Determining the Dimensions and Components Affecting the Implementation of the Green Curriculum in Iran’s Primary Education System

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the dimensions and components affecting the implementation of the green curriculum in Iran’s primary education system. This applied qualitative study employed thematic analysis using a hybrid inductive–deductive strategy. The study population consisted of experts in curriculum planning and environmental education, primary school teachers and principals, and specialists involved in environmental education. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, which continued until theoretical saturation was achieved, resulting in a final sample of 20 participants. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and transcribed verbatim. The analysis proceeded through familiarization with the data, generation of initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and preparing the final report. MAXQDA version 20 was used to facilitate coding and data organization. The trustworthiness of the qualitative findings was established based on credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability criteria. Inter-coder agreement between independent coders was also assessed to determine the reliability of the coding process. The thematic analysis generated 43 basic themes, 9 organizing themes, and 3 overarching themes. The organizing themes comprised gaps in teachers’ professional knowledge, attitudes, and skills; deficiencies in curriculum content design and contextualization; traditional and passive teaching methods; a one-dimensional and quantitative assessment system; inadequate school management support and planning; ineffective in-service training and lack of professional learning communities; insufficient physical, financial, and green infrastructure; limited institutional, family, and community participation; and the absence of a binding national policy framework. These themes were integrated into three overarching dimensions: “professional and motivational readiness of teachers and principals,” “redesign of curriculum elements, including content, teaching methods, and assessment,” and “systemic, infrastructural, and institutional support.” Inter-coder reliability was satisfactory, with a Holsti agreement coefficient of 0.89 and Cohen’s Kappa of 0.85. Effective implementation of a green curriculum in Iranian primary education requires simultaneous interventions in human-resource capacity building, systematic redesign of curriculum elements, and the development of supportive policy, infrastructure, and institutional mechanisms. The resulting three-tier framework may therefore serve as an operational roadmap for educational policymakers, curriculum planners, and school administrators seeking to systematically strengthen environmental education and education for sustainable development at the primary level.