ANALYZING THE LEVEL OF 21st CENTURY SKILLS PERCEIVED BY THE STUDENTS OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
Keywords:
21st-Century Skills, University Students, Public Universities, Knowledge-Based Economy, International Higher Education SystemAbstract
The world has knowledge-based economy. So, the international higher education system is responsible to produce graduates with 21st-century skills. This research study aimed to Analyzing the level of 21 century skills perceived by the students of Public Universities. Research questions were: (1) What is the level of 21st-century skills of male and female students? (2) What is the gender-based difference of 21st century skills among university students? and (3) Is there any difference of 21st century skills among the students of different universities? This study used the survey design. The study population was undergraduate students of all general public universities in Punjab, Pakistan. The final sample comprised 900 undergraduate students selected from five general public universities. The data were collected using self-developed rating scale for 21st century skills validated through five experts’ opinion and pilot testing on 507 students with Cronbach alpha value 0.89. The findings were that university students have average level of 21st-century skills. Male and female students have overall equivalent level of 21st Century Skills. It is recommended that University authorities especially curriculum development committees may incorporate content and activities to improve 21st Century Skills.
Downloads
References
Amabile, T. M., & Pratt, M. G. (2016). The dynamic componential model of creativity and innovation in organizations: Making progress, making it happen. Research in Organizational Behavior, 36, 157-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2016.10.001
Ameen, K. (2007). Issues of quality assurance (QA) in LIS higher education in Pakistan. In World Library and Information Congress (pp. 19-23).
Anderson, T., & Dexter, S. (2005). School technology leadership: An empirical investigation of prevalence and effect. Educational Administration Quarterly, 41(1), 49-82.
Bundy, A. (2017). Information literacy: The key competency for the 21st century. ILA State Library of South Australia. https://www.unisa.edu.au/siteassets/episerver/research/ils/researchextensionpapers/2001/2001-1bundy.pdf
Chang, C. Y., & Kuo, H. C. (2025). The development and validation of the digital literacy questionnaire and the evaluation of students’ digital literacy. Education and Information Technologies, 1-33.
Dion, G. (2019). Problem Solving. In Encyclopedia of Business (4th ed.). Gale. https://www.gale.com/c/problem-solving
Dirksey, M., Gudiño, E. G., & D'Angelo, E. J. (2020). Social Skills Training for Adolescents: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 6(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2020.1719358
Dolničar, D., & Boh Podgornik, B. (2023). Factors Influencing Information Literacy of University Students. In Higher Education - Reflections from the Field - Volume 2. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109436
Duckworth, A. L., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Self-control and grit: Related but separable determinants of success. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(5), 319-325. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721415593962
Esabat Tabari, E., Norian, M., & Damsaz, K. (2022). Teachers' knowledge and pedagogical competencies. Research in Curriculum Planning, 18(71), 45-60.
Fatima, J., Rasheed, M. I., & Rasheed, A. (2020). The Graduates' 21st Century Skills Performance at Workplace: A Challenge and Reflection for Universities in Revolution Industry 4.0 Era. Technium Social Sciences Journal, 32, 76-94. https://doi.org/10.47577/tssj.v32i1.6587
Gould, J. (2011). Guardians of democracy: An introduction to civic literacy. National Issues Forums Institute. https://www.civicliteracy.org/sites/default/files/god-gould.pdf
Gray, B., & Purdy, J. (2018). Collaborating for a purpose: Managing conflict and crafting collective action. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315181518
Khan, S. H., & Khan, R. A. (2019). Gender differences in critical thinking and creativity skills among university students. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 5(3), 1-12. https://www.ijicc.net/images/vol5iss3/5301_Khan_2019_E_R.pdf
Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT Press.
Lassar, W. M., Manolis, C., & Winsor, R. D. (2000). Service quality perspectives and satisfaction in private banking. Journal of services marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsm-04-2024-0168
Mamnoun, M., & Nfissi, A. (2023). Investigating the Impact of Gender Bias on Classroom Interaction: The Case of Second-Year EFL Students at Saida's University. Journal of World Englishes and Educational Practices, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.32996/jweep.2023.5.2.3
National Association for Media Literacy Education. (2022). Definition of media literacy. https://namle.net/what-is-media-literacy/
Rafiq, S., Iqbal, A., Rehman, S. U., Waqas, M., Naveed, M. A., & Khan, S. A. (2021). Everyday Life Information Seeking Patterns of Resident Female University Students in Pakistan. Sustainability, 13(7), 3884. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073884
Scott, C. L. (2023). The Futures of Learning 3: What kind of pedagogies for the 21st century? International Journal for Business Education, 164(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.30707/IJBE164.1.1690386168.68154
Scriven, M., & Paul, R. (2007). Defining critical thinking. The Critical Thinking Community. https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766
Stehle, S. M., & Peters-Burton, E. E. (2019). Developing 21st century skills through assessment. Innovative Higher Education, 44(5), 297u2013305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-019-9464-6
Thoughtfarmer. (2025). What is collaboration? https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-collaboration
Van Laar, E., Van Deursen, A. J., Van Dijk, J. A., & De Haan, J. (2017). The relation between 21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review. Computers in human behavior, 72, 577-588.
World Bank. (2019). Pakistan: Education Sector Review. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/31924
Zimmerman, B. J. (2015). Self-regulated learning: Theories, measures, and outcomes. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 21, 541-547. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.23060-8
Zubair, A., Kamal, A., & Artemeva, V. (2018). Gender Differences in Character Strengths, Social Competence, and Peer Relations Among Pakistani and Russian University Students. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 33(2), 607-626. https://pjpr.scione.com/cms/abstract.php?id=152
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 PAKISTAN ISLAMICUS (An International Journal of Islamic & Social Sciences)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
