The aim of this study is to examine high school students' causal attributions regarding their perceptions of success and failure in English class through various variables. A total of 369 students from different types of high schools in the central district of Çanakkale participated in the study. The research employed a descriptive survey model. The results revealed that high school students perceive themselves as unsuccessful in English class. They attribute their successes mainly to internal, stable, and uncontrollable factors. On the other hand, they attribute their failures to internal, stable, but controllable factors. Female students attributed their successes in English class to internal, temporary, and controllable factors. This tendency was stronger among female students than male students. Male students, on the other hand, attributed their failures in English to external and uncontrollable factors. This was more common among male students than female students. Additionally, 11th and 12th grade students were more inclined to explain their successes in English using internal factors compared to 10th grade students. Vocational and technical education students made external attributions for their failures more often than students in religious high schools. Finally, the study proposed several suggestions for teachers and researchers.

This study employs document analysis and descriptive analysis techniques to examine the integration level of the 2024 Türkiye Century Education Model Science Curriculum (TYMM FBDÖP) with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research systematically evaluates the extent to which the curriculum addresses SDGs across specific objectives, implementation principles, interdisciplinary components, and grade-level learning outcomes. Findings indicate that the curriculum demonstrates strength in incorporating environmental sustainability-related SDGs ("Climate Action," "Life Below Water," "Life on Land"), while social and economic dimensions ("No Poverty," "Gender Equality," "Reduced Inequalities") remain underrepresented. Among specific objectives, "Quality Education" (21%) is prominent, whereas implementation principles show limited SDG integration (69% exclusively addressing "Quality Education"). Interdisciplinary components indicate a strong emphasis on environmental themes within the virtue–value–action framework, whereas themes related to social justice and equality appear to be insufficiently represented. Descriptive analysis by grade level shows that the proportion of SDG-related learning outcomes increases from 21% in 5th grade to 44% in 8th grade. However, SDGs 4, 5, 8, 16, and 17 are absent at all levels, suggesting the curriculum fails to fully reflect the multidimensionality of sustainable development.The study recommends preserving the environmental focus of science education while integrating social and economic SDGs, enhancing teacher training, and developing interdisciplinary approaches. These findings, derived through document analysis, provide critical insights for advancing sustainable development perspectives in Türkiye’s science education curricula.

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of implementing the “Human and Environment” unit in the 5th-grade Science curriculum revised in 2018 according to the Understanding by Design (UbD) approach on students’ academic achievement and 21st-century skill levels. A needs analysis was first conducted at a public middle school in Istanbul, Türkiye. Based on the findings of this analysis, a 20-hour UbD-based instructional plan was developed and implemented with the experimental group. The study was limited to the “Human and Environment” unit of the 5th-grade Science course during the second semester of the 2023–2024 academic year, and UbD practices were applied only within this unit. The duration of the research was five weeks, corresponding to the instructional period of the selected unit. The teaching process was implemented as planned throughout the experimental phase. A quantitative research method was adopted, utilizing a pretest–posttest control group experimental design. Achievement and skills tests were administered to both the experimental and control groups before and after the intervention. A total of 58 students participated in the study, with 29 students in each group. The quantitative data obtained were analyzed using dependent and independent samples t-tests, based on the assumption of normal distribution. The results revealed statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group between pretest and posttest scores, as well as between the posttest scores of the experimental and control groups. These findings demonstrate that the UbD approach is effective in enhancing students’ academic achievement and skill levels.

21st century skills are generally regarded as the skills that individuals need to have in today's world, and they are categorized in various ways by different institutions and organizations. In addition to activities and applications aimed at acquiring these skills in educational environments, assessment processes have also been the subject of numerous studies. There are various 21st century skill scales available in the literature, targeting various groups. Some of these scales are developed to measure broader skill sets. In this regard, we see a broader classification of skills in the “Inclusive 21st Century Skills Model”. This up-to-date model developed considering our education system consists of 7 main skills, 46 sub-skills, and 11 values. This study provides recommendations for the assessment of skills to be acquired through the use of the model in science education. In line with the purpose of this study, the definition of 21st century skills and the frameworks found in the literature will first be addressed. Then, the Inclusive 21st Century Skills Model developed for the classification of these skills will be introduced, and finally, suggestions will be presented on how this model can be integrated into assessment and evaluation processes specifically in science education.