The investigation of 2018 life sciences curriculum and its activities in terms of predisposing the students to 21st-century skills

The purpose of this study was to examine the 2018 Life Sciences Curriculum (LCS) and its activities in terms of predisposing the students to 21st -century skills. For this purpose in mind, the 2018 LCS curriculum and the Ministry of National Education Life Sciences textbooks and workbooks for the first, second and third graders during the academic year of 2020-2021 were scrutinized. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was adopted in the study. The descriptive analysis technique was exploited for the analysis of the learning outcomes in the curriculum, and the texts and activities in the textbooks and workbooks in terms of predisposing the students to 21st- century skills. The P21 21stCentury Skills Framework was chosen as the framework of reference. The research results indicated that the 2018 LCS learning outcomes and the texts and activities included in the Life Studies textbooks and workbooks aimed at predisposing critical thinking and problem-solving skills to the highest degree and cooperation skill to the lowest degree for the area of learning and innovation skills. It was obvious that they aimed at improving information literacy skills to the highest degree, and information and communication technology skills to the lowest degree for the area of information, media, and technology skills. It was established that they aimed at developing flexibility and adaptability skills to the highest degree, and productivity and accountability skills to the lowest degree for the area of life and carrier skills. However, that no activities and learning outcomes were found to aim at improving media literacy skills .Moreover, it was yielded that there was a harmony between the learning outcomes in the curriculum and the activities in the textbooks in terms of aiming at predisposing 21st-century skills. In other words, it was pointed out that the texts and activities in the textbooks and the respective learning outcomes aimed at promoting just the same 21st-century skills. Keywords: (Life Studies Curriculum, 21st Century Skills, Learning and Innovation Skills, Information Media and Communication Technology Skills, Life and Career Skills