PARENTS' CURRICULUM ORIENTATION PREFERENCES FOR A PARENT ACADEMY IN PRIVATE PRESCHOOLS

The primary objective of this study is to identify the curriculum orientation preferences (subject-centered, learner-centered, and problem-centered) of parents whose children attend private preschools, specifically for a prospective "Parent Academy" program. Furthermore, the study investigates whether parents' constructivist and traditional pedagogical beliefs serve as predictors for these curriculum orientation preferences. Employing a correlational research design, the study involved 135 volunteer parents from private preschool institutions in Istanbul. Data were collected using the "Curriculum Orientations Preference Form" and the "Constructivist and Traditional Teaching Beliefs Scale," and were subsequently analyzed through Multinomial Logistic Regression. The findings indicate a significantly low preference for the subject-centered curriculum design. Conversely, parents demonstrated a strong inclination towards learner-centered and problem-centered approaches. It was also determined that parents hold strong constructivist beliefs alongside moderate traditional teaching beliefs. The predictive analysis revealed that pedagogical beliefs significantly explain curriculum preferences. An increase in constructivist beliefs correlated with a higher probability of choosing learner- and problem-centered designs, whereas a rise in traditional beliefs was associated with an increased likelihood of preferring the subject-centered design. These results underscore the necessity of designing effective and sustainable parent education programs that align with contemporary paradigms—ones that are flexible, participatory, experience-oriented, and responsive to the expectations and philosophical beliefs of the parents.