What Are the 21st-Century Skills for Pre-service Science and Mathematics Teachers: Discussion in the Context of Defined 21st-Century Skills, Self-skills and Education Curricula

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the characteristics of pre-service teachers’ 21st-century skill concepts and their compatibility with the contemporary 21st-century skill lists, 21st-century self-skills and to compare and discuss, in terms of curricula and their fields. 71 pre-service science and 59 pre-service mathematics teachers were participated this phenomenological study. The statements by the participants were transformed into codes. These codes were categorized based on the framework for the 21st century skills. 21st-century skills codes with contemporary concepts relating to subcategories like “cognitive skills”, “process skills”, “communication and collaboration skills”, “initiative and self-direction skills”, “career skills”, and “technology knowledge/usage/production skills” indicate that teacher candidates are knowledgeable about 21st-century skills. Also the study found out that the greatest effects on the 21st-century skills of pre-service science and mathematics teachers are the curricula and the education they are taught. In this context, this research was based on the belief that determining the influence of pre-service teachers’ out-of-school and in-school trainings, their curricula, branches, etc. on their 21st-century skills will be guiding in terms of organizing curricula and environments of education.