Türkiye Century Education Model

The Türkiye Century Education Model is a comprehensive educational framework developed by the Ministry of National Education of Türkiye in 2024, aiming to bring about a fundamental transformation in the Turkish education system. Grounded in the slogan "From Roots to the Future", this model seeks to support the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and moral development of the individual.

Centering on national, spiritual, and human values, the model aims to ensure students’ multidimensional growth and implement an educational approach in which knowledge and virtue are integrated. Shaped in accordance with the general objectives of the National Education Basic Law No. 1739, the model envisions flexible learning environments that respect individual talents and needs, guided by a temporal wholeness perspective that connects the past with the future.

Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli (Century of Education Model of Türkiye)

Core Approach of the Model

The Türkiye Century Education Model is built upon a civilizational heritage rooted in values such as justice, wisdom, compassion, truthfulness, diligence, usefulness, and beauty. This model does not limit education to mere academic accumulation; rather, it aims for students to internalize knowledge, develop skills, integrate these skills with moral values, and attain wisdom through a multidimensional perspective that recognizes the individual’s intrinsic existence. The educational process is designed as a journey extending from the past to the future within a framework of temporal wholeness. Curricula are structured in a flexible and adaptable format, ensuring the preservation and transmission of national and spiritual values while responding to changing social, cultural, economic, and technological conditions.

The model adopts an approach that respects individual differences and tailors learning experiences according to students’ interests and talents. Education is viewed as a sphere of responsibility for both personal and societal development, recognized as a fundamental right and equal opportunity for all throughout life. In this context, an accessible and equitable education system is targeted, independent of an individual’s identity, belief, or socio-economic status. At the heart of the model lies the understanding of nurturing individuals who are "rational," "emotional," and "aesthetic". This perspective aims not only to equip students with knowledge but also to encourage them to engage with this knowledge responsibly and integrate it into life, maintaining balances between matter and spirit, reason and emotion, self and conscience, individual and society, and time and space.

Student Profile

The ultimate goal of the model is to cultivate competent and virtuous individuals. Competence refers to possessing the necessary knowledge and skills in a given field, while virtue denotes moral maturity. This profile aims to develop individuals with the following characteristics:

• Moral: Justice, honesty, respect, reliability, and sensitivity to natural and social issues.
• Wise: Independent thinking, eloquence, knowledge sharing, and aesthetic sensitivity.
• Courageous: Bravery, initiative, risk-taking, and emotional self-control.
• Aesthetic: Sensitivity to beauty, grace, proportionality, and awareness of artistic abilities.
• Resolute: Determination, consistency, self-confidence, and willingness to take responsibility.
• Compassionate: Kindness, altruism, sharing, and forgiveness.
• Healthy: Balanced nutrition, regular sleep, physical activity, and maintenance of spiritual well-being.
• Inquisitive: Curiosity, critical thinking, research orientation, and problem-solving.
• Productive: Imagination, diligence, creativity, and willingness to learn.
• Patriotic: Love for the flag, language, homeland, national culture, and civic consciousness.

Student Profile (Century of Education Model of Türkiye)

These characteristics are supported by the Virtue-Value-Action Framework. This framework integrates personal (self-discipline, patience), social (love, patriotism), and environmental (cleanliness, compassion) values around overarching values such as respect, responsibility, and justice. Values are not taught hierarchically but cumulatively within the teaching process, enabling students to internalize them.

These characteristics aim to develop individuals capable of fulfilling their personal and social responsibilities, equipped with moral values and critical thinking skills.

The student profile of the model is shaped along the axes of competence and virtue. Competence refers to the effective application of knowledge, skills, and dispositions, while virtue encompasses moral maturity, conscience, responsibility, and aesthetic sensitivity.

Virtue-Value-Action Framework (Century of Education Model of Türkiye)

This student profile is founded on four principles of wholeness:

1. Ontological wholeness: The individual develops as an integrated unity of body and soul, striving for inner balance and social harmony.
2. Epistemological wholeness: Knowledge is not merely transmitted but questioned, interpreted, and integrated into life.
3. Temporal wholeness: Education connects with the past while guiding toward the future, aiming to build historical consciousness.
4. Axiological maturity: Students are expected to generate values, develop moral awareness, and cultivate aesthetic sensitivity.

Structure of Curricula

The Türkiye Century Education Model structures curricula by establishing meaningful connections between knowledge, skills, dispositions, and values. Curricula are designed to ensure students achieve intended learning outcomes. Their core components are as follows:

Learning Outcomes Framework

Learning outcomes define the objectives of courses and make students’ development in knowledge, skills, and values measurable. These outcomes enable students to acquire competencies across disciplines and apply them in real-life contexts.

Skills

Integrated Skills: Twenty skills are defined, including conflict resolution, observation, summarization, analysis, classification, information gathering, comparison, questioning, generalization, inference, prediction, structuring, interpretation, reflection, reasoning, evaluation, discussion, logical verification, and synthesis. These skills aim to enhance students’ cognitive processes.

Physical Skills: Involve correct and consistent movements of arms, legs, and muscle groups.

Domain-Specific Skills: Include discipline-specific competencies such as those in mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences—for example, mathematical problem-solving, scientific modeling, and historical empathy.

Social-Emotional Learning Skills: Encompass self-awareness, self-regulation, self-reflection, communication, collaboration, social awareness, adaptability, flexibility, and responsible decision-making.

Dispositions

Dispositions refer to mental patterns that enable students to use their skills effectively and efficiently. These include responsibility, initiative, confidence, open-mindedness, and creativity.

Literacy Skills

Encompass information literacy, digital literacy, financial literacy, visual literacy, cultural literacy, civic literacy, data literacy, sustainability literacy, and artistic literacy. These skills equip students to question information, demonstrate ethical behavior in digital environments, make financial decisions, and preserve cultural heritage.

Values

Virtues such as justice, truthfulness, compassion, love, respect, responsibility, moderation, and cleanliness are integrated into curricula. Virtue-value-action frameworks encourage students to internalize these values and apply them in daily life.

Comprehensive Educational Approach

The model embraces a comprehensive educational approach that views the student as a whole being—intellectually, socially, emotionally, sensorially, physically, and morally. This approach focuses on preserving and developing innate human qualities, fostering personal integrity, and cultivating character. An equitable learning environment is designed to eliminate potential disadvantages, ensuring that no student is disadvantaged due to belief, identity, or socio-economic status.

Comprehensive Education (Century of Education Model of Türkiye)

Teaching Practices and Learning Process

The model’s teaching-learning process is built on enabling students to transform knowledge and skills into lived experience. It supports active learning environments where students interact with their surroundings and assume responsibility. Key practices include:

Pre-assessment process: Identifying students’ existing knowledge and interests.

Building bridges: Establishing connections between new information and prior knowledge.

Differentiation: Enriching and supporting learning according to individual differences.

Extracurricular activities: Social responsibility projects, lifelong learning experiences, and career development opportunities.

Teacher reflection: Teacher evaluations and improvement efforts regarding the teaching process.

Teaching-Learning Process

The model structures the teaching-learning process through experiential, project-based, context-based, inquiry-driven, and collaborative learning approaches. In this process, students’ prior learning is treated as foundational assumptions, and learning environments are diversified both physically and virtually. Teachers foster environments where students collaborate with peers, encouraging the sharing of diverse perspectives.

Differentiation and Support

Differentiation aims to provide learning experiences tailored to individual needs and talents. Enrichment deepens the learning process for advanced learners through complex and varied content, while support provides structured instruction and peer assistance for students requiring additional time and guidance. Universal design principles ensure that every student can progress at their own pace.

Assessment and Evaluation

The model supports learning processes through continuous and formative assessment methods oriented toward skills. Diverse evidence—including portfolios, projects, performance tasks, exams, self-assessments, and peer assessments—is used to monitor students’ development in knowledge, skills, dispositions, and values. Teachers diversify assessment tools while considering individual differences and enrich learning processes through digital technologies. Feedback enables identification of learning gaps and improvement of instructional design. Reports are prepared transparently, clearly, and individually; norm-referenced systems track students’ national standing and developmental progress over time.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are designed to support intellectual, socio-emotional, physical, and moral development, facilitate the application of skills in real life, and enhance aesthetic sensitivity. These activities are addressed through two dimensions:

• Social Responsibility Program: Develops students’ awareness of social responsibility through projects and initiatives addressing societal issues such as education, culture, sports, and environmental protection.
• Lifelong Learning: Extends students’ love of learning beyond the classroom, fostering skills in leadership, career development, and initiative-taking. Artistic and sporting activities provide opportunities to explore diverse career paths.

Emphasis on Language and Culture

The model places special emphasis on Turkish, highlighting its central role as a tool for thought and value creation. It is emphasized that the aesthetic, accurate, and effective use of Turkish must be a fundamental element across all learning processes.

Alignment with the OECD 2030 Learning Compass

The Türkiye Century Education Model aligns with the OECD 2030 Learning Compass; both prioritize the integrated development of knowledge and skills, education grounded in values, and the positioning of the student as an active agent. The model offers a unique approach by integrating national and spiritual values. It aims to develop individuals not merely as global citizens but as responsible, sensitive, and determined personalities imbued with a strong sense of duty.