critical thinking 21st century skills

Instructing & Assessing 21st Century Skills: A Focus on Critical Thinking

Research and Best Practices: One in a Series on 21st Century Skills

For the full collection of related blog posts and literature reviews, see the Center for Assessment’s toolkit, Assessing 21 st Century Skills .

Educational philosophers from Plato and Socrates to John Dewey highlighted the importance of critical thinking and the intrinsic value of instruction that reaches beyond simple factual recall. However there is considerable dispute about how to define critical thinking, let alone instruct and assess students’ critical thinking over time. This post briefly defines critical thinking, explains what we know from the research about how critical thinking develops and is best instructed, and provides an overview of some major assessment issues. Our full literature review on critical thinking can be accessed here .

Overall, findings from the literature suggest that critical thinking involves both cognitive skills and dispositions. These two aspects are captured in a consensus definition reached by a panel of leading critical thinking scholars and researchers and reported in the Delphi Report:

“purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based” ( Facione, 1990 , p. 3).

Debate continues about the extent to which critical thinking is generic or discipline-specific. If critical thinking is generic, then it arguably could be taught in separate courses, with the sole focus being on the development of critical thinking skills. However, if critical thinking is particular to a discipline, the instruction to develop it must be embedded within disciplinary content. Though debate exists, we argue that what constitutes critical thinking in science likely differs somewhat from what constitutes critical thinking in history or art. Therefore, critical thinking is best understood as discipline-specific with some transferable, generic commonalities.

Critical thinking is also intertwined with other cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal competencies. For example, many researchers have connected creativity and critical thinking. Furthermore, one’s ability to demonstrate critical thinking relies on effective communication, metacognition, self-direction, motivation, and other related competencies.

Development

Adults do not always employ critical thinking when it’s called for. Many find personal experience more compelling than logical thought or empirical evidence. That said, research suggests that even young children can demonstrate aspects of critical thinking.

However, little is known about how critical thinking skills and dispositions develop; there are no empirically-validated learning progressions of critical thinking skills and dispositions. Indeed, the Delphi Report cautioned that its framework for critical thinking should not be interpreted as implying a developmental progression or hierarchical taxonomy.

Instruction

Empirical research shows that critical thinking can be taught and that some specific instructional approaches and strategies promote more critical thinking. These instructional approaches include explicit teaching of disciplinary content within a course that also teaches critical thinking skills.

Instructional strategies that promote critical thinking include providing…

Opportunities for students to solve problems with multiple solutions,
Structure that allows students to respond to open-ended questions and formulate solutions to problems, and
A variety of learning activities that allow students to choose and engage in solving authentic problems.

Implications of Research for Classroom Assessment Design

Critical thinking is typically assessed within content areas. For example, students analyze evidence, construct arguments, and evaluate the veracity of information and arguments in relation to disciplinary core ideas and content. Assessing students’ level of sophistication with critical thinking skills and dispositions requires close attention to the nature of the task used to elicit students’ critical thinking. Assessments must be thoughtfully designed and structured to (a) prompt complex judgments; (b) include open-ended tasks that allow for multiple, defensible solutions; and (c) make student reasoning visible to teachers. Each is discussed in detail below.

Assessment tasks should prompt complex judgments. While some students may exhibit critical thinking without being prompted, most student responses will rise or sink to what the task requires. Therefore, the materials (visual, texts, etc.) used to elicit students’ critical thinking are crucial and have a sizable impact on the extent to which critical thinking is elicited in any given assessment experience. If the task doesn’t ask students to think critically, they likely will not demonstrate evidence of critical thinking. The task, embedded in projects or other curriculum activities, must be designed and structured thoughtfully to elicit students’ critical thinking.
Assessment tasks should include open-ended tasks. Open-ended tasks are the opposite of traditional standardized assessments, which rely heavily on selected-response item types that assess limited aspects of critical thinking and other 21 st century skills ( Ku, 2009 ; Lai & Viering, 2012 ). Open-ended tasks allow students to decide what information is relevant, how to use the information, and how to demonstrate their understanding of the information; open-ended tasks also allow multiple solution pathways. In contrast, closed tasks typically have one correct solution, and the teacher indicates what information is relevant and how the information is to be presented.
Assessment tasks should make student thinking visible to teachers. To provide formative feedback regarding the quality of students’ critical thinking, teachers must administer assessment tasks that render student thinking visible. This can be accomplished in multiple ways, but their commonality is that all approaches likely will require students to provide written or verbal evidence that support their claims, judgments, assertions, and so on.

For a more complete discussion of the topics covered in this post, the full literature review on critical thinking is available here .

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Integrating 21st century skills into education systems: From rhetoric to reality

Subscribe to the center for universal education bulletin, ramya vivekanandan rv ramya vivekanandan senior education specialist, learning assessment systems - gpe secretariat.

February 14, 2019

This is the third post in a series about education systems alignment in teaching, learning, and assessing 21st century skills .

What does it mean to be a successful learner or graduate in today’s world? While in years past, a solid acquisition of the “three Rs” (reading, writing, and arithmetic) and mastery in the core academic subjects may have been the measure of attainment, the world of the 21 st century requires a radically different orientation. To participate effectively in the increasingly complex societies and globalized economy that characterize today’s world, students need to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate with diverse peers, solve complex problems, adopt a global mindset, and engage with information and communications technologies, to name but just a few requirements. The new report from Brookings, “ Education system alignment for 21st century skills: Focus on assessment ,” illuminates this imperative in depth.

Recognizing that traditional education systems have generally not been preparing learners to face such challenges, the global education community has increasingly talked about and mobilized in favor of the changes required. This has resulted in a suite of initiatives and research around the broad area of “21st century skills,” which culminated most notably with the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Education 2030 agenda, including Target 4.7, which commits countries to ensure that learners acquire knowledge and skills in areas such as sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, global citizenship, and others.

In this landscape, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has a core mandate of improving equity and learning by strengthening education systems. GPE supports developing countries, many of which are affected by fragility and conflict, to develop and implement robust education sector plans. Depending on the country, GPE implementation grants support a broad range of activities including teacher training, textbook provision, interventions to promote girls’ education, incentives for marginalized groups, the strengthening of data and learning assessment systems, early childhood education, and many other areas.

This work is buttressed by thematic work at the global level, including in the area of learning assessment. The strengthening of learning assessment systems is a strategic priority for GPE because of its relevance to both improving learning outcomes and ensuring effective and efficient education systems, which are two of the three key goals of the GPE strategic plan for the 2016-2020 period . The work on learning assessment includes the Assessment for Learning (A4L) initiative, which aims to strengthen learning assessment systems and to promote a holistic measurement of learning.

Under A4L, we are undertaking a landscape review on the measurement of 21st century skills, using a definition derived from Binkley et. al . and Scoular and Care :

“21st century skills are tools that can be universally applied to enhance ways of thinking, learning, working and living in the world. The skills include critical thinking/reasoning, creativity/creative thinking, problem solving, metacognition, collaboration, communication and global citizenship. 21st century skills also include literacies such as reading literacy, writing literacy, numeracy, information literacy, ICT [information and communications technologies] digital literacy, communication and can be described broadly as learning domains.”

Using this lens, the landscape review examines the research literature, the efforts of GPE partners that have been active in this space, and data collected from a sample of countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia in regard to the assessment of these skills. These research efforts were led by Brookings and coordinated by the UNESCO offices in Dakar and Bangkok. As another important piece of this work, we are also taking stock of the latest education sector plans and implementation grants of these same countries (nine in sub-Saharan Africa and six in Asia), to explore the extent to which the integration of 21st century skills is reflected in sector plans and, vitally, in their implementation.

Though the work is in progress, the initial findings provide food for thought. Reflecting the conclusions of the new report by Brookings, as well as its earlier breadth of work on skills mapping, a large majority of these 15 countries note ambitious objectives related to 21st century skills in their education sector plans, particularly in their vision or mission statements and/or statements of policy priorities. “Skills” such as creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, decisionmaking, life and career skills, citizenship, personal and social responsibility, and information and communications technology literacy were strongly featured, as opposed to areas such as collaboration, communication, information literacy, and metacognition.

However, when we look at the planned interventions noted in these sector plans, there is not a strong indication that countries plan to operationalize their intentions to promote 21st century skills. Not surprisingly then, when we look at their implementation grants, which are one of the financing instruments through which education sector plans are implemented, only two of the 15 grants examined include activities aimed at promoting 21st century skills among their program components. Because the GPE model mandates that national governments determine the program components and allocation of resources for these within their grant, the bottom line seems to echo the findings of the Brookings report: vision and aspiration are rife, but action is scarce.

While the sample of countries studied in this exercise is small (and other countries’ education sector plans and grants may well include integration of 21st century skills), it’s the disconnect between the 15 countries’ policy orientation around these skills and their implementation that is telling. Why this gap? Why, if countries espouse the importance of 21st century skills in their sector plans, do they not concretely move to addressing them in their implementation? The reasons for this may be manifold, but the challenges highlighted by the Brookings report in terms of incorporating a 21 st century learning agenda in education systems are indeed telling. As a field, we still have much work to do to understand the nature of these skills, to develop learning progressions for them, and to design appropriate and authentic assessment of them. In other words, it may be that countries have difficulty in imagining how to move from rhetoric to reality.

However, in another perspective, there may be a challenge associated with how countries (and the broader education community) perceive 21st century skills in general. In contexts of limited resources, crowded curricula, inadequately trained teachers, fragility, weak governance, and other challenges that are characteristic of GPE partner countries, there is sometimes an unfortunate tendency to view 21st century skills and the “basics” as a tradeoff. In such settings, there can be a perception that 21st century skills are the concern of more advanced or higher-income countries. It is thus no wonder that, in the words of the Brookings report, “a global mobilization of efforts to respond to the 21CS [21st century skills] shift is non-existent, and individual countries struggle alone to plan the shift.”

This suggests that those who are committed to a holistic view of education have much work to do in terms of research, sharing of experience, capacity building, and advocacy around the potential and need for all countries, regardless of context, to move in this direction. The Brookings report makes a very valuable contribution in this regard. GPE’s landscape review, which will be published this spring, will inform how the partnership thinks about and approaches 21st century skills in its work and will thereby provide a complementary perspective.

College and Career Readiness

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A Comprehensive Guide to 21st Century Skills

Jenna Buckle

A Comprehensive Guide to 21st Century Skills

The concept of "21st century skills" isn't new—skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving have been taught in classrooms for decades.

Yet, as the demands of our changing economy rise, many school districts are now including 21st century skills in strategic plans to better prepare students for college, career, and life.

What are 21st century skills, why do they matter, and how can your district implement 21st century learning strategies into curriculum, assessment, and instruction? This guide shares information, research, and examples to bring you up to speed.

Table of Contents

1. What Are 21st Century Skills?

2. The Importance of 21st Century Skills

3. Frameworks and Examples of 21st Century Skills

4. 21st Century Learning Strategies and Implementation

5. Additional Resources

Free Download: Panorama's Social-Emotional Learning Survey

What Are 21st Century Skills?

Districts, schools, and organizations prioritize different 21st century skills depending on what is most important to their respective communities. Generally, however, educators agree that schools must weave these skills into learning experiences and common core instruction. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most commonly cited 21st century skills.

Critical thinking
Communication skills
Problem solving
Perseverance
Collaboration
Information literacy
Technology skills and digital literacy
Media literacy
Global awareness
Self-direction
Social skills
Literacy skills
Civic literacy
Social responsibility
Innovation skills
Thinking skills

The Importance of 21st Century Skills

While the bar used to be high school graduation, the bar for today's students is now college, career, and real-world success. Let’s take a look at why 21st century skills matter.

Higher-education and business leaders cite soft skills as being the most important driver of success in higher-level courses and in the workplace.
In today’s world, our schools are preparing students for jobs that might not yet exist. Career readiness means equipping students with a nuanced set of skills that can prepare them for the unknown.
Social media has changed human interaction and created new challenges in navigating social situations.
The age of the Internet has dramatically increased access to knowledge. Students need to learn how to process and analyze large amounts of information.
Content knowledge from core subjects can only go so far; students need to be taught how to apply facts and ideas towards complex problems.

We've reviewed the definition of 21st century skills and why they're important in a changing world. Now, let's review a few frameworks and how school districts are putting 21st century learning into practice.

Frameworks for 21st Century Skills

The framework for 21st century learning.

This popular framework was designed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) . Describing the skills, knowledge, and expertise students must master to succeed in work and life, the framework combines content knowledge, specific skills, expertise, and literacies. P21 believes that the "base" of 21st century learning is the acquisition of key academic subject knowledge, and that schools must build on that base with additional skills including Learning Skills, Life Skills, and Literacy Skills.

Learning Skills: Also known as the "four Cs" of 21st century learning, these include critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
Life Skills: Flexibility, initiative, social skills, productivity, leadership
Literacy Skills: Information literacy, media literacy, technology literacy

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the fundamental life skills as decision-making and problem solving, creative thinking and critical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills, self-awareness and empathy, and coping with emotions and stress. The WHO focuses on broad psychosocial skills that can be improved over time with conscious effort.

Redefining Ready! Initiative

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Redefining Ready! initiative offers a framework that many districts use to define college, career, and life readiness. AASA provides readiness indicators to capture the educational landscape of the 21st century. Metrics include Advanced Placement courses, standardized testing, college credits, industry credentials, attendance, community service, and more. On the topic of life readiness, AASA argues:

School District Frameworks

21st century skills take hold in various ways for school districts. A " Portrait of a Graduate " is one common strategy for communicating what it means for students to be college, career, and future ready. To develop a profile of a graduate, districts often adapt existing 21st century skill frameworks to fit their needs. Input from stakeholders—such as the district board, teachers, parents, partner organizations, and students—ensures that the final "portrait" is authentic to their community. Here are some Portrait of a Graduate examples.

Everett Public Schools in Everett, Washington defines 21st century skills as citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and growth mindset. The district believes that graduates are college, career, and life ready when they have the academic knowledge, attitudes, and skills to transition to college level coursework, workforce training, and/or employment.

Gresham-Barlow School District (GBSD) in Gresham, Oregon has a mission to develop culturally responsive graduates who will thrive in an ever-changing global community. The district’s Portrait of a Graduate represents the GBSD community's collective vision of what their graduates should look like. The portrait consists of six learner profiles: Independent Lifelong Learner, Adaptable Collaborator, Compassionate Communicator, Responsible Creator, Open-Minded Critical Thinker, and Globally Aware Community Member.

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District (SCUC ISD) in Schertz, Texas has a strategic goal around graduating college and/or career and/or military ready students. Within this vision, SCUC ISD has outlined five Traits of a Graduate: Dynamic Leader, Self-Motivated, Skilled Communicator, Service Oriented, and Future Ready.

Council Bluffs Community School District in Council Bluffs, Iowa, developed a Profile of a FutureReady Graduate that encompasses both academic and social-emotional indicators of success. The district’s social-emotional indicators—aligned to the CASEL framework—include Self-Management, Self Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making.

North Kansas City Schools’ Portrait of a Graduate

North Kansas City Schools just north of Kansas City, Missouri, identified seven competencies that span time, space, jobs, and occupations, ensuring that students' life skills are highly transferable. The district's competencies—developed with input from students, community and business leaders, teachers, and administrators—include Adaptability, Communication, Collaboration, Empathy, Integrity, Learner's Mindset, and Problem Solving.

Download our guide to developing your district's own vision for college, career, and life readiness

21st Century Learning Strategies & Implementation

Having a strong vision for 21st century learning is just the first step. Without an intentionally designed plan for implementation, it's unlikely that your students will acquire the skills outlined in your district's vision. Here are some best practices from Panorama's partner districts to set you up for success.

1. Build staff capacity to demonstrate 21st century skills in support of student learning.

It all starts with the adults in your building. Teachers and staff need to deeply understand and model the skills that you want your students to develop. Integrate 21st century skills into staff professional development as a precursor to growing these competencies in students. Download our Adult SEL Toolkit for ideas, worksheets, and activities to build adult SEL.

2. Develop strategies to support teachers with implementation of 21st century skills.

It can be helpful to create a playbook of recommended strategies and approaches that span across content areas. For instance, you might encourage teachers to add comments to report cards about students' 21st century skills.

3. Assess students’ 21st century learning skills.

What gets measured matters. Regularly collect data on how students are progressing in this area, whether the data is anecdotal, qualitative, or quantitative. For example, you might administer a biannual survey in which students reflect on their development of 21st century, social-emotional skills . Keep in mind that the data you gather should be formative rather than evaluative. Be transparent about the purpose.

4. Equip educators with data to proactively identify and support students who are off track.

Once you have data on students' 21st century skills, you'll want to ensure that the data is actionable for educators. Many districts opt to implement an early warning system with indicators across academics, attendance, behavior, and social-emotional learning/21st century skills. This helps educators make data-driven decisions about the best way to keep each student on track.

Additional Resources

Looking for more information on 21st century skills? Here are some other articles and resources to explore:

"Why Social and Emotional Learning and Employability Skills Should Be Prioritized in Education" via CASEL and Committee for Children
"Teaching 21st Century Skills For 21st Century Success Requires An Ecosystem Approach" via Forbes
"Bringing 21st Century Skill Development to the Forefront of K-12 Education" via Hanover Research
"How Do You Define 21st-Century Learning?" via Education Week

Honing in on 21st century skills is essential to ensuring that students are prepared for college, career, and civic life . While there is no one "right" way to approach this work, we hope that the information in this guide inspires you to explore what 21st century learning could look like in your district!

Develop students' 21st century skills with Panorama's Social-Emotional Learning Survey

A Comprehensive Guide to a Portrait of a Graduate

A Portrait of a Graduate represents a school district's vision for the 21st century skills, character traits, and/or social-emotional competencies that students need to succeed in college, career, and life.

23 Survey Questions to Understand Students’ Employability Skills

Discover how employability skills equip students for the workforce. Learn teaching strategies and explore 23 survey questions for skill assessment.

College-Career Readiness Goals: 3 Lessons from District Leaders

Learn 3 ways that school districts are creating and making progress on college and career readiness goals to support student success in school and beyond.

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Panorama social-emotional learning survey.

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Skills for life

Critical thinking, as a citizen of the 21st century, you should be able to.

Analyze and evaluate information in terms of its veracity, relevance, and substantiation.

Apply logical thinking and reasoning to analyze problems and choose the best solutions considering the weaknesses and strengths of each alternative solution.

Use available tools, such as information and reasoning, to address a problem or question and find a solution or answer.

Keep an informative and ethical commitment to information, digital technologies, and media content. Make a value judgment about the value of the tools we use to solve problems.

Evaluate available information to make the best possible decision. Question first before accepting things as they appear to be, as well as making your own judgment based on the facts, information and knowledge available.

Contribute to digital communities and social networks with verified, respectful, and ethical content.

Competence Area

Identifying and determining the relationships between variables to understand a system, including identification of variables, hypothesis testing, and covariates control
Troubleshooting, systems thinking, problem-solving, scientific reasoning, analysis
Understanding of the underlying social, natural, and technological relationships in a system

Drawing logical conclusions based on data, data analysis or evidence
Deduction, induction, problem-solving, reasoning, decision-making, inference
Data and information literacy: understanding data; finding and/or obtaining data; reading, interpreting, and evaluating data; managing data; and using data
Avoiding bias (i.e., considering all available information, not only the ones that align with your point of view)

Creating of a strategy, theory, method, or argument based on a synthesis of evidence
Creating an argument that goes beyond available information
Synthesis, dialectic debating, designing, planning
Computational thinking: abstractions and pattern generalizations; systematic processing of information; symbol systems and representations; algorithmic notions of flow of control; structured problem decomposition (modularizing); iterative, recursive, and parallel thinking; conditional logic; efficiency and performance constraints; debugging and systematic error detection
Judging the quality of content, information, procedures or solutions
Being able to criticize a work product with respect to their credibility, relevance, and bias using a set of standards or specific framework
Criticism, auditing, appraisal, authentication

Source: : Based on PEARSON Framework (Ventura, Lai & DiCerbo, 2017).

SKILLS IN ACTION

Fostering critical thinking .

What is critical thinking? An expert psychologist tells | Psychlopaedia

Creative thinking - how to get out of the box and generate ideas

What is Critical Thinking?

Pensamiento crítico - Herramienta diferenciadora en el desarrollo profesional

Ennis, R. H. (1993). Critical thinking assessment. Theory into practice, 32(3), 179-186.

OECD (2018) Education Working Paper No. 173. Social and emotional skills for student success and wellbeing: conceptual framework for the oecd study on social and emotional skills.

Shavelson, R. J., Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, O., Beck, K., Schmidt, S., & Marino, J. P. (2019). Assessment of university students critical thinking: Next generation performance assessment. International Journal of Testing, 19(4), 337-362.

Ventura, M., Lai, E., & DiCerbo, K. (2017). Skills for Today: What We Know about Teaching and Assessing Critical Thinking. London: Pearson.

Winston, B. E., & Patterson, K. (2006). An integrative definition of leadership. International journal of leadership studies, 1(2), 6-66.

World Economic Forum. (2016). New vision for education: Fostering social and emotional learning through technology (REF 040316).

World Economic Forum. (2018). The future of jobs report 2018. Geneva: World Economic Forum.

21st century skills help individuals of all ages to reinvent themselves throughout life, adapt to changing and diverse circumstances, and identify opportunities for growth amid differences.

What are these skills?

, , , , , .

Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills

Life in the 21st century requires people to be prepared to fill a variety of roles—as workers, parents, citizens, and consumers—in which they will need to apply their knowledge and skills effectively to rapidly changing situations. Recognizing this need, business, political, and educational leaders are increasingly asking schools to teach students the competencies they will need to navigate a changing world—skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. Such skills are often referred to as “21st century skills,” “soft skills,” or “deeper learning.”

Publications

Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century

Americans have long recognized that investments in public education contribute to the common good, enhancing national prosperity and supporting stable families, neighborhoods, and communities. Education is even more critical today, in the face of economic, environmental, and social challenges. Today's children can meet future challenges if their schooling and informal learning activities prepare them for adult roles as citizens, employees, managers, parents, volunteers, and entrepreneurs. To achieve their full potential as adults, young people need to develop a range of skills and knowledge that facilitate mastery and application of English, mathematics, and other school subjects. At the same time, business and political leaders are increasingly asking schools to develop skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and self-management - often referred to as "21st century skills."

Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century describes this important set of key skills that increase deeper learning, college and career readiness, student-centered learning, and higher order thinking. These labels include both cognitive and non-cognitive skills- such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, effective communication, motivation, persistence, and learning to learn. 21st century skills also include creativity, innovation, and ethics that are important to later success and may be developed in formal or informal learning environments.

This report also describes how these skills relate to each other and to more traditional academic skills and content in the key disciplines of reading, mathematics, and science. Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century summarizes the findings of the research that investigates the importance of such skills to success in education, work, and other areas of adult responsibility and that demonstrates the importance of developing these skills in K-16 education. In this report, features related to learning these skills are identified, which include teacher professional development, curriculum, assessment, after-school and out-of-school programs, and informal learning centers such as exhibits and museums.

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Press Release
Education for Life and Work: Guide for Practitioners
Policy Highlights
Report Brief

Description

An ad hoc committee will review and synthesize current research on the nature of deeper learning and 21st century skills and will address the following:

Define the set of key skills that are referenced by the labels “deeper learning,” “21st century skills,” “college and career readiness,” “student centered learning,” “next generation learning,” “new basic skills,” and “higher order thinking.” These labels are typically used to include both cognitive and non cognitive skills - such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, effective communication, motivation, persistence, and learning to learn that can be demonstrated within core academic content areas and that are important to success in education, work, and other areas of adult responsibility. The labels are also sometimes used to include other important capacities - such as creativity, innovation, and ethics - that are important to later success and may also be developed in formal or informal learning environments.
Describe how these skills relate to each other and to more traditional academic skills and content in the key disciplines of reading, mathematics, and science. In particular, consider these skills in the context of the work of the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers in specifying Common Core State Standards for English language arts and mathematics, and the work of the NRC in specifying a Conceptual Framework for New Science Education Standards.
Summarize the findings of the research that investigates the importance of such skills to success in education, work, and other areas of adult responsibility and that demonstrates the importance of developing these skills in K-16 education.
Summarize what is known - and what research is needed - about how these skills can be learned, taught, and assessed. This summary should include both the cognitive foundations of these skills in learning theory and research about effective approaches to teaching and learning these skills, including approaches using digital media.
Identify features of educational interventions that research suggests could be used as indicators that an intervention is likely to develop the key skills in a substantial and meaningful way. In particular, for learning in formal school-based environments, identify features related to learning these skills in educational interventions in a) teacher professional development, b) curriculum, and c) assessment For learning in informal environments, identify features related to learning these skills in educational interventions in d) after-school and out-of-school programs and e) exhibits, museums, and other informal learning centers. For learning in both formal and informal environments, identify features related to learning these skills in education interventions in f) digital media.

The conclusions and recommendations of the report will provide a common foundation for further research and policy work that seeks to improve the way these skills are developed in K-16 education. The primary messages from the report will be distilled into a short report brief that could be broadly disseminated.

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Board on Testing and Assessment

Center for Education

Consensus Study

Contact the Public Access Records Office to make an inquiry, request a list of the public access file materials, or obtain a copy of the materials found in the file.

Past Events

Multiday Event | September 13-14, 2011

[Closed] Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills Third Committee Meeting

Multiday Event | June 16-17, 2011

[Closed] Second Committee Meeting

Multiday Event | March 26-27, 2011

[Closed] Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills

Responsible Staff Officers

Margaret Hilton

Additional Project Staff

21st Century Skills

First Online: 09 September 2020

Cite this chapter

Teresa J. Kennedy 3 &
Cheryl W. Sundberg 4

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“21st Century Skills” have become part of the lexicon in education. In 1997, the National Academy of Sciences in the United States released the report, Preparing for the 21st Century: The Education Imperative . The papers contained within the report examined challenges in education for the upcoming century. As we entered the 21st century, several new reports emerged over the next two decades that set out to define the 21st century skills needed to prepare students for success in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Although the 21st century skills listed in these reports varied, there were a number of overlapping skills deemed essential. At the center of all the recommendations was a solid education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition to a strong STEM education, 21st century skills also include several soft skills and dispositions including cross-cultural skills, collaboration skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving. A central theme in the literature is the need for creativity and innovation, and one of the major recommendations truly unique to the 21st century is the need to prepare students for the digital age. Although there is general agreement that 21st century skills are essential for all students, there is much debate surrounding the role of K-12 education on how to help students learn these skills. This chapter highlights 21st century skills as presented in various international policy documents. The focus to date has been on the identification of 21st century skills. It may be time to move past identifying skills by refocusing research and policy efforts on better aligning standardized assessments to include 21st century skills, evaluating the level of implementation of 21st century skills in the classroom, and building expertise in the pedagogies that support their inclusion.

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American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2015). AAAS science assessment . American Association for the Advancement of Science Project 2061 Science Assessment. Retrieved from http://assessment.aaas.org/pages/home .

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Kennedy, T.J., Sundberg, C.W. (2020). 21st Century Skills. In: Akpan, B., Kennedy, T.J. (eds) Science Education in Theory and Practice. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43620-9_32

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Promoting 21st century skills

Critical Thinking – a crucial 21st century skill

As English language teachers our primary focus is on the 4 language skills - Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. While our students get a hang of these, we have to nudge them towards the 21st century skills especially the 4 Cs - Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication.

All these can be seamlessly fostered in the English language classrooms. Critical thinking can be introduced with effective questioning . Teachers must guide the students towards the fine art of questioning. Students many times struggle to understand the nuances in a question and are not able to give the expected answer. They lose marks because of this. There is subtle difference between the question words such as ‘contrast’ and ‘differentiate’. Explain, Discuss, Elaborate, Comment and Describe are a few other question words which need answers to be presented in different styles.

There is a simple critical thinking activity which has given positive results with my students. After teaching and discussing the major and minor points of a text, I set this home task for my students.

Every student gets as many questions as possible from the text along with the expected answer.
During the next class, every student gets a chance to ask one question to the class. The teacher facilitates the session by making students volunteer to answer the question.
The answer is evaluated with respect to all the value points. The student who prepared the question is actively involved in the evaluation process as it is his/her question. When the answer is satisfactory, other students record the answer as a point sheet which includes all the value points.
The class then proceeds to the next question and the question and answer session goes on till we have exhausted all possible questions.
Factual, extrapolative, descriptive as well as questions based on Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) and higher Order thinking Skills (HOTS) are asked as well their answers discussed in the class.

The first few times, the questions were mainly based on remembering, understanding and applying – LOTS of Bloom’s Taxonomy . As I continued this exercise after each text, I was able to make my students realize the importance of moving to applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating (HOTS of Bloom’s Taxonomy) . It can be observed that applying begins the transition from LOTS to HOTS.

With proper guidance they started thinking critically and became more creative in framing questions. They are now able to frame questions that go beyond the text. My announcement that their question(s) may make an appearance in the next test acted as incentive.

Students have now got the grasp of the art of questioning which has enhanced their critical thinking and creativity.

Research and insight

Browse fascinating case studies, research papers, publications and books by researchers and ELT experts from around the world.

See our publications, research and insight

How to teach critical thinking, a vital 21st-century skill

A well-rounded education doesn’t just impart academic knowledge to students — it gives them transferable skills they can apply throughout their lives. Critical thinking is widely hailed as one such essential “ 21st-century skill ,” helping people critically assess information, make informed decisions, and come up with creative approaches to solving problems.

This means that individuals with developed critical thinking skills benefit both themselves and the wider society. Despite the widespread recognition of critical thinking’s importance for future success, there can be some ambiguity about both what it is and how to teach it . 1 Let’s take a look at each of those questions in turn.

What is critical thinking?

Throughout history, humanity has attempted to use reason to understand and interpret the world. From the philosophers of Ancient Greece to the key thinkers of the Enlightenment, people have sought to challenge their preconceived notions and draw logical conclusions from the available evidence — key elements that gave rise to today’s definition of “critical thinking.”

At its core, critical thinking is the use of reason to analyze the available evidence and reach logical conclusions. Educational scholars have defined critical thinking as “reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do,” 2 and “interpretation or analysis, followed by evaluation or judgment.” 3 Some have pared their definition down to simply “good” or “skillful thinking.”

At the same time, being a good critical thinker relies on certain values like open-mindedness, persistence, and intellectual humility. 4 The ideal critical thinker isn’t just skilled in analysis — they are also curious, open to other points of view, and creative in the path they take towards tackling a given problem.

Alongside teaching students how to analyze information, build arguments, and draw conclusions, educators play a key role in fostering the values conducive to critical thinking and intellectual inquiry. Students who develop both skills and values are well-placed to handle challenges both academically and in their personal lives.

Let’s examine some strategies to develop critical thinking skills and values in the classroom.

How to teach students to think critically — strategies

1. build a classroom climate that encourages open-mindedness.

Fostering a classroom culture that allows students the time and space to think independently, experiment with new ideas, and have their views challenged lays a strong foundation for developing skills and values central to critical thinking.

Whatever your subject area, encourage students to contribute their own ideas and theories when addressing common curricular questions. Promote open-mindedness by underscoring the importance of the initial “brainstorming” phase in problem-solving — this is the necessary first step towards understanding! Strive to create a classroom climate where students are comfortable thinking out loud.

Emphasize to students the importance of understanding different perspectives on issues, and that it’s okay for people to disagree. Establish guidelines for class discussions — especially when covering controversial issues — and stress that changing your mind on an issue is a sign of intellectual strength, not weakness. Model positive behaviors by being flexible in your own opinions when engaging with ideas from students.

2. Teach students to make clear and effective arguments

Training students’ argumentation skills is central to turning them into adept critical thinkers. Expose students to a wide range of arguments, guiding them to distinguish between examples of good and bad reasoning.

When guiding students to form their own arguments, emphasize the value of clarity and precision in language. In oral discussions, encourage students to order their thoughts on paper before contributing.

In the case of argumentative essays , give students plenty of opportunities to revise their work, implementing feedback from you or peers. Assist students in refining their arguments by encouraging them to challenge their own positions.

They can do so by creating robust “steel man” counterarguments to identify potential flaws in their own reasoning. For example, if a student is passionate about animal rights and wants to argue for a ban on animal testing , encourage them to also come up with points in favor of animal testing. If they can rebut those counterarguments, their own position will be much stronger!

Additionally, knowing how to evaluate and provide evidence is essential for developing argumentation skills. Teach students how to properly cite sources , and encourage them to investigate the veracity of claims made by others — particularly when dealing with online media .

3. Encourage metacognition — guide students to think about their own and others’ thinking

Critical thinkers are self-reflective. Guide students time to think about their own learning process by utilizing metacognitive strategies, like learning journals or having reflective periods at the end of activities. Reflecting on how they came to understand a topic can help students cultivate a growth mindset and an openness to explore alternative problem-solving approaches during challenging moments.

You can also create an awareness of common errors in human thinking by teaching about them explicitly. Identify arguments based on logical fallacies and have students come up with examples from their own experience. Help students recognize the role of cognitive bias in our thinking, and design activities to help counter it.

Students who develop self-awareness regarding their own thinking are not just better at problem-solving, but also managing their emotions .

4. Assign open-ended and varied activities to practice different kinds of thinking

Critical thinkers are capable of approaching problems from a variety of angles. Train this vital habit by switching up the kinds of activities you assign to students, and try prioritizing open-ended assignments that allow for varied approaches.

A project-based learning approach can reap huge rewards. Have students identify real-world problems, conduct research, and investigate potential solutions. Following that process will give them varied intellectual challenges, while the real-world applicability of their work can motivate students to consider the potential impact their thinking can have on the world around them.

Classroom discussions and debates are fantastic activities for building critical thinking skills. As open-ended activities, they encourage student autonomy by requiring them to think for themselves.

They also expose students to a diversity of perspectives , inviting them to critically appraise these different positions in a respectful context. Class discussions are applicable across disciplines and come in many flavors — experiment with different forms like fishbowl discussions or online, asynchronous discussions to keep students engaged.

5. Use argument-mapping tools such as Kialo Edu to train students in the use of reasoning

One of the most effective methods of improving students’ critical thinking skills is to train them in argument mapping .

Argument mapping involves breaking an argument down into its constituent parts, and displaying them visually so that students can see how different points are connected. Research has shown that university students who were trained in argument mapping significantly out-performed their peers on critical thinking assessments. 5

While it’s possible — and useful — to map out arguments by hand, there are clear benefits to using digital argument maps like Kialo Edu. Students can contribute simultaneously to a Kialo discussion to collaboratively build out complex discussions as an argument map.

Using argument maps to teach critical thinking has improved results for students.

Individual students can plan essays as argument maps before writing. This helps them to stay focused on the line of argument and encourages them to preempt counterarguments. Kialo discussions can even be assigned as an essay alternative when teachers want to focus on argumentation as the key learning goal. Unlike traditional essays, they defy the use of AI chatbots like ChatGPT!

Kialo discussions prompt students to use their reasoning skills to create clear, structured arguments. Moreover, students have a visual, engaging way to respond to the content of the arguments being made, promoting interpretive charity towards differing opinions.

Best of all, Kialo Edu offers a way to track and assess your students’ progress on their critical thinking journey. Educators can assign specific tasks — like citing sources or responding to others’ claims — to evaluate specific skills. Students can also receive grades and feedback on their contributions without leaving the platform, making it easy to deliver constructive, ongoing guidance to help students develop their reasoning skills.

Improving students’ critical thinking abilities is something that motivates our work here at Kialo Edu. If you’ve used our platform and have feedback, thoughts, or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us on social media or contact us directly at [email protected] .

Lloyd, M., & Bahr, N. (2010). Thinking Critically about Critical Thinking in Higher Education. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 4 (2), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2010.040209
Ennis, R. H. (2015). Critical Thinking: A Streamlined Conception. In: Davies, M., Barnett, R. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Thinking in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Lang-Raad, N. D. (2023). Never Stop Asking: Teaching Students to be Better Critical Thinkers . Jossey-Bass.
Ellerton, Peter (2019). Teaching for thinking: Explaining pedagogical expertise in the development of the skills, values and virtues of inquiry . Dissertation, The University of Queensland. Available here .
van Gelder, T. (2015). Using argument mapping to improve critical thinking skills. In The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Thinking in Higher Education (pp. 183–192). doi:10.1057/9781137378057_12.

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The ABCs of Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Matters

January 10, 2024 por Valentina Gimenez Leave a Comment

Thinking is a natural act for human beings. Every day, we have thousands of thoughts. However, just because we are thinking does not mean we are doing it well or that all our thoughts require critical reasoning because doing so would be too exhausting. Critical thinking becomes a core skill in a world that is changing so dynamically. Thinking critically not only helps with generating a well-founded personal opinion but also helps solve complex problems in many ways.

Given the importance of this skill, the good news is that critical thinking can be exercised and trained. In other words, this 21st-century skill can be intentionally taught. Below, we will explain how.

What Is Critical Thinking?

According to the publication of the brief series Life Skills. Fostering Critical Thinking by the 21st Century Skills Initiative, “critical thinking mainly aims at assessing the strength and appropriateness of a statement, theory, or idea through a questioning and perspective-taking process, which may or may not in turn result in a possibly novel statement or theory.”

Furthermore, in this publication by Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin , it is argued that “critical thinking need not lead to an original position to a problem. The most conventional one may be the most appropriate. However, it typically involves examining and evaluating different possible positions”.

In other words, it is not limited to solving problems after a reflection. It is also about being able and willing to challenge the core assumptions of accepted theories, paradigms, or knowledge.

Critical thinking implies recognizing that other perspectives may also have merit and, therefore, evaluating each argument or theory’s possible strengths, weaknesses, and biases is possible, no matter how unaligned they are with what we think.

Critical thinking involves using logic, reasoning, and creativity to reach conclusions.

Why Is Critical Thinking Important?

Critical thinking is a skill that has applications in practically all aspects of daily life. It can help you make better decisions, improve employability, and better understand the world. In other words, critical thinking is a fundamental skill for being a 21st-century citizen.

What Is Critical Thinking Used For?

Critical thinking has various functionalities in everyday life, whether in fulfilling professional obligations or carrying out personal activities. Thinking critically is used to:

Make good decisions : it is important as an exercise to analyze and evaluate sources of information based on their truthfulness, relevance, and reasoning, which leads to better decision-making. Ask or question before blindly accepting things as they appear, and form your judgment based on the facts, information, and knowledge available.
Solve problems: use logic and reasoning to analyze and deconstruct problems and choose the best solutions considering the weaknesses and strengths of each alternative solution.
Promote creativity : this is one of the main characteristics of critical thinking and is associated with the previous point, by questioning facts, theories, or concepts, space is also opened up which is very useful for developing new solutions to problems.
Improve employability: especially in the digital age, where many jobs are being automated, there is consensus that critical thinking and creativity are two fundamental skills for improving people’s employment prospects.
Digital and global citizenship : Critical thinking plays a role in individual well-being, but above all, it is considered an essential pillar of the functioning of modern democracies. The ability to voice an independent and well-founded opinion to vote and weigh the quality of arguments presented in the media and other sources of information. In addition, when misinformation, fallacies, and fake news can be a problem for democratic systems, critical thinking helps prevent the spread of false information. It contributes verified, respectful, and ethical content to digital communities and social networks.

4 Steps to Exercise Critical Thinking

According to the publication on critical thinking, there are four key cognitive processes involved in exercising critical thinking:

Determining and understanding the problem is an important first dimension of a critical thinking inquisitive process. This sometimes includes asking why the problem is posed in a certain way, examining whether associated solutions or claims can be based on inaccurate facts or reasoning, and identifying knowledge gaps. This inquiry process partly concerns rational thinking (checking facts, observing, and analyzing reasoning). Still, it includes a more ‘critical’ dimension when identifying possible limitations of the solution and questioning some of the underlying assumptions and interpretations, even when the facts are accurate.

In critical thinking, imagination plays an important role in the mental elaboration of an idea, but all thinking involves some level of imagination. At a higher level, imagination also consists of identifying and reviewing alternative or competing worldviews and theories with an open mind to consider the problem from multiple perspectives.

This allows for a better identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed evidence, arguments, and assumptions, although this evaluation also belongs to the inquisitive process.

The product of critical thinking is one’s position or solution to a problem or judgment about others’ positions or solutions. This mainly involves good inference, a balance between different ways of looking at the problem, and, therefore, recognition of its possible complexities.

As with good thinking, critical thinking involves the ability to argue and justify one’s position rationally, with relevant information, under existing perspectives and socially recognized forms of reasoning, or possibly some new ones.

4. Reflect or evaluate

Finally, although one may consider their stance or way of thinking to be superior to some alternatives, perhaps because it encompasses a broader view or is better supported by existing evidence, critical thinking involves some process of self-reflection on the perspective one espouses, It is possible limitations, and uncertainties. Therefore, this type of thinking implies a certain level of humility, as thinking critically also involves openness to competing ideas.

While one should not adopt ancient skepticism and suspend judgment in all cases, sometimes this may be the most appropriate position.

You may also be interested: 4 Benefits of Developing Listening Skills and the Steps to Achieve It

How to Be a Critical Thinker?

Being a critical thinker brings enormous benefits that go beyond the workplace. It is also good for personal development and daily life in the community. So how do you achieve it?

To be a critical thinker you have to exercise other habits and skills, such as fostering curiosity, questioning the established, improving analysis and communication skills, maintaining self-discipline and being alert to cognitive biases.

Let’s review some of the key skills acquired by great critical thinkers:

Identify relationships between variables and hypothesis testing.
Master systemic thinking and scientific reasoning.
Understand the underlying social, natural, and technological relationships in a system.
Exercise informational literacy, which includes understanding, finding, and obtaining data, reading, interpreting, evaluating, and handling data.
Avoid cognitive biases; consider all available information, not just what aligns with your point of view.
Create a strategy, theory, method, or argument based on evidence synthesis.
Create an argument that goes beyond the available information.
Computational thinking: for example, abstractions and generalizations of patterns, structured problem decomposition, and iterative thinking.
Be able to criticize a work product regarding its credibility, relevance, and bias using a set of standards or a specific framework.

These activities to promote critical thinking can be driven at home, at school, or individually.

Teaching Critical Thinking

Although education systems do not usually have a subject specifically dedicated to developing critical thinking, this skill can be developed as part of other learning. Therefore, the publication “Life Skills: Fostering Critical Thinking” develops some strategies for teaching this skill in schools.

Including Critical Thinking in Education

Use conceptual rubrics that clarify the skills involved.
Include critical thinking as a learning objective in lesson plans.
Provide students with tasks and problems that encourage them to question their cognitive abilities and assumptions and explore multiple perspectives.
Generate an environment in which students feel safe to take risks expressing their thoughts and expressions that arise from their reasoning.
Assess critical thinking by including it in exams and national assessments.

By fostering these strategies at all educational levels, students can be better prepared for the future with critical thinking skills and improve the quality of their education.

And you, do you consider yourself a critical thinker? How has exercising critical thinking helped you in your life? Check out our blog and discover more content to boost your critical thinking!

Valentina Gimenez

Valentina Giménez es coordinadora de comunicación de la División de Educación en el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. Es uruguaya. Fue periodista y productora de contenidos, especializada en temas políticos. Ha trabajado para televisión y prensa escrita. Tiene un MBA por la UCU Business School y es Licenciada en Comunicación Social por la Universidad Católica del Uruguay. Fue consultora en asuntos públicos y comunicación estratégica en su país.

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Senior secondary

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About General subjects

21st century skills

21st century skills: Preparing students for a changing world

Young people in the 21st century need to be

What are the 21st century skills in the senior syllabuses?

Hover over an image for an explanation of the associated skills.

adaptability/flexibility
management (self, career, time, planning and organising)
character (resilience, mindfulness, open- and fair-mindedness, self-awareness)
citizenship
cultural awareness

analytical thinking
problem-solving
decision-making
reflecting and evaluating
intellectual flexibility

relating to others
recognising and using diverse perspectives
participating and contributing
community connections

operations and concepts
accessing and critically analysing information
being productive users of technology
digital citizenship (being safe, positive and responsible online)

initiative and enterprise
curiosity and imagination
generating and applying new ideas
identifying alternatives
seeing or making new links

effective oral and written communication
using language, symbols and texts
communicating ideas effectively with diverse audiences

Detailed description of this diagram

The following written resources are provided to strengthen understanding about the skills students require in the 21st century:

UPDATED Position paper (PDF, 168.6 KB)
UPDATED Explanations of associated skills (PDF, 144.6 KB)
UPDATED Preparing students for a changing world (PDF, 460.2 KB)

The following videos explore the idea of the skills students require in the 21st century:

Introduction to the 21st century skills
Steve Baxter
Orange Sky Laundry: Lucas Patchett and Nicholas Marchesi
Penelope Twemlow
Leslie Chong
Michael Bremner

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Career and Technical Education (CTE) | 21st Century Skills

What Are 21st Century Skills?

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March 14th, 2024 | 11 min. read

Brad Hummel

Coming from a family of educators, Brad knows both the joys and challenges of teaching well. Through his own teaching background, he’s experienced both firsthand. As a writer for iCEV, Brad’s goal is to help teachers empower their students by listening to educators’ concerns and creating content that answers their most pressing questions about career and technical education.

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21st Century skills are 12 abilities that today’s students need to succeed in their careers during the Information Age.

The twelve 21st Century skills are:

Critical thinking

Collaboration

Communication.

Information literacy
Media literacy
Technology literacy

Flexibility

Productivity.

Social skills

These skills are intended to help students keep up with the lightning pace of today’s modern markets. Each skill is unique in how it helps students, but they all have one quality in common: they are essential in the age of the internet.

On this page, we’ll take a look at what’s included in 21st Century skills, how they help students, and why they’re so important.

You'll also be able to download a free guide on how you can teach 21st Century skills in middle or high school courses.

To start, let's dive into the three categories within 21st Century skills.

The Three 21st Century Skills Categories

Each 21st Century skill is broken into one of three categories:

Learning skills
Literacy skills
Life skills

Learning skills (the four C’s) teach students about the mental processes required to adapt and improve upon a modern work environment.

Literacy skills (IMT) focuses on how students can discern facts, publishing outlets, and the technology behind them. There’s a strong focus on determining trustworthy sources and factual information to separate it from the misinformation that floods the Internet.

Life skills (FLIPS) take a look at intangible elements of a student’s everyday life. These intangibles focus on both personal and professional qualities.

Altogether, these categories cover all twelve 21st Century skills that contribute to a student’s future career.

This is not an exhaustive checklist of career readiness and employability skills — but they're the career readiness skills that overlap with 21st Century skills!

Let’s take a closer look at each category.

Category 1. Learning Skills (The Four C’s)

The four C’s are by far the most popular 21st Century skills. These skills are also called learning skills .

More educators know about these skills because they’re universal needs for any career. They also vary in terms of importance, depending on an individual’s career aspirations.

The 4 C's of 21st Century Skills are:

Critical thinking : Finding solutions to problems
Creativity : Thinking outside the box
Collaboration : Working with others
Communication : Talking to others

Below, we'll consider each of these skills and their implications for students' careers.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is one the most important qualities for today's professionals to have.

In the classroom, effective critical thinking inspires students to solve problems and make new discoveries. It’s what helps students figure things out for themselves when they don’t have a teacher at their disposal.

In business settings, critical thinking is essential for improvement. It’s the mechanism that eliminates obstacles and replaces them with fruitful endeavors.

Creativity is equally important as a means of adaptation. This skill empowers students to see concepts in a different light, which leads to innovation.

In any field, innovation is key to the adaptability and overall success of a company.

Learning creativity as a skill requires someone to understand that “the way things have always been done” doesn't necessarily inspire progress or growth. It's the realization that change may be necessary to solve problems with innovative solutions.

Collaboration means getting students to work together, achieve compromises, and get the best possible results from solving a problem.

Collaboration may be the most difficult concept in the four C’s. But once it’s mastered, it can bring companies back from the brink of bankruptcy.

The key element of collaboration is willingness. All participants have to be willing to sacrifice parts of their own ideas and adopt others to get results for the company.

That means understanding the idea of a “greater good,” which in this case tends to be company-wide success.

Finally, communication is the glue that brings all of these educational qualities together.

Communication is a requirement for any company to maintain profitability. It’s crucial for students to learn how to effectively convey ideas among different personality types.

That has the potential to eliminate confusion in the workplace, which makes your students valuable parts of their teams, departments, and companies.

Effective communication is also one of the most underrated soft skills in the United States. For many, it’s viewed as a “given,” and some companies may even take good communication for granted.

But when employees communicate poorly, whole projects fall apart. No one can clearly see the objectives they want to achieve. No one can take responsibility because nobody’s claimed it.

Without understanding proper communication , students in the 21st Century will lack a pivotal skill to progress in their careers.

But the four C’s are only the beginning. 21st Century skills also require students to understand the information that’s around them.

Category 2. Literacy Skills (IMT)

Literacy skills are the next category of 21st Century skills.

They’re sometimes called IMT skills, and they’re each concerned with a different element of digital literacy and comprehension.

The three 21st Century literacy skills are:

Information literacy : Understanding facts, figures, statistics, and data
Media literacy : Understanding the methods and outlets in which information is published
Technology literacy : Understanding the machines that make the Information Age possible

Let's consider these three interrelated skills and how they help learners navigate the world we live in.

Information Literacy

Information literacy is a foundational skill. It helps students understand facts, especially data points, that they’ll encounter online.

More importantly, it teaches them how to separate fact from fiction.

In an age of chronic misinformation, finding truth online has become a job all on its own. It’s crucial that students can identify honesty on their own. Otherwise, they can fall prey to myths, misconceptions, and outright lies.

Media Literacy

Media literacy is the practice of identifying publishing methods, outlets, and sources while distinguishing between the ones that are credible and the ones that aren’t.

Just like the previous skill, media literacy is helpful for finding truth in a world that’s saturated with information.

This is how students find trustworthy sources of information in their lives. Without it, anything that looks credible becomes credible.

But by becoming media literate, students can discern which media outlets or formats to ignore. They also learn which ones to embrace, which is equally important.

Technology Literacy

Last, technology literacy goes another step further to teach students about the machines involved in the Information Age.

As computers, cloud programming, and mobile devices become more important to the world, the world needs more people to understand those concepts.

Technology literacy gives students the basic information they need to understand what gadgets perform what tasks and why. This understanding removes the intimidating feeling that technology tends to have.

After all, if you don’t understand how technology works, it might as well be magic. But technology literacy unmasks the high-powered tools that run today’s world.

As a result, students can adapt to the world more effectively. They can play an important role in its evolution and guide its future.

But to truly round out a student’s 21st Century skills, they need to learn from a third category, one that influences them personally as well as professionally.

Category 3. Life Skills (FLIPS)

Life skills is the final category. Also called FLIPS, these skills all pertain to someone’s personal life, but they also bleed into professional settings.

The five 21st Century life skills are:

Flexibility : Deviating from plans as needed
Leadership : Motivating a team to accomplish a goal
Initiative : Starting projects, strategies, and plans on one’s own
Productivity : Maintaining efficiency in an age of distractions
Social skills : Meeting and networking with others for mutual benefit

Together, the five life skills help ensure that a person can lead a successful and independent life both personally and professionally.

Flexibility is the expression of someone’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

This is one of the most challenging qualities to learn for students because it’s based on two uncomfortable ideas:

Your way isn’t always the best way
You have to know and admit when you’re wrong

That’s a struggle for a lot of students, especially in an age when you can know any bit of information at the drop of a hat.

Flexibility requires them to show humility and accept that they’ll always have a lot to learn — even when they’re experienced.

Still, flexibility is crucial to a student’s long-term success in a career. Knowing when to change, how to change, and how to react to change is a skill that’ll pay dividends for someone’s entire life.

It also plays a big role in the next skill in this category.

Leadership is someone’s penchant for setting goals, walking a team through the steps required, and achieving those goals collaboratively.

Whether someone’s a seasoned entrepreneur or a fresh hire just starting out, leadership applies to their career.

Entry-level workers need leadership skills for several reasons. The most important is that it helps them understand the decisions that managers and business leaders make.

Then, those entry-level employees can apply their leadership skills when they’re promoted to middle management (or the equivalent). This is where 21st Century skill learners can apply the previous skills they’ve learned.

It’s also where they get the real-world experience they need to lead entire companies.

As they lead individual departments, they can learn the ins and outs of their specific careers. That gives ambitious students the expertise they need to grow professionally and lead whole corporations.

True success also requires initiative, requiring students to be self-starters.

Initiative only comes naturally to a handful of people. As a result, students need to learn it to fully succeed.

This is one of the hardest skills to learn and practice. Initiative often means working on projects outside of regular working hours.

The rewards for students with extreme initiative vary from person to person. Sometimes they’re good grades. Other times they’re new business ventures. Sometimes, it’s spending an extra 30 minutes at their jobs wrapping something up before the weekend.

Regardless, initiative is an attribute that earns rewards. It’s especially indicative of someone’s character in terms of work ethic and professional progress.

That goes double when initiative is practiced with qualities like flexibility and leadership.

Along with initiative, 21st Century skills require students to learn about productivity. That’s a student’s ability to complete work in an appropriate amount of time.

In business terms, it’s called “efficiency.” The common goal of any professional — from an entry-level employee to a CEO — is to get more done in less time.

By understanding productivity strategies at every level, students discover the ways in which they work best while gaining an appreciation for how others work as well.

This equips them with the practical means to carry out the ideas they determine through flexibility, leadership, and initiative.

Still, there’s one last skill that ties all other 21st Century skills together.

Social Skills

Social skills are crucial to the ongoing success of a professional. Business is frequently done through the connections one person makes with others around them.

This concept of networking is more active in some industries than others, but proper social skills are excellent tools for forging long-lasting relationships. While these may have been implied in past generations, the rise of social media and instant communications has changed the nature of human interaction.

As a result, today’s students possess a wide range of social skills. Some are more socially adept than others. Some are far behind their peers. And some lucky few may be far ahead, as socializing comes naturally to them.

But most students need a crash course in social skills at least. Etiquette, manners, politeness, and small talk still play major roles in today’s world. That means some students need to learn them in an educational setting instead of a social setting. For them, it’s another skill to add to their lives.

Now that we’ve established what 21st Century skills are let’s answer the next big question: do employers actually want people with 21st Century skills?

What Is the Demand for 21st Century Skills?

While 21st Century skills have always been important, they’ve become essential in a worldwide market that moves faster by the day.

These skills all double back to one key focus: a person's ability to enact and/or adapt to change.

This is because any industry is capable of changing at a moment’s notice. Industries are now regularly disrupted with new ideas and methodologies. Those industries that haven’t been disrupted aren’t immune; they just haven’t been disrupted yet.

With that in mind, the world has entered an era where nothing is guaranteed. As a result, students need to learn to guide the change that’ll inundate their lives. At the very least, they need to learn how to react to it. Otherwise, they’ll be left behind.

This is especially true as customer demand accelerates in all industries, along with expectations for newer features, higher-level capabilities, and lower prices.

In today’s marketplace, falling behind means becoming obsolete. That’s a familiar concept to all of today’s students as tomorrow’s advancements make today’s breakthroughs seem quaint or unimpressive.

Today, the only consistency from year to year is change. That's why many teachers like you are incorporating the 21st Century Skills Assessment into their career readiness courses.

When you teach 21st Century skills , your students will have the adaptive qualities they need to keep up with a work environment that’s constantly evolving.

How Do You Teach 21st Century Skills?

Now you know what 21st Century skills are and why employers want new hires to have them. So how do you teach them in your daily classes?

Before getting into the details, it's important to identify who should teach 21st Century skills.

While these skills can be taught at any grade level, we find it's most important to teach 21st Century skills in middle or early high school.

This is the time when your students need to hone their career readiness skills before they enter the workforce!

So how can middle and high school teachers teach 21st Century skills effectively?

Read Your Free Guide on Teaching 21st Century Skills

Salamah Embark Saleh University of Sabratha, Libya

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CRITICAL THINKING AS A 21st CENTURY SKILL: CONCEPTIONS, IMPLEMENTATION AND CHALLENGES IN THE EFL CLASSROOM

This qualitative research explores the conceptions, implementation and challenges of critical thinking in the FL classroom. 24 Libyan EFL university instructors participated in this study though completing an open-ended questionnaire sent via FB messenger. The content analysis applied to the participants’ answers revealed different conceptions and misconceptions of critical thinking. It also revealed that the majority of the participants implemented critical thinking in different aspects of their teaching. Some social, cultural and administrative barriers limited the effectiveness of this implementation. Nevertheless, the development of this kind of thinking for 21 st century EFL learners is a necessity, not an option.

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Azizinezhad, M; Hashemi, M.; Darvishi, S. 2013. Relationship between EFL teachers’ attitudes, teaching techniques and classroom (large and small). 3rd World Conference on Learning, Teaching and Educational Leadership (WCLTA-2012). Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 93,pp: 134 – 137.

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Papak, P. & Vujičić, L. & ŽeljkaIvković, Z. 2017. Project activities and encouraging critical thinking: exploring teachers’ attitudes. c e p s Journal ,Vol.7, (3), pp: 27-46. https://www.pedocs.de/volltexte/2017/14905/pdf/cepsj_2017_3_PejiPapak_Vujii_I vkovi_Project_activities.pdf.

Pennycook, A. 1994. The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language. Teacher Talking to Teacher: Vol. III, ( 3), pp. 21-23. Harlow, Essex, UK: Longman Group Limited. http://www.tnewfields.info/Articles/PDF/reviewPennycook.pdf.

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Yamith José Fandiño 2* Universidad de la Salle Gist Education and LEarninGrEsEarchJournaL. Vol. 1692-5777, (7). pp. 190-208.

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Top 10 Skills of the 21st-Century Classroom

The top 10 skills students will master in a 21st-century classroom to pave the way toward academic excellence, a sense of wonder, and a joyful, successful future.

Collaborative Problem Solving

Students learn through solving problems. A great way to learn is by effectively working as a team to solve problems as a cohesive, collaborative unit. Working together toward a common goal is a hallmark of human society. One Stanford study found that participants primed to work collaboratively kept working on a task 64% longer than those working alone. A 21st-century curriculum emphasizes team-based projects in which groups draw on each individual’s strengths to solve problems. This model exposes students to new ideas and opposing viewpoints, while demonstrating the power of the collective mind.

A 21st-century education affords students opportunities to flex their creative muscles beyond the traditionally creative classes. Whether they work to find a new solution to an old problem or find a different way to explain an everyday occurrence, students are constantly finding their own approaches to problems and projects.

Whatever the next chapter in life brings, creativity is an essential tool to get young minds thinking across disciplines and beyond what’s been done before. In fact, one study found that 78% of college-educated professionals say creativity is very important to their career.

Hands-On Learning

Students in a 21st-century skills classroom are not afraid to get their hands dirty. They thrive on translating textbook material into real-life scenarios in which teachers encourage creativity, experimentation, and trial-and-error. A 21st-century curriculum takes hands-on learning beyond the art studio and science lab.

In the middle school English class, students create sock puppets and put on a performance of the short story, Tobermory. A European History class decorates T-shirts to illustrate the narrative of the French Revolution. Hands-on learning brings coursework into the here and now through active, project-based activities.

Cultural Competency

In our diverse, ever-changing world, it’s essential that the 21st-century classroom emphasize cultural competency skills, beyond an appreciation for other cultures. The U.S. Census projects that by 2044, the minority population will increase to more than 50%, and the U.S. population will become majority-minority. In a 21st-century skills classroom, all individuals have the opportunity to interact with students from other backgrounds and participate in culturally immersive experiences. These skills will be critical as students fuel future growth on a global scale.

Effective Written and Oral Communication

Students learn to listen actively, organize and articulate a discussion, present information, and argue points respectfully. Communication skills are not seen as a “given.” Effective communication, when speaking and writing, is encouraged and cultivated through activities that challenge students to think beyond their knee-jerk reactions or preconceptions about a topic or problem. Expressing ideas clearly and effectively is essential for success, as one study that shows over 73% of employers look for candidates with strong communication skills.

Ethical Decision Making

You make about 35,000 decisions every day, from the most simple to more complicated choices. A 21st-century curriculum teaches students how to navigate their own decision-making process by considering ethical factors, such as respect, fairness, equality, and kindness. Students explore how seemingly small decisions they make each day have far-reaching effects on others. Character building is a cornerstone of the 21st-century skills classroom.

Information and Media Literacy

Our world is saturated with information. In a 21st-century classroom, students learn how to interpret facts and figures and question the credibility of information published online. A Stanford Graduate School of Education study found that the majority of students in middle school, high school, and college struggle to think critically about online media, including what constitutes fake news. Media and information literacy skills are interdisciplinary in nature and essential for students to learn across all subjects.

Today’s world needs strong leaders. A 21st-century skills classroom focuses on developing leadership skills related to listening, building consensus, organizing, and motivating a group to action. Students learn what it means to have a responsibility for something beyond themselves. Considering that 47% of managers stepped into their positions without any training, developing leadership skills will pay off significantly as students enter college and the wider world.

Critical Thinking

The 21st-century skills classroom focuses on asking questions to encourage critical thinking, inquiry, and reasoning. In all courses, students evaluate, synthesize, and translate ideas to solve problems and complete projects. Teachers also encourage students to hone their reasoning and inquiry skills. Well-developed thoughts and approaching problems from multiple angles is expected. Students question and analyze information — an increasingly crucial skill — rather than simply memorizing facts and figures.

Personal Responsibility and Initiative

Students in a 21st-century classroom are challenged to take ownership of their learning and dive headfirst into projects on their own. Staying flexible in the face of ever-changing circumstances is a critical skill for success. When an assignment or activity does not go as planned, students are encouraged to demonstrate humility and react to obstacles in a positive, productive way. In our fast-paced society, the ability to adapt to change will always be in high demand.

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Critical Thinking: A Simple Guide and Why It’s Important

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Critical Thinking: A Simple Guide and Why It’s Important was originally published on Ivy Exec .

Strong critical thinking skills are crucial for career success, regardless of educational background. It embodies the ability to engage in astute and effective decision-making, lending invaluable dimensions to professional growth.

At its essence, critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information in a logical and reasoned manner. It’s not merely about accumulating knowledge but harnessing it effectively to make informed decisions and solve complex problems. In the dynamic landscape of modern careers, honing this skill is paramount.

The Impact of Critical Thinking on Your Career

☑ problem-solving mastery.

Visualize critical thinking as the Sherlock Holmes of your career journey. It facilitates swift problem resolution akin to a detective unraveling a mystery. By methodically analyzing situations and deconstructing complexities, critical thinkers emerge as adept problem solvers, rendering them invaluable assets in the workplace.

☑ Refined Decision-Making

Navigating dilemmas in your career path resembles traversing uncertain terrain. Critical thinking acts as a dependable GPS, steering you toward informed decisions. It involves weighing options, evaluating potential outcomes, and confidently choosing the most favorable path forward.

☑ Enhanced Teamwork Dynamics

Within collaborative settings, critical thinkers stand out as proactive contributors. They engage in scrutinizing ideas, proposing enhancements, and fostering meaningful contributions. Consequently, the team evolves into a dynamic hub of ideas, with the critical thinker recognized as the architect behind its success.

☑ Communication Prowess

Effective communication is the cornerstone of professional interactions. Critical thinking enriches communication skills, enabling the clear and logical articulation of ideas. Whether in emails, presentations, or casual conversations, individuals adept in critical thinking exude clarity, earning appreciation for their ability to convey thoughts seamlessly.

☑ Adaptability and Resilience

Perceptive individuals adept in critical thinking display resilience in the face of unforeseen challenges. Instead of succumbing to panic, they assess situations, recalibrate their approaches, and persist in moving forward despite adversity.

☑ Fostering Innovation

Innovation is the lifeblood of progressive organizations, and critical thinking serves as its catalyst. Proficient critical thinkers possess the ability to identify overlooked opportunities, propose inventive solutions, and streamline processes, thereby positioning their organizations at the forefront of innovation.

☑ Confidence Amplification

Critical thinkers exude confidence derived from honing their analytical skills. This self-assurance radiates during job interviews, presentations, and daily interactions, catching the attention of superiors and propelling career advancement.

So, how can one cultivate and harness this invaluable skill?

✅ developing curiosity and inquisitiveness:.

Embrace a curious mindset by questioning the status quo and exploring topics beyond your immediate scope. Cultivate an inquisitive approach to everyday situations. Encourage a habit of asking “why” and “how” to deepen understanding. Curiosity fuels the desire to seek information and alternative perspectives.

✅ Practice Reflection and Self-Awareness:

Engage in reflective thinking by assessing your thoughts, actions, and decisions. Regularly introspect to understand your biases, assumptions, and cognitive processes. Cultivate self-awareness to recognize personal prejudices or cognitive biases that might influence your thinking. This allows for a more objective analysis of situations.

✅ Strengthening Analytical Skills:

Practice breaking down complex problems into manageable components. Analyze each part systematically to understand the whole picture. Develop skills in data analysis, statistics, and logical reasoning. This includes understanding correlation versus causation, interpreting graphs, and evaluating statistical significance.

✅ Engaging in Active Listening and Observation:

Actively listen to diverse viewpoints without immediately forming judgments. Allow others to express their ideas fully before responding. Observe situations attentively, noticing details that others might overlook. This habit enhances your ability to analyze problems more comprehensively.

✅ Encouraging Intellectual Humility and Open-Mindedness:

Foster intellectual humility by acknowledging that you don’t know everything. Be open to learning from others, regardless of their position or expertise. Cultivate open-mindedness by actively seeking out perspectives different from your own. Engage in discussions with people holding diverse opinions to broaden your understanding.

✅ Practicing Problem-Solving and Decision-Making:

Engage in regular problem-solving exercises that challenge you to think creatively and analytically. This can include puzzles, riddles, or real-world scenarios. When making decisions, consciously evaluate available information, consider various alternatives, and anticipate potential outcomes before reaching a conclusion.

✅ Continuous Learning and Exposure to Varied Content:

Read extensively across diverse subjects and formats, exposing yourself to different viewpoints, cultures, and ways of thinking. Engage in courses, workshops, or seminars that stimulate critical thinking skills. Seek out opportunities for learning that challenge your existing beliefs.

✅ Engage in Constructive Disagreement and Debate:

Encourage healthy debates and discussions where differing opinions are respectfully debated.

This practice fosters the ability to defend your viewpoints logically while also being open to changing your perspective based on valid arguments. Embrace disagreement as an opportunity to learn rather than a conflict to win. Engaging in constructive debate sharpens your ability to evaluate and counter-arguments effectively.

✅ Utilize Problem-Based Learning and Real-World Applications:

Engage in problem-based learning activities that simulate real-world challenges. Work on projects or scenarios that require critical thinking skills to develop practical problem-solving approaches. Apply critical thinking in real-life situations whenever possible.

This could involve analyzing news articles, evaluating product reviews, or dissecting marketing strategies to understand their underlying rationale.

In conclusion, critical thinking is the linchpin of a successful career journey. It empowers individuals to navigate complexities, make informed decisions, and innovate in their respective domains. Embracing and honing this skill isn’t just an advantage; it’s a necessity in a world where adaptability and sound judgment reign supreme.

So, as you traverse your career path, remember that the ability to think critically is not just an asset but the differentiator that propels you toward excellence.

6 crucial soft skills every student needs to master in the 21st century

T hriving in this ever-changing world not only requires a breadth of skills rooted in academic competencies for children but also abilities like teamwork, critical thinking, communication, persistence, and creativity amongst others. These skills are in fact interconnected.

We live in an era when students require these diverse sets of skills to survive and be successful. It is no longer enough to rely on conventional skill sets like the power of memory and recall, rote, and repetition.

Schools are aware of the evolution of society and the economy and hence are equipping teachers in terms of upskilling and adapting curriculum to ensure conceptual understanding, development of competencies, and growth in character, to ensure that students are nurtured, challenged, and empowered to achieve their academic and personal goals.

What skills then would be useful to students who have to shape their lives in tune with the rapidly changing world?

Here are six crucial soft skills every student needs to master in the 21 st century as listed by Shweta Sastri, Managing Director, Canadian International School, Bangalore:

1. ADAPTABILITY AND CREATIVITY

In the digital age, things are changing very rapidly. By the time students learn one set of skills, a newer version is already emerging.

Students will need to adapt to changing conditions and learn things quickly and efficiently and mentors will have to ensure that students are aware of the best methods to learn new things. Learning how to learn is an important skill that cannot be overemphasised!

2. COLLABORATION SKILLS ARE VITAL

It's quite possible that traditional classrooms may encourage competition and independence compared to collaboration and teamwork. Schools have to keep pace with changing scenarios and bring in a culture of collaboration which are crucial to achieving collective goals.

Every professional today works collaboratively with others in some capacity. From engineers to artists, learning how to work in a group setting or leading a team that needs motivation requires practice. What better way to foster these lifelong skills than in a classroom?

3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS

In the new digital age, there is great emphasis on the ability to communicate; hence, students have to be familiar with emerging technologies used in communication. In the current era, technology is omnipresent and schools need to adapt to new communication changes.

In addition to conceptual understanding, students should have the opportunity to grow in character to become well-rounded global citizens who have the confidence to impact a remarkable and sustainable future.

4. CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING

Creating an environment that focuses on conceptual understanding and application of that knowledge to real-world skills leads to lifelong learning and retention of knowledge.

Building an environment that fosters critical thinking, risk-taking, creativity, and the courage to make mistakes and move beyond them should be a priority.

Focusing on learning to understand rather than learning to test should be a high priority for educators.

The ability to think critically is not easy and needs instruction and support. However once this skill is mastered, it will help develop analytical capabilities that will help students be competitive in an ever-changing global market.

5. CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

Growing and learning in a multicultural environment gives children a greater understanding of others' beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours. As globalisation continues to bring cultures together, it is imperative to equip students with the continued experience to be citizens of a global future.

These experiences come from an education model that includes diverse narratives, qualities, and viewpoints, which facilitate an understanding of social pluralism. Multiculturalism promotes principles of inclusion, democracy, and a sense of togetherness, among many other positive traits.

6. UPSKILLING AND ALWAYS BEING AT THE CUTTING EDGE IN TECH

Technology has shaped human history over the years and will undoubtedly continue to do so. Today, the digital revolution is spreading across the globe, creating connections never before thought of and students will have to have a breadth of broad technological skills.

Whether it is called the Second Machine Age, the Digital Revolution, or the 4th Industrial Revolution, technologists, economists and academics are all concerned with recent rapid technological advances and their implications for the future.

The world is constantly changing and the pace at which the economy is progressing makes agility a great value and in the modern world, there is no one better placed than those who can multitask in a quick time.

Recognising the nature of these changes is vital in understanding the current context in which we live, and the changes to be expected in the future. This, in turn, helps us determine how we view education and the need for the breadth of skills approach.

It is now central that we explore how to align these aspirations in the context of the educational environment.

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21st Century Skills Critical Thinking
Research and Best Practices: One in a Series on 21st Century Skills. For the full collection of related blog posts and literature reviews, see the Center for Assessment's toolkit, Assessing 21 st Century Skills. Educational philosophers from Plato and Socrates to John Dewey highlighted the importance of critical thinking and the intrinsic value of instruction that reaches beyond simple ...
Integrating 21st century skills into education systems ...
The skills include critical thinking/reasoning, creativity/creative thinking, problem solving, metacognition, collaboration, communication and global citizenship. 21st century skills also include ...
Improving 21st-century teaching skills: The key to effective 21st
The 21st-century skillset is generally understood to encompass a range of competencies, including critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, meta-cognition, communication, digital and technological literacy, civic responsibility, and global awareness (for a review of frameworks, see Dede, 2010).And nowhere is the development of such competencies more important than in developing country ...
A Comprehensive Guide to 21st Century Skills
The concept of "21st century skills" isn't new—skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving have been taught in classrooms for decades. Yet, as the demands of our changing economy rise, many school districts are now including 21st century skills in strategic plans to better prepare students for college, career, and life.
| 21st Century Skills
As a citizen of the 21st century, you should be able to Analyze and evaluate information in terms of its veracity, relevance, and substantiation. ... Ennis, R. H. (1993). Critical thinking assessment. Theory into practice, 32(3), 179-186. ... 21st century skills help individuals of all ages to reinvent themselves throughout life, adapt to ...
Critical thinking is a 21st-century essential
Critical thinking is a 21st-century essential — here's how to help kids learn it. If we want children to thrive in our complicated world, we need to teach them how to think, says educator Brian Oshiro. And we can do it with 4 simple questions. We all want the young people in our lives to thrive, but there's no clear consensus about what ...
Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills
These labels include both cognitive and non-cognitive skills- such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, effective communication, motivation, persistence, and learning to learn. 21st century skills also include creativity, innovation, and ethics that are important to later success and may be developed in formal or informal ...
21st Century Skills
At the center of all the recommendations was a solid education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition to a strong STEM education, 21st century skills also include several soft skills and dispositions including cross-cultural skills, collaboration skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
An integrated critical thinking framework for the 21st century
The teaching of critical thinking (CT) skills has been identified as an area that needs to be developed (Association of American Colleges and Universities, ... Committee on prospering in the global economy for the 21st century, Washington, DC (2005) Google Scholar. Norman and Shallice, 1986.
Teaching Critical Thinking in the 21st century: Tell us your views!
Teaching Critical Thinking in the 21st century: Tell us your views! Lauren Pitts . Published 09 July 2018. Life Competencies Adult ... We want to hear what Critical Thinking means to you and the challenges you face when developing these skills with your students, so we can provide you with the right training and resources to teach it with ...
Critical Thinking
As English language teachers our primary focus is on the 4 language skills - Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. While our students get a hang of these, we have to nudge them towards the 21st century skills especially the 4 Cs - Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication. All these can be seamlessly fostered in the ...
How to teach critical thinking, a vital 21st-century skill
Critical thinking is widely hailed as one such essential "21st-century skill," helping people critically assess information, make informed decisions, and come up with creative approaches to solving problems. This means that individuals with developed critical thinking skills benefit both themselves and the wider society.
Critical Thinking 101: Understanding A Key Skill for the 21st Century
Filed Under: Education and work Tagged With: 21-century skills, 21st century skills, critical thinking, Inter-American Development Bank, latin america and the caribbean, teach critical thinking Valentina Gimenez. Valentina Giménez es coordinadora de comunicación de la División de Educación en el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo.
21st century skills
21st century skills comprise skills, abilities, and learning dispositions identified as requirements for success in 21st century society and workplaces by educators, ... Learning and innovation skills: critical thinking and problem solving, communications and collaboration, creativity and innovation;
The importance of critical thinking in the 21st Century
The International Baccalaureate (IB) will be hosting its annual African Education Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa on 27 - 28 February 2020 under the theme of Leading and Learning in the 21st Century, with a special focus on "Inspire, Innovate, Integrate". Conrad Hughes will deliver a keynote on critical thinking in the 21st Century ...
What Are the 4 C's of 21st Century Skills?
While all twelve of those skills are necessary to teach, the "four C's" are often considered to be the most important. The four C's of 21st Century skills are: Critical thinking. Creativity. Collaboration. Communication. These four skills are essential for modern students to succeed in school and the workplace.
(PDF) Critical Thinking as a 21-Century Skill: Conceptions
Critical Thinking as a 21-Century Skill: Conceptions , Implementation and Challenges in the EFL Classroom ... English-Language Learners, Fan Communities, and 21st-Century Skills. Journal of ...
21st century skills: Preparing students for a changing world
The following written resources are provided to strengthen understanding about the skills students require in the 21st century: UPDATED Position paper (PDF, 168.6 KB) UPDATED Explanations of associated skills (PDF, 144.6 KB) UPDATED Preparing students for a changing world (PDF, 460.2 KB)
What Are 21st Century Skills?
The 4 C's of 21st Century Skills are: Critical thinking: Finding solutions to problems. Creativity: Thinking outside the box. Collaboration: Working with others. Communication: Talking to others. Below, we'll consider each of these skills and their implications for students' careers.
Higher Order Thinking Skills in the 21st Century: Critical Thinking
The. ability to think critically has two types, namely high-level thinking and low-level thinking. Higher-order. thinking skills consist of logical, reflective, metacognitive, and creative thinkin ...
Determinants of 21st-Century Skills and 21st-Century Digital Skills for
For 21st-century digital skills studies, technical (38.3%) and information skills (29.7%) were the most investigated skills, whereas critical thinking (3.9%) and creativity (2.3%) were underrepresented. Both measured determinants of problem-solving relatively frequently, whereas communication and collaboration were underreported.
21st-Century Skills: Definition and Examples
21st-century skills are a range of skills that can help a professional better navigate a career in the modern workplace. 21st-century skills can divide into these main areas: Learning: Learning skills focus on areas like critical thinking and creativity. Literacy: Literacy skills focus on areas like information or media literacy.
CRITICAL THINKING AS A 21st CENTURY SKILL: CONCEPTIONS, IMPLEMENTATION
Elfatihi, M. 2017. A rationale for the integration of critical thinking skills in EFL/ESL Instruction. Higher Education of Social Science, Vol. 12, (2), pp. 26-31. Fandiño, Y. 2013. 21st Century Skills and the English Foreign Language Classroom: A Call for More Awareness in Colombia. Gist Education and Learning Research Journal, 7, pp. 190-208 .
PDF Framework for 21st Century Learning
21ST CENTURY SUPPORT SYSTEMS 21st century learning requires an innovative support system to engage learners through applicable skills and knowledge, appropriate technologies, and real-world connections to make learning relevant, personalized, and engaging. P21 has identified five critical support systems to ensure all students
Top 10 Skills of the 21st-Century Classroom
Critical Thinking. The 21st-century skills classroom focuses on asking questions to encourage critical thinking, inquiry, and reasoning. In all courses, students evaluate, synthesize, and translate ideas to solve problems and complete projects. Teachers also encourage students to hone their reasoning and inquiry skills.
Critical Thinking: A Simple Guide and Why It's Important
Critical Thinking: A Simple Guide and Why It's Important was originally published on Ivy Exec. Strong critical thinking skills are crucial for career success, regardless of educational background. It embodies the ability to engage in astute and effective decision-making, lending invaluable dimensions to professional growth.
6 crucial soft skills every student needs to master in the 21st century
Here are six crucial soft skills every student needs to master in the 21st century. India Today ... critical thinking, communication, persistence, and creativity amongst others. These skills are ...
Shaping Global Competence: 21st Century Skills & Technology
1 21st Century Skills, Technology, and Global Competence in Education The development of global competence in education is a crucial aspect of preparing students for an increasingly interconnected and complex world. In the contemporary landscape of education, the convergence of 21st-century skills and advancing technologies presents both opportunities and obstacles for the development of ...

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Critical Thinking – a crucial 21st century skill

How to teach critical thinking, a vital 21st-century skill

What is critical thinking?

How to teach students to think critically — strategies

2. Teach students to make clear and effective arguments

3. Encourage metacognition — guide students to think about their own and others’ thinking

4. Assign open-ended and varied activities to practice different kinds of thinking

5. Use argument-mapping tools such as Kialo Edu to train students in the use of reasoning

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