Exploring Lecturers’ Readiness for 21st Century Education in Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions

Syahrul Ahmar Ahmad

doi:10.33422/ejte.2019.10.27

Abstract

The nature of teaching is now changing as current lecturers are required to equip their students with 21st-century skills. As such, the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 for Malaysian higher education has been developed which emphasized structuring more holistic and integrated curricula to prepare students for the needs of 21st-century employment skills. However, this 21st-century education demands more than merely teaching through chalk and talk. There are concerns whether current lecturers are able to grip with the fast pace of technological advancement and to impart that skills to their millennial students. On the other hand, despite having excellent academic records, employers are concerned that current fresh graduates lack the adaptability, multitasking, decision-making and problem-solving skills in the workplace. As such, the objective of this study is two-fold. First, the study would like to assess the lecturers understanding of 21st-century skills. The second objective is to identify whether the teaching practices of 21st-century skills (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation and use of technology as a tool of learning) are applied by the lecturers in their classrooms. A survey adapted from Hixson, Ravitz, and Whitman (2012) was administered among a sample of Malaysian higher learning institutions’ lecturers. The findings of the study indicated that Malaysian lecturers are currently moving towards the 21st century learning education approach. Suggestions and recommendations are also discussed to provide for lecturers to better equipped in handling the changing scene of education in this 21st century.

Highlights

The nature of teaching to adopt the 21st century education is paramount especially when dealing with the needs of 21st century learners
The study would like (1) to identify the Malaysian lecturers’ pedagogical understanding of 21st century skills, and (2) to investigate whether the teaching methods adopted in their classroom are consistent with 21st century skills
It shows that these Malaysian lecturers claimed to have strong understanding about the importance of pedagogical approach in disseminating the needs of this 21st century learning skills in their classrooms

Summary

Introduction

The nature of teaching to adopt the 21st century education is paramount especially when dealing with the needs of 21st century learners. These 21st century learners are said to be the future workforce who are independent thinkers, problem solvers and decision makers There is a pertinent needs for educators to confront such important issues in preparing their students with the needs of 21st century education skills. Students as the future workforce, need to be equipped with the required 21st century skills and competencies in order for them to face the challenges of the future (Yoke, 2018). In order to fit the needs of the 21st century workforce, the university needs to prepare their graduates to meet the expectations of potential employers

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion