Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Assessment for 21st Century Competencies

To meet the challenges of globalization, knowledge age, and scientific and technological development, various frameworks of 21st Century Competencies have been constructed by different countries or regions. Fostering 21st Century Competencies is a sophisticated process which can only be achieved through multi-layered education systems. Examples in official documents or research reports from various countries and regions could illustrate the ideas and understanding about how 21st Century Competencies could be incorporated into current educational systems. The examples show that curriculum, teaching and learning and assessment, as three interconnected elements in education, should target these competencies.

First, the framework of 21stCentury Competencies should be integrated into every stage of K-12 disciplinary curriculum. Meanwhile, some interdisciplinary themes should also be embedded into the current curricula to help cultivate students’ competencies through experiential learning in the real world. Three interdisciplinary themes are typical of this kind. The first one concerns international, domestic or local events or affairs, which could engage students in learning. The second theme—STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has already been universally accepted as interdisciplinary. In addition, the theme of entrepreneurship and innovation is getting more attention and become an interdisciplinary theme as well. These changes in curricula for 21stCentury Competencies need to be supported by proper teaching resources.

Second, competency-based education calls for reform in teaching and learning strategies. The student-centered approach could motivate students, satisfy their various needs and promote the development of related competencies. Problem- or Project-Based Learning (PBLs) can help teachers shift from teacher-centeredness to student-centeredness.

Third, besides changes in curriculum and strategies of teaching and learning, assessment reform is imperative to monitor and guide the implementation of competency-based education. Formative assessment can provide timely and complete record and feedback to students so as to promote their further learning. Meanwhile, national, regional or school examinations should be geared towards competencies. In addition, many competencies are closely related to professions and occupations. Certificate tests are another important way to carry out evaluation. Nevertheless, there are still many issues to be explored about the implementing of 21stCentury Competencies education.

LIU Cheng1,2WEI Rui3,2ZHOU Ping-yan4SHI Man5WANGYing6LIU Jian2,4Chris Tan2LIU Xia7

(1. College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University；2. China Education Innovation Institute, Beijing Normal University；3. College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University；4. China Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University；5. School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Beijing Normal University；6. Institute of Education Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China；7. Psychology School, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

21st Century Competencies; practice; curriculum; teaching and learning; assessment