Turkish Mathematics Curriculum for Grades 1-8
Turkish Mathematics Curriculum (TMC) is based on the principle that ‘Every child can learn mathematics’. In the TMC, special attention is given to development of students’ conceptual knowledge and problem solving skills, along with procedural knowledge. Further, the relationships between conceptual and procedural knowledge are strongly underlined. In this conceptually-driven approach, “learning mathematics with understanding” is the primary goal to be achieved by all students (MONE, 2009b).
In the TMC, creating such learning environments in which students learn mathematics through investigations, discoveries, problem solving activities, sharing and discussing their ideas is emphasized. It is also important for students to see the aesthetical and enjoyable aspect of learning mathematics. While teaching the concepts and skills of mathematics, students’ previous knowledge and experiences are considered as the beginning point for their current and future learning. Thus, providing opportunities for students to construct their own knowledge based on what they knew and experienced is very important in the TMC (MONE, 2009b). The connections between mathematics and daily life are also taken into consideration to make mathematics more meaningful for the students.
With regard to the subjects, the TMC covers four main learning areas, namely, numbers, geometry, data and measurement. Besides, problem solving, communication, reasoning and connections are determined as the basic skills embedded in the main learning areas as indicated in the figure.