Evaluating the Implementation of Layered Curriculum Through Out-of-School Activities in a University Course

Layered Curriculum is a method developed by Kathie F. Nunley to differentiate classroom instruction through activities classified under C, B and A layers. Many studies in the literature report that this method has positive contributions to students despite some limitations and difficulties of use within classroom settings, including student management and time constraints. In order to address this issue, we came up with an idea to adapt and implement Layered Curriculum in a university course through out-of-school activities such as visiting museums, going to the cinemas, theaters or concerts. Therefore, the aim of this case study was to evaluate the 14-week implementation with 327 teacher candidates enrolled in various teacher education programs at a state university in Türkiye. We collected the data through an open and closed-ended questionnaire and performed a frequency and inductive analysis. Our findings showed that Layered Curriculum can effectively be designed to support the content of a course through out-of-school activities, and such an implementation has a positive impact on students. These findings also resulted in some suggestions for future practice and research.