Introduction
Recognizing and addressing students’ needs is a crucial step in designing effective educational programs (Levi, 2010, p. 88). To engage students and meet their requirements, curricula should be adaptable and evolve to align with their interests (Smith, 2009, p. 9). However, Iran's current centralized curriculum system is not adequately preparing students for real-life challenges (Ramzaninejad, Hemtinejad, & Benar, 2003, p. 107), as numerous studies have shown (Javanmard & Pour Garhami, 2014, p. 31; Aminon et al., 2015, p. 1021; Bagheri & Rahimian, 2016, p. 259; Al-Ahmadi & Sharfi Abqa, 2015, p. 111). High school students believe the current program does not meet their needs (Haj Hosseini, Shabeiri, & Farajollahi, 2015, p. 2315; Sarmadi, Ghanbari, & Talebian Sharif, 2018, p. 564), indicating a disconnect between the curriculum and students' and society's needs (Perrota & Keese, 2024, p. 2). Despite this, educational documents emphasize the importance of students being active, influential, and creative individuals who take ownership of their learning (National Curriculum Document, paragraphs 12, 4-3, and 12-8; Education Reform Document, paragraph 1-16). To enhance the education system's effectiveness, it is essential to create content that resonates with students' genuine needs, promote educational equity, and ensure equal access to resources (National Curriculum Document, 2011, p. 1; Education Reform Document, 2011, p. 1). This approach fosters lifelong learning, collaborative education, and a more inclusive environment. By designing flexible frameworks that transcend traditional boundaries, education can overcome time and place constraints, enabling conscious, voluntary, and engaging lifelong learning. Given the significance of understanding students' needs, this study aims to identify these needs and determine what students should be learning. Specifically, this research will evaluate the needs of junior high school students in Mashhad.
Research Method
This study employs a survey methodology, utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire to gather data. The statistical population consisted of 79,000 junior high school students in Mashhad. The sample size was calculated using the Cochran formula to be 384 students. To select the sample group, four districts of Mashhad were chosen (east District 5, north District 6, west District 4, and south District 3), and then two boys' schools and two girls' schools were selected from each district. Students were randomly selected from these schools to participate in the sample group. A researcher-made questionnaire was designed to determine the basic needs of the junior high school students. The questionnaire consisted of general, demographic, and main questions based on theoretical foundations and research objectives. To establish the reliability of the instrument, 30 junior high school students were initially selected and asked to respond to the questionnaire twice, with a one-month interval. The reliability was then calculated using the correlation between the questions, which was 0.7, indicating suitable reliability. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, one-sample chi-square test, and Friedman test were employed.
 Findings
The research findings identified the top ten needs of junior high school students as follows:

Introduction to cinema and music (293 responses)
Methods for recognizing and analyzing political and social issues (266)
Introduction to academic fields and entrance examinations (242)
Introduction to famous stories and novels (234)
Curricular and extracurricular materials (216)
Teaching strategies for dealing with social issues (207)
Teaching the art of storytelling (191)
Developing problem-solving skills (188)
Introducing methods for happiness and vitality (178)
Introducing applied sciences, technical, and professional skills (176)

In contrast, the least important needs, as perceived by students, were:

Education on citizenship rights and duties (77 responses)
Moral education (74)
Addressing religious questions and doubts (72)
Group education and decision-making (70)

When categorized, the average ratings of high school students’ needs showed that Scientific and educational materials ranked highest with an average of 5.03, while political materials ranked ninth with an average of 1.459. The remaining needs, in order of importance, were:

Religious and moral content with an average of 4.10
Spiritual and psychological needs with an average of 2.76
Social and cultural needs with an average of 2.35
Economic, job, and professional skills with an average of 1.92
Recreation and entertainment with an average of 1.97
Wellness, health, and safety with an average of 1.90
Artistic and literary materials with an average of 1.18

The results of the Friedman test indicate a chi-square value of 538.247, significant at a level of less than 0.05 (p < 0.05), demonstrating differences in the importance students attribute to various types of needs (0.001 > p, 5 degrees of freedom, 538.247 = chi-square value).
 Discussion and Conclusion
The findings indicate that students prioritize scientific and educational needs, followed closely by religious and moral content. The three categories of spiritual and psychological skills, as well as social, cultural, economic, and professional needs, are also important to students. However, entertainment, literary and artistic, health, safety, and political needs are less of a concern for students. The research findings of this study are in line with the research results of Diba Vajari, Hosseinian, and Qaedi (2011), Hamidi (2005), Akbari and Sharifi (2008), and Salimi (2003). The results can be explained by considering the significant impact of media, cultural-social changes, virtual interactions, and the evolving needs, attitudes, lifestyle, and cultural consumption of students. The fluidity and change that occur every three years in the lives of junior high school students necessitate continuous audience analysis for this age group. To cater to the diverse and varied needs of these students, it is essential to address the increasing trend of social harms that affect them at a younger age and extend into adolescence. The sensitivity and importance of the adolescent period, identity issues, independence-seeking, and conflicting attractions and interests during this period make education on topics related to mental and psychological counseling, strengthening resilience and life skills, marriage, and family formation crucial. Curriculum planners and educational content producers should seriously consider these essential needs. Furthermore, given the highly politicized society and the surge of political news and events, students are naturally drawn to these subjects. Developing a suitable program for political education, scientific understanding of issues, and systematic analysis of political matters is a necessity.