‘I thought, I believed, and I did it’: a case study about the successful implementation of twenty-first-century skills in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite multiple challenges, some teachers in Trinidad and Tobago are able to develop twenty-first-century thinking and skills among their students. Using a single-subject case design, this study investigated the challenges faced and the strategies employed by one such case (a female, elementary teacher) for this purpose. Data were collected through observations and multiple semi-structured interviews. Traditional mindset and pedagogical techniques, lack of support and access to modern tools, and infrastructural issues were mentioned as the key challenges. However, she successfully overcame them by engaging the students through constant questioning, fun-filled and participatory classes, emphasising higher-order thinking, real-life and contextual problem-solving skills, and mixing multiple instructional techniques. Most importantly, it was found that her actions (investigated through observations) and words (found through interviews) were aligned. The study suggests that despite all the challenges, if the teachers are determined, willing to learn, and innovate; they can still make a difference.