Twenty-first Century Learning Research Articles

Twenty-first century learning skills and music engagement among young children: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Previous researchers have thoroughly examined music-based interventions, which involve singing, movement, and musical activities. According to the findings of previous research, music-based intervention is highly beneficial for young children in developing their 21st-century learning skills, which include communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking skills. This review analysed and contrasted previous research on the studies of using music-based intervention in enhancing 21st-century learning skills. The SPIDER and CATT search tools were used to conduct this systematic review, which investigated samplings (S), phenomena of interest (PI), designs (D), evaluations (E), and research methods (R). The themes from the selected studies were also studied to investigate the effects of music-based interventions. Thirty-six studies with participants aged 1 to 12 that were published between 2001 and 2023 were included. This review found that music-based intervention has been discovered as a viable approach for enhancing the developmental skills of 21st-century learners among young children. Researchers and educators are suggested to pay close attention to ensuring the suitability and reliability of their research designs to maximize the effectiveness of music-based interventions.

Evaluating perceived technology self-efficacy and telehealth acceptance in optometry students

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance Constant technological improvements require practitioners to be open to adopting technologies such as telehealth for enhanced patient care. Understanding the barriers and facilitators of telehealth adoption will guide stakeholders in making decisions for safe and effective implementation of telehealth. Background Effective use of telehealth improves patient outcomes. It is unclear if optometry students feel supported in using and/or are accepting of telehealth. This study evaluated telehealth acceptance of optometry students, its association with their technology self-efficacy, and whether telehealth training alters this relationship. Methods Final-year optometry students at the University of Melbourne were invited to participate in a telehealth course. A 22-item online survey adapted from the Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment for twenty-first Century Learning was used to evaluate technology self-efficacy pre- and post-learning. Telehealth acceptance was evaluated using a 34-item survey according to the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology-2. A 5-point Likert scale was used for each item, yielding two total scores. Respondent demographics, frequency of usage and number of devices were recorded. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used to analyse demographic variables and relationship between technology self-efficacy and telehealth acceptance. Results 58 (68%) and 49 (58%) students participated in the pre- and post-learning surveys. Majority were 20–29-year-old females. Students used between two and four devices for online activities, with 62% being online at least hourly. Technology self-efficacy scores (average ± SD) pre- and post-learning were 83.8% ± 8.2 and 87.8% ± 7.1. Telehealth acceptance scores pre- and post-learning were 66.1% ± 9.6 and 73.98% ± 9.9. There was no association with gender, number of devices and frequency of online use for all scores. Correlation between technology self-efficacy and telehealth acceptance was insignificant pre-learning (p = 0.3) but was significant post-learning (p = 0.04). Conclusion Optometry students demonstrated high technology self-efficacy compared to telehealth acceptance. Telehealth training resulted in marked improvement in telehealth acceptance.

‘The future we want’? – the ideal twenty-first century learner and education’s neuro-affective turn

ABSTRACT We examine the ideal twenty-first century learner as discursively produced in recent future-oriented documents published by the OECD and UNESCO. Drawing inspiration from Bacchi’s question ‘What is the problem represented to be?’, we identify a constellation of interrelated discourses that together craft an image of a post-political, resilient, empathic, bio-perfected, transhuman learner. This learner is conditioned to endure, adapt and adjust to ongoing socio-political conditions and crises, rather than to contest, resist, or alter them. We argue that this portrayal is reflective of a deepening ideological alignment between the OECD and UNESCO – organisations that have traditionally held divergent views on the purpose and value of education. We conclude by advocating for the reinvigoration of subjectivities that prioritise political agency, defined as the capacity to act upon and transform the existing social order and power structures.

Technological pedagogical content knowledge for twenty-first century learning skills

The advent of Industry 5.0 marks a pivotal moment in global industry, characterized by the fusion of advanced technologies and human-centred approaches. Embedding Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) into teacher training becomes imperative in Africa, where the demand for skilled professionals is burgeoning. This study delves into the transformative potential of TPACK for African educators, emphasizing its role in equipping them with skills to prepare students for Industry 5.0 demands. Through a systematic literature review spanning from 2000 to 2024, this research examines TPACK's multifaceted dimensions and its relevance to twenty-first-century learning skills in Africa. It scrutinizes how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence reshape pedagogical practices and content delivery in African educational contexts. Furthermore, it explores TPACK's ability to empower teachers in nurturing critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy among students, essential for navigating the complexities of Industry 5.0. The findings underscore the necessity for tailored professional development programs integrating TPACK into African teacher training curricula. Moreover, the research stresses the importance of contextualizing TPACK within the socio-economic and cultural realities of African classrooms to ensure its efficacy. Additionally, the study highlights the pivotal roles of government policies and educational institutions in providing necessary support and resources for widespread TPACK adoption among educators. This research advocates for a paradigm shift in African teacher education, highlighting TPACK's centrality in preparing educators for Industry 5.0 challenges and opportunities. By equipping teachers with adept technology integration skills, African nations can foster innovative and globally competitive learners poised to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution.

Radical Visible Pedagogy and Cumulative Knowledge-Building in Education

Twenty-first century learning revolves around a pedagogical discourse based on simplistic dichotomies, favoring a student-centered approach. This direction claims that such a learning model will lead to in-depth learning in education. This paper refutes this claim and argues that curricula based on twenty-first century learning promotes a social and context-dependent form of knowledge. To examine the problem of 21st century learning, and to develop an alternative, this paper introduces Bernstein’s pedagogical modalities, which are investigated using the terms “semantic gravity” and “semantic density.” These concepts are used to analyze teachers’ pedagogical practices in three different subjects, considering the further effects of these practices on learning and knowledge-building, as expressed in submitted student papers. The analysis suggests that practices that create long semantic waves, where knowledge is transformed between decontextualized meanings and contextualized meanings, are a condition for in-depth learning and cumulative knowledge-building. The paper argues that this form of knowledge-building is a result of a radical visible pedagogy, which includes practices that are based on different forms of knowledge, making visible how these forms of knowledge can be connected and transformed in education.

Development of Ethnophysics-Based Augmented Reality Assisted Digital Teaching Material for 21st Century Learning

Twenty-first century learning includes 21st century skills, but the facts show that students' 21st century skills are still low. The solution to this problem is to develop digital teaching materials integrated with AR and ethnophysics. The purpose of this study was to determine the initial study, validity, and practicality of using ethnophysics-integrated digital AR teaching materials. The research method used is development research with the Plomp model. The research instruments used include needs analysis instruments, validation questionnaires and practicality. The data analysis technique used is descriptive statistics. Based on the data that has been analyzed there are three research results. First, the results of the needs analysis obtained an average value of 63 with a good enough category. Second, product validation results obtained an average value of 90.5 with a very good category. Third, the product practicality results obtained an average value of 89.9 in the very good category. The implication of the research results is that teachers can construct student skills through digital teaching materials. The results of this study concluded that ethnophysics-based AR-assisted digital teaching materials are valid and practical for use in learning

Blended Education in the Epidemic: Invest in What Strengthens the Twenty-first Century Learner

The field of education has undergone numerous changes over the last decade. Much of what has been discussed is connected to the rapid changes and the revolution of hi-tech. Yet, the global pandemic of Covid -19 has paved the ground to reconsider different learning environments such as distance and blended education, which turned out to be in the public eye. Hence, their implementation in the education landscape in the Moroccan context is questioned. In light of this, the paper at hands aims at a) investigating the extent to which Moroccan learners benefited from distance learning during the lockdown compared to face-to-face method that used to be the main method before Covid-19, and b) to check the efficiency of implementing Blended learning in the educational process and its impact on Moroccan high school learners.

Exploring Irish primary school children’s perceptions of themselves as learners in preparation for the key competency of ‘being an active learner’ within the Primary Curriculum Framework

ABSTRACT In March 2023, the Department of Education published the ‘Primary Curriculum Framework’ for primary and special schools in Ireland. Reflecting trends in international curriculum reform centred on the needs and priorities of twenty-first century learning and life, the Framework proposes a set of seven key competencies which are presented to underpin children’s learning and development during their time in primary school. In this paper, we focus on one such key competency, ‘being an active learner.’ We aspire to theoretically conceptualise this key competency in relation to the psychological constructs of ‘learner identity’ and ‘learning to learn.’ We argue that such a conceptualisation must not only reflect the cognitive and metacognitive ‘how’ of learning, but also the affective ‘who’ of the learner. Arising from this, we explore Irish primary school children’s perceptions of themselves as learners, drawing on 188 children’s open-ended descriptions of themselves as learners and 136 online survey responses to the ‘Myself-As-Learner Scale’ (MALS). Despite a majority of children describing themselves as learners in positive terms, findings indicate that Irish primary school children report lower mean MALS scores than standardisation data for the scale, with statistically significant differences revealed between genders and class levels. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, as well as opportunities associated with the key competency if meaningfully realised.

Physical learning spaces in Kenyan academic libraries

Libraries form an integral part of the university physical learning landscape. Advances in technology, the emergence of student-centred pedagogy and the changing campus demography have caused academic libraries across the world to reconsider the design of their spaces. This study undertook a qualitative assessment of physical library learning spaces in selected Kenyan universities with regard to their suitability for twenty-first century learning. Data collected through interviews with librarians and student library users, indicates that the spaces provided are basic and barely support student learning needs and expectations. The spaces are modelled around collections with the traditional view of libraries as information repositories taking centre stage. The study recommends a repurposing of Kenyan academic library spaces to enable support for a wider spectrum of learning needs and preferences. Specifically, academic libraries should consider managing their collections differently with a view to expand learner spaces, they should develop a good understanding of students and their needs, and work towards infusing variety in the learning spaces for increased inclusivity and sustained relevance.

Long Term Occasional Teaching and Mindfulness within the Pandemic

This reflection focuses upon entry into the Ontario (Canada) teaching profession as a Long-Term Occasional (LTO) teacher who is a substitute for a permanent teacher on leave. The experiences within a grade four class during the Coronavirus pandemic are detailed herein. By implementing mindfulness into the curriculum, continuity and stability emerged for students, to reset every day during the Pandemic. In supporting the well-being of the whole student (which was initially sparked by COVID-19), its importance throughout all parts of learning was prominent. Navigating the role as an LTO (substitute) teacher during a Pandemic stimulated teachers and students, as learning how to teach in remote and in-person environments required a flexible and aware educator who was mindful. Support for the whole learner during a time was unprecedented and worrisome for many. As a result, mindfulness sessions supported students’ overall well-being and ensured that they were beginning their day with a clear, calm, and open mindset. This research has been cathartic and further developed a teaching philosophy that aligns itself with the needs for TFCL (Twenty-First Century Learners).
 Keywords: Long-Term Occasional Teaching, Mindfulness, Pandemic

Twenty-First Century Learning (21 CL) – South African Private Secondary Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

Globally, many educational systems were designed to produce a labour force to meet the requirements of previous industrial revolutions. Currently, in the fourth industrial revolution, the world is undergoing profound changes in all spheres. Learners need to be prepared for a future with novel jobs, radical information and communication technology (ICT), and global problems never previously encountered. Many countries have therefore, moved from traditional approaches to education, to 21 CL. 21 CL is application-driven, student- focused;, and it incorporates intellectual, social, and emotional aptitudes. The purpose of this research is to provide an in-depth analysis of the 21 CL pedagogy. The study, therefore, investigates how some private South African secondary schools interpret and enact with 21 CL. The research is embedded in the positivist and interpretivist paradigms. The study utilizes a mixed-method research approach, because both quantitative and qualitative data are required to achieve the research objectives. The research strategy used was a case study, specifically a multiple-case study design. This research provides a more theoretical and practical information regarding the successful interpretation and enactment of 21 CL, in private secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal. The research also provides current information on 21 CL globally. The research findings revealed that private secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal were only in the initial stages of changing to 21 CL. The findings also revealed that the change to 21 Cl can be facilitated by the design of a sustainable vision and well-defined plan of execution, as well as the effective training of school leaders.

Technological pedagogical content knowledge for twenty-first century learning skills: the game changer for teachers of industrial revolution 5.0

Technological pedagogical content knowledge for twenty-first century learning skills: the game changer for teachers of industrial revolution 5.0

Role-play experience’s effect on students’ 21st century skills propensity

This study examines the effects of a role-play-based pedagogical method in Finland on the twenty-first century skills propensity among 6th graders (12-year-olds). The approach entails a simulation of a society in a gamified learning environment as part of their formal education. Structural Equation Modeling was employed to analyze the students’ (N = 253) self-reported effects of role-play experience on pre-and post-scores of twenty-first century skills propensity. The results show a statistically significant positive relation between holistic role-play experience and twenty-first century skills propensity, however, closer exploration reveals only few key associations, which perhaps illustrates the complex nature of both role-playing and the framework of twenty-first century learning. However, the broader positive view demonstrates the potential of one meaningful playful day for the skill and attitude development of young students as part of a formal curriculum.

Industrial Design education in Australia: a competence analysis across primary, secondary and tertiary education levels

Industrial Design education is poorly understood by laypeople but is present in Australian curricula from primary through to tertiary education levels. Designers and design researchers have long recognised the value of the broad-ranging skills, knowledge fields, and personal qualities design education imparts, but this understanding is generally not shared by the wider community who may see design as surface decoration. This research identifies indicators of value and relevance taken from the twenty-first century competences literature, then measures their presence in four different Industrial Design education settings. Two studies were undertaken. First, Industrial Design educators from primary, secondary, and tertiary levels were surveyed. Then diverse Industrial Design education stakeholders from education and non-education settings were interviewed. The studies gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on the value and relevance of current Industrial Design education in Australia. The result is a comprehensive analysis of the twenty-first century competences present in Australian Industrial Design education, which concludes with recommendations for ways Industrial Design education can benefit twenty-first century learners, as well as ways it should evolve to remain relevant.

Making it in undergraduate STEM education: the role of a maker course in fostering STEM identities

ABSTRACT Making in schools, where students produce and share physical or virtual objects, has garnered increased global attention for its potential to foster twenty-first century learning in STEM and develop students’ inventiveness, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking. However, there has been limited attention paid to how maker-centred learning environments might plan a role in how undergraduate university students access, belong to, and persist in STEM-related pathways and majors. A regression analysis revealed that sophomores enrolled in the studied maker course were 44% more likely major than a matched comparison group (who did not take the course) to maintain or declare being a STEM. Through an identities-in-practice theoretical lens, we also analyzed qualitative interviews with 10 of the sophomores enrolled. The sophomores interviewed developed skills, expressed varying feelings of community and belonging, and evolved in their conception of Making in relation to STEM during the course. Their identities were also confronted and shaped during the course – either reinforcing or competing with their identity as a STEM person. These findings support prior calls in the literature to go beyond making as just a way to instil twenty-first century skills and consider how maker courses could more intentionally foster all students’ STEM identity.

Teachers' AI digital competencies and twenty-first century skills in the post-pandemic world.

The pandemic has catalyzed a significant shift to online/blended teaching and learning where teachers apply emerging technologies to enhance their students' learning outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has gained its popularity in online learning environments during the pandemic to assist students' learning. However, many of these AI tools are new to teachers. They may not have rich technical knowledge to use AI educational applications to facilitate their teaching, not to mention developing students' AI digital capabilities. As such, there is a growing need for teachers to equip themselves with adequate digital competencies so as to use and teach AI in their teaching environments. There are few existing frameworks informing teachers of necessary AI competencies. This study first explores the opportunities and challenges of employing AI systems and how they can enhance teaching, learning and assessment. Then, aligning with generic digital competency frameworks, the DigCompEdu framework and P21's framework for twenty-first century learning were adapted and revised to accommodate AI technologies. Recommendations are proposed to support educators and researchers to promote AI education in their classrooms and academia.

Using the theory of planned behaviour to investigate Indonesian accounting educators’ pedagogical strategies in online delivery

ABSTRACT This study uses the theory of planned behaviour to investigate how Indonesian Accounting educators responded to a shift to on-line learning during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study looks specifically at the degree to which educators used this as an opportunity to implement pedagogies that move beyond a content orientation, providing an impetus for increased attention to adaptive/soft-skills elements the literature refers to as ‘21st century learning’. The findings indicate that attitudes toward adoption, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control all played a significant role in determining Accounting educators’ intentions to adopt twenty-first century learning pedagogical principles in Accounting online learning. Additionally, intention acts as a significant mediator of the indirect effect of these three variables on the adoption of twenty-first century learning in Accounting online learning. The concluding section lists limitations, practical implications, and suggestions for additional research.

Incorporating Thinking Skills Theories in Indonesian EFL Classrooms

In responses to the demand of the twenty-first century learning, the Indonesian government stipulated the 2013 curriculum in order to prepare students to be more productive, creative, and innovative. The presence of English language subjects in secondary schools aims to develop students' communicative competence and instill the nation character’s noble values in life to increase the country's competitiveness in a global society. It can be realized by implementing learning embodied with critical and creative thinking skills in various language learning environments. This study aims to explore how the teachers apply the thinking skills theories (LOTS and HOTS) in teaching English language at secondary school in West Lombok. This qualitative case study research garnered the data through semi-structured interviews involving ten purposively selected English language teachers. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis through the process of coding, categorizing, and thematizing the data. The findings showed that the teachers lacked knowledge mastery to implement thinking skills (LOTS and HOTS) in teaching and learning of English language at secondary school in West Lombok. Though HOTS was very challenging, the teachers recognize that it is essential to implement it to achieve many benefits in the future. This study encapsulates that thinking skills (LOTS and HOTS) have not been efficiently incorporated into the classrooms. Recommendation for future research are discussed.

Understanding creative teaching in twenty-first century learning among Islamic education teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education during the COVID-19 pandemic required teachers to be creative because students might not be able to complete education in a normal way. However, Islamic education teachers seem to lack the skills and attitudes required for twenty-first century learning, including creative teaching. The purpose of this study is to explore if Islamic education teachers were able to teach creatively by responding to twenty-first century learning during the pandemic. A qualitative methodology was adopted using a case study design. The sample consisted of four Islamic education teachers from Putrajaya schools. Our findings illustrated that there were six themes that emerged as elements of creative teaching in twenty-first century learning. These were: student-centered learning, twenty-first century teaching, creative inspirations, creative strategies, creative activities, and alternative evaluation. This study found Islamic education teachers to be creative in teaching and it demonstrated the professional development of Islamic education teachers.

Visual Thinking Strategies—Theory and Applied Areas of Insertion

Twenty-first century learners live in a highly visual world, being constantly surrounded by visual, technologized stimuli and the educational system, be it general or specialized—as in the case of higher education—needs to creatively meet and answer these learning requirements. Among the plethora of new or updated approaches, the concept of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) designed by Philip Yenawine and Abigail Housen has gained extensive popularity due to its capacity of being adapted to a wide range of specialized fields with notable improvement results. The main purpose of the present review is to synthetically and critically present relevant scientific work related to the application of the VTS procedure and to further identify possible study areas that would highly benefit from the insertion of this procedure. Thus, the theoretical perspective is tackled from a cognitive-psychology standpoint, followed by a rendering of the research variety in applied VTS contexts pertaining to different study domains, as well as online VTS web clustering. These contexts have shown a predilection for VTS usage, which improves higher-education students’ specialized vocabulary and speaking skills in the same target language, but not in the case of ESP (English for specific purposes) classes.