‘Students not getting right skills for work, life’

Students can get the skills they need for work and life in the 21st century through school, but in reality rarely do, according to a study by Microsoft.

While education leaders consistently call for change, educational policies and systems in most countries have not yet provided clear definitions of 21st century skills, or guidance to teachers on how to teach and assess these skills.

Microsoft’s Innovative Teaching and Learning research study (ITL) is part of an ambitious international effort to assess innovative teaching practices – such as student-driven learning, extending learning outside the classroom, and the use of information and communication technologies in the classroom – and their effect on how much students demonstrate skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and effective communication.

The study aims to help administrators and policy-makers better understand the relationship between policy intentions, classroom practices and student learning outcomes in a broad variety of social, economic and cultural settings.

“Education policymakers and school leaders have long voiced a commitment to transforming education so that students get the skills they need,” said Anthony Salcito, vice-president of worldwide education at Microsoft. “The problem is that the policy is not being transformed into reality. Most educators don’t know how to implement these ideas with their students.”

Key findings from the ITL research showed that when educators develop learning activities that require 21st century skills, students demonstrate them. However, more than 50 per cent of learning activities scored the lowest possible score, suggesting that many educators are only in the early stages of teaching these skills.

It also showed that educators need clear definitions of these skills, examples of how to develop them through teaching and learning, and a way to measure their success. Technology is also part of the equation. When educators have technology in the classroom – as opposed to in a laboratory or library – it is more likely they will use it as a tool for teaching 21st century skills.

“There is a strong link between technology and innovation in the classroom, but technology alone is not the answer,” Salcito said.

“Technology must be combined with innovative teaching practices, supported by school leaders who allow it to be used in ways that support deeper engagement in learning.”

The capabilities and potential impact of this research prompted four additional countries to join the research project. Australia, the UK, Mexico and the US have joined this year’s project and are sponsoring research in their countries.

While ITL research is taking place in eight countries, its findings are relevant to education policy directions in many countries.

“Effective policymaking requires a solid and coherent knowledge base,” said Johannessen Oystein, deputy director general at the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.

“The ITL research project is an important contribution to our common knowledge base. It goes right to the heart of how technology affects the teaching and learning process; solid methodology comes out of the project, and the results are shared in a very positive way.”

The study was guided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Unesco and the International Society for Technology in Education.

During the pilot year, self-reported and observed data was collected from 25 schools and 600 teachers in each country.

Full details of the project and reports can be found at www.itlresearch.com. For further details on the local partners in the learning programme, e-mail Fiorella Ellul Sullivan, education programme manager at Microsoft Malta, at i-fellul@microsoft.com.