PART 1: Theoretical Knowledge

2.1.1 The context in which the 21^st century skills were developed

It is difficult to predict what kind of jobs current first-graders are going to work in the future. However, it is already clear that they will need to use their critical thinking, objectively evaluate the information received, generate original ideas, be able to work in a team, constantly learn as well as change and analyze themselves.

As we see the modern world, it seems to be unsettled, dynamic and demanding. The pace of life is increasing, everyday life forces us to be active, open minded and ready for change. We face the challenge of effectively entering a world of complex relationships, connections and solutions. Nothing is simple, nothing is obvious and unambiguous. Known methods do not always work, and solutions passed down from generation to generation do not work at all.

More and more often we feel confused and we are afraid of how we are going to make it in this harsh reality. How are our children going to make it? Can you help us with that? We naturally turn our attention to school (widely understood – from kindergarten to university) and the teachers who work there. After all, there are experts in school, people who are ready to support the development, broaden the horizons of thinking and help to master new useful skills. But the question is, is the teacher himself ready to overcome this challenge? Does he have the competencies to educate children and adolescents in currently desired directions? Unfortunately, the answer to such a question is not obvious and unambiguous. However, before accepting or rejecting such an approach, the following questions must be answered:

What are the key competencies and according to what regulations are they presented for the discussion on human education and development?

What is the school ‘s capacity to respond effectively to the need for competence development for children and youngsters?

What obstacles effectively hinder or even make this impossible?

What role does the teacher themself have to play in this regard? How is he prepared for that?

Current educational activities related to key competencies are based on the 22th May 2018 recommendation of The European Council (2018) on key competences for lifelong learning.

The problem of these competences was raised by the European Union much earlier, in 2006, when the countries of the European Union adopted a recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning. The Council (2018) explained that “key competences are those whose training is needed by all – fulfillment and personal development, employment, social inclusion, a sustainable lifestyle, a successful life in a peaceful society, healthy life management and active citizenship”. They are developed considering a lifelong learning perspective, from early childhood to lifelong learning, through formal, informal, and self-directed learning in all contexts, including family, school, workplace, neighborhood, and other communities. It should be emphasized that all eight competencies identified by the Council are equally important and each of them is significant for a successful life in society. 

2.1.2. The 21st century skills according to the European Council

There is no advantage among them, none is more important than the others. We need all these competencies to be effective in the face of the challenges of the 21^st century. The European Council (2018) has identified eight key competencies in its system:

Literacy competence

Multilingual competence

Mathematical competence and competence in science, technology and engineering

Digital competence

Personal, social and learning to learn competence

Citizenship competence

Entrepreneurship competence

Cultural awareness and expression competence. 

Figure 1. Map on how/where to acquire skills

“As the situation changes radically in the 21^st century, we as humanity are entering a crisis, which in both, social and personal life, means one simple thing – a situation for which we do not have pre-prepared solutions. Creating new, unconventional, unprepared solutions to a new challenge requires creativity that has to be encouraged.”

Essential 21^st century skills that are mentioned in various sources – creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration. Creativity is often described as the ability to act in situations without a known solution. The creative process combines questioning, exploration and intuitive imagination, also combining incompatible elements. Along with playfulness and experimentation, technical skills, perseverance, failure and tolerance of uncertainty play an important role here. Creativity also includes the ability to work in a team with different thinkers.

In the last century, expertise was indicated by a single diploma, and it was enough to keep a job for life. In the 21^st century, it is clear that knowledge will need to be constantly updated, existing skills strengthened, and new ones learned in order to be able to look openly and critically at ongoing changes, and to successfully adapt to a changing labor market.”

According to Laužikaitė (2010), the head of the association “Kūrybinės jungtys” (eng. Creative connections), critical thinking is more relevant now than ever – every day we are facing situations where we must choose which information we can call right and how not to become a victim to fake news. “By not being able to think critically and question the information we receive, we are becoming more vulnerable and easier to manipulate,” says the creative learning expert.

Other equally important skills are leadership and personal growth. These are the things that help you understand and rethink who you are, what you desire. These are habits that help you constantly learn, grow, achieve goals, and take responsibility. Creative learning experts recommend talking to children about what is success, happiness, do they feel happy themselves, what makes them happy and why? The conversation can be started much earlier than it would seem to be needed.

The OECD (2005) states that improving the quality of teacher education is a systematic change that is likely to lead to a better school performance.

We must talk about responsible and flexible education systems that respond qualitatively to the educational needs of children, youngsters and adults. One of the most significant criteria is the development of the ability to learn, which is inseparable from the idea of lifelong learning. We should pay even more attention to the development of research, technology and innovation, closer regional and international cooperation, and partnerships to achieve the key goal of inclusive, equitable and high-quality education and lifelong learning for all.

It is important to build a bridge between human skills and wisdom. Skills are being trained and they get improved very quickly. And wisdom is derived from experience.

2.1.3 The 21^st century skills in the contest of the lifelong learning

The 21st-century skills enable individuals to respond to the needs of the century in which they live, to survive, and to be productive, can be acquired largely through education. In this context, while primary school is a basic and important educational step in acquiring 21st-century skills for students with its multi-faced range of courses, curricula are also the primary guides in this step.

According to Beers (2011), the 21st century is considered the beginning of the digital age with unprecedented growth in technology and subsequently with the information boom. New technologies and tools are renewing and constantly improving themselves almost without entering our daily lives.

Parallel to this change, in the 21st century, the abilities that people should have in business life, as civil citizens, and in the context of self-actualization differ considerably compared to the 20th century, and expectations from individuals also change (Dede, 2009; Wagner, 2008a). Individuals of our age are now expected to be able to adapt to rapid changes and developments, to use the information obtained in their lives, and accordingly to have a place in the society, to make the right decisions, to be productive, and to have the skills needed to live in the society. 

The 21st-century skills that express high-level skills and learning tendencies that need to be developed in order to be successful in the information age are the skills that include both knowledge and skill and emerge by blending these two concepts (Dede, 2009).

Many institutions or organizations have classified 21st-century skills in different ways (as above mentioned). Belet Boyacı and Atalay (2016) points out that 21st-century skills are categorized as learning and renewal, life and career, information, media and technology skills in P21 (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009); creative thinking, effective communication, high productivity, digital age literacy at NCREL (North Central Regional Education Laboratory, 2003); creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving and decision making, communication and collaboration, digital citizenship, technological applications and concepts, research and knowledge fluency in NETS/ISTE (International Society for Technology Education, 2007); interaction with heterogeneous groups, and use of technology tools in the OECD (2005). It is seen that creativity, critical thinking, working in collaboration, and problem-solving are emphasized in all classifications of 21st-century skills.

The Partnership P21 (2009), addresses 21st-century skills under three categories; learning and renewal skills, life and career skills, and information, media, and technology skills. Learning and renewal skills consist of problem-solving and critical thinking, collaboration and communication, creativity and renewal skills. 

According to this classification, life and career skills consist of flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-management, social and intercultural skills, leadership and responsibility skills; Information, media, and technology skills consist of information literacy, media literacy and information, communication and technology qualification (technology literacy) skills. Considering that the skills that individuals need to develop in order to survive and adapt to society can only be acquired through education, it can be stated as a necessity to raise individuals who can meet the demands of the 21st century and cope with the problems of the age (Tutkun, 2010). 

Although individuals can acquire 21st-century skills through education at all educational levels from primary school to higher education, it is considered important that these skills are taught to students, especially from the primary school level. Because primary school is a very important step in laying the foundations of skills that individuals will use in their lives, such as making decisions, thinking independently, solving problems, and thinking critically (Silva, 2009).

In the 21st century, it is very important to raise individuals who can not only access information but also who can produce knowledge, cooperate and work in teams, take responsibility, have verbal and written communication skills, think, be creative, flexible, research and have problem-solving competence. It is possible for students to develop themselves cognitively, socially, and emotionally only if they can communicate effectively, develop their language skills, and use their native language correctly and with the subtleties of the language. These competencies are in line with 21st-century skills.

Figure 2. Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes by Partnership for 21st Century Skills ://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

According to this table prepared by the P21 platform with the contributions of teachers, academics, and leaders in the business world; It presents the skills that 21st-century students should acquire and useful topics to learn, as well as the systems that can be used to support these skills. The subheadings of the skills in the table are also listed as follows:

Learning and Renewal Skills
- Creativity and Renewal
- Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
- Communication and Cooperation

Information, Media and Technology Skills
- Information Literacy
- Media Literacy
- Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Literacy

Life and Professional Skills
- Flexibility and Adaptability
- Entrepreneurship and Self-orientation
- Social and Intercultural skills
- Productivity and Responsibility
- Leadership and Responsibility

In this list, “communication, adaptation, and innovation” skills constitute the main skeleton of the skills that 21st-century individuals will need. The reason is that a new world is being formed, where technology is developing rapidly and increasingly taking up more space in our lives. Technological advances shorten distances and increase the speed of all kinds of communication and production. Among these changing balances, the winner will be the one who adapts the fastest to the new. 

As for adaptation, it is enabled through communication. Moreover, the resources we have access to information are increasing. The Internet is becoming a resource pool. Getting the right information without drowning in this pool is enabled through technology and information literacy. Moreover, this new constantly changing world expects you to constantly produce, more importantly, to produce new things and keep up with this change. Therefore, innovation skills will be indispensable skills that the individuals of the future should have.

All these skills that are expected to be acquired in the 21st century is closely related to the concept of lifelong learning. Continuing lifelong learning activities for students to develop their knowledge and competencies in a perspective related to personal, civic, social, and/or employment skills will be an approach appropriate to the requirements of the age.