Explaining the Role of Teachers in Fostering Twenty-First Century Skills in Modern Educational Systems
Keywords:
Twenty-first century skills, teacher role, modern education systems, transformative learning, teacher professional developmentAbstract
This study aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic explanation of teachers’ roles in fostering twenty-first century skills within modern educational systems. This qualitative study employed a systematic literature review approach. Fifteen peer-reviewed articles meeting established inclusion criteria were selected. Data were collected exclusively from documentary sources and analyzed through thematic analysis using open, axial, and selective coding. NVivo version 14 was utilized for data organization and analysis, and theoretical saturation guided the analytic process. The results revealed that teachers’ roles are conceptualized across four major domains: transformational roles in learning, development of cognitive and metacognitive skills, social and communicative empowerment, and adaptation of education to technological change. Teachers act as learning facilitators, educational leaders, and mentors, promoting critical thinking, creativity, self-regulation, collaboration, and digital literacy among students.The findings indicate that achieving the goals of twenty-first century education is unattainable without redefining the role of teachers and investing in their continuous professional development, as teachers remain the central link between educational policies and meaningful learning experiences.
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