The examination of thesis studies related to secondary and high school mathematics curriculum (2000-2023)

The aim of this study is to examine the postgraduate studies conducted at the doctoral and master's levels regarding mathematics curricula in Turkey in light of different variables and to make a comprehensive evaluation. The research aims to provide an important perspective on the current state of mathematics curricula, while also aiming to contribute to future research in the field of curriculum development by identifying trends in existing thesis studies. Within this scope, a total of 113 postgraduate studies accessible from YÖK (Council of Higher Education National Thesis Center)between the years 2000 and 2023 have been examined. A total of 113 theses, including 14 doctoral and 99 master's theses, were subjected to a detailed analysis process. The contents of the theses were examined in line with the determined criteria, and the findings obtained were organized and interpreted in table format using Microsoft Excel software. During the data collection and analysis stages of the research process, document review was used; the data were systematically evaluated using the descriptive analysis technique. The findings showed that the highest number of theses were completed in the years 2019 and 2022. It was determined that most of the examined theses were at the master's level, while the number of doctoral theses was relatively low. It was seen that most of the master's theses were conducted at Marmara University, Hacettepe University, and Gazi University. In addition, it was determined that the qualitative research approach and survey model were frequently used in the analyzed theses. It was found that interviews, interview forms, and questionnaires were mostly used as data collection tools. The aims and results of each thesis were summarized and presented in table format, and these tables were associated with the general findings. As a result, this study offers important suggestions for the evaluation and development processes of mathematics curricula. In addition, it also presents ideas about new research areas and methodological approaches for future studies Keywords: mathematics curricula, postgraduate theses, program evaluation, document analysis.