The 21st century is considered a period in which education systems are moving away from knowledge transfer-based structures and entering a holistic transformation process focused on fostering individuals who prioritize sustainable education and lifelong learning, critical thinking, digital literacy, artificial intelligence literacy, leadership skills, and strategic management.

Globalization, digitalization, and rapidly developing artificial intelligence technologies deeply influence the direction and scope of research in educational sciences, thereby necessitating a re-evaluation of educational policies, teacher competencies, and school management models. Current discussions in educational sciences are no longer limited to the pedagogical context. A broadening framework, from management sciences to data science, from cultural studies to public policies, demonstrates that education has a multidimensional structure. This book aims to examine the contemporary understanding of education from a multidimensional perspective within the framework of “Current Approaches in 21st Century Educational Sciences Research.”

The book consists of four chapters prepared by different authors. These chapters are, respectively: “Examination of School Administrator Training Policies in Finland, South Korea, and Germany,” “Examination of Teachers’ Artificial Intelligence Literacy Levels According to Demographic Variables,” “Turkey Century Education Model: 21st Century’s Strategic Education Approach,” and “Examination of Postgraduate Theses on Artificial Intelligence in Turkey: A Systematic Review Study.” The studies included in the book cover current and strategically important themes such as comparative education policies, artificial intelligence literacy, national education visions, and trends in academic knowledge production. In this respect, the work aims to contribute to the educational sciences literature by offering both theoretical and practical implications.

The study titled “Examination of School Administrator Training Policies in Finland, South Korea, and Germany” within the book chapter addresses the professionalization processes of school administration through international examples, offering a comparative perspective on leadership, selection, and training policies. The research titled “Examination of Teachers’ Artificial Intelligence Literacy Levels According to Demographic Variables” analyzes teachers’ competencies in the digital transformation process, revealing important findings for teacher training and in-service development programs. Furthermore, the study titled “Turkey Century Education Model: 21st Century’s Strategic Education Approach” discusses a value-based, skill-oriented, and sustainable understanding of education by approaching Turkey’s education vision with a holistic perspective. “Examination of Postgraduate Theses on Artificial Intelligence in Turkey: A Systematic Review Study” serves as a guiding resource for researchers by revealing the trends in academic studies produced in the field of artificial intelligence.

In this context, the book aims to be a current, comprehensive, and scientific reference source for education administrators, academics, postgraduate students, and policymakers. It is believed that this work will contribute to understanding the changing educational needs of the 21st century and developing qualified educational policies for the future. I would like to thank all the chapter authors who contributed to the book with their work.