Sustainability and Problem-Solving Skills in Science Curricula A QDA Miner Comparison of Türkiye and Singapore

This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis between the Century of Türkiye Education Model Science Curriculum (2024, Grades 3–8) and Singapore’s Science Syllabus (2023 implementation, Primary 3–6 and Lower Secondary 1–2) to examine the role of sustainability competencies and higher-order cognitive skills, which are at the forefront of global educational approaches. In this study, a qualitative document analysis was conducted to thematically evaluate the current curricula of both countries. Thematic coding and content analysis were performed using the QDA Miner qualitative data analysis software. The analysis revealed that sustainability and higher-order cognitive skills are explicitly included in both curricula but with distinct pedagogical priorities. Singapore’s curriculum exhibited a significantly greater emphasis on practice-based and inquiry-based higher-order skills, such asDecision Making(56.0% vs. Türkiye’s 44.0%) andProblem Solving(54.8% vs. Türkiye’s 45.2%). Conversely, the Turkish curriculum placed a stronger emphasis on the theoretical dimensions of sustainability, specificallyFuture-Oriented Thinking(59.1% vs. Singapore’s 40.9%) andSystems Thinking(53.7% vs. Singapore’s 46.3%). Although the Turkish curriculum has a vision defined at the strategic level, the findings suggest that its implementation could benefit from integrating more explicit, step-by-step guidance and case studies to match its strong theoretical foundation. Overall, the findings reveal the strengths and areas for improvement of both programmes, offering valuable insights for curriculum development, teacher education, and assessment systems. By shedding light on the pedagogical foundations of sustainability-oriented science education, the study contributes significantly to understanding how educational systems are adapting to the demands of 21st-century skills.