Geometric Didactical Analysis – Ge.Di.An. (Γεωµετρική ∆ιδακτική Ανάλυση): Η περίπτωση του Αναλυτικού Προγράµµατος Σπουδών για το Μάθηµα των Θρησκευτικών της Β' Γυµνασίου

In this work we study the Religious Education Curriculum of second grade junior high school with the use of Correspondence Analysis (AFC) and Hierachical Cluster Analysis methods (CAH). We introduce sentences in a Curriculum as structural units of data analysis of didactic interest. Then, we define variables and classes, which are driven by the Taxonomy of Mental Skills and Learning Levels coined by Elias Matsagouras and the Taxonomy of Learning Objectives in the affective domain developed by D.R. Krathwohl, B.S. Bloom & Betram B. Masia. Subsequently, we categorize and code all proposals contained in the columns entitled “Basic Aims of the Religious Education Course”, “Specific Aims of the Religious Education Course for the junior high school”, “Learning Objectives” and “Learning Activities”. A software implementation of AFC and CAH is next applied on the newly constructed to produce a geometrical representation of the classes and their inter-relationships. This mapping of phrase data allows us to draw valuable conclusions on learning levels, ethical values and attitudes, on which the Curriculum attaches major importance. Under this context, by applying AFC and CAH, we propose a new methodology in educational research, which we call Geometric Didactical Analysis — (Ge.Di.An.).