The Future of Learning: Turkish Language Course Curricula From The Perspective of 21st Century Skills

The paradigmatic changes observed in every field in the 21st century differentiated the knowledge and skills that individuals should possess in order to adapt to the evolving and rapidly changing world. These skills, called the 21st century skills and enable individuals to respond to the requirements of the century, to sustain their lives and to be productive, could be acquired through education. In this context, while primary school is the basic and important education step in providing students with 21st century skills via a wide range of courses, curricula are also the primary guides in that step. The Turkish language course curriculum, which dictates that the first requirement in learning and acquiring knowledge and skills in every field is to utilize the native language skills effectively, also plays an important role in the development of 21st century skills. In fact, Turkish language course aims not only to develop basic language skills but also develop cognitive skills and individual, academic, social and psychological skills. This goal is only possible through the inclusion of 21st century skills in Turkish language course curriculum, which serves as a guide for the Turkish language courses. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the Turkish Language curricula (2005, 2015, 2017 and 2018) based on the 21st century skills. For this purpose, analytical research method was used in the study. The study data, in which Turkish Language curricula was accepted as the study document, were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. The study findings demonstrated that 21st century skills were emphasized in basic approaches and general emphasis of the 2017 and 2018 Turkish curricula when compared to others and the achievements of the 2005 Turkish curriculum exhibited a higher number of 21st century skills. Furthermore, the study findings demonstrated that Turkish language curricula content included all 21st century skills.