Newly acquired knowledge is learned more effectively when it is linked to prior learning. If prior knowledge is insufficient, the learning process cannot be fully realized and the student may fail. Therefore, prior learning prepares the ground for the formation of new knowledge and skills. The aim of the study is to reveal whether the social studies and science teaching programs provide sufficient cognitive infrastructure in terms of the learning outcomes of the 9th grade geography teaching program. The problem of the study is defined as “Do the social studies and science teaching programs provide prior learning in terms of the learning outcomes of the 9th grade geography teaching program?” The research was prepared using qualitative methods. The learning outcomes of the geography teaching program (2024), social studies teaching program (2024), and science teaching program (2024) were analyzed through content analysis. Overall, it was found that the 9th grade geography curriculum learning outcomes largely provide the foundation for prior learning; however, the cognitive foundation to support prior learning on topics such as the coordinate system, the formation of the globe, Turkey's administrative divisions, and Turkey's population characteristics was not sufficiently established in previous curricula.
Coğrafya eğitimi, coğrafya öğretim programı, bilişsel alt yapı, ön öğrenme.