21st-century skills and their relationship to STEAM learning environments: a review
Abstract
The development of the so-called 21st century skills is currently mentioned as one of the key objectives that education systems must achieve throughout the world, so that citizens as a whole can adapt adequately to the labor market and in general, to the future society. The purpose of this review is, given the explosive and growing interest in this topic, to identify the various definitions of the skills of the 21st century and then to recognize the relationships that can be found between these skills and STEAM learning environments, which recently have been proposed as suitable scenarios for developing them. The study was developed as a systematic literature review based on abstracting and in-depth reading of 153 scientific articles published in journals indexed in Scopus and Scielo. The results of the study suggest that, in order to guide the development of 21st century skills, it is convenient to consider when designing STEAM learning environments, issues such as the change in the assessment towards a more formative experience, the inclusion of collaborative and social environments, the use of research-based learning strategies and gamification and games, among others.
Downloads
References
Ahonen, A. K., & Kinnunen, P. (2015). How Do Students Value the Importance of Twenty-first Century Skills? Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 59(4), 395–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2014.904423
Anderman, E. M., Sinatra, G. M., & Gray, D. L. (2012). The challenges of teaching and learning about science in the twenty-first century: Exploring the abilities and constraints of adolescent learners. Studies in Science Education, 48(1), 89–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2012.655038
Binkley, M., Erstad, O., Herman, J., Raizen, S., Ripley, M., Miller-Ricci, M., & Rumble, M. (2012). Defining Twenty-First Century Skills. In P. Griffin, B. McGaw, & E. Care (Eds.), Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (pp. 17–66). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2324-5_2
Black, R. W. (2009). English-Language Learners, Fan Communities, and 21st-Century Skills. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(8), 688–697. https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.52.8.4
Brown III, W. (2019). Guiding the path: Identified skills for educating the next generation of workers. Journal of Education for Business, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2018.1541854
Bullock, S. M. (2013). Using digital technologies to support Self‐Directed Learning for preservice teacher education. The Curriculum Journal, 24(1), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2012.744695
Bybee, R. W. (2010). What Is STEM Education? Science, 329(5995), 996–996. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1194998
Care, E., Scoular, C., & Griffin, P. (2016). Assessment of Collaborative Problem Solving in Education Environments. Applied Measurement in Education, 29(4), 250–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/08957347.2016.1209204
Carnevale, A., Smith, N., & Melton, M. (2011). STEM: Science Technology Engineering Mathematics. Executive Summary. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
Chu, S. K. W., Reynolds, R. B., Tavares, N. J., Notari, M., & Lee, C. W. Y. (2017). Assessment Instruments for Twenty-First Century Skills. In S. K. W. Chu, R. B. Reynolds, N. J. Tavares, M. Notari, & C. W. Y. Lee, 21st Century Skills Development Through Inquiry-Based Learning (pp. 163–192). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2481-8_8
Clear, T. (2015). “Follow the moon” development: Writing a systematic literature review on Global Software Engineering Education. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 19-22-Nov-2015, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1145/2828959.28350190
Dede, C. (2000). Emerging influences of information technology on school curriculum. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(2), 281–303. https://doi.org/10.1080/002202700182763
Delors, J. (1998). Learning: The treasure within. Unesco. http://lllp.iugaza.edu.ps/Files_Uploads/635087182222401677.pdf
Eguchi, A. (2016). RoboCupJunior for promoting STEM education, 21st century skills, and technological advancement through robotics competition. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 75, 692–699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2015.05.013
Eleni, N., & Fotini, P. (2018). “Developing Interdisciplinary Instructional Design Through Creative Problem-Solving by the Pillars of STEAM Methodology.” In M. E. Auer & T. Tsiatsos (Eds.), Interactive Mobile Communication Technologies and Learning (Vol. 725, pp. 89–97). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75175-7_10
Feshina, S. S., Konovalova, O. V., & Sinyavsky, N. G. (2019). Industry 4.0—Transition to New Economic Reality. In E. G. Popkova, Y. V. Ragulina, & A. V. Bogoviz (Eds.), Industry 4.0: Industrial Revolution of the 21st Century (Vol. 169, pp. 111–120). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94310-7_11
Ge, X., Ifenthaler, D., & Spector, J. M. (2015). Emerging technologies for STEAM education: Full STEAM ahead. Springer.
Gerber, S., & Scott, L. (2011). Gamers and gaming context: Relationships to critical thinking: Gamers and critical thinking. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42(5), 842–849. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01106.x
Ghaith, G. (2010). An exploratory study of the achievement of the twenty‐first century skills in higher education. Education + Training, 52(6/7), 489–498. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400911011068441
Gobert, J. D., Kim, Y. J., Sao Pedro, M. A., Kennedy, M., & Betts, C. G. (2015). Using educational data mining to assess students’ skills at designing and conducting experiments within a complex systems microworld. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 18, 81–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2015.04.008
Gowripeddi, V. V., Bijjahalli, M. C., Janardhan, N., & Bhimavaram, K. R. (2021). Role of Education 4.0 Technologies in Driving Industry 4.0. In M. E. Auer & D. May (Eds.), Cross Reality and Data Science in Engineering (Vol. 1231, pp. 576–587). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52575-0_48
Greenhow, C., & Robelia, B. (2009). Informal learning and identity formation in online social networks. Learning, Media and Technology, 34(2), 119–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439880902923580
Grijalva, R. D. R., & Tapia, M. G. A. (2018). The prevalence of the knowledge society or the information society as structuring elements of the social system [La prevalencia de la sociedad del conocimiento o la sociedad de la información como elementos estructurantes del sistema social]. Prisma Social, 20, 333–346.
Hadinugrahaningsih, T., Rahmawati, Y., & Ridwan, A. (2017). Developing 21st century skills in chemistry classrooms: Opportunities and challenges of STEAM integration. AIP Conference Proceedings, 0300080–0300089. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4995107
Häkkinen, P., Järvelä, S., Mäkitalo-Siegl, K., Ahonen, A., Näykki, P., & Valtonen, T. (2017). Preparing teacher-students for twenty-first-century learning practices (PREP 21): A framework for enhancing collaborative problem-solving and strategic learning skills. Teachers and Teaching, 23(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2016.1203772
Hodges, T. S., & Weber, N. D. (2015). Making Heads or Tails of Classroom Flipping. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 51(2), 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2015.1023135
ISTE. (2016). Redefining learning in a technology-driven world: A report to support adoption of the ISTE Standards for Students. ISTEC, Inc. https://cdn.iste.org/www-root/Libraries/Documents%20%26%20Files/Standards-Resources/ISTE%20Standards_Students-2016_Research-Validity%20Report_final.pdf
Jang, H. (2016). Identifying 21st Century STEM Competencies Using Workplace Data. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(2), 284–301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-015-9593-1
Kale, U., & Goh, D. (2014). Teaching style, ICT experience and teachers’ attitudes toward teaching with Web 2.0. Education and Information Technologies, 19(1), 41–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-012-9210-3
Kingsley, T. L., & Grabner-Hagen, M. M. (2015). Gamification: Questing to Integrate Content Knowledge, Literacy, and 21st-Century Learning. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 59(1), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.426
Kitchenham, B., & Charters, S. (2007). Guidelines for performing Systematic Literature Reviews in software engineering (Version 2.3; EBSE Technical Report, pp. 1–65). Kelle University and University of Durham.
Kong, S. C., Chan, T.-W., Griffin, P., Hoppe, U., Huang, R., Kinshuk, Looi, C. K., Milrad, M., Norris, C., & Nussbaum, M. (2014). E-learning in school education in the coming 10 years for developing 21st century skills: Critical research issues and policy implications. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 17(1), 70–78.
Koul, S., & Nayar, B. (2021). The holistic learning educational ecosystem: A classroom 4.0 perspective. Higher Education Quarterly, 75(1), 98–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12271
Kwon, S. B., Nam, D., & Lee, T. W. (2011). The effects of convergence education based STEAM on elementary school students’ creative personality. Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Computers in Education, ICCE 2011, 783–785. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84860464127&partnerID=40&md5=2b60fd0fee41d815b2fd84679ec5dc53
López, A., Méndez, D., Paz, A., & Arboleda, H. (2016). Desarrollo e Instrumentación de un Proceso de Vigilancia Tecnológica basado en Protocolos de Revisión Sistemática de la Literatura. Información Tecnológica, 27(4), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-07642016000400017
McCreery, M. P., Schrader, P. G., & Krach, S. K. (2011). Navigating Massively Multiplayer Online Games: Evaluating 21st Century Skills for Learning within Virtual Environments. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 44(4), 473–493. https://doi.org/10.2190/EC.44.4.f
National Research Council. (1999). Being fluent with information technology. National Academy Press.
National Research Council. (2011). Successful K-12 STEM education: Identifying effective approaches in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. National Academy Press. https://www.nap.edu/resource/13158/dbasse_071100.pdf
Niemi, H., & Multisilta, J. (2016). Digital storytelling promoting twenty-first century skills and student engagement. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 25(4), 451–468. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2015.1074610
O’Bannon, B. W., & Thomas, K. (2014). Teacher perceptions of using mobile phones in the classroom: Age matters! Computers & Education, 74, 15–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.01.006
O’Bannon, B. W., & Thomas, K. M. (2015). Mobile phones in the classroom: Preservice teachers answer the call. Computers & Education, 85, 110–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.02.010
OCDE. (2010). Working Paper 21st Century Skills and Competences for New Millennium Learners in OECD Countries (EDU Working paper no. 41). OCDE. http://recursostic.educacion.es/blogs/europa/media/blogs/europa/informes/Habilidades_y_competencias_siglo21_OCDE.pdf
O’Flaherty, J., & Phillips, C. (2015). The use of flipped classrooms in higher education: A scoping review. The Internet and Higher Education, 25, 85–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2015.02.002
Osher, D., Kidron, Y., Brackett, M., Dymnicki, A., Jones, S., & Weissberg, R. P. (2016). Advancing the Science and Practice of Social and Emotional Learning: Looking Back and Moving Forward. Review of Research in Education, 40(1), 644–681. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X16673595
P21. (2020). Battelle For Kids. P21’s Frameworks for 21st Century Learning. https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21
Parker, J., Maor, D., & Herrington, J. (2013). Authentic online learning: Aligning learner needs, pedagogy and technology. Issues in Educational Research, 23(2 SPL), 227–241. Scopus.
Pazey, B. L., Schalock, R. L., Schaller, J., & Burkett, J. (2016). Incorporating Quality of Life Concepts Into Educational Reform: Creating Real Opportunities for Students With Disabilities in the 21st Century. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 27(2), 96–105. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044207315604364
Perignat, E., & Katz-Buonincontro, J. (2018). From STEM to STEAM: Using Brain-Compatible Strategies to Integrate the Arts ,: by David A. Sousa and Tom Pilecki. (2013). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 280 pp. Arts Education Policy Review, 119(2), 107–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2017.1300970
Perignat, E., & Katz-Buonincontro, J. (2019). STEAM in practice and research: An integrative literature review. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 31, 31–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2018.10.002
Putnam, C., Dahman, M., Rose, E., Cheng, J., & Bradford, G. (2016). Best Practices for Teaching Accessibility in University Classrooms: Cultivating Awareness, Understanding, and Appreciation for Diverse Users. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 8(4), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1145/2831424
Qian, M., & Clark, K. R. (2016). Game-based Learning and 21st century skills: A review of recent research. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.023
Ras, E., Krkovic, K., Greiff, S., Tobias, E., & Maquil, V. (2014). Moving towards the Assessment of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills with a Tangible User Interface. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 13(4), 95–104.
Redecker, C., & Johannessen, Ø. (2013). Changing Assessment - Towards a New Assessment Paradigm Using ICT: European Journal of Education. European Journal of Education, 48(1), 79–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12018
Reese, S. A. (2015). Online learning environments in higher education: Connectivism vs. dissociation. Education and Information Technologies, 20(3), 579–588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-013-9303-7
Resnick, L. B. (2010). Nested Learning Systems for the Thinking Curriculum. Educational Researcher, 39(3), 183–197. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X10364671
Reynolds, R. (2016). Connecting student information resource uses to learning outcomes in guided discovery-based game design. IConference 2016 Proceedings, 1–12.
Rončević, B., & Tomšić, M. (Eds.). (2017). Information Society and its Manifestations: Economy, Politics, Culture. Peter Lang AG. https://doi.org/10.3726/b10694
Rotherham, A. J., & Willingham, D. (2009). 21st century skills: The challenges ahead. Educational Leadership, 67(1), 16–21.
Rupp, A. A., Gushta, M., Mislevy, R. J., & Shaffer, D. W. (2010). Evidence-centered design of epistemic games: Measurement principles for complex learning environments. The Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment, 8(4), 1–48.
Saavedra, A. R., & Opfer, V. D. (2012). Learning 21st-Century Skills Requires 21st-Century Teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(2), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171209400203
Sahin, A., Gulacar, O., & Stuessy, C. (2015). High School Students’ Perceptions of the Effects of International Science Olympiad on Their STEM Career Aspirations and Twenty-First Century Skill Development. Research in Science Education, 45(6), 785–805. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-014-9439-5
Sahlberg, P. (2011). The Fourth Way of Finland. Journal of Educational Change, 12(2), 173–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-011-9157-y
Sanabria, J. C. (2017). Enhancing 21st Century Skills with AR: Using the Gradual Immersion Method to develop Collaborative Creativity. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(1), 487–501. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.00627a
Sanabria Zafra, E., Rodríguez Rodríguez, N., Zerpa Pérez, A. E., Prieto Marañón, P., & Alonso Rodríguez, M. Á. (2020). El Pensamiento computacional: ¿Una nueva forma de entrenar la memoria de trabajo?: Computational thinking: A new way to train working memory? Revista de Educación a Distancia (RED), 20(63). https://doi.org/10.6018/red.401931
Scott, C. L. (2015). El futuro del aprendizaje 2?` Qué tipo de aprendizaje se necesita para el siglo XXI? UNESCO. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002429/242996s.pdf
Seifert, T. (2015). Pedagogical Applications of Smartphone Integration in Teaching: Lecturers, Pre-Service Teachers and Pupils’ Perspectives. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 7(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijmbl.2015040101
Siddiq, F., Gochyyev, P., & Wilson, M. (2017). Learning in Digital Networks – ICT literacy: A novel assessment of students’ 21st century skills. Computers & Education, 109, 11–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.01.014
Tabesh, Y. (2017). Computational Thinking: A 21st Century Skill. Olympiads in Informatics, 11, 65–70. https://doi.org/10.15388/ioi.2017.special.10
Tan, L. (2016). Confucius: Philosopher of twenty-first century skills. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 48(12), 1233–1243. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2016.1182416
Tang, W., Hu, J., Zhang, H., Wu, P., & He, H. (2015). Kappa coefficient: A popular measure of rater agreement. Shanghai Archives of Psychiatry, 27(1), 62–67.
Thomas, K. M., O’Bannon, B. W., & Britt, V. G. (2014). Standing in the Schoolhouse Door: Teacher Perceptions of Mobile Phones in the Classroom. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 46(4), 373–395. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2014.925686
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. John Wiley & Sons. http://shorturl.at/lnqIN
Unfried, A., Faber, M., Stanhope, D. S., & Wiebe, E. (2015). The Development and Validation of a Measure of Student Attitudes Toward Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S-STEM). Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 33(7), 622–639. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282915571160
van Laar, E., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Dijk, J. A. G. M., & de Haan, J. (2017). The relation between 21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review. Computers in Human Behavior, 72, 577–588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.03.010
Vreeburg Izzo, M., Yurick, A., Nagaraja, H. N., & Novak, J. A. (2010). Effects of a 21st-Century Curriculum on Students’ Information Technology and Transition Skills. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 33(2), 95–105. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885728810369348
Wilson, M., Scalise, K., & Gochyyev, P. (2015). Rethinking ICT literacy: From computer skills to social network settings. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 18, 65–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2015.05.001
Woolf, B. P., Lane, H. C., Chaudhri, V. K., & Kolodner, J. L. (2013). AI grand challenges for education. AI Magazine, 34(4), 66.
Wright, E., & Lee, M. (2014). Developing skills for youth in the 21st century: The role of elite International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme schools in China. International Review of Education, 60(2), 199–216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-014-9404-6
Yadav, A., Hong, H., & Stephenson, C. (2016). Computational Thinking for All: Pedagogical Approaches to Embedding 21st Century Problem Solving in K-12 Classrooms. TechTrends, 60(6), 565–568. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-016-0087-7
Zapata-Ros, M. (2019). Computational thinking unplugged. Education in the Knowledge Society, 20, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.14201/eks2019_20_a18
Zhao, Y. (2015). A World at Risk: An Imperative for a Paradigm Shift to Cultivate 21st Century Learners. Society, 52(2), 129–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-015-9872-8
Zheng, B., Warschauer, M., Lin, C.-H., & Chang, C. (2016). Learning in One-to-One Laptop Environments: A Meta-Analysis and Research Synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 1052–1084. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316628645
Copyright (c) 2021 Distance Education Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Las obras que se publican en esta revista están sujetas a los siguientes términos:
1. El Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Murcia (la editorial) conserva los derechos patrimoniales (copyright) de las obras publicadas, y favorece y permite la reutilización de las mismas bajo la licencia de uso indicada en el punto 2.
2. Las obras se publican en la edición electrónica de la revista bajo una licencia Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 3.0 España (texto legal). Se pueden copiar, usar, difundir, transmitir y exponer públicamente, siempre que: i) se cite la autoría y la fuente original de su publicación (revista, editorial y URL de la obra); ii) no se usen para fines comerciales; iii) se mencione la existencia y especificaciones de esta licencia de uso.
3. Condiciones de auto-archivo. Se permite y se anima a los autores a difundir electrónicamente las versiones pre-print (versión antes de ser evaluada) y/o post-print (versión evaluada y aceptada para su publicación) de sus obras antes de su publicación, ya que favorece su circulación y difusión más temprana y con ello un posible aumento en su citación y alcance entre la comunidad académica. Color RoMEO: verde.
