Teaching and learning 21st century skills: Lessons from the learning sciences

Globalization, economic necessity and low civic engagement compound the urgency for students to develop the skills and knowledge they need for success in the 21^st century. Despite widespread agreement worldwide that students need skills like critical thinking, problem solving teamwork and creativity, they are difficult to teach and learn. Decades of empirical research about how individuals learn, however, provide valuable insight into how students learn 21st century skills and how pedagogy can address their needs. In our paper, we synthesize these insights into nine lessons and discuss implications of teaching 21^st century skills for assessment, teacher training and professional development.