Bridging classical wisdom and modern pedagogy: pre-service teachers’ cognitive engagement with Kutadgu Bilig

This study examines how pre-service Turkish language teachers interpret the pedagogical dimensions of Kutadgu Bilig and associate selected couplets with contemporary educational concepts. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected from 20 senior pre-service teachers through a structured mapping task involving 15 couplets. Participants were asked to associate each couplet with an educational concept and justify their choices. Data were analyzed via deductive thematic analysis using the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and Shulman’s Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) frameworks as interpretive lenses. The findings indicate that while participants established pedagogical associations, they experienced varying degrees of difficulty in accurately relating them to intended concepts. The results suggest challenges in moving beyond concept recognition toward deeper pedagogical transfer. Participants’ justifications revealed significant differences in connecting culturally embedded messages with contemporary pedagogical frameworks. These findings highlight the need within teacher education programs for interpreting and applying pedagogical knowledge across diverse contexts. The study positions Kutadgu Bilig as a pedagogical resource for exploring the cognitive-pedagogical engagement of pre-service teachers.