Integrating 21st-Century Skills into Instructional Materials for Sustainable Education

The study aimed at investigating the influence of instructional learning materials use on students’ academic outcomes in private secondary schools in Nyarugenge District. The objectives that guided the study were: to identify the instructional learning materials used by teachers in the teaching and learning process in secondary schools of Rwanda; to assess the students’ academic outcomes resulting from the implication of instructional learning materials in teaching and learning process; to establish relationship between instructional learning materials and the students’ academic outcomes. The study was guided by system theory and descriptive survey design and correlational design. The sample of 244 respondents including students, teachers, headteachers and deputy headteacher in charge of study participated in this study. Questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect data. Frequencies, percentages, mean, thematic approach and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient were used to analyse collected data, whereas, tables, figures and textual model were used to present collected data. The study findings revealed textbooks, worksheets, computers, chats, projectors, recoding books for students’ progress, chalks, internet sources, laboratory materials and workshops as the commonly used teaching and learning materials in private secondary schools in Nyarugenge district. Furthermore, findings revealed that computers and laboratory materials are not adequately used. The findings from teachers revealed that 68% of participated teachers agreed that effective use of instructional learning materials in teaching and learning process improves learners’ motivations in learning, and improves students’ academic outcomes, 82% of teachers reported that effective use of instructional learning materials improves students class participations. Furthermore, findings revealed a significant relationship between instructional learning materials and the student’s academic outcomes in private secondary schools in Nyarugenge district. This was revealed by p- value of 0.000 in the findings given by students and p- value of 0.004 in the findings given by the teachers. In addition, findings revealed that there is a positive degree of relationship between instructional learning materials and students’ academic outcomes as shown by the computed Karl Pearson product moment correlational coefficient of 0.433 and 0.78 findings from students and teachers respectively. The study recommended that students need to use effectively and efficiently available leaning materials in their schools. Teachers should use available learning materials in effective ways. In the schools where there are inadequate learning materials, they should explain to their leader the need for these materials. The study also recommended that school leaders should do all possible measures to provide their schools with adequate learning materials. Keywords: Students’ academic outcomes, instructional materials, learning outcomes, private secondary schools, Nyarugenge District, Rwanda

This research focused on the effects of Critical Pedagogy (CP)-based instructional materials (IMs) on the students' language proficiency (LP), social awareness (SA), and 21st century skills (21CS) at a tertiary bridging program. Pre- and post-tests were employed, and the results were used for IMs development. Quasi-experimental design was used in comparing the IMs' effects on two sections. Means were computed to determine improvement of scores. Then, results were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Likewise, qualitative analysis involved self-assessments and questionnaire responses. Results revealed that the IMs improved the students' LP, SA, and 21 CS. The teachers' and students' assessment likewise showed that the IMs developed students' skills in the aforesaid areas. It is recommended that CP-based IMs be utilized to develop students' LP, SA, and 21 CS.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how pre-primary teachers use instructional materials to equip children with skills requisite for surviving and competing in the 21st century, particularly in the developing world’s context. The phenomenography study design used purposive sampling to select 24 pre-primary teachers in six selected schools in the Ukerewe district of Mwanza region, Tanzania. It deployed Moustakas’ (1994) six steps of phenomenological reduction technique to analyze data. The study findings indicate that teachers prioritized children’s emergent literacy skills of reading, writing, and numeracy although neglecting crucial critical thinking and technological literacy skills. The study also found that the shortage of qualified teachers in pre-primary education affected efficiency in equipping children with 21st century skills. In fact, the study found pre-primary educators in this study used strategies that barely meet national expectations of equipping children with 21st century skills in an increasingly globalized world. The study, therefore, concludes that the empowerment of teachers to use instructional materials effectively could contribute significantly to young children developing these 21st century skills from a young age.

Instructional material has been recognized globally as means to offer access to learning content, so as to stimulate community development. There is still limited understanding about the potential of learning materials and the contribution that instructional development can offer to both urban and rural communities in Africa. This chapter provides an overview of instructional learning material for physical challenged learners in an inclusive environment. It shows the major strategies in design principles for leaning materials, such as multimedia elements, and approach components that represent inclusive assessment in rural communities. The physically challenged learner in this study is non-mental disorderliness: the hearing-impaired learners and the low vision learners. It also demonstrates that the inclusive multimedia instructional material has been created in concert with the grassroots community.

The research examined the Evaluation of Availability and Adequacy of Instructional Materials for Teaching and Learning of Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in North West, Nigeria. The objective of this study is to find out the availability and adequacy of instructional materials for teaching and learning of Economics in senior secondary schools in North West, Nigeria. The study established two research questions and two null hypotheses which were subsequently tested for the study. The study reviewed two related theories, concepts and thirty (30) relevant empirical studies. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The target population of the study comprised of one hundred and eight thousand, nine hundred and seventy-four (108,974) respondents which included Senior Secondary School Two (SS II) Economics students and Economics teachers from the seven states of the North West Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria. A sample size of three hundred and eighty-four (384) respondents were selected for the study using multistage sampling techniques. A 4-point-likert scale questionnaire with fifty (50) items were used as instruments for this study. The instrument was pilot tested and the reliability coefficients of 0.85 was obtained using Cronbach's Alpha. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistic. Frequency and mean was used to analyze the research questions while the two null hypotheses were tested using Mann-Whitney U-test at 0.05 level of significance. This is because, the data obtained was ordinal and discreet in nature. The results indicated the retaining of all the hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05. in conclusion, the study’s findings revealed that, instructional materials for teaching and learning of Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in North West, Nigeria were available. The finding also disclosed that, some of the instructional materials were inadequate for teaching and learning of Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in North West, Nigeria. The study concluded that, instructional materials for teaching and learning of Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in North West, Nigeria were generally available. However, a critical gap was observed in terms of adequacy in the materials provided to the schools. Therefore, it could also be concluded that, availability of instructional materials alone would not bring about effective and efficient teaching and learning processes in Economics unless such materials are fully adequate in schools. Based on the findings and conclusion of this study, the following recommendations were made: Governments, school administrators, teachers and other stakeholders should maintain and sustain the steady supply of instructional materials for teaching and learning of Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in North West, Nigeria. Furthermore, Governments, policymakers, school management and stakeholders should also provide adequate instructional materials for teaching and learning of Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in North West, Nigeria.

Abstract. The study assessed teachers’ classroom management strategies, the level of teachers' classroom instructional tasks and determined the effect on students’ academic performance, and further examined the constraints in classroom management in secondary schools in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey and ex post facto research designs were adopted. Five research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The sample consisted of 854 respondents, made up of 560 students, 280 teachers and 14 principals selected from 14 secondary schools using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using “Teachers’ Classroom Management Strategies Questionnaire” (TCMSQ), and “Students’ Academic Performance Proforma” (SAPP). Data were analyzed, using percentage, mean score and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient at alpha level of 0.05. Findings showed significant relationship between teachers’ classroom management and students’ academic performance (r-cal = 0.307, p<0.05), and significant relationship between teachers' instructional tasks and students' academic performance (r-cal=0.689, p<0.05), while teachers were effective in classroom management strategies as reflected in preparation of lesson notes (71.4%), communication skill (63.6%), students’ motivation (62.5%), group interaction (71.4%) and exemplary behaviour (64.3%). The major constraints faced by teachers were excessive workload (56.4%), ill-equipped laboratory (57.9%), ill-equipped library (63.6%), shortage of instructional materials (64.3%), lack of students’ learning materials (64%) and congested class size (75%). Based on the findings, it was recommended that the Government should employ adequate number of qualified teachers to reduce instructional workload to manageable level. Also, Government in collaboration with the Parents - Teachers Association and other Development Partners should provide adequate learning facilities and materials that would improve classroom management and students’ learning outcome in secondary schools. Keywords. Classroom management, Technique, Facilities, Instructional materials, Learning outcome. JEL. H52, H75 I21.

(Title: Adapting Learning Materials To Facilitate A Balanced Acquisition Of Language Skills, Values, And 21st Century Skills). English language teaching in the Indonesian schools aims to develop the students’ four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in the target language and promote the acquisition of values and 21st century skills (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication). The learning materials published by the government and publishers available in the market generally focus on the development of the student’s language skills and values. Hence, the learning materials should be adapted before being used so that the learning materials do not only promote the acquisition of language skills and values, but also 21st century skills. There are a number of alternatives of that teachers can use in adapting the learning materials to promote the acquisition of 21st century skills. Some of the alternatives include adapting the task input, activity/procedure, setting, and learner role and adding tasks to units and units to the textbook. Keywords: learning material, language skill, values and 21st century skill

Industrial revolution 4.0 students are required to have 21st century skills. These skills include critical thinking, creativity and innovation, communication, and collaboration. Teachers in the learning process teachers play a role in improving student skills. The learning method that can be used by teachers in improving students' 21st century skills is STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). STEM indicators in learning can be integrated in a learning material in the form of a module. Modules can assist teachers in presenting learning information that is easy for students to understand. This study analyzes the effect of STEM integrated modules in science and physics learning on the knowledge and skills of 21st century students determined through effect sizes. Research data obtained from 20 articles. The analysis was carried out based on the category of education level, type of learning material and physics and science subject matter. The results show that stem-based modules are more effective if applied at the high school level with electronic module learning materials. The results of the analysis show that the use of integrated STEM modules is effective in improving the knowledge and skills of 21st century students.

Twenty-first-century learning should develop students’ 21st-century skills, including aspects of knowledge, attitudes, character, and 4C skills. These students’ skills need to be widely developed in science learning to handle the challenges of this century. The preliminary study results indicate that integrating learning materials in science learning and students’ 4C skills were low. Thematic science teaching materials integrated the 5E learning cycle model can solve the problem. The study aims to investigate the effect of thematic science teaching material integrated with the 5E on various aspects of students’ 21st-century skills, including knowledge, attitudes, and 4C skills. The research method is quasi-experimental, and the design is a randomized control group posttest-only, which is suitable for determining the effect of a treatment on a dependent variable. The knowledge aspect is measured using a written test sheet in multiple-choice, the attitude aspect using an observation sheet, and the 4C skills aspect using a performance assessment sheet. Data were analyzed using a comparison test for the two sample groups and the Mann-Whitney U test. The data analysis state that the application of thematic science learning material integrated with the 5E has a positive effect on students’ 21st-century skills, including aspects of knowledge, attitudes, and 4C skills: critical thinking skills, creative thinking skills, and communication skills. The study concludes that applying thematic science learning material integrated with the 5E learning cycle model effectively develops the three aspects of students’ 21st-century skills.

This study developed outcomes-based instructional materials in three professional teacher education courses based on an assessment of the different kinds of instructional materials used, their availability and frequency, challenges faced by faculty members and students in using the instructional materials and the perceived need to develop instructional materials. A descriptive research design was used to collect data while a developmental research design was applied for the development of outcomes-based instructional materials. The researchers constructed a questionnaire using a 4-point Likert scale. The online questionnaire was completed by 38 faculty members and 655 pre-service teachers from Batangas State University, Philippines. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U Test. The results showed that there are various instructional materials used in the three professional courses and they are used based on appropriateness and suitability. Both faculty members and pre-service teachers faced similar challenges in the utilization of these instructional materials as revealed by the Mann-Whitney U Test. These findings served as the basis for the development of three outcomes-based instructional materials that followed the sequence of activity, analysis, abstraction, and application. The instructional materials were subjected to evaluation and found satisfactory in content and format. Recommendations given were incorporated in the final copy.

The Curriculum and Material Development (CMD) course content is contextualized in accordance with technological advancements in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the community's need for educators who possess 21st-century skills. This revision involves integrating 21st-century skill values into curriculum development, syllabi, teaching materials, media, methods, and learning evaluation. Therefore, this study focuses on integrating 21st-century skills and 21st-century digital skills, including critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, information literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, flexibility, initiative, social skills, productivity, and leadership, into the CMD course. This study employs the Research and Development method, which involves identifying the problem, describing existing issues, creating a design, validating the design with experts, revising the design of the English learning model, conducting trials, and making revisions. The study's outcomes include three areas of integrating 21st-century skills into the CMD course. The first area involves integrating 21st-century skills into the preliminary activity of designing lesson plans. Secondly, in the process, 21st-century skills should be integrated into the design of learning materials and tasks. Finally, after the activity, 21st-century skills should be integrated into the evaluation and reflection process. The CMD course aims to integrate 21st-century skills throughout the language curriculum. It covers Communicative Syllabus Design, Text-Based Syllabus Design, Product-Oriented Syllabus Design, Process-Oriented Syllabus Design, Content-Based Curriculum, Integrated Curriculum, EFL Curriculum, and EFL Syllabuses and Lesson Plans for Indonesian Students.

Background. The growing diversity of classrooms and the rapid transformation of global communication demand English language education that not only develops linguistic competence but also equips learners with essential 21st-century skills. Multicultural English language education is increasingly viewed as a strategic approach to fostering critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and intercultural awareness. However, empirical evidence on how multicultural pedagogical practices contribute to these skills remains limited. Purpose. This study aimed to examine the role of multicultural English language education in developing students’ 21st-century skills. Specifically, it investigated the extent to which multicultural learning activities influence students’ critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and intercultural competence in English language classrooms. Method. A mixed-methods research design was employed involving 210 secondary and university-level students from culturally diverse educational settings. Quantitative data were collected through a validated 21st-century skills questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained from classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, and the qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Results. The findings reveal that multicultural English language instruction has a significant positive effect on students’ 21st-century skills, particularly in intercultural communication, collaborative learning, and critical thinking. Students exposed to culturally responsive materials and dialogic learning activities demonstrated higher engagement and greater adaptability in diverse social interactions. Conclusion. Multicultural English language education serves as an effective pedagogical framework for integrating language learning with the development of 21st-century skills. The study underscores the importance of culturally inclusive curricula and learner-centered strategies to prepare students for global citizenship.

The development of science and technology is marked by the high competition of society in improving quality education. Quality education refers to the curriculum that the government has set, namely the 2013 curriculum. Teachers have not provided learning tools that follow the demands of the 2013 curriculum. The learning material used by teachers was not attractive and did not follow the development of science and technology, and have not integrated STEM, as evidenced by the percentage of availability STEM 48%. Teachers need learning materials that are practical, attractive, easy to understand, and economical to support the teaching and learning process. The purpose of this research was to determine the validity of developing STEM integrated electronic learning material on elasticity materials to improve students’ 21st-century skills. The research method is research and development by applying the Plomp model. The average validation result of the five experts is 88.0, which belongs to the high category. Therefore, research on developing STEM integrated electronic learning material can be applied during online and offline learning.

This research aims to determine the implementation of PE planning incorporating 21st-century skills based on the length of service and gender of junior high school teachers in Yogyakarta. This research was conducted using a 2 x 2 factorial design with length of service and gender as factor variables, while the implementation of PE planning contains 21st-century skills as the dependent variable. The sample in this study was 68 junior high school PE teachers with a working period of 1 - 17 years and 18 - 32 years with male and female gender. The sampling technique uses probability sampling technique. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to PE teachers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential. This research concludes that the first hypothesis shows no difference in the implementation of PE planning containing 21st-century skills when viewed from the work period. The mean difference in the performance of PE planning having 21st-century skills based on years of service is minimal, and it can be said that the implementation of PE planning containing 21st-century skills among teachers between working periods 1-17 and 18-32 tends to be the same. The second hypothesis shows no difference in the implementation of PE planning containing 21st-century skills regarding gender. The mean difference in the performance of PE planning having 21st-century skills based on gender is minimal. It can be said that the implementation of PE planning containing 21st-century skills for male and female teachers tends to be the same. The third hypothesis shows an interaction between length of service and gender in determining the implementation of PE planning containing 21st-century skills. This means that length of service and gender together influence the achievement of implementing PE planning and having 21st-century skills among junior high school teachers. This research recommends that each school's PE planning formulation team be assigned to competent teachers with sufficient teaching experience and consider gender in certain conditions and situations in each school. Keywords: Planning, Physical Education, 21st Century Skills, Work Period, Gender

The 21st century skills are skills that really need to be developed to face the current digitalization era. Looking at the current conditions, students' 21st century skills are not very prominent and are not well developed so that students need new innovations that can support 4C skills. The purpose of this study was to analyze the 21st century skill profile of first semester Elementary School Teacher Study Program students in the elementary physics basic concepts course. This type of research is descriptive research. The sample of this research was 110 students selected with a specific purpose or by purposive sampling technique. The data collection techniques used are questionnaires, interviews, and observation. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics which would show the percentage of the number of students per category. The results of this study indicate that for creative thinking skills, collaboration and communication the percentage of students is in the near standard category. As for creative thinking skills, the percentage of students is in the substandard category. This shows that students' 21st century skills still need to be improved. learning activities that facilitate the emergence of 21st century skills need to be carried out continuously or continuously so that students are accustomed to and achieve the desired standards. The conclusion of this study is that students' 21st century skill profiles in digital learning with CTL are in a status close to a good standard, except for creative thinking skills that still require some extra treatment to improve them.