Impact of Teaching 21st Century Skills on Student Perceptions of Achievement

As student evaluations of achievement continue to be validated by test performance and quantitative data results, the gap between how students view their achievement in all aspects of their school career continues to lack the instruction of 21st century skills. This study was conducted over a four week period of time in a rural school classroom of 26 third grade students and one teacher-researcher. The study's focus was to determine if the direct teaching of 21st century skills would have an impact on what third graders perceived as achievement. The skills taught were creativity, communication, self-management, problem solving, and critical thinking. To begin the study, the students were asked to explain their understanding of what achievement meant to them. The results indicated a strong connection between grades and report cards as an indicator of achievement in school. The students also participated in a performance task in math within the first week of the study. They documented in their journals and achievement checklists how they showed creativity, stayed organized, managed their time, showed fairness, took turns speaking, and solved problems. During the second through fourth week of the study, the students were taught the 21st century skills, participated in morning meetings, solved performance tasks, and looked for achievement in every area of their school day. The field notes collected, journal entries written, achievement checklists completed, and performance assessments all demonstrated a change in the students' knowledge of achievement. Students shared their ideas during the fourth week through their journal entries and a post-anchor chart. The results indicated a connection to many forms of achievement not considered a part of quantitative data. Students began identifying achievement through quality relationships, communication, creativity within their work, situations of failure, solving problems different ways, listening with empathy, and critically t