Abstract

Research Problem: The purpose of this integrative literature review is to explore the scientific literature on 21st century skills, the education establishment’s response to forecasted socioeconomic changes brought forth by automation technology. The review analyzes the literature to identify its predominant patterns and trends.
Research questions:
1. What terminology is most prominently used in the literature to refer to 21st century skills, competencies, and literacies?
2. Which 21st century skills, competencies and literacies are most prominent in the literature?
3. Which teaching strategies and educational technologies have been suggested to support the development of 21st century skills, competencies, and literacies?
Literature Review: The purpose of the literature review is to describe the emergence of 21st century skills and identify gaps that it presents. This preliminary review first examines the major international frameworks promoting 21st century skills that have been published by governments and non-profit organizations. The review then follows by examining the empirical literature on the topic, including two comparative analyses that compared the 21st century skills frameworks.
Methodology: The study uses an integrative literature review methodology, analyzing articles using content analysis. A sample of articles is collected, using replicable search parameters. These articles are then reviewed to confirm they meet the integration criteria. Included articles are then reviewed systematically to determine the terminology they used and the 21st century skills, teaching strategies and educational technology they identified.
Results and Conclusions: The study revealed several dominant and strong patterns in the literature. These patterns included the use of the term skill as the dominant terminology, and the prominence in the literature of skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving and critical thinking. The review also identified that the use of student-centred learning activities, learning activities based on designing products, as well as the integration of ICT devices, social media, communication, and web 2.0 tools in the learning environment represented strong patterns in the literature. The implications of this study serve to inform the practice of teachers seeking to integrate 21st century skills into their classrooms, by enabling them to focus their efforts on integrating the groups of skills, teaching strategies and educational technology tools that were identified as prominent in the literature. Furthermore, this study also serves to identify priorities for researchers wanting to operationalize the key concepts, strategies, and tools of 21st century skills and contribute to the accrual of empirical knowledge about them. The limitations of the study relate to the fact that the literature is continuously evolving and that new patterns may yet emerge from it. Future research should seek to operationalize terms that are used ambiguously throughout the literature. Furthermore, researchers should seek to create working definitions of individual skills to suggest ways to best develop them in students.