21st Century Classroom Research Articles

Teacher Perceptions of a 21st Century Classroom

Despite the uncertainty in the rapidly changing world, many countries expect their educational institutions to be ready for the future. To meet these expectations, educational policymakers bring in new changes. One of these transformational changes is the “Future Classroom Lab (FCL),” coordinated by the European Schoolnet with 15 countries, including the Turkish Ministry of National Education. These classrooms reconsider the changing roles of teachers and students, the traditional classroom layout, and propose solutions for more effective learning experiences for the 21st century. This study, based on the qualitative method, aims to introduce the opinions of teachers from different levels of education about future classrooms to determine what is expected regarding the new educational environments in terms of teachers, schools, students and classrooms. A case study design is used within the research, and criterion sampling is employed. The data is collected via semi-structured interviews. This study presents educational stakeholders with the desired framework concerning future classrooms in line with 21st century schools. The results imply that there is a need for new classrooms along with technology integration and pedagogy to keep up with the developing world. To achieve sustained growth, policymakers should focus more on technology-assisted, flexible learning zones and the technology competent leaders and teachers.

Towards learner-centric pedagogies: Technology-enhanced teaching and learning in the 21st century classroom

Effective professional development contributes to improved teacher knowledge and practice as well as deep and meaningful student learning. Despite professional development being cited by the South African Department of Basic Education as a priority goal, teacher professional development activities have been inadequate. In this article, we use a socio-cultural perspective to investigate the pedagogical affordances of digitalisation and technology integration. This study is part of a larger mixed methods study but for the purpose of this article we focus solely on its qualitative results. The aim of the study was to understand teachers' best practices with digital technologies and how these technologies are being used to inform the 21st century classroom and encourage a learner-centric environment. The findings reveal weaknesses in the professional development activities regarding digital technologies and learner-centric pedagogies that are generally episodic, one-size-fits-all events focused largely on technical knowledge. The chief impediment towards learner-centric pedagogies and the implementation of technology-enhanced teaching and learning is the misalignment between teachers' digital abilities and the demands of the 21st century technology-equipped classrooms. Our recommendation is the continual situated professional development of teachers, including the creation of professional learning communities and the harnessing of digital technologies to provide an effective blended approach to teacher learning and instructional delivery in the 21st century.

Creation of Innovative Teaching Spaces with Gamma Tutor: A Techno-Blended Model for Rural Mathematics Teaching

Innovative techno-blended teaching methodologies are needed for 21st-century classrooms. This paper reports on the introduction of a techno-blended device for mathematics teaching in South African senior secondary classrooms. The research sample included 12 third-year mathematics education student teachers from a rural university. A qualitative case study design was employed. Participants were purposively selected. Data collection methods included non-participatory observation and in-depth individual interviews. The TPACK model and the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Framework guided the analysis of the data. The study found that the mathematics student teachers successfully implemented GammaTutor in their classrooms, thus demonstrating their proficiency and aptitude in utilising technology in the learning environment. The GammaTutor device also aided in teaching and learning mathematics by simplifying mathematical ideas for learners. Furthermore, it enabled the development of learner discourse as a crucial component for developing learners' problem-solving skills. Since the mathematics student teachers engaged the learners with a variety of mathematical exercises using the GammaTutor technology, the integration of GammaTutor in the mathematics classroom exhibited learner-centred provisioning. The study proposes a teaching model for creating innovative teaching spaces in rural schools in South Africa.

Exploring College Students' Deeper Learning Perceptions in the Blended Learning Environment

With the rapid development of information communication technology (ICT) in teaching, deeper learning has become an essential competency for success in the 21st-century classroom. College students' deeper learning assessments can indicate the degree of technology-enhanced learning effectiveness and inform further instructional design optimization. However, comprehensive measures for assessing college students' deeper learning and the impact of background variables on deeper learning in the low-, medium-, and high-blend learning environments are scarcely mentioned in the literature. This paper proposes a deeper learning self-assessment scale (DLSS) comprising higher-order cognitive, interactive, and reflective learning dimensions, validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. This paper also examines deeper learning perceptions in three types of blended learning environments with various proportions of online and face-to-face learning and explores perception differences among the students of different genders, school years, and fields of study. Findings indicated positive deeper learning perceptions were higher in the medium-blend courses.

Teachers' digital competence and inclusive education at school: An analysis of teacher attitudes

Inclusive education and the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies in the 21st century classroom are priority objectives in global agendas. However, few studies focus on and combine the following areas of study: Inclusive education and Digital Competence (IE and DC). This research gathers the opinion of 221 active teachers on these two variables through a sample composed of participants from Spain and 10 Latin American countries. These educational professionals responded to a questionnaire created ad hoc, tested by a group of experts, and based on instruments previously validated by the scientific community. There were 30 items scored on a scale of 1-7 for the areas of study. The results indicate that the participating teachers attach high importance to the study variables, although they lack the training and competence necessary for their performance. Furthermore, basic and advanced levels of perception regarding the importance of inclusive education and digital competence are identified, which are similar in the basic levels and increasingly disparate at the advanced levels due to specialization. Keywords: Compulsory Education; Digital Competences; Inclusive Education; Technology; Teachers.

Teacher Language Awareness in Initial Teacher Education Policy: A Comparative Analysis of ITE Documents in Norway and New Zealand

Dramatically increased population flows since at least the 1980s, primarily through economic migration and refugee resettlement, have brought considerable ethnic and linguistic diversity to classrooms around the world. This diversity has been amplified by the rising recognition of in-country indigenous and minority languages. In such plurilingual learning environments, teachers require sophisticated language education skills. They need to be able to teach the dominant language/s across the curriculum, support plurilingual learners, and often teach foreign or additional languages. One conceptual lens through which to analyse the presence of these competencies in current teacher education policy is that of language awareness. While this term originally referred to the raising of student awareness of features and functions of language, it now incorporates knowledge about flexible languaging practices. Through a comparative analysis of the two key teacher education policy documents in Norway and New Zealand, we have investigated how the concept of teacher language awareness is incorporated in high-level policy documents pertaining to ITE in these two countries and how these converge and diverge in their treatment of language awareness. Our in-depth comparison of these important educational policies urges both jurisdictions, as well as others, to be aware of local particularities and broader patterns in meeting the needs of teachers to be plurilingually aware and equipped for 21st-century classrooms.

A Learning Platform for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Laboratory

Information Technology has played a major role in education. Rajamangala University of Technology, Isan Sakonakhon Campus, is committed to promoting a 21st Century education. For example, the university provides an environment that supports this development by integrating the use of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) in teaching practices. The model of CNC machines used in teaching and learning is outdated though, resulting in slow and ineffective performance. However, their efficiency can be improved. The researchers aimed to develop CNC management platforms that increased the efficiency of old-model CNC machines to be used in teaching and learning. The platforms developed consisted of (1) a Wi-Fi Distribution Numerical Control (DNC) G-code platform, (2) a Queueing G-code Monitoring platform, (3) a Setting CNC Monitoring platform, (4) a Safety Control platform, and (5) a Camera and Internet of Things (IoT) Monitoring platform which consisted of temperature, power and vibration sensors. Based on the results, the Wi-Fi Distribution Numerical Control (DNC) G-code program helps decrease the risk of data transmission errors. The speed of transmission increased to 256 kilobytes per second (kb/s). It was found that the developed platforms help improve the efficiency of CNC machining management when being used in teaching and learning. This study can be used as a model for a 21st Century classroom that assists students in optimizing their abilities to respond to the Thailand 4.0 Policy and prepare them for an Industry 4.0 job market.

Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Perceptions of Secondary School Heads of Departments on Teacher Trainees’ Pedagogical Practices in Three Districts of Zambia

Preparing a 21st-century classroom teacher has become necessary in teacher training and practice if considerable retains in education could be realized. While some content knowledge awareness efforts have materialized in the teachers’ movement, the pedagogical aspect of training needs much to be desired. This study aimed to establish the secondary school heads of departments’ perceptions of teacher trainees’ pedagogical Practices. The study design used was a quantitative exploratory factor analysis to examine an eight-factor structure of the instrument and analyze the association between variables. The study population constituted of all secondary schools’ heads of departments in three districts of Zambia. A total sample of (n=120) participants comprising heads of departments from 20 secondary schools participated in the study. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling to identify respondents since the study depended on researchers’ sense of judgment in selecting participants from the population. The 20 schools provided all the standard criteria for the choice of participants needed for the study. The instrument used in the study was a survey questionnaire adapted from Barron (2015). A pilot study on (n=43) heads of departments conducted on heads of departments who were not part of the study. The reliability of the instrument was deemed reliable after subjecting it to SPSS and gave reliability of .930. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26. The study’s significant findings showed evidence of acquisition of content knowledge among trainee teachers, implying the emphasis on training, and showed a severe lack of professional ethics among trainee teachers. However, the findings showed that the various factors extracted are near related; hence, there is a close relationship between teacher training curriculum and the pedagogical skills that trainee teachers use in classrooms. Given the nature of the 21st-century learners that teachers come in contact with, the pedagogical predicament becomes paramount for emphasis in teacher training institutions.

Unearthing the common core for reflective teacher training in Antigua and Barbuda, England, and Canada

Teacher education and training vary across the world, yet research from diverse cultures supports the development of reflective teachers. Claiming that the complex dynamics of the 21st-century classroom can be managed best by reflective teachers. Through the reflective process, teachers are empowered as change agents to modify learning environments to benefit their students. Teachers hold the power to influence student learning. Therefore, it is important to understand the training processes that serve to produce reflective practitioners. In conducting rigorous cross-cultural comparative research, identifying common evaluative indicators underpinned by a theoretical framework is critical. Hence, the principles of the pre-service emerging reflective teacher training (PERTT) model were explored quantitatively and explained qualitatively to specifically focus on teachers’ perceptions of their experiences of the psychosocial interpersonal process outcomes of the teacher-training environment (i.e. reflective practices, instructional scaffolding, guidance and support, modelled behaviours and reinforcement) provided during their teacher training. Such an exploration is critical because the philosophical underpinnings of the PERTT model have not been interrogated outside of Barbados. The findings demonstrate that there is merit to key theoretical principles of the PERTT model based on the lived experiences of the teachers in Antigua and Barbuda, England, and Canada during their teacher training.

Web Tools for Teachers: Current ICT Trends for Professional Development

In the 21st century classroom, teachers are facilitator of student knowledge and creators of dynamic classroom environment. Teaching in the 21st century is a general different experience; website is an easiest way of sharing and exchanging knowledge and experiences for teachers. In this article the authors will introduce the professional development web tools for teachers. It is creating a professional development for teachers and make learning is easiest way for students.

Analysis of intellectual demands embodied in the learning objectives prescribed for mathematics and science components of the teacher training manual

Abstract Higher-order thinking is as an important skill needed to function effectively in 21st century classrooms. Consequently, teacher professional development should be geared towards assisting teachers in acquiring skills needed to plan intellectually demanding classroom activities for their students. Engaging teachers in activities such as inquiry-oriented discussion, investigation, experimentation with new classroom practices, expansion of pedagogical knowledge, and acquisition of new teaching skills and development of innovative approaches to teaching is an effective way of promoting higher-order cognitive skills. However, information about the quality of the teacher training manual in terms of its intellectual demands are lacking. Hence, the need for this study becomes imperative. Existing prescribed learning objectives for Mathematics and Science components of the manual which served as the data source were analyzed by using qualitative content analysis method. The findings showed that the majority of the learning objectives prescribed in the teacher training manual clustered around lower-order cognitive skills. In addition, reasonable proportion of learning objectives prescribed for the Mathematics component emphasized higher-order cognitive skills more than the Science component. Further results revealed that the subject-matter content is more intellectually demanding than the aspect of the manual focusing on pedagogical knowledge. These have implications for the prescription of learning objectives in teacher training manual and planning of high-quality teacher professional development programme.

Instructors reflect on how their preservice preparation and ongoing professional development prepared them to address oppressive dynamics in adult ESOL programs in the United States

For decades, researchers have asserted that the preservice preparation for instructors of adult emergent bi/multilingual learners (EBLs) in the United States can be inconsistent, and access to ongoing professional development (PD) can be insufficient to address the demands of the 21st century classroom. A previous study conducted by the author revealed that instructors of adult EBLs felt adequately prepared to teach English, but they often felt ill-equipped to address the learning challenges and oppressive dynamics that might manifest in their adult English to Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) classrooms. This convergent mixed methods study was a preliminary attempt to address these issues. Eighty-five participants recruited throughout the United States were asked to reflect on the degree to which challenges, like learning dis/abilities, and oppressive dynamics, like racism and sexism, were addressed in their preservice preparation and ongoing PD through a 20-item survey instrument administered via Qualtrics. The findings revealed that issues closely related to language teaching were more commonly addressed, but learning challenges and oppressive dynamics were inadequately addressed, if at all. Suggestions included interweaving discussions of these issues and dynamics throughout preservice coursework but exploring them more extensively in ongoing PD. Limitations of the study and areas for future research were also identified.

Fostering Creativity and Critical Thinking in 21st Century Classroom

This paper sought to examine the prospect of fostering creativity and critical thinking in 21st century classroom. In achieving this, 4 concepts and 1 theory were reviewed to seek how relevant creativity and critical thinking is to students in our modern 21stcentury world that we live in. This paper showed that creativity and critical thinking are essential ingredients that defines much credibility in individuals in the society. It was then concluded that creative and critical thinking are pivotal to students’ success in the 21st century society and otherwise. It was recommended that teachers should endeavor to engage students to initiate their creative and critical thinking ability at almost all endeavours of instructional activity, also that curriculum planners should endeavor to device an instructional pattern that favours the utilization of creative and critical thinking prospects.

Teacher in 21st Century Classroom

Teacher in 21st Century Classroom

Impact of Physical Learning Environment Towards Students’ Performance at Taylor’s University

The learning environment needs attention as this space is closely related to students' well-being and learning performance. The ideal learning environment is always changing as innovations in technologies, teaching strategies, and design philosophies require continuous measurement and reassessment. This paper focused on the assessment of the physical learning environment that influences students' satisfaction level at Taylor's University. The result revealed that students’ satisfaction levels highly rely on spatial features (room layout and furniture) and ambient features (temperature and acoustics) of the classrooms. The findings and conclusion give an insight concept of the ideal learning spaces of the 21st-century. Keywords: 21st century classroom; Ideal environment; Learning performance eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i19.3099

Google Classroom Application in Blended Learning: Indonesian EFL Learners’ Perception

Teaching English in the 21st century means that teachers are responsible for more than just teaching the subject; they are also responsible for guiding and monitoring their students as they develop and apply the 21st century skills. At this stage, both teachers and students must adapt to new technology in order to ensure the highest possible quality of teaching and learning in an offline, online, or blended classroom. The use of educational platforms, e.g. Google Classroom, enables educators to adhere to the standards for 21st-century classroom practices. The purpose of this study is to explore EFL students' perceptions on the use of Google Classroom in blended learning. We used a survey research design with a closed-ended questionnaire. The respondents were 106 EFL students from the English Language Education Department of the State Islamic Institute of Kediri. The findings indicate that the EFL learners mainly perceived positively towards Google Classroom's attributes including its usefulness, convenience of use, ease of learning, and user satisfaction when it is used in blended learning. In summary, this research adds to the body of knowledge regarding the potential of Google Classroom in blended learning.

Mathematics Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities: Applied Examples Using Virtual Manipulatives

Technology has changed the practices related to teaching and learning mathematics in schools. The demand for learning mathematics in virtual environments is increasing in the 21st-century classroom. There has been widespread expansion of the use of technology in education. This column reviews three types of instruction—synchronous, asynchronous, and blended—and provides applied examples regarding the use of virtual manipulatives in teaching mathematics to students with learning disabilities.

Incorporating Multiple Intelligences Theory in the Learning and Teaching Operation: Teacher’s Guide

One of the challenges of 21st Century classrooms is the broad diversity of experiences, identities and intelligence students bring to class. Research in psychology and neurosciences has indicated that we should never treat students as essentially alike. Each brain is unique with a predominant intelligence, which plays a crucial role in learning. Gardner (1983) believes there are nine bits of intelligence: logical, linguistic, spatial, musical, kinesthetic, naturalist, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and existential. They constitute students’ preferred channels of learning. Hence, the purpose behind this article is to help teachers plan their teaching operation according to this theory so that they can respond to class diversity and improve learners’ performance. The implementation procedure consists of (1) understanding the essence of multiple intelligences theory, (2) showing teachers how to identify learners’ multiple intelligences using the McKenzie MI Inventory, and (3) suggesting a variety of activities that cater for this intelligence, boost students’ engagement, and develop the whole learner.

Concepts, collaboration, and a company of actors: a Vygotskian model for concept development in the 21st century

ABSTRACT Based on historical sources and publication records in the early 20th century, we suggest that Vygotsky’s recognition of the ‘paradox’ in human learning and his conceptualisation of advanced thinking were largely influenced by Stanislavski’s work in theatre. In this paper, we offer some evidence for this argument on Vygotsky’s nascent system of concept development, which ultimately expanded the notion and process of education in modern society. We then provide our informed speculation on the ways in which Vygotsky might have constructed the zone of proximal development model as an integral part of concept development. We conclude our discussion with practical illustrations of creating ZPD in 21st century classroom contexts.

Integration of ICT into Inclusive Classroom; Opportunity Missed!

This paper investigates essentials over a decade the KICD, teachers and the government have made considerable investments in providing ICT based instructions to support learners in an inclusive set up. ICT has strongly influenced classroom instructions, it offers access to world of knowledge, provides universal access to learning and ensures ‘’educational for all’’ a realizable dream for 21st century classroom which plays a fundamental role in capitalizing the opportunities offered by new technologies to support full inclusion of all learners in the mainstream education system. Therefore the purpose of the study is to shade light on the available opportunities on the integration of ICT into inclusive classroom, opportunity missed and challenges. It focuses on the strong potential ICT provides to avoid discrimination among the learners. It is based on a descriptive survey design. Stratified sampling was used to select public primary schools. Target population was eighteen public primary schools. Simple random sampling was used to select sample size of six schools and their teachers. Questionnaire and face to face interview were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics which included standard deviation, mean, frequency and percent were used to analyze quantitative data and qualitative by examining recurring themes. The findings indicated that ICT tools and devices play significant role in providing platforms which can address diversity of learners in an equitable manner. Learners miss ICT opportunities because; KICD is not effectively providing digitized content, the government has failed to provide facilities, no follow up and the teachers are not competent to use adapted ICT content. The study recommends that the government should have a comprehensive strategic plan pertaining to integration of ICT in an inclusive classroom, MoEST and KICD to organize regular seminars for teachers to ensure uniform and equal learning opportunities.