DOI: 10.24106/kefdergi.2004059 ISSN: 1300-8811

Number Teaching in the 2024 Primary School Mathematics Curriculum Based on the Türkiye Century Maarif Model: An International Comparison

Murat Baş
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The 2024 Türkiye Primary School Mathematics Curriculum, prepared under the Türkiye Century–Maarif Model, introduces design innovations in number teaching that warrant international comparison. This study compares the curriculum's number-teaching architecture with five internationally consulted programs: Singapore, Finland, the United States, China, and Japan. Through comparative document analysis, six official primary mathematics curriculum documents were examined using a six-dimensional Comparative Number Instruction Framework (CNIF), which extends the focus–coherence–rigor triad with three additional dimensions: representation intensity, social-emotional learning (SEL) integration level, and assessment diversity. Two independent coders rated each curriculum on each dimension using a rubric with explicit decision rules and indicator examples. Initial inter-coder agreement, measured with Cohen's kappa, was .81; remaining disagreements were resolved through discussion, and the consensus ratings were used for the final analysis. The most notable feature of the 2024 curriculum is the coding of SEL components at the learning-outcome level, which was not observed in any of the other five curricula, where SEL appears in framework prose, in a separate competency domain, or not at all. The number range expands to six-digit numbers by Grade 4, paralleling the United States and Japan and exceeding Singapore and Finland at the same grade level. The assessment toolkit specifies at least seven distinct instruments, and the representational logic aligns with multi-modal approaches but with fewer outcome-level cross-modal requirements than Singapore. Within the comparator set, the 2024 curriculum combines East Asian design choices (coherence, paced range expansion) with Northern European ones (broader assessment, attention to social-emotional development). Three implementation risks emerge: the absence of operational criteria for SEL outcomes, the possibility that wide number ranges are handled procedurally, and the gap between what the program asks of teachers and current teacher-preparation capacity. The findings carry direct implications for teacher education, textbook design, and longitudinal implementation research.

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