Twenty-First Century Skills: A Content Analysis of the Fifth Grade English Language Textbooks in Saudi Arabia

DOI: https://doie.org/10.1013/Fls.2024537427

Authors:

Abdel-Rahman Abdulla Al-Zahrani , Dr. Haitham Althubaiti

Keywords:

Content Analysis, 21st Century Skills, English Textbook, the Fifth Grade of the Primary Stage.

Abstract:

The research aimed at investigating content analysis of the English language textbooks for the 5^th grade of the primary stage based on the 21^st century skills considering the requirements for foreign language teaching. It explores if this newly implemented English language textbook meets the needs of new and current trends in standards. To fulfil the purpose of this research, an analytical descriptive method was adopted. The researcher designed an analysis card to collect data relevant to the processing of the study. The instrument was constructed based on some of the 21^st century skills. It consisted of (40) indicators distributed to seven primary skills as follows: (Critical thinking and problem solving, innovation and creativity, cooperation, teamwork and leadership, culture of information and communication and media, computing culture and information and communication technology, career and self-based learning, multicultural understanding). These primary skills are included in three main domains: (Learning and innovation, digital literacy, life and career). The results showed that the degree to which the 21st-century skills were included in the fifth-grade English textbook had been estimated as (1717), distributed disproportionately on three major domains, which can be arranged as follows: (Learning and Innovation 55%, Digital literacy 20%, Life and Career 27%) and seven primary skills, which can be arranged as follows: (critical thinking and problem-solving (22%), communication, information, and media (13%), cooperation and teamwork and leadership (17%), career and self-based learning (17%), creativity and innovation (19%), understanding multi-cultures (10%), finally, computing culture and information and communication technology (7%). Considering these findings, the study recommends adding a teaching approach based on the 21^st century skills for teaching the English language textbooks for the 5^th grade pupils of the primary stage.

PDF