An Archaeological Perspective on the Evaluation Dilemma of Comprehensive Practical Activity Curriculum in the Mediterranean Region

Abstract

The Comprehensive Practical Activity Curriculum (CPAC) has been implemented in the Mediterranean region for over two decades, with its effective evaluation critically impacting the curriculum's implementation. This paper examines the policy-rooted evaluation dilemma from the perspective of curriculum policy implementation, integrating multidisciplinary archaeological research methodologies. Through semi-structured interviews with principals and teachers, it identifies the primary causes as the weak authority of the curriculum policy and the rational choices and limited implementation by various stakeholders. Specifically, these include selective enforcement by local education authorities, school responsibility evasion and flexible adaptation, teachers' misconceptions and low expectations, and insufficient support from the curriculum policy implementation environment. To address this dilemma, future research should draw on new-era basic education evaluation reform concepts and "bottom-up" archaeological practical experiences. It proposes constructing a regional curriculum resource platform, a school responsibility mechanism, and an active teacher participation network, thereby enhancing the evaluation ecosystem through improved supervision and publicity.