An Evaluation of the Role of Middle School Curricula in Developing Integrity Values and Anti-corruption Concepts in Students in Qassim Region

Waleed Brahim Al Abiky
Qassim University
Saudi Arabia

As school curricula are significant tools for achieving any societal, educational and social goals, the current study attempts to evaluate the role of middle school Arabic and social studies curricula in developing positive attitudes to the values of integrity and the concepts of anti-corruption. First, a list of the values and concepts that should be implemented in these curricula was developed, and then a curriculum unit was designed and tested for efficiency. To achieve the goals of the study, descriptive and quasi-experimental methods were used. The findings can be summarized as follows: (1) there was an agreement on 14 integrity values and 13 anti-corruption concepts which are suitable for middle school students; (2) the implication of these values and concepts in the Arabic and social studies curricula were unbalanced; (3) some of the values and concepts were omitted, such as self-reliance, participation and transparency, the fight against unemployment and poverty, the rejection of bribery, and respect for law reform; (4) the implications of these values and concepts played a significant role for middle schools students’ perceptions and acquisition; and lastly (5) the design was effective, with statistically significant differences between students’ average scores in pre- and post-tests.