A content analysis on open-mindedness of the IB Language A Guide and the Turkish Language and Literature curriculum and associated grade 11 textbook

Abstract

In education, open-mindedness is a fundamental understanding of enabling students to think critically and rationally. The contribution of open-mindedness, especially as a result of the modern education approach, to the development of the cognitive behaviors of the students for innovative ideas is significant. Especially since the 1980s, the importance of applying the principle of open-mindedness in education has been a subject of intense debate in the literature. In the current study, the researcher, who is a Turkish Language and Literature instructor, was interested in supporting the development of her students’ open-mindedness. She conducted a content analysis to examine how open-mindedness is represented in the IB Language A: Language and Literature Guide, the Turkish Language and Literature Curriculum in line with the open-minded approach. The content analysis was based on a conceptual framework that examined five components of open-mindedness: culture, social, political, economic, and environmental. None of the materials fully covered all the components and she will need to identify additional resources and strategies to help students develop their open-mindedness.