The Role of Digital Competence in the 2024 Middle School Turkish Curriculum within the Türkiye Century Maarif Education Model

Today, digitalization is spreading at an increasingly rapid pace across all areas of society. The widespread use of information technologies necessitates significant changes and developments in educational curricula. In this context, the Middle School Turkish Language Curriculum (MSTLC), drafted by the Ministry of National Education under the name "Turkey Century Maarif Education Model" and approved by the Council of Education, has been gradually implemented starting from the 2024-2025 academic year. The purpose of this study is to examine the curriculum from the perspective of digital literacy. In line with the requirements of information society, digital literacy is one of the fundamental competencies that individuals must possess. Digital literacy contributes to individuals’ ability to sustain their personal development within the framework of lifelong learning, participate in society as active and responsible members, and enhance their employability. In pursuit of the goal of reaching a contemporary level of civilization, it is of great importance to incorporate digitalization into educational environments at a balanced and sufficient level. In this study, the learning outcomes defined within the 2024 MSTLC were analyzed in terms of their alignment with digital literacy. In the Türkiye Century Maarif Education Model, the concept previously referred to as “learning outcomes" in earlier curricula is now defined as “learning outcomes." This study was conducted using the document analysis method, a qualitative research approach; the resulting data were interpreted using a descriptive analysis approach. Within the scope of the research, a total of 406 learning outcomes related to the four core competency areas in the curriculum were examined. The analyses revealed that the curriculum places significant emphasis on digital literacy. However, it was observed that learning outcomes related to digital literacy exhibit an uneven distribution across skill areas and grade levels. This indicates that digital literacy must be addressed in a more balanced and comprehensive manner across all grade levels and skill areas within the curriculum.