21st Century Skills and Teachers Responsibilities at Undergraduate Level: Examining Relationship and Demographics Analysis

Abstract

Higher education institutions are increasingly recognizing the importance of developing 21st-century skills in order to prepare students for complex academic, professional, and social environments. It is the teacher's role to facilitate these skills through effective instructional practices, classroom interaction, critical thinking activities, collaboration, communication, creativity, and the integration of technology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between 21st century skills and teachers' responsibilities at the undergraduate level, with particular attention paid to the role of demographic factors. This study used a correlational research design to conduct a quantitative research study. An undergraduate survey measuring 21st-century skills and responsibilities of teachers was administered to students. In order to determine the relationship between 21st-century skills and teachers' responsibilities, descriptive statistics were used to examine demographic characteristics and distribution of responses. A Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the relationship between 21st-century skills and the responsibilities of teachers. It was also examined whether perceptions differed based on demographic differences. The results indicate that Competencies Essential for Undergraduate Students, Students' 21st Century Skills, and Teachers' Responsibility to Cultivate 21st Century Skills are significantly and positively interrelated, especially between Students' 21st Century Skills and Teachers' Responsibility to Cultivate 21st Century Skills (r = .840, p < .001).There were no statistically significant differences between the perceptions of the respondents across gender and age groups in Competencies Essential for Undergraduate Students, Students' 21st Century Skills, and Teachers' Responsibility to Cultivate 21st Century Skills.It is recommended in the study that teacher professional development, student-centered teaching practices, technology integration, and competency-based instruction be strengthened at the undergraduate level. In promoting 21st-century skills in undergraduate education, these findings provide useful implications for university teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and higher education policymakers.