1.

0 Introduction

Over the years, education has been based on the "3 R's" which are reading, writing and
arithmetic. Academic institutions are still clinging to obsolete methods and have failed to educate
students in this technological era. The integration of 21st century skills in the curriculum is not
only valuable to teachers and students, but also necessary to prepare our future youth leaders.
Innovation, research and technology are essential tools of education in rethinking education to
cope with the evolving methodologies of the 21st century. Herrington and Kervin (2007) argued,
“A thinking curriculum provides a profound comprehension of the subject and the ability to
apply that knowledge to the complex, real-world problems that the student will face as an adult”.
Failure to innovate and adapt to these strategies will only further jeopardize the development of a
nation. Educational innovations are crucial, and would no doubt be effective if they are research-
based and imbued with technology. Education in its widest sense is at cross-roads of societal
development and knowledge, and importantly, of dynamic change processes and the capacities to
make choices. A 21st century education is about nurturing the skills of students needed to
succeed in this new world while helping them to cultivate the confidence to practice those skills.

2.0 Literature review

2.1 Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21)

P21 incorporates core academic knowledge, critical thinking, and social skills in teaching
and learning to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities that are required in this era.
By supporting 21st century learning systems to improve outcomes, these skills can help students
succeed in their future professions. P21 can help to complement the 3R’s (core academic content
mastery) and 4C’s (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity). The aim of
the P21 framework is to achieve future skills that are needed by students through integration of
cognitive learning and skills into the academic curriculum. This enables students to obtain a
deeper comprehension of the subject and try to solve complex problems in the real world.

P21 has identified four ‘Skills for Today’: Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and
communication. Critical thinking is about analyzing information and critiquing claims. Creativity
is about thinking through information in different ways, making new connections and coming up
with innovative solutions to problems. Collaboration is about teamwork and the collective genius
of a group that is more than the sum of its parts. Understanding things well enough to share them
clearly with other people is communication. The focal points of P21 are on 21st century skills,
content knowledge, and expertise while fostering understanding across multiple core subjects
and themes. Additionally it emphasizes deeper perceptive rather than shallow knowledge and
engages students with the real world data and tools.
2.1.1 Malaysian Education Blueprint (2013-2025)

The Malaysian Education Blueprint offers a vision of the education system and students that
Malaysia both needs and deserves, and suggests strategic and operational shifts that would be
required to achieve the national education’s goal. The main objectives are establishing a clear
vision and aspirations, understanding the current performance and challenges and outlining a
comprehensive transformation programme for the system, including key changes to the ministry.
The five system aspirations are access, quality, equity, unity and efficiency. The six key
attributes required by students to be globally competitive are thinking skills, knowledge,
leadership skills, bilingual proficiency, national identity, ethics and spirituality. The plan is
designed as a government aspiration in preparing students in our country to cope with the 21st
century education and increasing our education standards internationally (Mahamod et al., 2013).
There are 11 shifts needed to achieve the blueprint. These are:

 Provide equal access to quality education of an international standard

 Ensure every child is proficient in Bahasa Malaysia and English Language
 Develop Values-Driven Malaysians
 Transform teaching into the profession of choice
 Ensure high-performing school leaders in every school
 Empower JPNs, PPDs and schools to customize solutions based on need
 Leverage ICT to scale up quality learning across Malaysia
 Transform ministry delivery capabilities and capacity
 Partner with parents, community and private sector at scale
 Maximise student outcomes for every ringgit
 Increase transparency for direct public accountability

The blueprint is divided into the three waves below:

 Wave 1 (2013-2015): Turn around system by supporting teachers and focusing on

core skills
 Wave 2 (2016-2020): Accelerate system improvement
 Wave 3 (2021-2025): Move towards excellence with increased operational
flexibility

2.1.2 Pembelajaran Abad ke-21 (PAK21) or 21st Century Learning

PAK21 refers to the Ministry of Education (MOE’s) initiative which champions a student-
centred learning process that is steered by five elements of communication, collaboration, critical
thinking, creativity, and values and ethics (4C1V). PAK21 defines the pertinent knowledge,
competency, and characteristics that students should embody to be competitively relevant and
empowered to take on the challenges of 21st Century volatilities. PAK21 would generate more
creative thinking processes and instill better human values, while preparing the students for the
Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) as mentioned by Education Minister Dr. Maszlee Malik.
Further elaborations of the skills for today are:

 Critical Thinking: Every student must be able to compare, evaluate facts and
opinions and make decisions based on that study. Trilling and Fadel (2009) defined
critical thinking as the ability to analyze, deduce, evaluate, summarize, and produce
information. Learning to build on one another's knowledge and expertise involves
respect, listening, and contributing. Students need to be given time and opportunities
to reflect on their own strengths and weakness, as well as how to utilize the strengths
of their team members for optimum effect.

 Communication: The ability to read, share thoughts, questions, ideas, and solutions in
ways others can understand are powerful literacy skills. Literacy includes new modes
of communication such as video and multimedia tools as well as traditional speaking
and writing. Students must still be capable of clear, concise writing and the correct use
of topic-specific vocabulary, regardless of the medium.

 Collaboration: Due to the fact they do not know how to collaborate productively;
students often dislike working in groups. Successful team projects are a combination
of innovative group work and actions that have been thoroughly discussed. Creating a
21st century classroom consists of learning to build on one another's knowledge and
expertise which involves respect, listening, and contributing. An effective strategy to
increase student motivation and change it from the external to the internal is
cooperative learning (Joyce et al., 2009).

 Creativity: This sort of innovation is a result of creativity in practice. If we are going

to be able to address the needs and issues in our highly complex and rapidly changing
world, we need to stop thinking about creativity as just art, or as a unique character
trait. To promote creativity in our students, we need to create a learning culture that
values and promotes creative behaviors. Make it clear that creativity is a positive,
valued attribute of every student.

 Values and Ethics: Morals refer to human behavior where morality is the practical
activity and, ethics describes the theoretical, systematic, and rational reflection upon
that human behavior (Churchill, 1982). To help enrich their faculty of knowledge,
morality, values and ethics, proper nurturing of intellectual honesty in students’ minds
is needed. This view aligns with the guidelines provided by National Science
Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996). Morals and values can be
fostered (Unesco, 1991) through a myriad range of teaching techniques such as role‐
play, drama, simulation, educational games, debates, discussions, educational visits,
interviews, brainstorming; and utilizing the resource materials using poems, stories,
 songs, photographs, posters, and slogans. Supplementary teaching techniques involve
project assessments, group work evaluation, observation techniques, interviews, and
audio‐visual evaluations (Churchill et al., 2013)

2.2 Curriculum Design

The 21st century curriculum should mix knowledge, thinking, innovation, skills, media,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy, and real life experience in the
context of core academic subjects. It should focus on the production of knowledge and
encourage students to generate the information that has value or meaning to them in order to
develop new skills. Moreover, curriculum developers of P21 stated curriculum should be
designed in a way that allows students to master and understand core academic disciplinary
knowledge. Preparing curriculum to be connected with the real world can improve students’
motivation and understanding for the academic subjects; support their participation, on top of
preparing them for adult life (Lombardi, 2007). This will enable students to make informed
decisions that prepare them to face challenges in the global community and give them the
opportunity to excel in the workplace. Additionally, the curriculum is pretty dense and influence
teachers’ creativity in governing teaching and learning (Rajendran, 2001; Saad, Saad & Dollah,
2012).

2.3 Educators of the 21st Century

21st century teachers need to conduct themselves as a guide or mentor for their students,
not as the sole provider of information. Students are customarily going to know more than
teachers on different topics with so much access to a variety of resources. Teachers need to be
forward-thinking, curious and flexible so that they can empower their students to unlock their
full potentials. Getting teachers to use technology and innovative approach to teaching, learning
and handling the educational process of the digital natives is critical in building the 21st century
learning environment. Jacobsen (2001) mentioned that utilizing technological tools in teaching
gives students the opportunity to engage in the real world, which in turn increases their
understanding and develop creativity and innovation skills. Educators need to navigate students
who are characterized with: short attention spans, multitasking, and the desire for speed in
communication and accessing information using digital technology. Integrating information
technology and media while making it relevant with pedagogy and teaching techniques play
important parts in assisting and support 21st century learning progress among pupils (Rahim &
Abdullah, 2017).

Teachers play a significant role in helping students develop 21st century skills by
applying methods that enhance students' abilities. Teachers’ outlook toward 21st century
pedagogy practice should be cultivated with creative, innovative and critical thinking, problem
solving and ability in decision making (Osman & Basar, 2016). One such approach is problem-
based learning. Students can discuss and analyze different issues and topics that are related to the
real world within this model. Furthermore, this approach endorses students to investigate
problems, provide explanations, generate ideas, analyze data, and make judgments in order to
find the appropriate solution. Research has shown an increased participation in class activities
and enhanced critical thinking skills from students applying problem-based learning. This
approach allows students to learn through creative thinking and break through thinking barriers
in order to achieve unique, 21st century learning skills. When teachers applied this strategy, they
supported students’ capacities in critical thinking, self-directed learning and cooperation, as well
as social interaction. Cooperative learning is another pedagogy that enhances 21st century skills.
This strategy divides students into different groups with diverse abilities and interests, and has a
powerful effect on learning that gives distinctive results. In order to achieve the desired outcome,
the group's work is more creative because of the deep thought and integration of students’
strengths and talents.

2.4 Classroom of the 21st Century

The classroom of the 21st century should be a platform where students can actively
engaged with their own learning, develop learning autonomies and to align physical learning
with mental learning space. The design principles for a 21st century classroom are:

 Allow everyone to be seen and heard

 Design for multiple rhythms in the same classroom
 Support the dynamic presentation of information
 Take advantage of new media
 Design for temporary ownership of space
 Design for mentoring and apprenticeship

The ten characteristics of a 21st classroom are:

 Student-centric
 Active learning
 Computing devices
 Invitational environment
 Adaptive learning
 Mutual respect
 Rules and procedures are followed
 Students take responsibility of their decisions
 Collaborative learning
 Performance-based assessments
The components of the 21st century classroom should include but not limited to:

 Digital projector
 Interactive whiteboard
 Student response system
 Audio/visual system
 Teacher’s laptop

3.0 Conclusion

Technology in the 21st century serves as an extraordinary tool to shape and enhance the
learning environment. Digital literacy skills are absolutely necessary to ensure the technology is
used to supplement and not as a substitute for high‐quality instructional methods. P21 stresses
that education should focus on both core academic subject mastery and 21st century skills
development. These skills facilitate students to be prepared for college and career life. There are
various strategies by which to achieve 21st century skills; problem solving, critical thinking,
collaborative learning, integration environment, and digital tools in teaching. 21st century
curriculum and instruction provides an integrative approach for achieving success for students.
Future research should consider the implications this has for preparing teachers in the proper
ways to push in 21st century skills in their lessons and integrate multimedia tools. In addition,
future research must continue to investigate the effects of using 21st century curriculum and
instruction on students’ cognitive, academic, and social capacities, as well as measuring these
effects across different grade levels and subject areas. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) stated that
by merging core academic substance and essential future skills, students can have a positive
future. Research has continually shown that the application of 21st century curriculum and
instruction is very significant in preparing students with the essential skills that will help them
satisfy their desire to be successful in this digital and upcoming era.

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