Matematik Öğretmenlerinin Maarif Modeli Ortaokul Matematik Dersi Öğretim Programına İlişkin Metaforik Algıları

In order to meet changing societal needs, support national development, and maintain alignment with international standards, it is necessary to update curricula through periodic revisions. At this point, teacher perceptions emerge as a critical factor in the effective implementation of the renewed 2024 Middle School Mathematics Curriculum, which was redesigned in line with the Türkiye Century Maarif Model. The aim of this study is to reveal 5th-grade mathematics teachers’ perceptions of the Middle School Mathematics Curriculum through metaphors. A phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed in conducting the study. Participants consisted of 30 middle school mathematics teachers who were teaching 5th-grade level courses in various regions of Türkiye during the 2024–2025 academic year. The research data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire, in which participants were asked to complete the sentence: “The Türkiye Century Maarif Model Middle School Mathematics Curriculum is like … because …”. For the analysis and interpretation of the collected data, systematic metaphor analysis—allowing for the content-based examination of metaphors—was employed. The findings of the study indicate that teachers generally viewed the vision of the mathematics curriculum positively and perceived it as a value-oriented model that prioritizes contemporary learning and teaching approaches. However, a significant number of teachers reported encountering various structural and practical challenges during the implementation process, drawing attention to factors such as overcrowded classrooms, time management issues, adaptation difficulties, and a lack of instructional guidance. This study highlights the necessity of addressing both the content and implementation conditions of the Türkiye Century Maarif Model Middle School Mathematics Curriculum, and it offers several recommendations in this regard.