ASCOT Library Zabali Campus

Master of Arts in Education Major in Educational Management

The 4Cs of 21st century learning skills are essential for success in today’s global culture. In the study of Chiruguru (2020), 3Rs was simply not enough, but in order to compete in today’s global culture, learners must also be skilled at the “four Cs” of the 21st Century learning skills. These skills include critical thinking, communication, collaborative learning, and creative in learning. However, many students face learning gaps due to the pandemic. According to Education Research Center (2020) on their survey tracker in monitoring how K-12 educators are responding to the Coronavirus, 74% of teachers reported that their students’’ current level of involvement was “much lower” or “significantly lower”.
Philippine education is facing various problems, such as difficulty in mastering 4Cs in the 21st century learning skills. The central feature of the K-12 program is to bring 21st century skills into the teaching and learning situation (DepEd Order No. 35 s. of 2016). Wherein the fundamental purpose of education for 21st century learners is to encourage collaboration, expect critical thinking, be creative thinkers, and teach children not only how to communicate but also the power of effective communication. The K-12 reform aims to produce graduates who are recognized for their educational qualifications, contribute to economic growth, and are educated in specialist areas. To achieve this, it is necessary to identify the scarcity of learners’ learning and seek early solutions to fill the gaps. Learning gaps are often accumulating and if not addressed immediately, learners may fall further behind due to the skills and knowledge they have lost.
Thus, this research aims to determine the challenges of Grade 6 learners in mastering 21st century learning skills in selected schools in Casiguran district. Specifically, it sought to identify the challenges of the respondents in mastering their critical thinking skills, communication skills, collaborative learning, and creative learning as well as the significant differences between the challenges of learners in mono-grade, multi-grade and team teaching school. The data were successfully gathered among 57 Grade VI pupils in selected elementary schools in the district of Casiguran with the use of survey questionnaire. It was disseminated by securing consents to the school heads and parents or guardians. The results were interpreted by computing the frequency, mean score and through the use of Analysis of Varience (ANOVA). Based on the computed data, it was found out that in critical thinking skills, summarizing English stories was highly challenging to the learners. In communication skills, the respondents considered teachers using English as a medium of instruction was the most difficult to master. Meeting the standards of teachers in very group activities was the greatest struggle of learners while having a collaborative learning, while insufficient laboratory apparatus was the main hindrance of the respondents in creative learning.
Lastly, there were no significant differences in the challenges of mastering critical thinking skills, communication skills, and collaboration skills among mono-grade, multi-grade, and team-teaching schools, but there were significant differences in creative learning among respondents based on their school types.