Integrating 21st-Century Skills into the General Curriculum: Evidence from Public Schools in Alabama

In the last century, humanity witnessed a drastic change from an agrarian society to a manufacturing culture; now the world is experiencing the same type of change, but with more complexity toward a society based on information. Concerned educators and citizens have acknowledged the future of competitive global economics that the current generation is moving towards. A call has been put forth for policy makers, administrators, and educators to collaborate in designing a curriculum that will prepare students to build the skills required for the new century. The current study expands the view by revealing the voices of students and reporting students’ ratings of their own 21st century skills. Students in three public schools in rural Alabama in grades 3-6 rated their abilities and enjoyment in using 21st century skills. Findings can help educators address the gap between the current school curriculum and the needed skills for the 21st century, as well as determine how prepared children in low-resource schools are to face the challenges of the new century. Keywords: 21st century skills, assessment, standards. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-12-01 Publication date: April 30th 202