the society was neutral (M = 3.21, SD = 1.09),
and the development needs of the community were indicating that the respondents viewed that the processes that
limited, because the inputs (identification of plans that contribute in achieving the objectives of the self-learning
are more appropriate to the needs of curriculum design curriculum for kindergarten for the educational needs of chil-
methods) appear much in the curriculum content (pro- dren and developmental needs of the Saudi society were
cesses), and the card analysis tool did not present 64%.
inputs for kindergarten but presented some applied In terms of the results of the analysis of the interviews
practice, where the results of the analysis revealed a regarding the contribution of inputs to meet the educational
complete absence in the curriculum inputs as needs of children and the development needs of the commu-
follows: nity, they were identified in the following areas:

1. The results of the questionnaire and the results of the

1. lack of clarity of developmental standards for the analysis of the interviews agreed that the curriculum
Saudi child and its applications in the field of curricu- focused on the teaching of academic skills. Most
lum units, supervisors agreed that the self-learning curriculum
2. not mentioning modern concepts and methods of focused on literacy, numeracy, science, and religion.
learning, This was done in a traditional way. Three supervisors
3. absence of the strategic objectives of early childhood stated that the curriculum did not clearly focus on
learning and not based primarily on a national plan learning academic skills; the book did not mention
for early childhood development, and the strategies and methods to provide academic skills
4. the results of the content analysis also revealed the and instill religious values. The curriculum was lim-
availability of a guide to the kindergarten teacher’s ited to several academic activities with working
specifications and the specifications of kindergarten papers for teaching literacy and some short and sim-
classroom by the curriculum. ple Suras as mentioned by a teacher (M2).
2. Playing in kindergarten: Gaming is the second most
The results of the content analysis also have found that the important role of supervisors in this field. Are toys
curriculum contributed to guiding the behavior of children in and games tools for learning? Or, is it an end in itself?
a limited manner and limited to introducing traditional meth- In terms of the focus of supervisors on games as tools
ods in the rehabilitation of children such as punishment and of teaching, six supervisors who were about 40% of
reward. The curriculum also presented examples of problems the sample referred to the importance of the kinder-
faced by children and kindergarten teachers and methods of garten teacher’s specialty, because they believed in
solving them, but the curriculum did not provide an inte- the importance of playing as a learning tool. The fol-
grated guide to the psychological and behavioral problems in lowing idea was repeated: Children learn through
children: their causes, motives, manifestations, methods of play. We have to use playing in reading, writing, and
treatment, and effects. Therefore, the teacher is not expected numeracy skills. Supervisor M2 explained that the
to be able to solve problems in general because what already specialized teacher can organize a group game during
existed in the curriculum is a cure for a certain small problem the stadium period to achieve mathematical concepts.
at the practical level. Supervisor M5 said that the specialized teacher could
provide science.
3. Child assessment: This study aims to identify the
Research Question 3: What Is the Extent to
degree of achievement of educational goals for chil-
Which Processes of the Self-Learning Curriculum dren to address weaknesses and shortcomings. The
to Kindergartens Contribute in Meeting the processes of child assessment in the self-learning
Educational Needs of Kindergarten Children and curriculum were not one of the basic processes in the
the Developmental Needs of Saudi Society Using kindergarten, although it was important, but the cur-
the Stufflebeam Model? riculum did not focus on it clearly. The curriculum
included an assessment card at the end of each mod-
To determine the extent to which the process of self-learning ule measuring the skills and knowledge achieved by
for kindergartens contributed to the curriculum, descriptive the child, while the views of the supervisors revealed
Al-Shanawani 9

Table 3.  The Participants’ Response Toward the Correlation of Kindergarten Curricula With Processes.
Agreement degree

Sentence Frequency and Strongly Strongly

number Sentence percentage agree Agree Neutral Disagree disagree Number M SD

1 The curriculum provides a Frequency 70 100 92 66 65 393 3.11 1.34

guidance system for parents Percentage 17.8 25.4 23.4 16.8 16.5
2 The curriculum offers integrated Frequency 94 115 106 47 27 389 3.52 1.18
academic and developmental Percentage 24.2 29.6 27.2 12.1 6.9
activities
3 There are resources Frequency 65 100 100 63 64 392 3.10 1.31
(technological innovations, Percentage 16.6 25.5 25.5 16.1 16.3
library, gym, etc.) available so
that children can acquire the
necessary knowledge and skills
4 The curriculum builds learning Frequency 40 62 84 80 142 390 2.27 1.36
communities among children Percentage 10.3 16.5 21.5 20.5 31.7
5 The curriculum assesses the Frequency 88 94 83 57 69 391 3.19 1.40
continuous growth of children Percentage 22.5 24 21.2 14.6 17.6
6 The curriculum provides Frequency 82 96 111 46 56 391 3.26 1.31
continuous feedback to parents Percentage 21 24.6 28.4 11.8 14.3
7 The kindergarten teacher Frequency 130 109 51 20 84 394 3.46 1.51
provides assistance and support Percentage 33 27.7 12.9 5.1 21.3
to the child
8 The curriculum focuses on the Frequency 94 102 94 32 70 392 3.30 1.39
development of emotional Percentage 24 26 24 8.2 17.9
intelligence for children
9 The curriculum activities Frequency 79 90 82 63 79 393 3.07 1.41
encourage children to self- Percentage 20.1 22.9 20.9 16 20.1
control
10 The curriculum takes into account Frequency 50 53 77 94 103 377 2.60 1.33
the diverse intelligences of Percentage 13.4 13.2 20.4 24.9 27.3
children (Gardner)
11 The curriculum promotes Frequency 92 90 69 73 67 391 3.17 1.42
children’s independence and Percentage 23.5 23 17.6 18.7 17.1
mutual cooperation
12 Parents participate in teaching and Frequency 121 132 83 32 22 390 3.76 1.14
evaluation Percentage 31 33.8 21.3 8.2 5.6
13 Balancing the curriculum between Frequency 156 123 81 14 16 390 4.00 1.06
periods of activity and rest Percentage 40 31.5 20.8 3.6 4.1
14 The curriculum allows children to Frequency 48 60 81 94 108 391 2.5 1.33
propose and manage activities Percentage 12 15.3 20.7 24 27
  Total average 394 3.21 1.09 64.2

that evaluation is an essential part of the curriculum. private kindergartens. Also, they explained that the
One of the supervisors (M11) reported that the evalu- role of the family extended from follow-up and visit
ation of all kinds—diagnostic, descriptive, judgmen- to real participation in the management of kindergar-
tal, formal, and final—was missed from the attention ten activities. In public governmental kindergartens,
of kindergarten teachers in some kindergartens. As parents’ role is only through the mother’s listening to
for government kindergartens, there was an agree- the teacher’s observations about her child or reading
ment among most supervisors that the evaluation was the report. Eight of the supervisors expressed dissat-
carried out in the lowest form. Thus, two respondents isfaction with the relationship between the kindergar-
expressed the following opinion: “The evaluation in ten and the family. This is contrary to the results of
public kindergartens is limited to sending praise and the responses of the teachers about the statement in
success.” the questionnaire, which dealt with the relationship
4. The relationship between the family and the kinder- of the curriculum with the parents, which got a rate of
garten: Most supervisors clearly explained, during approval of 75%, the curriculum has identified prac-
the interviews, the difference in the degree of rela- tical steps to build this relationship. One of the
tionship between the family and kindergarten in some respondents said that the curriculum set several steps
10 SAGE Open

for the continuation of work between the family and regard to the first research question that asks to what extent
the kindergarten throughout the school year, but the objectives of the kindergarten self-learning curriculum
implementation almost ignored these steps and per- are correlated to the Stufflebeam’s context, the results of the
haps the same principle. three tools (questionnaire, interview card, content analysis
card) are moderately correlated with the objectives of the
syllabus context. The researcher attributes this result to the
Research Question 4: What Is the Extent to
failure of any educational curriculum that was not built on a
Which the Learning Products of the Kindergarten learning matrix as described by Al-Amir (2011), who states
Self-Learning Curriculum Contribute in Achieving that the educational matrix is shaped in the form of rows or
the Educational Needs of Kindergarten Children columns in directly related formats to measure the achieve-
and the Developmental Needs of Saudi Society ment of quality standards, to link the message and goals to
Using the Stufflebeam Model? learning outcomes. The matrix includes concepts associated
with learning vocabulary and curriculum elements and per-
To answer this question, descriptive statistics were run, and formance indicators for learning outcomes. The curriculum
they were displayed in Table 4. did not take into account the different needs of children and
Table 4 shows that the general mean of respondents’ the needs of society completely. This finding is in line with
responses to the extent to which the learning outcomes of the the findings of Lin and Ching (2012), who used the
self-learning curriculum contribute in meeting the educational Stufflebeam model to evaluate the kindergarten curriculum
needs of children and the needs of the development commu- and discovered that the goals of kindergarten curricula in
nity was 3.59, with a standard deviation of 0.97. This indicates Taiwan were not consistent with the context. This indicates
that the respondents believe that the learning outcomes of the that it is important for curriculum designers to be aware of
self-learning curriculum for kindergartens contribute to meet- the context criteria (determining the principles to be taken
ing the educational needs of children and the developmental into account when designing and building the curriculum;
needs of Saudi society with high approval of 71%. understanding the environment surrounding the curriculum;
The qualitative results obtained from the interview go in determining the cultural, political, economic, and educa-
line with that of the questionnaire as follows: tional conditions of the surrounding environment; and iden-
tifying the needs of children) in the objectives of the
1. Preparation for the primary stage: Most supervisors curriculum. The lack of long-term curriculum development
support that the curriculum of self-learning in the and the absence of knowledge age requirements were evident
kindergarten prepares children for the curricula of the in the analysis of the responses of the three instruments of
first primary stage, which means that the curriculum study.
contributes to the achievement of cognitive, reli- Concerning the second question seeks to answer whether
gious, and moral outputs. inputs of the self-learning approach to kindergartens could
2. Curriculum and needs: Seven supervisors believed contribute in achieving the educational needs of kindergarten
that the curriculum’s interest in meeting all the needs children and the developmental needs of Saudi society using
of children and their developmental needs was still the Stufflebeam model. Results demonstrate that partici-
limited by knowledge needs. Ten supervisors agreed pants’ perceptions toward this issue were moderate. Their
that the inadequacy of the curriculum in meeting all responses varied between the high, medium, and low grades.
the needs of children is due to a lack of evaluation of Furthermore, the results of the interview coincide with the
the curriculum. The teachers are limited to the exist- results of the questionnaire, related to the lack of teaching
ing evaluation form that measures knowledge, con- competencies and the professional development of kinder-
servation, and information only. garten teachers. The curriculum fails to address the charac-
3. Social intelligence: Four supervisors (26%) high- teristics of children and their problems, and this is consistent
lighted the importance of social intelligence in the with the findings of previous studies that affirmed the need to
adaptation of the child and the development of his or provide inputs to build rich content curricula that matches
her independence. One teacher said that if the kinder- the recent trends of learning in satisfying children’s physical,
garten teacher used different means to introduce chil- emotional, and social needs, which require a climate condu-
dren to each other, introduce new children to others, cive to better interaction between children through the provi-
play together, and exercise the same activities, it sion of all material and technological tools (Sassila, 2010).
helps them to be more independent and successful. This indicates that inputs alone are not enough to ensure
good outputs. In some cases, this depends on the processes
that take place in kindergarten and on the qualifications of
Discussion
teachers as well. However, it remains necessary to adhere to
The study aims to find out how the self-learning curricula in international standards in construction, areas, tools, play-
Saudi kindergarten are correlated with the CIPP model. With grounds, management, organization, and teachers. This is
Al-Shanawani 11

Table 4.  The Participants’ Response Toward the Correlation of Kindergarten Curricula With Products.
Agreement degree
Frequency
Sentence and Strongly Strongly
number Sentence percentage agree Agree Neutral Disagree disagree Number M SD

1 Children show positive attitudes Frequency 130 125 75 15 47 392 3.70 1.36
toward learning at school Percentage 33.2 31.9 19.1 3.8 12.0
2 The graduate has basic skills in Frequency 130 125 75 15 47 392 3.70 1.29
academic learning, play, and art Percentage 33.2 31.9 19.1 3.8 12.0
3 The curriculum shows differences Frequency 112 82 53 113 42 390 3.7 1.06
between kindergarten graduates Percentage 29 21.3 13.6 29 10
and those who have not enrolled
in it
4 The child shows a good emotional Frequency 100 90 72 57 70 389 3.24 1.44
intelligence Percentage 25.7 23.1 18.5 14.7 18.0
5 After the end of kindergarten, the Frequency 142 56 137 19 36 389 3.6 1.22
child is able to deal with life issues Percentage 37 14.4 35.1 5 9
with skill
6 The outputs of the self-learning Frequency 170 115 50 40 17 392 3.97 1.04
curriculum for kindergartens help Percentage 43.4 29.3 12.8 10.2 4.3
to increase children’s language
outcomes
7 The outcomes of the self-learning Frequency 170 110 50 40 17 392 3.97 1.04
curriculum contribute in helping Percentage 34.4 29.3 12.8 1.2 3.3
children to create good habits for
everyday life
8 The outputs of the self-learning Frequency 173 119 51 31 18 392 4.02 1.14
curriculum for kindergartens Percentage 44.1 30.4 13.0 7.9 4.6
include learning practices that
instill in children educational values
9 The child is able to control himself, Frequency 121 118 76 35 41 391 3.60 1.29
and adjusts his feelings Percentage 30.9 30.2 19.4 9.0 10.5
10 The child is very willing to go to Frequency 162 138 59 14 17 390 4.06 1.05
school Percentage 41.5 35.4 15.1 3.6 4.4
11 The child works independently and Frequency 103 92 57 40 87 379 3.22 1.52
accepts work in the team Percentage 27.2 24.3 15.0 10.6 23.0
12 The child has mathematical skills in Frequency 162 130 66 15 16 389 4.05 1.05
counting and arranging Percentage 41.6 33.4 17.0 3.9 4.1
13 The graduate has the skills of Frequency 90 91 73 59 79 392 3.14 1.45
producing knowledge, observation, Percentage 23.0 23.2 18.6 15.1 20.2
experimentation
14 The child actively participates in Frequency 152 125 74 18 21 390 3.95 1.12
preserving the values of society Percentage 39.0 32.1 19.0 4.6 5.4
  Total average 392 3.59 0.97 %71.1

consistent with Danton (2002), who pointed to the develop- teaching, play and evaluation, and the family relationship in
ment of three criteria for modern kindergartens: qualified kindergarten. The results of the questionnaire revealed the
teachers, the proportion of teachers for children, and the size extent to which curricula processes contributed to meeting
of the classroom. In addition, there is a sore need to the educational needs of the children and the developmental
strengthen preschool programs with appropriate material needs of the society at a neutral level (M = 2.72). The results
support and the Eckert Scale of Modern Kindergarten of the analysis of supervisors’ interviews highlighted a sig-
Standards. The context, inputs, and processes interact to nificant absence of child’s development assessment activi-
produce outputs, and any defect in one of them negatively ties, limited contact with parents, and lack of interest in
affects the outputs; so, there must be organized processes gaming activities, and much focus on teaching letters, num-
led by the kindergarten administration and teachers to work bers, and chanting. This is in line with Sobha’s (2011) study,
in a team with different people, so that the required outputs which stated that the curriculum of self-learning was free
can be obtained. from the development of creativity to reach the higher levels
Concerning the domain of “process” and its correlation to of thinking.
the CIPP model, the results revealed that the curriculum In general, it is concluded that kindergarten activities are
focused on the processes through activities, academic mostly affected by the quality of inputs, especially human
12 SAGE Open

inputs such as qualified teachers, experience, and manage- the curricula must be evaluated and developed. Third, it is
ment. This concentrates efforts on developing curriculum recommended to make kindergarten adapt between the aca-
inputs to reach desired outcomes through curriculum pro- demic curriculum based on learning basic skills and the
cesses, especially in the development of kindergarten teacher requirements of the growth of children and their emotional,
preparation programs and in-service training programs. physical, mental, and spiritual needs and development.
With regard to the final domain “product” and how did it Fourth, the kindergarten should carry out continuous evalu-
contribute in achieving the educational needs of kindergarten ations of the child’s growth from kindergarten to school.
children and the developmental needs of Saudi society, Fifth, the kindergarten should adapt between the academic
results revealed a difference in the degree of contribution of curriculum based on learning the basic skills and the require-
the curriculum outputs in meeting the needs of the children ments of the growth of children and their needs for emo-
and the needs of the society between high, medium, and low. tional, physical, mental, and spiritual development through
One of the most striking statements that reached the level of the application of strategies and activities. Sixth, kindergar-
approval among the sample members is the ability of the cur- ten instructors must take care for assessing children for
riculum to provide children with some values, especially knowledge, skills, and different directions.
religious, cognitive skills, and the development of readiness
to go to school; whereas, there were some statements that Recommendation for Future Research
had been approved with medium degree or were totally
rejected such as statements that dealt with the ability of the Based on the results of the study, the researcher suggests that
curriculum to develop socioemotional intelligence, observa- other studies be conducted to make a comparative study
tion, experimentation, and research decreased. between the self-learning curriculum and similar curricula in
other countries, to reveal the relationship of curriculum com-
ponents with the needs of children and the needs of society.
Conclusion Furthermore, it is suggested to conduct a study to design a
Results from the three tools found that the objectives of the proposed curriculum for kindergartens that meets the objec-
self-learning curriculum for kindergartens are consistent tives of the various developmental needs of children and the
with its context to a medium degree, with a mean average. developmental needs of the Saudi society according to the
The supervisors’ views were more detailed and specifically standards of modern kindergarten. Also, future research is
related to the needs of the Saudi society. The content analysis recommended to do comparative studies between the effec-
card revealed the clarity of the self-learning goals provided tiveness of kindergartens that apply self-learning curriculum
in the textbook, and the absence of explicit mission and and other curricula on academic achievement, values, and
vision. Moreover, the participants’ responses differed on the skills of children.
contribution of the self-learning curriculum for kindergar-
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
tens in meeting the educational needs of the children and the
developmental needs of the Saudi society, which was moder- The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect
ate. The results also uncovered the lack of interest in the to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
application of kindergarten specifications. The results also
Funding
revealed that the curriculum processes contribute in meeting
the needs of the children and the needs of the community. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support
The analysis revealed the absence of the role of the family in for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The
author would like to thank the Research Centre for the Humanities
the curriculum, where it was limited to the message that
at the Deanship of Scientific Research at KSU for supporting and
informs the parents about the weekly plan or announcement funding this research project as part of “The Initiative of Enhancing
of a trip only. Publication in the Database of Web of Science – ISI - in Humanities
Departments” No. (IEPDWSHD-1-18-03).

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Sharif, S. (2007). The role of the kindergarten environment in childhood, psychology. She is a memebr of many national and
providing children with some preparation skills for reading international associations.