This study examines the development of human capital in Turkey and progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) through the lens of Krumboltz's Social Learning Theory (SLT). Employing a comparative policy and secondary data analysis design, this research evaluates educational indicators from 2017 to 2025 sourced from the OECD, UNESCO, UNDP, TurkStat, and the Ministry of National Education (MEB). Krumboltz’s framework highlights the crucial role of environmental factors, role models, and observational learning in shaping career decisions, providing a valuable theoretical foundation for fostering inclusive education and empowering disadvantaged groups. The findings reveal improvements in Turkey’s NEET rates (declining from 24.2% to 16.6%) and women’s mean years of schooling (increasing from 7.1 to 8.4 years); however, structural gaps remain when compared to OECD averages (NEET at 8.0%; women’s schooling at 11.2 years). Furthermore, student-teacher ratios and PISA scores underline the urgent need to enhance the quality of education. The study proposes SLT-grounded policy interventions, including institutionalized career counseling, structured mentorship networks, and enhanced teacher quality to align educational strategies with sustainable human capital development.
Krumboltz, Social Learning Theory, Quality Education, Human Capital, Sustainable Development Goal 4, NEET.