Turkish science curriculum reloaded: Epistemic practice demands in the newly released curricular documents

Abstract

This study investigated the integration of epistemic practices in the 2024 Turkish science curriculums for grades 3–8, addressing the global shift towards a science‐as‐practice (epistemic turn) approach that positions students as epistemic agents engaged in practices like data analysis, argumentation and reasoning. Using a novel, epistemically oriented taxonomy, the study analysed 745 learning outcomes to assess the distribution and alignment of epistemic practice demands with students' cognitive and epistemic development. Findings revealed that while the curriculums incorporate 40 distinct epistemic practices (e.g. data gathering, model construction, inductive reasoning, classifying, control‐of‐variables, evidence‐based reasoning, identifying logical fallacies, experimenting, interrogating), their distribution was inconsistent and misaligned with students' developmental stages. Lower‐order practices (e.g. perception and conception) dominated, while higher‐order practices (e.g. causation, argumentation and abstraction) were underrepresented, potentially hindering students' progression towards advanced epistemic cognition. The study underscored the need for a balanced, developmentally sensitive curriculum design that progressively challenges students' epistemic capacities. The coding catalogue developed in this study may serve as a methodological tool for researchers and curriculum developers, enabling cross‐country comparisons and informing curricular revisions. Future research should explore the implementation of these practices in authentic classroom settings and examine the gap between curricular intentions and instructional realities.