Twenty-First Century Competencies: How Can Teacher Education Programs Prepare Teacher Candidates for Successful Teaching Career Paths?

Abstract

This study investigated teacher candidates’ perceptions of 21st-century competencies, compared the perceptions among teacher candidates from different majors and academic achievement levels, examined the relationship between teacher candidates’ perceptions of the competencies and their learning achievement, and determined approaches to enhance such competencies. A survey was conducted among 250 teacher candidates from 13 different majors, and six university lecturers were interviewed in an open-admission university in Thailand. The results revealed that the teacher candidates realized the high importance of 21st-century competencies regarding the role of teachers as facilitators, learning management skills, technology and media literacy skills, morality and professional ethics, assessment and evaluation, knowledge and understanding of the social context, communication skills, and research skills. Teacher candidates from different majors and with varied academic achievement levels had the same perceptions of 21st-century competencies in all but two areas: knowledge and understanding of the social context and communication skills. Furthermore, no relationship was found between teacher candidates’ perceptions of the competencies and their academic achievement. The results suggest that faculty and other related organizations must realize the importance of developing teacher candidates’ 21st-century competencies by creating efficient, high-quality programs, to prepare them for a successful career path.