Abstract
This study examines the efficiency of a model aimed at teaching 21st century skills to preservice teachers at Damascus university. Two fundamental aspects were explored, firstly, promoting the teaching of 21st century skills; and, secondly, incorporating 21st century skills in the educators’ pedagogical training. Quantitative data was collected from 106 student teachers, and 34 teacher educators through two survey questionnaires. Results from the teacher educator’s survey data showed that the model to promote all 21st century skills in student teachers was efficient. The student teachers felt that the pedagogical training of this model was efficient in terms of promoting cognitive skills, but only average when considering information literacy and problem-solving skills and performed poorly in fostering communication skills. Thus, even though the model is efficient in promoting 21st century skills for future teachers, it lacks a training framework that places equal emphasis on applying the skills during teacher training.
Highlights
The “Reform Movement” in education calls for a shift from traditional education, based on transforming knowledge to the learner, to a new educational pattern that cultivates learner’s skills and abilities (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009)
Given the need to build 21st century skills, the current study aims to examine the effectiveness of a Syrian teacher education programme in preparing prospective teachers to teach 21st-century skills (21st CS) from both the teacher educators’ and the student teachers’ perspectives
The study presents a mid-level of harmonization between personal development and the pedagogical development phases of preservice teachers for teaching 21st CS
Summary
The “Reform Movement” in education calls for a shift from traditional education, based on transforming knowledge to the learner, to a new educational pattern that cultivates learner’s skills and abilities (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009). Central to this movement emphasis on the development of critical and creative thinking skills, reflective thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, decision-making, and the ability to use digital technology to overcome unprecedented challenges (Bransford & Jossey-Bass, 2006; Osman, Tuan Soh, & Arsad, 2010; Trilling, Fadel, & Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009). There is a call for teacher education programmes to develop student teachers’ personal and professional development of these skills alongside their pedagogical training with a view to their later applying these skills in educational settings (Michaels, Truesdell, & Brown, 2015)
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