Twenty-first century skills and school programs: Implementation at a suburban elementary school
[Thesis]
;supervisor: Gothold, Stuart
University of Southern California: United States -- California
: 2012
178 Pages
Downlode
Ed.D.
Under-utilization of human potential coupled with the need to maintain alignment with the demands imposed by globalization (e.g. sustainable development, citizenship, self-actualization, ability to respond to the emergence of cutting-edge technologies) have led to calls for policy and practice reorientations in the field of education. In response, several frameworks have been developed as viable twenty first century instructional models. The most prominent appears to be the framework proposed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) framework which has been adopted by some school systems. The purpose of this study was to use the P21 framework to identify the programs and practices that promote the acquisition of 21st century skills at an elementary school. This qualitative study involved the use of surveys, face-to-face interviews, document/record review, and observations. Investigator- and theory triangulations were used in the description of the curriculum, pedagogies, and other practices adopted by the school. A thematic group of nine doctoral students developed the research questions used in this study. The results of the case study were that the school was active in at least three (Global Awareness, Health Literacy, and Environmental Literacy) of the five twenty-first century themes proposed by the P21 framework. The study also revealed extensive use of technology by teachers and students, collaboration among stakeholders, systematic use of data to drive instruction, intentional capacity building, the use of multiple measures to assess students' mastery of concept, instruction that emphasized the development of critical thinking- and problem solving skills, strong parental involvement, and students' involvement in environmental, health, and global awareness activities.