Research Article

Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry

Number: Advanced Online Publication Early Pub Date: April 7, 2026
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Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract

Tax education poses persistent challenges due to the dynamic nature of tax legislation and the abstract, cognitively demanding nature of its content. Within this context, the Turkish Tax System (TTS) course in the Department of Public Finance exemplifies the complexity of fostering both conceptual understanding and learner autonomy. The course requires an innovative instructional design that enables students to learn how to learn, adapt to ongoing legislative changes, and actively manage their own learning processes. This study examined students’ experiences and metaphoric perceptions regarding the implementation of the Layered Curriculum model in the TTS course. Conducted with 42 third-year students during the 2024–2025 academic year, the research was designed as a basic qualitative study grounded in a social constructivist approach. Data were collected through metaphor analysis conducted with all 42 students enrolled in the course and semi-structured interviews carried out with a volunteer subsample of 20 students drawn from this group. The findings indicated that students perceived the Layered Curriculum as enhancing their participation, analytical reasoning, and self-directed learning skills, offering a flexible and motivating learning environment for conceptually intensive courses such as tax education. The metaphors produced by students further reflected these perceptions.

Keywords

Layered Curriculum®, Qualitative Research, Metaphor Analysis, Tax Education

Supporting Institution

This research received no external funding.

Ethical Statement

This study received ethical approval from the İzmir Democracy University Social and Human Sciences Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee (Protocol No: 2025/131; Decision Date: 07/05/2025; Decision No: 2025-05-25). The research was reviewed and confirmed as ethically appropriate, and no procedure requiring additional ethical assessment was identified. All participants were informed about the purpose, scope, and voluntary nature of the study, and verbal consent was obtained prior to participation. A portion of this study was previously presented as an oral paper at the XIII International Conference on Curriculum and Instruction (ICCI–EPOK 2025), held on 25–28 October 2025 in Gazimağusa, North Cyprus.

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APA
Gencel, U. (2026). Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry. Bulletin of Economic Theory and Analysis, Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.25229/beta.1831474
AMA
1.Gencel U. Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry. Beta. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.25229/beta.1831474
Chicago
Gencel, Ufuk. 2026. “Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry”. Bulletin of Economic Theory and Analysis, no. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.25229/beta.1831474.
EndNote
Gencel U (April 1, 2026) Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry. Bulletin of Economic Theory and Analysis Advanced Online Publication
IEEE
[1]U. Gencel, “Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry”, Beta, no. Advanced Online Publication, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.25229/beta.1831474.
ISNAD
Gencel, Ufuk. “Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry”. Bulletin of Economic Theory and Analysis. Advanced Online Publication (April 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.25229/beta.1831474.
JAMA
1.Gencel U. Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry. Beta. 2026. doi:10.25229/beta.1831474.
MLA
Gencel, Ufuk. “Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry”. Bulletin of Economic Theory and Analysis, no. Advanced Online Publication, Apr. 2026, doi:10.25229/beta.1831474.
Vancouver
1.Ufuk Gencel. Layered Curriculum® in Tax Education: A Qualitative Inquiry. Beta. 2026 Apr. 1;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.25229/beta.1831474