Beliefs, attitudes and practices of teachers towards 21st century education in elementary schools

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to find out the beliefs, attitudes, practices and challenges of teachers toward 21st century education. This study was conducted in the public schools in the District of Pontevedra during the second semester of the school year 2018-2019. The respondents of the study were the 155 randomly selected elementary teachers. A questionnaire was utilized to gather the needed data on the beliefs, attitudes, practices and challenges of teachers 21st century education in elementary schools. Data show that the respondents believe that 21st century education entails the development of their skills as teachers in terms of effective communication, learning and innovations, information and media technology, and life and career. They have positive attitudes towards the practice of skills related to the 21st century education in terms of effective communication, learning and innovations, information and media technology, and life and career and they respondents often practice the 21st century skills in teaching. The challenges encountered by teachers in the practice of 21st century skills in teaching are moderately serious. Likewise, there was a strong, positive, and highly significant relationship between beliefs and attitudes on 21st century education; strong, positive, and highly significant relationship between beliefs and practices on 21st century education; weak, negative, and highly significant relationship between beliefs and challenges on 21st century education; weak, negative, and highly significant relationship between attitudes and challenges on 21st century education; strong, positive, and highly significant relationship between attitudes and practices on 21st century education; and weak, negative, and highly significant relationship between practices and challenges on 21st century education.