The 21st Century Skills (C21S) are a transversal set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits, of critical importance for success for educators, policy makers, academics, entrepreneurs, especially in the field of education and the world of work today, and for full civic and social participation.
We can find an accepted definition of 21st Century Skills in Partnership for 21st Century Skills including inputs from academics, education experts, and business leaders.
They do not currently have a specific place in most curricula. C21S involve skills and abilities, as curiosity, creativity and collaboration, which are not strictly skills. Some focus on technology, and others place more emphasis on attitudes and values. However, most target on similar types of complex thinking, learning, and communication skills, more demanding than the mere one-way transmission of knowledge and memorized learning.
Although not defined in the curriculum, all teachers apply 21st century skills to practice in one way or another. Teaching-related competencies are defined as follows:
Collaboration
Collaborative skills involve the ability to work effectively and respectfully within a team, the commitment to achieve a goal, and to share responsibilities.
Communication
Communication skills are the ability to articulate ideas and thoughts effectively through written and non-verbal methods, as well as orally.
Creativity
Creativity refers to being able to generate, analyze, and evaluate original ideas and collaborate.
Critical thinking
Critical thinking skills involve using different reasoning techniques, such as inductive and deductive, to analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other, assessing points of view, and critically reflecting on experiences and learning processes.
The Australian Board of Educational Research has defined a framework for the development of critical thinking, creativity and collaboration skills, including the implementation of 21st century teaching skills in the curriculum.
References
Australian Council for Educational Research (2020). Teaching and assessing 21st century skills, Recuperat de https://www.acer.org/au/discover/article/teaching-and-assessing-21st-century-skills
European Parliament, Council of the European Union (2006). Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning. Brussels, Belgium: Official Journal of the European Union (2006/962/EC), OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, pp. 10–18. Recuperat de http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/
EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32006H0962&from=EN
Kim, H., Care, E., (2020). Capturing 21st century skills: analysis of assessments in selected sub-Saharan African countries, Paris:UNESCO, Recuperat de https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374052/PDF/374052eng.pdf.multi
Kim, H., Care, E., Vista, A., (2020). Optimizing Assessment for All. Measuring 21st century skills. New York: Brookings. Recuperat de https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/OAA-project-description.pdf
Gordon, J., Halasz, G., Krawczyk, M., Leney, T., Michel, A. Pepper, D. Putkiewicz, E. & Wisniewski, J. (2009). Key Competences in Europe: Opening doors for lifelong learners across the school curriculum and teacher education. Warsaw: Center for Social and Economic Research.
OECD (2020), What Students Learn Matters: Towards a 21st Century Curriculum, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d86d4d9a-en
OECD (2020) Curriculum (re)design. A series of thematic reports from the OECD Education 2030 project. OECD Publishing, Paris, Recuperat de https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/contact/brochure-thematic-reports-on-curriculum-redesign.pdf
OECD (2020), Lessons for Education from COVID-19: A Policy Maker’s Handbook for More Resilient Systems, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/0a530888-en.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2009). P21 framework definitions. Recovered from http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21_Framework_Definitions.pdf
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2010). 21st Century Knowledge and Skills in Educator Preparation. Recuperat de http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/aacte_p21_whitepaper2010.pdf
Saavedra, A., Opfer, V., (2012). Teaching and Learning 21st Century Skills: Lessons from the Learning Sciences. Rand Corporation, Recuperat de https://asiasociety.org/sites/default/files/T/teaching-and-learning-21st-century-skills-rand.pdf
Scoular, C., Ramalingam, D., Duckworth, D., & Heard, J. (2020). Assessment of General Capabilities: Skills for the 21st-century learner. Final report. Australian Council for Educational Research. https://research.acer.edu.au/ar_misc/47
Scoular, C. (2020). Analysis of 21st Century Skills Integration as applied in the Philippines K to 12 program. Final Report. Australian Council for Educational Research. https://research.acer.edu.au/curriculumdevelopment/1
Valli, P., Perkkilä, P., & Valli, R. (2014). Adult pre-service teachers applying 21st century skills in the practice. Athens Journal of Education, 1 (2), 115-129. Recuperat de http://www.atiner.gr/journals/education/2014-1-2-2-Valli.pdf